NO. 678: PROSPECT

“…things which must shortly come to pass.” (Rev. 1:1)

 These words, true when our Lord uttered them, are no less true now, some 1,900 years later. We are sure that the wonderful events with which this Age is to close and the Millennial Age is to open are now near, even at the door. There are some, however, who argue that the Lord and the Apostles must have been mistaken when they used such language; for they say, 1,900 years are not “shortly.”

We reply that all depends upon the standpoint. From the human standpoint 1,900 years is a dreadfully long period, but not so from the Divine. The prophet intimates this saying, “…a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday…” (Psa. 90:4) Yes, responded the Apostle Peter, “…be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years...” (2 Pet. 3:8)

From the Divine standpoint, therefore, the 6,000 years since Adam’s creation are but six days of a great week of which the Millennial Age is the great Sabbath. Suppose now that the mechanic or the homemaker had in mind a work week beginning with Monday morning and closing with Saturday night, and suppose that Friday morning had arrived — would anyone say that the truth was being stretched if it were said the week is “far spent,” the work-time now is short; the rest that is promised will “shortly come to pass?” Surely these would be usual and proper statements. Thus it is with the words of our Lord and His apostles. They were living in the beginning of the fifth thousand year day, and properly the Holy Spirit in them recognized the promised blessings as near.

BECLOUDING ERRORS AVOIDED

Both the object and manner of the second coming have confused many, holding as they do that Christ’s second coming will be in a body of flesh and visible to mankind, and holding also as they mostly do that the object of His coming will be to gather His Saints to Himself and to utterly destroy the remainder of mankind and the world itself with fire. They have been led to pull and twist the various prophetic time prophecies so as to have them all end at the same moment of the one day in which they expect Christ to appear, the judgment of the world to take place, and the burning to begin.

Delivered from both of these errors, our eyes have been opened to a realization of the fact that the judgment of the world means its trial for life everlasting, and not its condemnation to the Second Death. We see that the world was condemned as a race because of original sin, and that the whole world has been under this curse or sentence of death for now 6,000 years. We see that in much mercy God redeemed us from that curse or sentence of eternal death by the death of His Son, our Lord. We see that the only ones who are even accounted as escaped from that death sentence are the few who have been blessed with hearing ears and understanding hearts. As the apostle declares, these have “…escaped the corruption that is in the world...” (2 Pet. 1:4) The great mass of mankind outside the Household of Faith are still under the original sentence — eternal death.

We see that God’s object in giving some a knowledge during the Gospel Age whereby they  might escape this sentence, and reach life everlasting in Christ, was  to  gather out a “little flock” to be joint-heirs with His Son in the glorious Millennial Kingdom.

THE SEED OF ABRAHAM

We see that Christ and His overcoming Church, His Bride, constitute the seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:29) which is to bless all the families of the earth during the Millennial Age. We see that the blessing that will come to the world will be the trial or judgment of that blessed Millennial Day, and that the knowledge of the Lord and full opportunity are promised as incidental to the world’s trial for life everlasting. This saves us from the thought that the Church, the Little Flock, of Christ, alone has a part in the blessings secured from the atonement. It saves us too from the error of supposing that the second coming of Christ is the end of all hope, mercy and probation. It shows us, on the contrary, that so far as the generality of our race is concerned, that event is but the beginning of Divine mercy and opportunity and trial for life eternal for the world.

A careful examination of the Father’s word has assured us fully that our Lord Jesus left the glory, dignity and honor of His spiritual condition when He became a man, not that He might remain a man to all eternity, but that as a man He might give the ransom price for Adam and all his race. We see that He did this, and we have the clear scriptural testimony that the Father was pleased to honor Him, not merely with the same honor that He had before, but He was pleased to exalt Him far above angels, principalities and powers, and every name that is named. We perceive the clear scriptural testimony that He was “…put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” (1 Pet. 3:18) We perceive that after His resurrection, though still in the world for 40 days, He was with His disciples but for a few moments on the seven occasions, and then in different forms, as proving to them and to us that, although He was the same Jesus, He was now “changed” and no longer human and subject to human conditions. To demonstrate this He appeared in the room with His disciples while “the doors were shut,” (John 20:19) and, departing, “vanished out of their sight.” (Luke 24:31) He appeared in flesh and garments as suited the convenience of the occasions, and thus manifested the same powers that He and associated holy angels had manifested in previous times; as, for instance, when the Lord and three angels appeared to Abraham and took dinner with him and talked with him and afterward went down and delivered Lot out of Sodom.

NO LONGER A MAN

We thus realize that our Lord Jesus is no longer a man, but, as the apostle declares, “…the Lord is that Spirit…” (2 Cor. 3:17) and “…though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now, henceforth, know we him no more.” (2 Cor. 5:16) We, therefore, are no longer expecting as do others that He will come a second time in the flesh. On the contrary, the expectation of the Church was to be changed and made as He is, in order to see Him as He is — not as He was at the First Advent. (1 John 3:2)

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matt. 24:36) This text is frequently misapplied. It does not say that of that day and hour no man shall ever know. At the time of its utterance neither men nor angels nor the Lord Jesus Himself knew the time of His second coming; but when the second coming takes place the Lord undoubtedly will be aware of it before the time, and so also the holy angels who will be His escort; and there would be nothing inconsistent with the statement if some of the Lord’s consecrated people might have intimations respecting the event. Other Scriptures speak of “the day of the Lord,” signifying a period in which He will be manifested. For instance, the apostle tells us that “…the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they [the world] shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (1 Thes. 5:2-4) Note how explicit is this declaration, and how clearly it divides between the Church and the world — between the class who will know in advance respecting the day of the Lord and the class that will not know until the great trouble of the “day of wrath” is upon them.

PAROUSIA VERSUS EPIPHANIA

The Scriptures (Greek) use both of these words in referring to the second coming of Christ; but neither of them signify the same as our English word coming, viz., approach. We would like to make very clear the Scriptures’ teaching — that in the end of this Gospel Age our Lord, at His Second Advent, will for a time be present but invisible, and that subsequently His presence will be revealed (epiphania) or made known. None will know of His presence until after He is here, only the thoroughly consecrated, Israelites indeed, will know of the matter at all until the outward manifestation will be in the day of trouble — judgments coming upon present institutions. The early part of the Lord’s presence will be devoted to His Church, as His words specifically inform us.

In giving the great prophecy of Matt. 25, the Lord tells us that in the time of His second presence He will gird Himself (that is, take the position of a servant,) and come forth and serve His people with “things new and old,” “meat in due season for the Household of Faith.” This service will be rendered at a time when the world will not know of His presence, but will be saying that all things continue as they were from the foundation of the world. Another of our Lord’s parables represents that at His Second Advent He will call His own servants and reckon with them and reward them; he that has received the two talents and used them wisely will be rewarded; he who received the five talents and used them wisely and profitably will be rewarded. Their rewards are stated: Some shall be made rulers over five cities, others over ten cities — in the Kingdom, shortly after it has been established. Evidently this testing of the Church and determining its rewards will be before there is any manifestation to the world to the presence of the Son of man at His Second Advent. Afterward, when ready to begin dealing with the world, judging the institutions of the present time, the presence of the Son of man will be revealed “in flaming fire”— judgments. (2 Thes. 1:8)

DAY OF THE PRESENCE

OF CHRIST

In Matthew 24:37, our Lord distinctly makes a statement concerning His Second Advent. It reads thus: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” This is evidently intended to be an illustration, but there is an incongruity in comparing the days of Noah and the coming of the Son of man. The difficulty is made clear when we find that the word here rendered coming is parousia, and does not mean coming, but means presence, as every Greek scholar knows. Now let us read the verse and see how plain it becomes, “As the days of Noah were, so shall also the presence of the Son of man be.” It is plain now. The days of the presence of the Son of man will in some respects resemble the days of Noah, preceding the flood. Now we turn to Luke’s account of the same discourse and read (Luke 17:26), “And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” Now the two statements are in harmony, and we know to look for some correspondence as between Noah’s days and the days of the presence of Christ in the end of this Age.

Is there anything to indicate what the correspondencies will be? Yes; it is specifically stated thus: “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming [parousia, presence] of the Son of man be.” (Matt: 24:38,39) Let us not lose the point of the illustration: the Lord was not suggesting that eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying and giving in marriage were wicked things in the days of Noah, which would be duplicated in the days of the presence of the Son of man. The thought is that as the people of Noah’s day knew not of the coming flood, but were going about their ordinary business, so also in the end of this Age, in the time of the presence of the Son of man, the world will be going about its ordinary business, its eating and drinking, planting and building and marrying, totally unaware, unconscious of the time in which they are living — that it is the closing time of the Gospel Dispensation and the opening time of the great Millennial Age, to be ushered in with a great Time of Trouble such as never was before.

This, it will be perceived, is in strict harmony with what the apostle said, namely, that the Day of the Lord would come as a thief and a snare upon the whole world, and that they would not escape. But, in harmony with the apostle’s suggestion that “ye, brethren,” would not be left in “darkness,” should not we, dear brethren, be on the lookout to see by what means the Lord will inform us respecting the Harvest Time of this Gospel Age, respecting the presence of the Son of man, and respecting the work that will be done in the time of His presence, and before His revealing to the world, before His epiphania (revealing) in the Time of Trouble?

“BEHOLD, I COME AS A THIEF”

The Scripture prophecies clearly teach that we are now living in “the days of the Son of man” (Luke 17:26) — in the parousia, in the time of the Lord’s presence. We are not pointing you to a future date, but pointing back to the fall of 1874, when no one had the slightest knowledge of the facts of the case when it occurred. Our Lord said, “Behold, I come as a thief” (Rev. 16:15) — quietly, secretly, unknown, and so it has been; He came without our knowing it. It is since His presence that the light has shone particularly upon His word. He has indeed girded Himself and come forth to serve His people. We have been the recipient of His favors, of His grace, of His truth, as respects things new and old. It is our understanding of the teachings of the Word that, during the Harvest Time and before the great time of anarchy and trouble upon the world and the smiting of present institutions, that all the Lord’s true people, all who are Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile, will have been brought to a knowledge of the Lord and of the truth, a knowledge of the Divine Plan of the Ages and of the presence of the Chief Reaper in the harvest of this Age.

It need not surprise us that all of the Lord’s people do not receive the meat in due season at the same moment. It must be passed from one to another, for so illustrations in the Scripture intimate, until all “the wise shall understand.” But the Scriptures are equally explicit in the statement that “none of the wicked shall understand.” (Dan. 12:10) Those who are of a rebellious attitude of mind and heart, who, even if God’s true children, are cultivating in their hearts envy, malice, hatred, strife and other works of the flesh and of the devil, are not in a condition to hear the voice of the Son of man. His is the still small voice intended only for those who have an ear to hear, and this hearing is granted only to those who have hearts in accord with the Lord’s spirit.

THE CHART ILLUSTRATIONS

We refer you to the chart representing the Plan of the Ages (Studies in the Scriptures, Volume I, frontispiece) to see how the various time prophecies, although making no mention of the second coming of Christ, clearly indicate and imply that His parousia, His presence, would begin in October, 1874. First, we call to mind the Jubilee type. It explicitly indicates that the “times of restitution of all things” — earth’s great Jubilee — were due to begin in October 1874 (see Studies in the Scriptures, Volume II, Study VI). The two lines of testimony on the subject — the law and the prophets — both point to the same time. We look about us and see evidences of restitution work, finding that since 1874 the work of blowing the trumpets, the demanding of human rights and privileges, has been the order of the day.

Now let us notice the words of the Apostle Peter, uttered nineteen centuries ago. He said: “…times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; Whom the heaven must receive [retain] until the times of restitution of all things...” (Acts 3:19-21) Note these words particularly — the heavens were to receive our Redeemer, to retain Him, until the restitution times. The lesson clearly would be that if restitution times chronologically began in October, 1874, the heavens no longer retain our Lord. This is an indirect way that the Scriptures teach that the Lord became present in 1874, yet all were unaware of the matter at the time.

PARTIAL FULFILLMENT IN 1799

We call to your attention what the Prophet Daniel calls the “days of waiting” (refer to Volume III, Study III for a detailed discussion of this subject). In prophecy he foretold of the rise of Papacy, and, foretold the length of its dominion to be 1,260 prophetic days, literally years — exactly the same that is stated three times in the book of Revelation as measuring the prosperity of the great system which “…shall wear out the saints of the Most High…” (Dan. 7:25) for 1,260 days or 1,260 literal years. The 1,260 years of papal dominion lasted from the year 539 to the year 1799 A.D. — from the time papacy was set up in power, until the time when its power was broken by Napoleon Bonaparte, who carried the pope a prisoner to France, and in so doing showed the whole world that the claims of the man who sat upon the papal throne that he was “another God on earth” and had power in heaven, earth and purgatory, were bombastic claims, unsupported by any real evidence of power.

The next period of 1,290 days (years) ended in 1829 with the beginning of the Second Advent movement of that period, which had a great influence upon its time. The 1,335 prophetic days (years) of the same prophecy reached to October, 1874 — ending exactly at the same place, at the time indicated by the Jubilee. We call your attention to the words of the Prophet Daniel in connection with these 1,335 days. He said, “Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.” (Dan. 12:12)

Those who have lived and patiently waited for the fulfillment of the Lord’s gracious promises have received a special blessing — a blessing which began with and dated from the fall of 1874. Every step of our progress in the knowledge of the Divine Plan is a fresh cause for rejoicing. “And he hath put a new song in my mouth…” (Psa. 40:3)

GENTILE TIMES END A. D. 1914

Now notice the other prophecy respecting Israel’s seven times of chastisement under the nations — 2,520 years from the time the crown was removed from the head of their last king, Zedekiah, and down to the year 1914. A period of 40 years is thus appropriated, first to the gathering of the harvest of the Gospel Age — the resurrection of the sleeping Saints and the testing and proving and gathering to the Lord of the living members of the Body. Look at the (nominal) church and see how infidelity under the name of higher criticism is invading the nominal sanctuary — how few are clean and free from the contamination. It is bound to make a division but, alas, so few will be found faithful to the Lord and to His word that the great majority, losing their faith, will have so much company in the matter that they will not realize for some time their fall from Divine favor and grace. It will not take many years to accomplish this separation. Look at the world, and see how the love of money has bewitched all, so that little else than money or pleasure is ever thought of in civilized lands. See how this spirit of selfishness is working amongst the masses and the classes of the world in general, how these are being bound in bundles — into organizations, combinations and unions, and how the capitalistic class is being bound also into other unions, confederations, combinations, and trusts, and note that the same spirit is infecting churchianity and for the same reasons — for self-protection, for self-aggrandizement, for power. Think how far along these organizations are at the present times, and what the struggle will be when they are all thoroughly organized and the tug of war shall come. The Scriptures tell us distinctly how the battle will result, that Babylon the Great will fall, and that with her in the battle will go down the kings and princes and mighty ones of earth, and that a terrible time of anarchy will prevail, and the only bright spot in the future lies beyond in the gracious promises of the God of Heaven, that on the ruins of present institutions He will establish His Kingdom.

JEWISH AND GOSPEL

AGES PARALLEL

Now, look at the parallels of the Jewish and Gospel dispensations. Note how all of these prophecies are harmonized and unified in this teaching of the parallels between the two Israels, the house of servants and the house of sons — the one under Moses, the Mediator of the Law Covenant; the other under Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant — the one founded to Jacob with his twelve sons, natural Israel; the other founded by Christ, the true Israel of God, with His twelve apostles. The house of servants, we have seen, began with the death of Jacob and lasted 1,811 years, until the First Advent movement at the time of our Lord’s birth, when all men were in expectation of Him, and when wise men from the East sought for Him. And likewise from the death of Christ, where this Gospel Age began, 1,811 years reached to the Second Advent movement, which occurred in 1844.

We are not Second Adventists, nor would Second Adventists in any sense or degree recognize us or our teachings, but we do believe that the movement which culminated in 1844 was in some measure instigated by the Almighty, and that it had a powerful influence favorable to the truth. There the virgins, as foretold in Matthew 25, went forth to meet the Bridegroom and he tarried, and they all afterward slumbered and slept until the morning, until the announcement, “…Behold, the bridegroom…” (Matt. 25:6) Thirty years after the Advent Movement at Bethlehem there was another Advent Movement at Jordan, when John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, and when our Lord really entered upon His work. And similarly in the end of this Age, 30 years from 1844 brings us to 1874, where the Jubilee testimony proclaims to us the Lord’s presence. Forty years from the time Jesus was baptized by John at Jordan, the Jewish nation was utterly overthrown in the greatest time of trouble ever known to that troubled people — their city was utterly destroyed. So likewise 40 years from 1874 reached to 1914, where the antitype of Israel, namely, Christendom, had the beginning of its overthrow in a Time of Trouble such as was not since there was a nation.

NOT ACCIDENTAL BUT

PROVIDENTIAL

Are these things accidental? We think not; they are all based upon the Scriptures, they are all simple and easy of demonstration, and yet they were all hidden by the method of their statement or by facts related to their interpretation, so that they could not be understood until God’s due time, when He lifts the veil. Thus the Lord said to Daniel the Prophet, in respect to his inquiry of those times and seasons, “Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed and sealed till the time of the end.” (Dan. 12:9) We understand that the Time of the End began in 1799, more than two centuries ago, and that we have been in the Time of the End ever since, and that the Time of the End is another name for what another prophet calls “the day of his preparation.” (Nahm. 2:3) Since 1799 we have been in the time of the Lord’s preparation for the Millennial Kingdom. He has lifted the curtain, and light has shone in upon the world from every quarter, on mechanics, on chemistry, on every science and on every art.

SIGNS ALL ABOUT US

All of these things have served to make the day in which we live the grandest that the world has ever known; and yet these grand privileges and blessings are about to work out for our present civilization the great catastrophe of anarchy to which we have just alluded. The law of selfishness rules in the hearts of all classes, and causes envy, hatred, malice, strife, and, eventually, through socialism, will lead up to anarchy and wreck the entire social fabric.

All this is noted by the prophet, for he gives us in the same connection, after being told that the prophecy was “sealed till the time of the end,” a description of this Time of the End — a description which fits so marvelously that it will surprise everyone who will examine it. Mark the words: “…many shall run to and fro…knowledge shall be increased…the wise shall understand…there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation...” (Dan. 12:1, 4, 10)

Note the four items. First, the running to and fro. What a marvelous fulfillment we see before our eyes — steamboats, railroads, every contrivance for locomotion, and with ever-increasing speed and ever-increasing numbers (add to that today, automobiles, high speed rail, air travel, and space flight). The whole world is running to and fro, just as the Lord indicated through the prophets would be the case in this Time of the End. Could we hope to ever have a more particular fulfillment of any prophecy than this is? Surely not. Note the second point: Knowledge shall be increased. Not only is scientific knowledge increased, but the thought appears to be rather knowledge shall be generally disseminated (today we have television and the internet which put all kinds of knowledge, both good and evil, at our fingertips). And it is all over Christendom, which is the world in prophecy. Education is progressing in a wonderful manner; children of 10 years are studying subjects which their great-grandfathers never thought of studying (today even toddlers have tablet computers in their hands). In every land knowledge has been increased, and here is another remarkable fulfillment of prophecy. Could it be plainer? Mark the third point: The wise shall understand — understand the vision which Daniel could not understand, which Daniel was not permitted to understand, which Daniel was not intended to understand.

We are not posing as worldly wise. On the contrary, we are seeking the wisdom which cometh from above, the light which shines forth from the lamp which God has given us, His Word, and all who follow its leadings from the Divine standpoint are the truly wise. This class may now understand; but as the context declares, “The wicked shall do wickedly; but none of the wicked shall understand.” They will take their own course, and the Plan of God and the Word of God will daily come to appear to them more and more foolish as their scientific minds grapple with their evolution theories and their higher critical difficulties. Is this part of the prophecy being fulfilled? Is the Word and Plan of God opening before His consecrated people as never before? It most assuredly is so! Note the fourth point: “There shall be a time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation.” The outlook from any standpoint, but particularly from the standpoint of those who are looking from God’s standpoint, is that the Time of Trouble is nearing.

INCREASING KNOWLEDGE

BREEDS DISCONTENT

We see that the prosperity of this Time of the End is not conducive to happiness and peace; we see the whole world growing more and more discontented, although enjoying more of the blessings and favors of the Lord in temporal matters than ever before. We see that the secret of this discontent is knowledge. Knowledge is power — power for good or for evil, according to the sentiments of the heart. We must expect that only those hearts which are consecrated to the Lord and dominated by His spirit will receive this power of knowledge in such a manner as to profit themselves and their fellows; and since these are the small minority of the civilized world, we are not to be surprised that the knowledge and the power are about to wreck the present order of things. God will thus cause the wrath of man to praise Him, for, looking back, man will discover from the Millennial standpoint what were the wickedness and errors of the present time as they cannot see them now, because they are so close to them and so vitally interested. They will see that selfishness lay at the foundation of present institutions in every sense of the word; even the benevolences of the present time are to some extent handicapped by selfishness. God wishes the whole world to have a terrible lesson on the result of selfishness in the cataclysm of trouble and disintegration which it will effect; He wishes all to learn that His way is not only the right way, but the only way in which knowledge and liberty and power may be used to blessing and to profit.

Do these things appeal to you as both scriptural and rational — as being in accord with the word of God and the exercising of our senses? If so, your hearts are leaping with joy at the thought that the dark night of earth’s sin and suffering will soon be at an end and the glorious morning of the Kingdom soon be ushered in. Then you will be attentive respecting the things which must shortly come to pass — the things which are coming to pass day by day in the midst of which we are living, if this prophetic testimony and outward corroborations are trustworthy in any degree. “What must we expect in the church?” some may ask. Much depends upon what church we refer to. There are many churches of men, but only one Church of the living God whose names are written in heaven. The Scriptures everywhere show that the churches of men are more or less built upon error and are fencing in their various folds not only the Lord’s sheep, but the worldly goats — not only the Lord’s wheat, but the world’s tares. We do not understand the Scriptures to teach that the goats and tares are all coarse, rude and villainous and disreputable, any more than the sheep and wheat are all wealthy and polished gentlemen and ladies. The tests are along different lines, and we read, “The Lord knoweth them that are his” (2 Tim. 2:19) —regardless of outward garb, education, appearance or wealth. We further read that “…the LORD looketh on the heart,” (1Sam. 16:7) and, again, that not many great, not many learned, hath God chosen, but chiefly the poor of this world, rich in faith, to be heirs of the Kingdom.

These then, the Lord’s poor, we are to expect to find in all the various wheat fields, behind all the various creed fences, intermingling with all the various bands of tares. The harvest work, so far as the wheat is concerned, was the gathering out of these. The Lord speaks of Christendom or churchianity as a whole under the name of Babylon — the name which originally applied to the mother of harlots, but which has become appropriate to all her daughter systems as well. These are addressed by the Lord in His last message, saying: “…Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen... Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Rev. 18:2,4)

THE HARVEST SICKLE —

PRESENT TRUTH

The Lord is sending forth present truth as a sickle to gather the true wheat from every part of the wheat fields, not by gathering them into another denomination or sect or party or name, but simply to gather them to the Lord — to fellowship with Him and to fellowship with others of like precious faith. We are sick of churchianity, but thoroughly in love with the great Christianity which Jesus and the apostles founded, under the terms and conditions of which all of the Lord’s people are brought into heart-to-heart fellowship, and need not the bands of sects and confessions to fasten them together. Having one spirit, the spirit of truth, they are one body, as the apostle has expressed it. (1 Cor. 12:12,13, 27)

The fields are white for the harvest, and every day is making a division between the nominal Christianity and the true Christianity, and the more apparent it becomes that the nominal systems are growing more and more worldly. The colleges and seminaries of every denominational shade have for years been turning out polished infidels, who no more believe in the inspiration of God’s Word than they believe in the inspiration of Shakespeare or Dickens, and they are not slow to say this amongst themselves, though craftily, many of them disguise their infidelity before such members of their flocks as they fear would be shocked if they knew the truth; but as their numbers increase, their courage increases to boldness, and in their own circles they do not hesitate to speak of those who accept the Bible as foolish, and old fogies. Let us be glad to be counted fools for Christ’s sake. Let us note, too, that the line of division is turning here on the same issue as at the First Advent. At the First Advent the question turned on the necessity for Christ’s death as the sin offering, and so today it is turning on the same problem. Is Christ our Redeemer or merely a great teacher? All these “higher critics” claim the latter, that Jesus was a Great Teacher, but not a redeemer, and that no redemption was necessary. They hold the evolution theory that man, instead of falling from the image of God into savagery and depravity, has been falling upward, as they express it — coming from brute conditions up to the present status. This is the line of battle; let no one be deceived on the subject.

ABLE TO STAND IN THE

EVIL DAY

We are living today in the time referred to by the apostle when he said, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Eph. 6:13) We are in the evil day — the day of trial, the day of testing, the day referred to by the prophet when he declared: “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand…” (Psa. 91:7) These thousands are already falling under the shafts of skepticism, higher criticism, evolution, etc., but the battle has already begun. There is still time for those who are the Lord’s true people to hear the jubilee trumpet, to recognize the situation, and to put on the whole armor of God, that they may be able to stand in the evil day, and that they may help others to stand.

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This paper is based on a sermon given by Pastor Russell in 1903 and printed in Harvest Gleanings, Volume 2. It has been edited to fit the space and to update certain references and language.

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NO. 677: RETROSPECT - DISTRESS OF NATIONS

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” (Luke 21:25-26)

Numerous events during 2013 had many hearts failing for fear. The following journalist reports touch on just a few of these events:

WORLD EVENTS

“Syria in context: understanding the war: Reports of a chemical attack in a Damascus suburb on Wednesday, Aug. 21, marked a turning point in the attitude of the United States and its allies toward the Syrian government. Disparate rebel groups have been fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad’s regime since 2011. Syria has responded by shooting and bombing its people, as well as committing human rights abuses against its citizens such as torture and rape.

“More than 100,000 people have died and millions more, including 1 million children, have fled their homes. Many have left for Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq…where they face hardship while awaiting their fate in sprawling refugee camps.

“The consequences of Syria’s war extend beyond its borders, as violence spills into other countries and threatens to destabilize the region. Clashes between Shia government supporters and fighters from Syria’s majority-Sunni population have prompted bomb attacks in Lebanon and Iraq...

“The conflict has unfolded as world powers vie to advance their interests in the region. Russia, one of the Assad government’s strongest allies, has repeatedly stymied western governments’ efforts to find a political solution.”

(Excerpts from Reuters, Oct. 15, 2013 http://www.reuters.com/places/syria)     

“Bachmann: Obama arming terrorists proof ‘we’re in God’s end times’: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) over the weekend accused President Obama of arming al Qaeda militants in Syria and said it was evidence ‘we’re in God’s end times.’

“‘This happened and as of today the United States is willingly, knowingly, intentionally sending arms to terrorists,’ Bachmann said in a radio interview with Understanding the Times that was first reported by Right Wing Watch. ‘Now what this says to me, I’m a believer in Jesus Christ, as I look at the End Times scripture, this says to me that the leaf is on the fig tree and we are to understand the signs of the times, which is your ministry, we are to understand where we are in God’s end times history.’

“‘Rather than seeing this as a negative, we need to rejoice,’ she continued. ‘Maranatha, come Lord Jesus, his day is at hand. When we see up is down and right is called wrong, when this is happening, we were told this; these days would be as the days of Noah.’

“Bachmann said Obama waived restrictions under the Arms Export Control Act, with the result that taxpayers are ‘now paying to give arms to terrorists, including al Qaeda.’

“Last month, the National Security Council announced that Obama waived some restrictions under the Arms Export Control Act so the U.S. could provide ‘non-lethal assistance inside Syria’ to ‘protect against the use of chemical weapons.’

“‘This action is part of longstanding and ongoing efforts to provide life-saving chemical weapons-related assistance to people in need in Syria,’ the NSC said.”

(Excerpts from The Hill, Oct. 7, 2013) http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/327063-bachmann-obama-arming-terrorists-proof-were-in-gods-end-times)

Comment: Maranatha is an Aramaic word that was left un-translated in the King James Bible. It means roughly, “our lord comes” or “is coming.” At the time Paul spoke these words (1 Cor. 16:22) this was a future event; however, we believe the Lord is already present (Parousia) today. We will have further comments on this in our February paper.

 “Egypt in turmoil: Egypt finds itself in another period of bloodshed and political uncertainty. On 14 August two camps in Cairo were broken up by security forces, killing hundreds of supporters of the ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

“During his first year in office, Mr Morsi fell out with key institutions and sectors of society, and was seen by many Egyptians as doing little to tackle economic and social problems.

“Egypt became polarised between his Islamist supporters and his opponents, who include leftists, liberals and secularists.”

(Excerpts from BBC News, Aug. 21, 2013  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23146910)

Comment: In many passages of scripture Egypt symbolizes the world of mankind. Clouds of trouble are coming upon Egypt and the world but God has made wonderful promises: “The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.” (Isa. 19:1-2)  “And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them. (Isa. 19:22)

 “Holocaust Remembrance Day Begins In Israel: JERUSALEM — Israel dedicated its annual memorial day for the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust to mark 70 years to the Warsaw ghetto uprising, a symbol of Jewish resistance against the Nazis in World War II that resonates deeply in Israel to this day.

“…President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both linked the desperate Jewish revolt of 1943 to the warrior mentality that enabled the establishment of Israel five years later.

“‘There was … never a rebellion like it. They were so few and their bravery remained as a model for so many,’ Peres said…

“Netanyahu called the uprising … ‘a turning point in the fate of the Jewish people’ where they transformed from helpless victims into fearless warriors.

“Peres, an 89-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also linked the Nazi genocide to Iran’s suspected drive to acquire nuclear bombs and its leaders’ repeated references to the destruction of Israel and its denial of the Holocaust.

“‘The civilized world must ask itself ... (how) it is still possible for the leadership, like that of Iran, to openly deny the Holocaust and threaten another Holocaust,’ he said. ‘Those who ignore the threat of a Holocaust against one nation must know that the threat of a Holocaust against one nation is a threat of a Holocaust against all nations.’

“Netanyahu also cited the Iranian threats to destroy Israel and vowed that there will never be another Holocaust.

“Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, an umbrella group representing Jewish communities across Europe, warned of a sudden upsurge in anti-Semitic attacks and expressed alarm over the rise of extremist parties in Europe - particularly in Hungary, Greece and Ukraine.

“‘Neo-Nazis have been once again legalized in Europe. They are openly sitting in parliaments,’ he said.”

(Excerpts from the Huffington Post, April 7, 2013 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/07/holocaust-remembrance-day-israel-yom-hashoah_n_3033917.html)

“Anti­-Semitism is why the Arab Spring failed: [writes Ahmad Hashemi, former Iranian foreign ministry employee, translator and interpreter] In my view, one reason why the Arab Spring succeeded in toppling old dictatorships but didn’t succeed in replacing them with genuine democracy was that narrow-mindedness kept the uprisings’ leadership and supporters from harnessing all existing potential. Instead of dealing with root causes of the problems, they preferred to choose a simplistic answer and solution for all unresolved issues. They had a ‘one size fits all’ diagnosis with a single prescription for all ills: whenever there is a mess, a dilemma or a complicated situation, just point a finger at Israel and the Jews.

“The most abhorrent example of state-sponsored anti-Semitism is theocratic Iran, particularly the current administration.

“Anyone who denigrates Jews, denies the Holocaust and rejects the existence of Israel can turn into a hero overnight. Holocaust deniers and anti-Semites like Edoardo Agnelli, son of the owner of Fiat auto giant, the late French thinker Roger Garaudy (a mentally unbalanced Holocaust denier who I witnessed some years ago receiving a hero’s welcome at the Qom Feyziye Seminary, in Iran), and anti-Israel rabbis such as Yisroel Dovid Weiss and Moishe Arye Friedman are all welcome in Iran only because they hate Israel and deny its right to exist.”

(Excerpts from Times of Israel, April 9, 2013 http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/pro-semitisim-the-road-to-a-prosperous-democratic-middle-east/)

 “Obama in Israel…: The White House insisted there would be no huge breakthroughs on President Barack Obama’s first trip to Israel [March 2013] as president — a promise Obama kept.  He made some progress in key areas — not hard to do given how little Obama accomplished in the region during his first term. But building on those steps would require the kind of sustained involvement Obama seems hesitant to do. 

 “Obama did seem to improve his standing significantly with the Israeli public and patch up his bruised relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That’s probably a prerequisite for progress on Mideast peace, even if there’s nothing to show for it right away.

“During Obama’s first couple of years in office, he pursued a strategy on Israeli-Palestinian peace that — intentionally or not — seemed to involve putting greater distance between the United States and the Jewish state. The initial approach sought to set the U.S. up as a kind of fair broker between Israel and the Palestinians by essentially prodding the Israelis to concede to Palestinians’ longtime demands that Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank cease before talks could resume.

“It didn’t work and helped generate significant political blowback in the U.S. that dogged the president all the way through the 2012 election.”

(Excerpts from POLITICO, March 24, 2013 http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/obama-israel-trip-89255.html)

“Netanyahu Maintains Tough Stance against Iran (Oct. 1): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travels to Washington D.C. to meet with President Obama to discuss the situation with Iran, including Iranian President Hassan Rowhani’s recent overtures toward thawing relations with the west. The meeting between Netanyahu and Obama comes less than a week after Obama had spoken with Rowhani on the phone, the first time the leaders of the United States and Iran have talked in 34 years. During their meeting, Netanyahu and Obama present a united front when it comes to Iran having nuclear weapons. Obama assures Netanyahu that the U.S. will still turn to military action to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. (Oct 2): Netanyahu gives his annual speech at the United Nations. During the speech, he refers to Iranian President Rowhani as a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ and warns the international community not to be fooled by Rowhani’s recent overtures. ‘I want there to be no confusion on this point. Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone,’ Netanyahu says.”

(Excerpt from Infoplease October 2013

 http://www.infoplease.com/news/2013/current-events/world_oct.html)

Comment: They will not always stand alone. “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.” (Zech. 14:2-3) “And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God."  (Amos 9:15)

“In Focus: North Korea’s Nuclear Threats: North Korea has been issuing near-daily threats against the United States and South Korea, and sometimes at United States forces in the Pacific. In one of the boldest warnings, the North said it could carry out pre-emptive nuclear strikes against the United States. Many analysts are extremely doubtful that the North could hit the United States mainland with a missile, whether nuclear-tipped or not. Some of its missiles could, however, hit South Korea or Japan and American forces there, analysts said.

“Why is North Korea threatening the United States now? Because the United States led the successful push for sanctions at the United Nations to punish North Korea for its nuclear test in February, its third. The North also often ratchets up its political speech during joint United States-South Korea military exercises, which it portrays as a threat. One of those exercises is continuing.

“North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests since 2006. It is widely believed to be capable of at least making crude nuclear devices. North Korea has a sizable arsenal of short-and medium-range missiles, and is developing longer-range missiles. A recent assessment by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency has concluded with ‘moderate confidence’ that the North now knows how to make a nuclear device small enough to be delivered by a ballistic missile.”

(Excerpts from New York Times, April 16, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/04/12/world/asia/north-korea-questions.html?ref=northkorea&_r=0)

Terrorism

There were too many terrorist attacks in 2013 to mention all in detail. As of October 16, 2013, Wikipedia listed 248 separate incidents of terrorism for the year through September 30. Here are a few of the most notable:

“French Troops Head to Mali (Jan. 1): In response to a plea from the Mali government, France sends its military forces to the country to fight against extreme Islamist militants. …French President Francois Hollande says in a statement, ‘French forces brought their support to Malian army units to fight against terrorist elements. This operation will last as long as is necessary.’ (Jan. 17): France sends reinforcements, bringing the number of French troops in Mali to 1,400. Reinforcements are needed because the militants have seized much of the country and the battleground has expanded.”

“At Least 41 Engineers Are Held Hostage in Algeria (Jan. 16): Islamist militants take about 40 foreign hostages at a remote BP site in Algeria. At least sixty armed militants attack the BP gas field. Among the engineers who are taken hostage are several British and U.S. citizens. Many fear that the hostage situation is a result of the conflict in Mali. (Jan. 17): Algerian forces raid the site where the hostages are held. According to officials in Algeria, 37 hostages are killed in the raid, including three Americans. Also in the raid, 29 kidnappers are killed and three are captured.”

(Excerpts from Infoplease January 2013 http://www.infoplease.com/news/2013/current-events/world_jan.html)

“Multiple Bombs Explode during the Boston Marathon (Apr. 15): Multiple bombs explode near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Two bombs go off around 2:50 in the afternoon as runners finish the race. At least three people are killed. One is an eight year old boy. More than 170 people are injured. … (Apr. 18): … the FBI releases photos and video of two suspects in the hope that the public can help identify them. …Just hours after the FBI releases the images, the two suspects rob a gas station in Central Square then shoot and kill a MIT police officer in his car. Afterwards, the two men carjack a SUV and tell the driver that they had set off the explosions at the marathon. Police pursue the vehicle into Watertown. During the shootout, a MBTA officer is shot and one of the suspects, identified as Tamerlan Tsarnaev, age 26, is killed. A suicide vest is found on his body. (Apr. 19): The other suspect, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, age 19, remains at large for several hours, causing a massive manhunt and lockdown for all of Boston, Cambridge, and many other surrounding communities. The manhunt ends that evening when he is found alive, but seriously injured, hiding in a boat behind a house in Watertown. The two suspects are brothers and had been living together on Norfolk Street in Cambridge. They have lived in the U.S. for about a decade, but are from an area near Chechnya, a region in Russia.”

(Excerpt from Infoplease April 2013 http://www.infoplease.com/news/2013/current-events/us_april.html)

“Somalian Militants Terrorize Luxury Mall (Sept. 21): Shabab [Arabic word meaning “the youth”] militants attack an upscale mall in Nairobi, killing nearly 70 people and wounding about 175. The siege continues with persistent fighting between government troops and militants. The attack is meticulously planned, and the militants prove to be challenging for the government to dislodge from the Westgate mall. Shabab, based in Somalia, says the attack is in retaliation for the Kenyan military’s role in helping Somalia battle the militant group. In the wake of the violence, the ICC suspends the trial of Deputy President William Ruto so he can return to Kenya and assist in managing the crisis.”

“Historic Christian Church Destroyed by Taliban (Sept. 23): Two suicide bombers linked to the Taliban attack the All Saints Church in Peshawar, killing more than 80 people and destroying the historic church. It is the deadliest attack against Christians in Pakistan’s history. Shiites, also a religious minority in Pakistan, have also been targeted by the Taliban in the past year. The attack prompts many to question if the government should move ahead with plans to begin negotiations with the Taliban.”

(Excerpts from Infoplease September 2013 http://www.infoplease.com/news/2013/current-events/world_sept.html)

Gun Violence

While terrorism continues to be a worldwide problem, in the U.S. it is far exceeded by gun deaths.  CNN.com reports that in 2010 there were 13,186 deaths worldwide as a result of acts of terror while there were 31,672 gun-related deaths in the US alone. 

(Source: http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/15/more-americans-killed-by-guns-than-by-terrorists/)

Yet, it appears unlikely stronger gun control measures will be enacted any time soon. After the December 2012 shootings in Newtown, CT that killed 20 first-graders along with six adults, the ensuing gun control debates quickly died down. The Huffington Post reports that since Newtown, there have been at least 16 mass shootings in the U.S. which killed four or more people other than the shooter. The Navy Yard shooting on September 16, which left 13 dead, was the deadliest.

(Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/17/mass-shootings-2013_n_3941889.html)

Comment: We look forward to the Kingdom when “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa. 11:9) All injurious things will be eliminated in the Kingdom.

IN FINANCE

U.S. National Debt: On October 17, 2013, the National Debt Real Time Clock reflected a debt of $16,964 trillion or $53,532 for each U.S. citizen and $148,134 for each U.S. taxpayer.   An alarming average of about $4 billion is added each day.  Our paper No.139 of January 1, 1967 reported a debt of a “fantastic figure of about 330 billion,” an increase of more than 5,000 per cent in 47 years!  It is truly unimaginable that such a debt could ever be repaid.  Some fear our major creditors (China, Japan, etc.) will not continue to support U.S. debt. 

(Source: http://www.usdebtclock.org/)

“The Senate and House Approve Last Minute Budget Deal to Avoid Fiscal Cliff (Jan. 1): In the early hours of January 1, 2013, the Senate approves a deal to raise tax rates from 35 to 39.6 percent for those earning more than $400,000. The deal also temporarily suspends across-the-board spending cuts. Later that night, the House also passes the legislation. The House’s vote ends the long dramatic showdown over the fiscal cliff with only a few hours left of the 112th Congress.”

(Excerpt from Infoplease http://www.infoplease.com/news/2013/current-events/us_jan.html)

“Congress Fails to Stop Budget Cuts (Mar. 1): Congress and President Obama do not reach an agreement in time to stop the large budget cuts to federal spending. As the cuts go into effect, Congressional leaders pledge to end the disagreements over the federal budget that have threatened to shut down the government for the last two years. President Obama responds to the budget cuts in a news conference where he says, ‘I don’t anticipate a huge financial crisis, but people are going to be hurt.’”

(Excerpt from Infoplease http://www.infoplease.com/news/2013/current-events/us_mar.html)

“Standoff over Obamacare Results in Government Shutdown (Oct. 1): Congress fails to agree on a budget and pass a spending bill, causing the government to shut down. The failure to pass a bill is largely due to a standoff over the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare...Overall, the government shutdown forces about 800,000 federal workers off the job.”

(Excerpt from Infoplease http://www.infoplease.com/news/2013/current-events/us_oct.html)

“Government reopens after shutdown…: The bill passed late Wednesday [Oct. 16] ended a stalemate…allowing Congress to meet a critical Treasury Department deadline with one day to spare.

“Enforcement of the debt limit is suspended until Feb. 7, setting up another confrontation over the national debt sometime in March, independent analysts estimated. Meanwhile, federal agencies are funded through Jan. 15, when they might shut down again unless lawmakers resolve a continuing dispute over deep automatic spending cuts known as the sequester.”

(Excerpts from The Washington Post Oct. 17, 2013 http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/government-reopens-thursday-after-congress-passes-budget-deal-raises-debt-limit/2013/10/17/dbe7889a-371b-11e3-80c6-7e6dd8d22d8f_story_1.html)

Comment: Our government is increasingly dysfunctional. We look forward to Christ’s Kingdom when “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end…” (Isa. 9:7)

Financial problems were not confined to the U.S. Europe has been dealing with a debt crisis for the past several years. During 2013, the problems unexpectedly surfaced in Cyprus:

“Understanding the Cypriot bank crisis: …The Cypriot economy was doing well and was relatively unscathed by the global recession in 2009. The problems began when neighbouring Greece faced financial and economic meltdown. For historical reasons Cypriot banks had a high level of lending in Greece and invested heavily in Greek government bonds.

“However, bondholders in Greece were forced to give up substantial sums owed to them by the Greek government… under the terms of a bailout package agreed last year. Cypriot banks suddenly found themselves with a gaping hole in their finances as a result of their exposure in Greece. The Cypriot government wanted to stand in for its ailing financial institutions but given the size of the banking sector it asked eurozone members for a bailout.

“The assets held by Cypriot banks accounted for eight times the country’s economic output (GDP), which explains why the Cypriot government did not want its banks to fail but did not have enough financial clout to step in and salvage them.

“In the early hours of March 25, eurozone finance ministers hammered out a final deal. Cyprus would get €10 billion in bailout money on condition that it would wind down Laiki, the second largest bank. Depositors with bank funds of less than €100,000 were spared the pain, a move aimed at maintaining the European deposit guarantee on savings. But those with amounts in excess of €100,000 stood to lose as much as 40 per cent of their money or even more.”

(Excerpts from Times of Malta.com March 31, 2013 http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130331/local/Understanding-the-Cypriot-bank-crisis.463528)

Comment: “Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” (Jas. 5:3)

IN RELIGION

“Pope Benedict XVI stuns world, announces retirement: VATICAN CITY – The conservative pope who brought tweeting to the Vatican stunned the Roman Catholic world Monday, becoming the first pope in 600 years to resign as leader of the 1 billion-member church.

“…not all Americans have been thrilled with Benedict’s rule. His handling of sex abuse issues has drawn criticism from some victims’ advocates.

“‘When forced to, he talks about the crimes but ignores the cover-ups, uses the past tense as if to suggest it’s not still happening,’ said David Clohessy, the executive director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. ‘He has vast powers and he’s done very little to make a difference.’”

(Excerpts from USA Today Feb. 11, 2013 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/02/11/pope-benedict-xvi-resign/1908779/)

“The last pope to resign was Gregory XII in the 15th century: … in the [year] 1415. But the last uncontested pope to resign was Celestine V, more than 120 years earlier, in 1294.

“Gregory’s resignation was a relatively uncontroversial political move made at the request of church officials, during a time when there were three claimants to the Chair of St. Peter. His decision to step down was the first step in a series of compromises that eventually ended the Great Schism, and consolidated power under a single pope, Martin V.

“The case of Celestine, on the other hand, was extremely controversial. His successor, Boniface VIII, imprisoned him in unsanitary conditions in a castle near Naples, where he died of disease less than a year later. He became so despised that when Italian poet Dante Alighieri wrote The Divine Comedy 25 years later, he placed Celestine in Hell’s antechamber: ‘I saw and recognized the shade of him / Who by his cowardice made the great refusal.’”

(Excerpts from USA Today, Feb. 11, 2013 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/02/11/pope-resignations/1908819/)

“Pope Francis, the pontiff of firsts, breaks with tradition: Vatican City (CNN) – Call him Pope Francis, the pontiff of firsts. When Jorge Bergoglio stepped onto the balcony at the Vatican on Wednesday to reveal himself as the new leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, he made history as the first non-European pope of the modern era, the first from Latin America, the first Jesuit and the first to assume the name Francis.

“As pope, Bergoglio takes the helm of a Catholic Church that has been rocked in recent years by sex abuse by priests and claims of corruption and infighting among the church hierarchy.

“The 76-year-old Bergoglio, who served as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, is the first pope to take the name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, revered among Catholics for his work with the poor. St. Francis is viewed as a reformer of the church, answering God’s call to ‘repair my church in ruins.’”

(Excerpts from CNN, Mar. 13, 2013 http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/13/world/europe/vatican-pope-selection)

Comment: Legend claims St. Francis of Assisi received this command when Jesus spoke from a crucifix in the dilapidated Church of San Damiano. Evidently, Francis feels he’s now called to repair the “church in ruins,” but Babylon is beyond repair. “And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee…” (Rev. 18:23) The proclamation since A.D. 1878 has been “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)

“Irish Catholics still believe in heaven but not so much in hell says new poll: A recent poll carried out by Behavior & Attitudes for the Irish Sunday Times on religious beliefs has yielded some very interesting results.

“Of the adult Irish Catholics polled, 82 percent said they believed in God, but when it came to attending a church service or mass weekly, only 34 percent could say they did.

“When it came to heaven and hell, 76 percent said they believed that St. Peter waits at the gates, while 46 percent believed that hell exists.

“The results of weekly mass attendance among different age groups were somewhat unsurprising. The young have poor attendance (in the 18-34 bracket, only 14 percent attend) while the attendance rates increase with age (30% in the 35-54 bracket and 61% of those over-55).

“The Association of Catholic Priests’ Fr. Brendan Hoban recognizes the challenges ahead.

“‘This is the looming crisis,’ he said. ‘[We are] out of synch with the world they live in. We are failing to resonate with [them].’”

(Excerpt from http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Irish-Catholics-still-believe-in-heaven-but-not-so-much-in-hell-says-new-poll-200850691.html)

Protestant churches are also struggling:

“Take your pick: Give mainline Protestants a new name: Could re-branding rouse the dwindling mainline Protestant troops?

“The dozen church groups under the mainline umbrella — including United Methodists, Episcopalians, Evangelical Lutherans, Presbyterians (USA) and American Baptists — have been flagging for years. Mainline Protestants made up 18 percent of U.S. adults in 2008. Fifty years ago, its members were the church of the Establishment.

“Scholar and Presbyterian pastor Carol Merritt recently suggested a new name might stem the slide, especially if it conveys the Mainline’s rising diversity and social justice leadership:

“‘I, for one, am tired of pretending that we want to hang out at the Country Club and eat cucumber sandwiches in fancy hats. We are not some sort of Southern upper-crust elite society.’”

(Excerpts from Religion News Service, Oct. 4, 2013

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/10/04/make-pick-mainline-protestants-need-new-name/)

“Southern Baptists: Agree to disagree over Calvinism: (RNS) Can’t we all just get along?

“That was the question that Southern Baptists, torn between Calvinists and non-Calvinists, seemed to be asking as they opened their two-day annual meeting in Houston.

“Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, created a 19-member advisory committee that produced a report in time for the meeting called ‘Truth, Trust and Testimony.’

“Baptists have been divided over Calvinism since their denomination began in 1845, but Page said Monday (June 10) that disagreements had reached a tipping point.

“The 3,200-word report calls for mutual respect among the differing factions…

“‘We agree that the Gospel should be proclaimed to everyone, but we differ as to whether or how every hearer will be enabled to respond,’ the report says.

“Tammi Ledbetter, managing editor of the South Baptist Texan news journal, said it’s really up to individual Southern Baptists to determine what happens next.

“‘In a way I suspect all the people who really give a flip about this are here right now or listening on the Internet, so it’s really up to all of you as to what happens with this,’ said Ledbetter, the sole woman on the committee. ‘We can talk it to death and I think we probably have. What matters is what you do with your life in the way you relate to other people.’”

(Excerpts from Religion News Service, June 11, 2013 http://www.religionnews.com/2013/06/11/southern-baptists-agree-to-disagree-over-calvinism/)

Comment: By “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15) we understand that Election has been in progress during the Jewish and Gospel Ages while Free Grace is God’s gracious provision for the world in general during the Millennial Age.

“A Breakthrough Year for Same-Sex Marriage: In 2013, the Supreme Court and several states weigh in on same-sex marriage. With more states legalizing same-sex marriage and two key Supreme Court rulings, 2013 was a breakthrough year for gay marriage in the United States. While other countries like France and Russia faced fierce protests over gay marriage laws in 2013, a shift in public opinion happened in the United States. According to a July 2013 Gallup Poll, 52% of Americans would support a law that would legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states…

“Even the newly crowned Pope Francis spoke up for the LGBT community in 2013. In a September interview published in international Jesuit journals, he said, ‘A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: When God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person.’”

(Excerpt from Infoplease  

http://www.infoplease.com/news/year-in-review/2013/same-sex-marriage.html)

“Boy Scouts End Longtime Ban on Openly Gay Youths: The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its longstanding policy of forbidding openly gay youths to participate in its activities, a step its chief executive called ‘compassionate, caring and kind…’

“Some conservative churches and parents said the Scouts were violating their oath to be ‘morally straight’ and said they would drop out.”

(Excerpts from New York Times May 23, 2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/24/us/boy-scouts-to-admit-openly-gay-youths-as-members.html

“After high court rulings, what will religious conservatives do? …One of the most devastating lines of attack against gay marriage foes is that they are hypocrites who castigate gays and lesbians even as they divorce and remarry and commit adultery and cohabitate and have children out of wedlock.

“Guilty as charged, say some Christian leaders, who argue that this week’s rulings should be the spur to Christians to confess their sins and put their own house in order so that they can show Americans that believers actually practice what they preach.”

(Excerpt from Religion News Service June 26, 2013 http://www.religionnews.com/2013/06/26/after-high-court-rulings-what-will-religious-conservatives-do/)

Comment: The churches are increasingly embroiled in social issues and focus little attention on the important doctrines of the Bible such as the Ransom, Resurrection, and Restitution, among many others.

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CORRECTIONS: In the printed version of our November 2013 paper No. 675, page 7, last paragraph, third sentence, the word “begotten” was inadvertently used when the word should have been “unbegotten.” This sentence should read: “It seems reasonable that That Servant noticed these two texts when he unhesitatingly gave us an unbegotten class, which we call Youthful Worthies, to be won after all the Saints have been gathered.” Also, on page 8, paragraph 3, please strike “(By That Servant, Souvenir Notes, 1910, pages 205, 206)” which was inadvertently included after the last sentence.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Please go to http://epiphanybiblestudents.com/other to read the following papers:

·      Where Are The Dead?

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·      The Resurrection of the Dead

·      Two Distinct Salvations

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·      The Great Reformer

·      The Permission of Evil

·      The Day of Judgment

·      God’s Standard

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NO. 676: CHRISTMAS

“And the Angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of Great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

We know December 25 is not the correct date of Jesus’ birth. He died on the Cross at 331/2 years of age, immediately after establishing his memorial (“this do in remembrance of me”) at the Passover dinner he celebrated with his Apostles. The Passover took place immediately after 6 pm which is the beginning of the Jewish 24hr day and he died before 6 pm the next day, placing his death on the same day of the Jewish Passover feast. This would have been in late March or early April.  Counting back it seems to indicate his birthdate was in late September or early October. The December date perhaps might have been the time of the Annunciation.

However, since we are not enjoined by Scripture to celebrate his birthday or instructed to refrain from it, any day, every day is satisfactory to commemoration of such a great event.

But wait, from what does our Great Savior save us? Could it be he saves us from a horrifying eternal torment invented by Satan and espoused by the “Harlots” –nominal Christianity? (Rev. 17:5)

Of course not! Our Great Heavenly Father who with Wisdom, Justice, Power and Love created no such horror. In our text, the angel said “Fear Not! I bring you good tidings of Great joy which shall be to ALL people.”

There are four occasions in which GOD said, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17; Matt. 17:5; Mark 1:11; and 2 Peter 1:17)   This shows that Jesus was not only the Son of GOD but was a perfect human being and not a sinner. GOD would not be well pleased with him other­wise.

Jesus also is referred to as “The Son of Man;” for he was a descendent of Adam through Mary, his earthly mother. She was the vessel used by GOD to give birth to the perfect human person of Jesus — begotten by the Father, born of the Mother. We can be sure Mary was chosen because of her love for HIM, HIS LAW and her fellow Israelites. She was a virgin and as the mother of Jesus, the second perfect man ever; in her birth-giving she is a type of the true virgin Church who will give re-birth to a perfect human race. They are the new Eve to Christ’s new Adam. The new Adam and Eve will reign from the Divine plane, mother and father of the renewed human race. Just the way our Creator planned it before laying the found­ation for His Creation.

Adam was created a perfect, fully grown adult from elements of the earth in the image of his Creator (Hence – mother earth.)  In the image of his Creator? What does that mean? Adam was of the earth, earthy adapted by his Creator to function on the highest level of the animal nature, while his Creator is Divine, the very highest level of the spiritual nature. That is, at the least, one image of the first man to that of his Creator. Man was created the Deity of the natural plane of existence — a God over the rest of nature, one of the benefits he lost through diso­bedience. Adam succumbed to his mate, Eve who believed Satan when he told her she would not die by eating the restricted fruit of a tree. She would become a god and “more alive than ever.” How many times have we heard at nominally Christian funerals some form of this statement — first coined by the serpent — Satan.

Of course Eve did not exist yet when The Creator gave to Adam His one law of life, not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:16,17) 

In our opening text above the angel said “Fear not,” understanding that through sin man is fearful in the presence of spirit beings. Only a true Christian has that perfect love which casts out fear. (1 John 4:18) It is for the real children of God today, as it was for the angels at that time, to assure the world that God is better than all their fears. So in approaching mankind with God’s message, it is appropriate that we begin by saying, “Fear not.” The God we teach is not a demon, but a God of Wisdom, Power, Justice and Love, with all power to carry his plan to a successful conclusion. As God’s children realize that his work is surely going forward to success, doubts and fears give way, rejoicing takes the place of the des­pondency.

“Their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.” (Isa. 29:13) The LORD would have his people free from this fear, though not free from a proper reverence toward him. HE reiterated the Abrahamic promise, “In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 12:3) Glad would we be if we had a thousand tongues to sing our great Redeemer’s praise, and a thousand hands and feet to use in the promulgation of this blessed message.

As God’s children realize that his work is surely going forward to success, doubts and fears give way, rejoicing takes the place of despondency. Repeat: “Their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.” (Isa. 29:13) The LORD would have his people free from this fear, though not free from a proper reverence toward him.

Good tidings — The Gospels are a good tidings message, a glorious message, assur­ing the deliverance and blessing of the entire human race. It is a prophecy of good things to be accomplished for the Church and the world, during the Millennium, when Mes­siah’s Kingdom shall be established. When all the deaf ears shall be unstopped, and blind eyes shall be opened. (Isa. 35:5) Transcending anything and everything else in the world; all other philosophies are foolishness.

In the Gospels there is no reference to damnation and eternal misery of anyone. That good message of GOD’S LOVE began to be lost sight of in the second century. Thus far it has been good tidings only to the true Church. This is meat in due season. We are to tell these tidings by personal contact, handing out literature and preaching. The blessedness of these tidings is cumulative: first, “good tidings”; then “great joy;” and then the crowning feature of it is “to all people.” The sacrificial feature of the Lord’s ministry was made less prominent than his power and majesty and glory, because the sacrifice related specially to God. This is of great joy, not great misery. It should be to all Christians a gladsome message; but it is rejected by the nominal Christian churches. There is privilege, love, hope and remission of sins through Christ’s blood of recon­ciliation with the Father; just as there was joy and privilege at the return of the prodigal. (Luke 15:11-24)  “Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound.” (Psa. 89:15)

The announcement recounted above from Luke 2:10-11 took place on the day of the birth of Jesus. We are told by Luke it was made to some shepherds tending their sheep in the countryside nearby Bethlehem. The shepherds and their flocks likely would not have been herding their animals in the winter of December 25th the improper date of Jesus’ birth.

They went immediately to where the baby was and spread the news about the angel’s appearance and the glory of the LORD that shone around them. In fact these shepherds were so excited they celebrated the birth. Even so, nowhere in the Scriptures are we enjoined to celebrate the birthday of our Lord.

He, himself instituted the memorial of the sacrifice of his life during the Passover. Since this occurs in the spring, late March or early April each year and Christ was 331/2 years old at his death, a little simple math would make his birth month in the neighbor­hood of either late August or early September. December 25th could be about the time of the annunciation. (Luke 1:26-31)

During the first three hundred years after Christ’s birth, there was no celebration of it and the exact date was lost. In AD 245 a group of scholars attempted to determine the date of His birth and there was public controversy. A papacy church council de­noun­c­ed the effort and declared it would be wrong to celebrate the birthday of Christ “as though he were a King Pharaoh.” However, the controversy as to the correct date continues, obviously overruled by the Heavenly Father of all.

Then in AD 349, Pope Julius formally selected December 25 as the day for the Christ Mass — Christmas. The date was already widely celebrated in the Pagan Roman world as citizens observed the Natalis Solis Invicti the (birthday of the inconquerable Sun) in honor of the Sun God, Mithras. The festival took place just after the winter solstice, December 21st, as the days begin to grow longer.

Many modern Christmas customs such as decorating the house, exchanging gifts and enjoying festive meals originated with this pagan celebration. At the time the wily Pope Julius decreed the date of the Nativity, Christianity was beginning to grow popular among the Romans and a number of Pagan festivals were adopted by the harlot church and adapted to fit the developing Christian creed.

However, we feel that the 25th of December is an acceptable day to celebrate this momentous event and we should do it humbly and with propriety for one so great, whose birth, death and resurrection means so much to the human family. His birthday may be remembered and celebrated any day — every day in appreciation of what he has done for us.

Our confidence that Jesus was the Heavenly Father’s only begotten son, our Redeemer, the Messiah, the Deliverer does not rest entirely on the testimony of the Apostles of the New Testament, as wonder­ful and convincing as they are. Much of the weight and importance of the New Testa­ment comes from evidence of the fulfillment of the promises, types (illustra­tions) and prophecies given by God in the Old Testament. If we do not see something, at least, of a Divine Plan in connection with our Savior, we fail to get the real strength of the Divine Revelation.

His birth, the first 30 years of his life upon which, he reached his majority accord­ing to Jewish law and the three and a half years’ of his ministry afterward, his sacri­ficial death, his resurrection, his ascen­sion, etc. was designed by God to be a firm foundation for confidence in Him and all the glorious things He has promised He would yet accomplish through this great Savior of ours.

Let us examine, first the original veiled promise of a Savior given in the Garden of Eden shortly after the sin of our first parents brought us under Divine sentence of death. Spoken by God and directed at the serpent — Satan. In Gen 3:15, He said: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, [make enemies of them] and between thy seed and her seed; [Satan’s seed of evil and her seed; ­­— eventually Our Savior] it [her seed] shall bruise thy head, [a fatal blow] and thou shalt bruise his heel [Satan can hurt us, with God’s permission but not finally and not fatally.]”

Now, let us examine the promise to Abraham that the Messiah would be of his posterity. It was made about half way from original sin to the Ransom – 2083 years after the first promise in the Garden, (1656 years to the flood and 427 years to the Abrahamic promise, according to Biblical Chronology.)

“And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north and to the south; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 18:4; 22:18)

Now come forward to Moses, 420 years after the promise to Abraham, and note the types and figures of the Mosaic arrangement and how Moses himself was declared to be like unto the greater Savior to come after him. (Acts 3:22 and 7:37) Then, 536 years after Moses, God said to King David in 2 Sam. 7:12,16: “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever.

The prophet Isaiah wrote in Isa. 9:6; 244 years after David and 845 years before Christ, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The [a] mighty God, The [an] everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Surprisingly, this is the only time the expression “Prince of Peace” appears in the Bible. (Isaiah prophe­sizes as if it was already an accomp­lished fact, probably an indication of how certain he was that it would happen.)

The prophet Daniel, in Dan. 9:24; 110 years after Isaiah refers to the importance of Christ’s work to make an end of sin and bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the visions and prophecy, which the Almighty had given Christ and the favor to come through him.

If Israel’s hope for a Messiah had been merely concoctions to deceive the people, it is certain the deceivers would have carefully set out some remarkable line of parentage for him. He would be free from parental blights, and scandals. But this was not done, instead the weakness of the flesh of the progenitors of our Lord through his earthly mother are fearlessly set out.

Judah, one of the twelve ancestors of the Virgin Mary, was not above reproach. His general character is faithfully portrayed and not all that favorably. He did talk his brothers’ out of killing Joseph and instead selling him into slavery. Later, it was Judah who offered to substitute for Benjamin in whose sack Joseph’s silver cup was found. Phares, Judah’s son, through whom our Lord’s lineage runs, was born of an unlawful union between Judah and Tamar, the lawful wife of Judah’s eldest son. Rahab the harlot of Jericho, a foreigner who became an Israelite indeed, was among our Lord’s ancestors. As was Ruth, the Moabitess, another foreigner adopted as an Israelite. Even David’s line is compromised. Christ came through Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, whom David caused to be killed in battle, so he could have her.

The above is all from the Old Testament, but the New Testament writers are equally candid and do not hesitate in recording Christ’s genealogy through his Mother, Mary. Our Lord’s virtue, his sinlessness, his separateness from sinners was through his Heavenly Father, not through the flesh, not through his Mother.

For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.” (Heb. 2:16)

But, as already pointed out through various circumstances, he was related also to the outside world. Our Lord Jesus, though born a Jew under the law, and redeeming those under the law, did more than that. His death was a propitiation (made amends) for the sins of the whole outside world. He died as the ransom price for Adam (a life for a life) and thus purchased us from condem­nation since all mankind was still in Adam’s loins at the time he was condemned.

“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

Christ died as the ransom price for Adam who was created a physically perfect human and lost it and his life for disobeying his Creator’s one law.

The Apostle Paul points out; “He is able to save [deliver] them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.” (Heb. 7:25)

This is not only true, but our Lord’s circumstances of birth and early experiences in comparative poverty as a working man, shows us that he is indeed able to sym­pathize with mankind in every station of life. He passed from the glory of the Father to the lowest condition of humanity and back again. So, he is surely able to appreciate and to sympathize with all conditions and classes of the human and spirit natures.

When the Angel came to the shepherds with the announcement of His birth, the light of the Glory of the Lord shone about them and the shepherds were frightened; according to Luke 2:9 preceding our text in the King James translation, the shepherds were “sore afraid.”

“Fear not, the Angel said. Fear is a dominant impulse of the human mind, especially in connection with the Spirit World — Ghosts. In every case in the Scriptures, where an Angel or messenger of God approaches a human, “Fear not” are the first words, because the human as we might expect, was quaking in his tracks. We all realize we’re imperfect and that the Almighty and HIS laws are perfect. The “sore afraid” fear of man toward God is true with all except the comparatively few who are well informed concerning the Divine Character and Plan.

With some, the very subject of religious beliefs is avoided. Many of these professed Christians do not even know what they believe, much less the reasons for it. They seem to prefer to let some creed, which they have never bothered trying to understand, or some preacher’s words lull them into believing they are “saved” with no further effort.

Some feel guilty — and dread any knowledge, which they fear might bring further condemnation.

This is Satan’s doing.

It is in Satan’s interest to make God out to be an ogre — to instill fear of him. Not the fear that implies reverence but the fear that means to be frightened of Him and His great power. This is the “sore afraid” fear.

“...this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me [God] is taught by the precepts of men.” (Isa. 29:13)

These precepts of men come from the lies of Satan — the deceiver — the world’s first liar, the father of liars. He lied to mother Eve in the Garden, (You won’t die but you will become more alive than ever.)

He lied to the angels whom God permitted to try their hand at saving man in the “world that was” before the flood. He convinced them that they could co-habit with humans and propagate a better race.

What they propagated were hybrids — mules. The offspring of these unions were “Giants” intellectual as well as physical and they were even more evil than man already was. Mythology, much of which was written down by Greek poets and philosophers, probably comes from stories passed on by the survivors of the flood.

Many pagan religions and their gods are passed-on stories from the world that then was. Some of it also crept into the nominal Christian systems. The fallen angels of “the world that then was” — are the spiritual leaders — the teachers of mankind or, in other words, the heavens of that world. Mankind was the earth. So God destroyed the heavens and earth with the great flood. Not the literal earth or literal heavens, but the order of things, but the world that was at that time. Not the literal earth, for the earth abides forever as is written in Gen. 8:22 and again in Eccl. 1:4.

Before this present evil world is wiped out, Christ found himself a man, a perfect man by the heavenly Father through the Virgin Mary. He called Himself the son of man through his mother, with his human perfection from His Heavenly Father, the same perfection Adam had before he sinned. And Christ must sacrifice his perfect humanity to purchase the human race from death. He carries it out faithfully and becomes the Everlasting Farther of the human race. He replaces Adam and becomes the second Adam.

When Christ became an adult under Jewish law at 30 years of age, he was baptized by John, the Immerser, received the Holy Spirit without measure and began to lay down his perfect human life daily, until 31/2 years later, as he expired upon the cross he proclaimed; “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

The Jews, Pilate or Roman soldiers did not take Jesus by force. He laid down his life willingly, obediently and voluntarily.

In Gethsemane, when they came to take him, one of his disciples drew his sword and loped off an ear of one of the assailants. Christ told him to put it away for “he who lives by the sword will die by the sword.” Then he said:

“Thinkest thou that I cannot pray to my Father, and he will presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:52-53)

A Roman legion was 6,000 soldiers; twelve legions would be 72,000 angels. He could not have been crucified surrounded by 72,000 angels.

No, Christ submitted himself willingly and paid the corresponding price for Adam; the Ransom for all of us in Adam’s loins at the time he disobeyed God and was sen­tenced to death.

Christ was dead for 3 days. His life was extinguished for that period. He knew not anything in the tomb like all dead people.

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest.”  (Eccl. 9:10)

“But God raised him from the dead.” (Acts 13:30)

“…firstfruits of them that slept.”  (1 Cor. 15:20)

He was not raised to his human nature, which was sacrificed for us, but to a higher spiritual nature than he had before his ex­perience as a human being. He appeared to some of his disciples, but assumed his humanity, before going to his Heavenly Father. 

“For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself [Christ’s reward for faithfully sacrificing His humanity].” (John 5:26)

Mary was not the mother of God, but of Jesus who became Christ and is “A” God and will be The God of the ‘World to Come,” after he and his 144,000–strong Bride has judged the rest of us during The Christ’s Millennium Judgment Day. This is the Bride who has already been gathered during this “Present Evil World.”

“…though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him [thus] no more.” (2 Cor. 5:16)

The trinity is a satanic deception which much of Christendom has accepted from the harlots, their mother and has believed since about the third century AD.

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9)

Did God send Himself? Was God His “Only Begotten Son?” It is unthinkable.

After death, Christ was entombed in a cave with a huge boulder blocking the entrance. The boulder was in the shape of a huge wheel, 10 ft. or more in diameter and about 10 inches thick. This “door” to the burial cave is chocked in place at the top of a slightly inclined track with the entrance to the cave open. When the chock is removed the massive wheel rolls to the bottom with a rumble and bang sealing off the entrance to the cave. People from all over the world visit the cave purported to be where the body of Jesus was put after his death.

After his resurrection Christ appeared to some of his disciples but it was obvious he was no longer a human being. After this brief encounter, he ascended to his Father.

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NO. 675: THE MISSION OF THAT SERVANT

“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods.” (Matt. 24:45‑47)

We believe Brother Charles Taze Russell was That Servant.

The Mission of That Servant des­erves to be kept fragrant, and our best effort to do so is by a faithful use of the Truth that he gave us, as well as by a loyal endeavor to copy his example of “walking in the footsteps of Jesus.” The following is offered as a tribute to his memory:

If our Lord found him “so doing,” during what period of time, did he accomplish the things that the Lord appointed him to do as “that wise and faithful servant?” We think he accom­plished all the Lord gave him to do, but it required all of his life from the time he was appointed until he died. Since it covers a period of time, it will require time to fully answer the question.

At our Lord’s First Advent He appointed twelve Apostles. Aside from their inspired teachings, some of their words and acts were not perfect, which proved that they were imperfect men.

At our Lord’s Second Advent He appointed Brother Russell as “That Servant.” He also was an imperfect man, nor were his teachings inspired of God. He faithfully studied the inspired teach­ings of all Scriptures, and gave us texts from them for his teachings. However, he made mistakes due to his expecting too much to happen at the time. His most notable mistake was his expectations for the year 1914. He corrected this mistake in the foreword of Volume 2, among other places. He knew that 1914 was plainly revealed in Bible Chronology, but his mistake was expecting too much too soon. The mistake is easy to understand when we reflect upon the conditions of the time when he made it. We cannot find fault with his few mistakes when we see the grand panorama of truth he gave in outlining the entire Plan of the Ages, with Scriptural proof and he did it in a manner that has not been done since the days of the Apostles. All this came by hard study and it was “due time” to make known many truths and Scriptures which had not been previously understood by anyone else.

The writers of the Old Testament did not understand much of what they prophesied as shown in Daniel 12:8. Also, the prophecies of the Apostles were not all understood by them.

The Apostle Paul no doubt under­stood what he pro­phesied but it wasn’t lawful for him to utter it to the other Apostles and disciples. (2 Cor. 12:4) But the Lord’s people of all times have received truth sufficient “so that the man of God may be made complete, thoroughly fitted for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17, Dia.)

Our Lord’s Second Presence began in 1874 and That Servant referred to that year, as well as the years 1878, 1881, and 1914 many times in his writings. He did not imagine these dates but under­stood them from Bible chronology, time prophecies, parallels, jubilees and types.

“But these things occurred to them typically, and were written for our admonition, on which the ends of the Ages have come.” (1 Cor. 10:11, Dia.)

It is remarkable how all five of these lines of Biblical teachings reach the same conclusions and the same dates. (See Volume 2, pages 187, 223, 233)

Read what That Servant himself said: “The Truths I present, as God’s mouthpiece, were not revealed in visions or dreams or by God’s audible voice, or all at once, but gradually, especially since 1870, and particularly since 1880. Neither is this clear unfolding of truth due to any human ingenuity or acuteness of perception, but to the simple fact that God’s due time has come; and if I did not speak, and no other agent could be found, the very stones would cry out.” (Reprint 3821, col. 1, par. 3 – 1906)

That Servant in searching the Scrip­tures realized that the Jewish nation was typical of Christendom. Therefore, he studied the Taber­nacle, but sought the advice of able Bible Students before he proceeded with further work. He then wrote Tabernacle Shadows in 1881 which was intended for the Royal Priesthood and all of the Lord’s people. It is a precise explanation of the Old Testament Types. It has been truthfully said that any Bible Student who has studied and understood Tabernacle Shadows would never stray very far from the Truth. We would like to know how many Bible Students have ever even read that “little book.”

The context of our opening passage shows that this special servant would be placed over the household of faith in order to minister to it, showing “that servant” as an individual leader and not the household itself, nor an organization or group. This “wise Steward” (Luke 12:42) was to be a general steward, overseer and dispenser of the Lord’s goods — not a composite steward, be­cause we are not to recognize a clerical, or authoritative class; and the word “that” (“the” in the revised Version) implies a particular one.

The intimation is that during the Lord’s presence, and at the time of the elect’s gathering, Jesus, the great Ser­vant of His people, would make choice of one individual for dispensing meat in due season. However, other fellow‑ser­vants would be used to bring the food to the household.

“BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM”

Although the theme “restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21) ran throughout his ministry, his mission included much more. Since 1799 the world had entered the “time of the end” (Dan. 12:4) and the work of cleansing the sanctuary (Church Class) had been proceeding. The awak­ening of the Lord’s people on the subject of the Second Advent culminated in 1874 when the above announcement began to go forth. This message was given to the Virgins in Matt. 25:6 (see Diaglott). It does not say He cometh but He is present, He has come. And the further an­nouncement, “Thy God reigneth” was pro­claimed (Isa. 52:7). This message was also to the Virgins. The revelation to the world would come later. (Volume 3, page 190, bottom; Reprint 3868, col. 1, par. 4)

A detailed understanding of the different lines of Bible Chronology (gene­a­logies, jubilee cycles, parallel dis­pen­­­sation, types, etc. (1 Cor. 10:11, Dia.) provided undeniable proof to the watch­ing saints that the Lord’s presence had commenced. Truth on the distinction be­tween human and spiritual natures reveal­ed that Christ’s second presence was an invisible one and that the only manner in which He would be revealed or “seen” by the world was through the eye of faith and understanding.

That Servant showed that the first and second comings were related and part of one plan; the first to redeem the world, the second to restore and bless the world through the promised seed. (Gal. 3:8, 29) He made clear that the period between the first and second Advents (Gospel Age) was for, calling, testing, and selection of a “people for his name” (Acts 15:14) to reign with Christ in the next Age and share in the work of judging and blessing the world (1 Cor. 6:2). The Lord came as the chief “reaper” at that time, also.

“THE HARVEST IS THE END OF THE AGE”

The Harvest is a term which gives a general idea as to what work should be expected to be done during the 40 years between 1874 and 1914. Jesus’ presence as Bridegroom and Reaper was recog­nized during the first three and a half years, from 1874 to 1878. Even though Christ was present in the Parousia as chief reaper, separating the wheat and tares with the sickle of truth (Rev. 14:14),

That Servant was the mouthpiece and instrument for overseeing the gath­ering work. The Lord gave the message to That Servant: “Gather my Saints together unto me.” (Psa. 50:5) The Berean comments on that verse is as follows: “Gather my saints – From every quarter of Babylon into oneness with the Lord and each other, and out of fellowship with mere professors, tares after, and in consequence of, the Lord’s return.” That Servant in turn gave the message to the Saints to “Come out of her my people.” (Rev. 18:4) The Saints were never gathered into one unit at all in the Gospel Age until the Harvest. when they were gathered into the sphere of the Truth. As the consecrated came forth from the nominal church during the 40 year period from 1874 to 1914, the Lord’s command of Psalms 50:5 was being fulfilled. The gathering was done under That Servant to an extent never done since the days of the Apostles. (See Volume 3, page 121; Volume 4, page 616, last paragraph.)

At 1878 Jesus took the office of King and began to exercise His power by resurrecting the sleeping Saints (Matt. 28:18); Rev. 11:15‑17; Isa. 52:7). “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed is the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.” (Rev. 14:13) Mark­ing a particular time – 1878 – before which it would not be a blessing to die, but after which it would be a blessing to die. (Reprint 5556, col. 2) Since 1878 those Saints who were still alive need not sleep even a moment; but in the instant of dying are changed to spiritual beings. (See Vol. 4, page 621, last par.; Vol. 3, page 304, bottom and 305, top)

The date 1878 also was the beginning of the return of Divine favor to fleshly Israel. Their 1845 years double (mishneh), began in AD 33 and ended AD 1878 – 33 + 1845 = 1878. (Volume 2, page 218) The Scripture says, “Speak ye com­fortably to Jerusalem”. (Isa. 40:2) This “speaking comfortably” was to be done from 1878 onward, before they believe In Christ. All the evidence of the return of Divine favor to fleshly Israel is testimony that Divine favor to spiritual Israel had gradually drawn to a close. (Volume 2, page 218)

In Reprint 1395 there is this: “AH! were it not that the Lord has favored us with a share in the work of gathering out the bride and helping make her ready for the marriage of the Lamb, we would be in Jerusalem and, by the grace of God, would do a part in the great work now due of turning away blindness from Jacob (Rom 11:25).”

The date of the complete casting off of Babylon came in 1881. (Volume 2, page 235) The Gospel Age condition of wheat and tares com­bined is designated the Church nominal, church in name only. This mixed and confused condition is scripturally styled Babylon. That the wheat and tares were allowed to grow together until the Harvest indicates that God’s favor had been upon the nominal church throughout the Gospel Age (“Baby­lon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand” – Jer. 51:7; Rev. 17:4).

This was for the spiritual growth and testing of the Wheat class. As the Harvest truth reached the faithful Brethren through­out all denominations, it became apparent to them that the doc­trines of Christendom were scriptur­ally unsound, moving them to leave their various sects and join the assembly of the Saints outside sectarian boundaries. The Truth, therefore, made plain that “Babylon the Great is fallen [no longer under Divine favor]" (Rev. 3:16) and that the only proper response for the true believers was to “come out of her my people.” (Rev. 18:2, 4, 23; Reprint 3884, col. 1, par. 3)

The date 1881 also marked the close of the special favor to Gentiles, the close of the High Calling, or invitation to the blessings peculiar to this Age — to become joint-heirs with Christ. At this time the full number was complete, including those in Heaven and those still on the Earth. However, oppor­tunity was still open for indi­viduals who would take the place of those who lost their crowns. But after 1881, there was no time that the full number was not complete, because each crown‑loser was replaced immed­iately. (Volume 3, pages 217‑219)

“As a matter of fact, then, the only ones who see clearly the peculiarly high and grand features of the call of the Gospel Age, the only ones, therefore, who could an­nounce or explain this calling, are the very ones who are also shown from God’s Word that the time limit of this call was reached in October, 1881. Others, while quoting the Apostle’s words concerning a ‘high calling of God in Christ,’ really explain the lower call which belongs to the Millennial Age. Hence the general Gospel call is ended. None can extend it – some because they do not understand it and cannot give it, others because they know it to be at an end.” (Volume 3, page 219, par. 1)

That Servant predicted, according to Bible Chronology, that 1914 would be the end of Gentile Times and a world war would be the sign of that. But everything was so calm and serene all over the world that he began to question the chronology. But he went over it four or five times with other Brethren, but could find nothing wrong with it. Suddenly the war broke‑out due to the assassination of the Austrian Archduke in Serbia. All countries were involved, though some were not active in the battles of war. (Volume 2, page 101)

In Revelation 7:1‑3 we are told that the four angels should “hold the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth... till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” The four winds in this text are the fallen angels (see also Dan. 7:2) the wind is the great war that started in 1914; and the forehead sealing refers to the ministering of the Truth to those who came into the Truth before that war began in each country. It should be noted here that all the Saints were spirit­begotten (sealed in the heart) by 1914, but all of them had not been sealed in their foreheads (intellectually) with pres­ent Truth. “Till we have sealed...” — those on this side of the veil had an important work, to gather together the elect and to seal them in the forehead. Each sealed one became a sealer of others as soon as he himself was sealed.

The chief mission of the Church has been her own development. “Edifying one another.” (1 Thes. 5:11) “Building up yourselves on your most holy faith.” (Jude 20) The sealing of one another was done with the present truth, “meat in due season,” given by the Lord through That Servant – the “steward” over the “household.” (Volume 3, page 165, bottom)

However, it should be carefully noted that this restraint was to be only “that no wind [World War One] might blow on the earth... till we have sealed the bondservants of our God in their foreheads;” giving sufficient knowledge of “Present Truth” to enable them to “Come out of her, My people.” (Rev. 18:4) The war did not break out in any country until the saints there had been “sealed in their foreheads.” Our thought is that the evil angels would long ago have done injury to the symbolic earth, sea and trees, had it not been for the restraint of Divine Power.

Symbolically, the earth represents organized society; the sea represents disorganized masses, and the trees represent the Household of Faith.

THE SMITING OF JORDAN

But all of them were “sealed in the forehead” in time to take part in the Smiting of Jordan. This Smiting was sharp, disclos­ing truths that disproved the doctrines of the Divine Right of the clergy, of aristocrats, of labor, each claiming certain priv­ileges and powers by Divine Right. All the literature exposing these evils was used and directed by That Servant such as: Volume 4, Armageddon; tracts like The World on Fire, Distress of Nations, Clergy Ordination Proved Fraudulent, Why Financiers Tremble, Photo Drama, etc. Public lectures and private conver­sations were used also in this smiting. It was done from the fall of 1914 to 1916 by the expression “this honor have all his saints.” (Psa. 149:9) This shows the honor would be shared, even by the last member called of the Little Flock. (Psa. 149:9). (Pg. 100, last paragraph of Volume. 2.) Some of the Bible Students who believe they are saints are beginning to use the above mentioned literature as if they are finishing That Servant’s mission.

“UNITY OF FAITH”

If we define the “unity of faith” to be a clear and harmonious understanding of the “ten strings of the harp of God” (Psa. 33:2), then we must conclude That Servant and all who came into and clearly understood Harvest Present Truth indeed came to “unity of faith.” That this is the position God wished His people to accept during the Harvest is shown in Isa. 52:8, “Thy watchmen... shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.” Note the Berean Comments on this: “In the harvest of the Gospel Age, clearly, harmoniously.” It was Brother Russell’s Stew­ardship Doctrine centering about Restitution that brought “unity of faith” for the first time in history to God’s people as a collective group. It is true that St. Peter preached Restitution (Acts 3:19‑21); and it is true that St. Paul was “caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (2 Cor. 12:4); but it is also true that the General Church of that time had not come to the “unity of faith” – had not come to a clear understanding of Restitution. However, all in the Gos­pel Harvest were rea­sonably clear on Restitution doctrine. (Volume 4, page 610) Therefore, a Prophet did accomplish the first of the two purposes for which the servants of the Church were appointed; “till we all attain to the unity of faith.”

We believe he also accomplished the second of these purposes — the measure of the full stature of the anointed one.” (Eph. 4:13, Dia.)

When the last one was reaped in September 1914, also there, for the first time, was reached “the full stature of the anointed one” in that the Body was then full and irrevocably complete unto that unity which “every joint supplieth, to the effectual working in the measure of every part.” (Eph. 4:16)

Can it be said that the “watchmen” have seen “eye to eye” since 1916? No! Nor can it be said that this oneness is something attained by the Saint Class beyond the veil, because there would be no need for them to be “watchmen” then. If any are inclined to believe that “unity of faith” means understanding the entire Bible, then we must admit that no one does, so far as we know.

That Servant repeatedly said, in both the Towers and the Volumes that the King­dom was set up September 21, 1914. (Reprints 5632, col. 2, par. 3). This meant several things: (1) that the full number of the Saints had been won, and between 1914 and 1916 the last ones came into the sphere of the truth “sealed in the forehead.” (Rev. 7:1‑3); (2) that the full number, 144,000, was irrevo­cably fixed at that date; (3) that there were no more crowns lost after that date to be taken by others. It also meant that the Time of Trouble and the judgment of the nations had begun — “this honor has all the saints.” (Psa. 149:9 Volume 4, page 624, par. 3) Of course, the most severe features of the Time of Trouble have not yet come, but That Servant could not have known how soon or how late this would be. But the severe trouble is to be to and for the world, not for the Saints.

We see then that the following things took place during the period of 40 years from 1874 to 1914. [1] The announcement of the Second presence of the Lord. (Matt. 25:6; Volume 3, pages 190, bottom through 193) [2] Gathering of the Saints. (Psa. 50:5; Volume 3, page 159, par. 2) [3] The begin­ning of favor returning to the Jews. (Vol. 2, page 258, bottom) [4] The close of the High Calling or special favor to the Gentiles. (Vol. 2, page 218, top) [5] The smiting of Jordan. (Reprint 5632, col. 1, top; Vol. 2, page 101, last par.) [6] The unity of faith. (Eph. 4:13; Reprint 3856, col. 2)

If all the saints were not gathered under Brother Russell during that 40‑year period then he did not complete the mission of That Servant and indeed was not That Servant. In that case, the Harvest has not yet been. That would also mean that the Lord’s second presence has not yet occurred, because His first task was to be the “chief reaper” of the Harvest. If all this be true then what we have learned from Brother Russell about the Plan of Salvation is all wrong. But more Truth, “meat in due season,” was revealed during his ministry than had been since the days of the Apostles, and we can be confident to “contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3) This is not to say that he succeeded the Apostles, or that he was inspired as they were, for we know that there is no such thing as apostolic succession. But there is no other con­clusion than that he was That Servant and that he did complete his mission of gathering the saints.

We love all of the Lord’s people including those who believe they are Saints, and we are trying to help and not hurt them. We appreciate the good work they have done in witnessing and in publishing the Volumes and Towers. When we correct their mistakes, it means we love them even more. (Prov. 13:24) Let us remember that the first condition of acceptance with God is loyal obedience to His Word, the evidence of love for Him and faith in Him. Let us remember, also, that the second qualification He will look for in us is love for the brethren, readiness to be, to do and to suffer, to die on behalf of those who are really, truly consecrated children of God, seeking to walk in His ways.

But it is unrealistic to think all in the Bible Student groups are of the Little Flock. That would constitute a great flock. If their numbers could be counted, we believe it would be found that there are more of them now living than the number 144,000 (Rev. 7:4) predestined to be of that class. And, if they are bringing in new ones, the number would be even more inflated.

St. Paul said, “For I have not shun­ned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” (Acts 20:27) It no doubt means he shunned not to give all the elect classes as well as the saved class of the Kingdom of the world, or the Restitutionists of Acts 17:31. Then the Apostle Paul gave us 2 Tim. 2:20: “But in a great house [God’s household] there are not only vessels of gold [the Bride class] and of silver [the Great Company, or the ones that lost their crowns], but also of wood [the Ancient Worthies of Hebrews, chapter 11] and of earth [the unbegotten class that That Servant taught in Reprint 5761, September 1, 1915]; and some to honour [saved Restitutionists], and some to dishonor [these are the ones that disobey and are sentenced to the Second Death].”

We notice there is a difference in how the elect and non‑elect are listed. The elect classes are separated by com­mas, while the non‑elect are separated from the elect by a semi‑colon. It seems reasonable that That Servant noticed these two texts when he unhesitatingly gave us an unbegotten class, which we call Youthful Wor­thies, to be won after all the Saints have been gathered. We do not wish to add anything to That Ser­vant’s faithful teach­ing any more than to add to God’s Word (Rev. 22:18); nor do we want to omit any of his faithful teaching any more than we would omit some of God’s word (Rev. 22:19).

Some may ask, what of those who have consecrated since 1914? That Servant did not hesitate to give us the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). He taught four elect classes, including an unbegotten consecrated class between the Ages, after the High Calling is closed and before Restitution begins. (2 Tim. 2:20: Volume 6, page 157, top; Reprint 5761, col. 2; Reprint 5493, col. 1, par. 6)

Perhaps in a future paper we will give more detail on this unbegotten class in the end of the Age. But it is now sufficient to say That Servant finished his mis­sion to “gather together the Saints.” (Psa. 50:5) All were reaped into the Harvest movement before he enacted the toga scene in the railroad Pullman in Texas on October 16, 1916, with one of his final statements being, “I have done as thou hast commanded me.” (Ezek. 9:11) This was in substance one of the last statements of Jesus, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” (John 17:4) (See Question Book, page 147, Question 1, and page 152, Question 3)

Will our Pastor’s work endure? Temporarily it has suffered and will for a short time continue to suffer a partial eclipse in many minds — but surely as the Truth is powerful and will in the end prevail, so surely the work that the Lord gave That Servant will endure. In the meantime, it is the privilege of all who wish to support his work to protect against deviation from, and perversions of it whenever, wherever and however they can.

We also pay tribute to the Epiph­any Messenger who faithfully upheld and defended the Truth in keeping with 1 Sam. 2:30: “Them that honor me I will honor.” We do well to honor those that the Lord honors; not as “angel” wor­shipers, but in sound and proper ap­praisal of their position and service in the Household.

Let their memory abide fragrant to us and be an inspiration for greater fidelity to fruitfulness, in the Lord. We heartily proclaim, God Bless their memory.

(By John J. Hoefle, No. 509 Sept. 1999) 

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Our internet address, check it out: www:http.//epiphanybiblestudents.com

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Letter of general Interest

Dear Brethren:  Loving greetings in our Master’s name!

At this time we would like to make a donation of $100.00 towards your work of proclaiming the good news of the coming Kingdom and cost connected with your newsletter. We receive it regularly and enjoy reading its helpful articles.

May the Lord bless and direct as you faithfully carry on this ministry.

By His grace, -------, California

NO. 674: THE MEMORY OF PASTOR CHARLES T. RUSSELL

Once more we find it a privilege and pleasure to present a treatise on That Wise and Faithful Servant, whom the Lord made “ruler over all His goods.” (Matt. 24:45-47) The Scriptures give more on Brother Russell than of any other individual, except our Lord, in type and direct Scripture. It behooves all of us who have benefited from his faithful ministry to honor him, and more particularly to abide in the beautiful system of truth that he left us – and to study, spread and practice the Truth all the more as the “evil day” progresses.

All who abide in “present truth” do not accept the many errors of our day – errors that set aside the fundamental truth in which we have been established.

THESE NINETY SEVEN YEARS TO DATE

That Servant entered into his reward Oct. 31, 1916 and since that time the Ad­versary has done all in his power to distort the Truth in every way possible, by set­ting it aside for “new light,” by perverting the Truth and by revolutionizing against the Truth. All those who have “continued in the Truth” once delivered unto the faithful are much saddened to witness such distortions, etc. Some have gone from one Levitical group to another, hoping to find the pure faith and some have come to the conclusion that they would separate themselves from all groups. We believe that is a mistake, be­cause there are yet others of like mind who seek to “abide in His Word,” and who are keeping up the “good fight,” in upholding and defending the faith. Such a course is the only way we can be faithful to the Lord, the Truth and the brethren. We are to “lay down our lives for the brethren,” and we cannot do that if we isolate ourselves and refuse to hold up the standard because we do not want to “stand the heat of the day.” The Truth received into “good and honest hearts” makes us “good soldiers;” it does not make cowards of us. If we have a cowardly spirit, the Lord did not give it to us.

“For God did not give to us a Cowardly Spirit, but one of Power, and of Love, and of a Sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7, Dia.)

And the Apostle Paul tells us: “Re­tain an Outline of Wholesome Words, which thou didst hear from me, in That Faith and Love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard the Good Entrusted charge, through that Holy Spirit which dwells in us. Thou knowest this that all those in Asia turned away from me: of whom are Phygellus and Hermo­genes.” (2 Tim. 1:13–15, Dia.)

ANTITYPICAL DANIEL

Our Pastor knew that he was the antitype of Daniel, as he indicated by two paint­ings prepared for, but not used as, Photo–Drama slides. One of these slides interpreted the antitypical handwriting on the wall and one on Pastor Russell in the critics’ den, which was reproduced in plate cut on the back of a Bible Students’ Monthly and in the 1913 Convention Report. Daniel does not type our Pastor in all the latter’s rela­tions, but only in his relations to the world as a teacher on subjects pertinent to the world and on some of the relations of the Church to the World. In this treatise we do not write in a spirit of “angel worship,” but in appreciation of his faithful ministry and “labor of love” toward all God’s people.

In Chapter One the account of Daniel’s education for the position of a states­man in Babylon is set forth. Here Nebuchadnezzar types the nominal people of God. Ashpenaz (v. 3) types the chief leaders in the nominal church, such as supervised the subordinate teachers of the nominal church, and such as particularly supervised the ed­ucational ar­range­ments of Chris­tendom’s prospective teachers. It was the desire of the nominal people of God (vs. 3,4) that the most gifted and promising young men be selected for training as teachers of their views in symbolic Babylon. As Daniel (vs. 4,6) was one of those chosen for such educational oppor­tunities in literal Babylon, so was Brother Russell chosen by those nominal Christians with whom he associated as a religiously and intellectually promising young man to teach in the nominal church. And as the king (v. 5) provided that such students be fed from the royal table, so the nominal people of God arranged that the future teachers and leaders in symbolic Babylon be nourished on the religious diet that they themselves ate. As Daniel determined not to defile himself with the Levitically unclean meats (v. 8) of the King’s table, so Brother Russell deter­mined that he would not defile himself with symbolic Babylon’s unclean doctrines. Since the story of how this happened is not generally known and should be pre­served, we give it here in fair detail.

Brother Russell was born with a most exceptionally fine religious endowment. Be­fore he was born his mother consecrated him to the Lord, and afterward gave him the most careful religious training within her ability. As he often said, he could not remember a time from childhood’s first memories onward when he was not consecrated. Early he showed his zeal in seeking to save people from Eternal Torment, among other ways, by his writing, at the age of 14, Scripture passages on the sidewalks and walls of houses, urging people to repent and believe. With such evangelical zeal at 16 years old, he sought to convert an infidel acquaintance. The latter asked him if he believed God to be perfect in wisdom, justice, love and power. On his replying “yes,” his ac­quaintance asked him how such a God could have absolutely predestined the vast major­ity of the race to eternal torment. The boy answered that he could not understand it.

Up to this time he had not thought deeply on this feature of his (the Congrega­tional) church’s creed. Troubled by the question, he raised it in the circles of his church. Unable to get any satisfying answer, he expressed his doubts on the matter. The report spread in the church that he was on the way to becoming an infidel. The pastor and elders of the church appointed a special meeting to solve his questions. But instead, they only increased his doubts. They told him that the Bible taught that doctrine. He then said to them, “I believe God is perfect in wisdom, power, justice and love, and I will not believe anything contrary to His character to be a revelation from Him. Therefore I do not believe He gave the Bible as His revelation; for if He had given it as such, it would agree with His wisdom, power, justice and love.” It was at this stage wherein he decided he would never believe as a revelation of God anything contradictory to His character, that he antityped Daniel (v. 8), determining not to de­file himself with leviti­cally unclean meats; for he concluded that any doctrine con­trary to God’s character is false. It will be noted that the stand that Brother Russell took on this matter of God’s character as a test of revealed religion, when he was 16 years old, he retained until death ended his course.

His pastor and elders, as representatives of the highest church authorities (v.9), thought highly of him; and his determination to accept only what harmonized with God’s character (“pulse”, v. 12) put them into considerable difficulty with the pertinent nomi­nal people of God who would cut them off from their positions (“endanger my head to the king,” v.10), if they did not require of him to accept the Congregational creed in whole. But rather than lose so promising a young man, they conceded to him tempor­arily (ten days, v. 12) the privilege of subjecting all teachings to the rule of har­mony with God’s character. Accord­ingly, we find Brother Russell as a youth of 16 a disbeliever, not actually, though ostensibly, in the Bible, but actually in the Calvin­istic creed, which he was wrongly taught to be the right interpretation of the Bible.

He was of too religious and logical of mind to be content without a revealed re­ligion. He therefore set out to learn what the true religion was, and to this end de­cided to investigate all religions until he would find out the true one. So he began with that of the Chinese, whose idea of the creation is this: In the beginning all was water. Then a god with a handful of earth boarded a boat and threw this earth into the water, where it grew into our present earth. That was enough of the Chinese reli­gion for him! Worse absurdities than this made him reject Hinduism and Buddhism. The fact that Mohammedanism was partly based on the Old and New Testaments impelled him to reject it. And because Judaism was based in part on the Old Testament, he rejected it. Thus his rejection of the non–Christian religions left him for a while stranded high and dry on the shores of unbelief, though all the while he devoutly held to God as perfect in wisdom, justice, love and power and trusted Him as such.

But his religious disposition could not be content with no religion; and what to do troubled him. Finally he said to himself, I can at least believe so much of the Bible as is contained in the Golden Rule Godward and manward: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul and with all thy strength... and thy neighbor as thyself (Matt. 22:37,39). Fur­thermore, he concluded that Jesus’ explanation of the law, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, as meaning: All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them (Matt. 7:12), was correct. Thus he said, “I believe that much of the New Testament.” This prompted him to look up the context of Matt. 7:12, which he found to be a part of the Sermon on the Mount.   He studied this in the light of God’s character and recog­nized it to be in harmony therewith. Therefore he accepted it. This moved him to de­sire to study more of Jesus’ teachings, which, accordingly, led him to study these as they are found elsewhere in the four Gospels. Always he found them in harmony with God’s character. This moved him not only to accept all of Jesus’ teachings in the Gos­pels as he understood them, but also greatly to appreciate Jesus as a teacher Divinely inspired. Such appreciation of Jesus’ teachings prompted him to want to know more of His life, which moved him to a study of the Gospels historically, resulting in his rec­ognizing Jesus as a perfect human being and the Son of God. But up to then he rejected the New Testament, except the Gospels.

One day he noted the passage (John 16:12–14) wherein Jesus said that the Spirit would reveal to the Apostles such truths as Jesus would yet give them, and which they were as yet unable to bear. He desired to know what those teachings were. Hence he began to study the Acts, the Epistles and Revelation; and as he understood them he rec­ognized their harmony with God’s character. Thus gradually, and upon a right founda­tion, he came to believe that the New Testament was the revelation of the God of wisdom, power, justice and love, in whom he had always believed. But the Old Testament he con­tinued to reject. The following things gradually led him to believe in the Old Testa­ment: He noticed that not only did Jesus and the Apostles quote from the Old Testament, but used such quotations to prove their doctrines. Hence he concluded that whatever they quoted from the Old Testament was true. On later thought he decided to study the connections from which these quotations were made; and these he found to be in harmony with the quotations themselves and God’s character. Hence he accepted the teachings of these contexts. This led him to study the connections of these contexts, and thus more and more of the Old Testament became clear to him until his faith was confirmed in the prophetic writings and in the historical writings which were closely interwoven with the prophetic writings. Still he suspected the books of Moses, except those parts quoted by Jesus and the Apostles; because he mistakenly was led to think that Moses made himself a dictator to Israel and established a priesthood that tyrannized over the people. But deeper study convinced him of his mistakes on these points; and he came to see that the Mosaic legislation was the most benevolent, and freedom, equality and fraternity-inspiring legislation ever inaugurated. Accordingly, he accepted also the Pentateuch as Divinely inspired; and thus his faith accepted the whole Bible.

He continued to study the Scriptures privately and in an independent Bible class at Allegheny, Pa.; and by l872, four years after he started out in quest of the Di­vine revelation, he not only accepted the entire Bible as that revelation, but also the following points as its main teachings: the unity of God; the Divine sonship of Jesus; the Spirit as God’s power and disposition; man’s fall from perfection into sin; death as sin’s penalty; the uncons­ciousness of the dead; the Ransom as guaran­teeing an opportunity for the elect in this life and for the non–elect in the Millen­nium; the eternity of the physical universe; the destruct­tion of the symbolic world at Christ’s Second Advent; the Second Advent for the restitution of all things; eter­nal life in heaven for the elect, and on earth for the saved non–elect; and eternal an­nihilation for the incorrigible.

It was in 1875 that the antitype of Nebuchadnezzar’s examining Daniel (vs. 18-20) began.  From 1872 to 1875 Brother Russell continued to increase in grace, knowledge and fruitfulness in service. It was in October, 1874, that he came to see that Jesus in His resurrection became a Spirit being, and that therefore He would not in His Second Advent come in flesh, but as a glorious Divine Spirit, and necessarily then would be invisible to human natural sight. He embodied these thoughts as well as those on the object of our Lord’s return in a tract entitled, The Object and Manner of Our Lord’s Return.

The wrongful teachings of the Adventists on the object and manner of our Lord’s re­turn had raised more or less doubts and questions in many minds, and this aroused Brother Russell to write and spread that tract, which was circulated to the extent of 50,000 copies.

THE METAL-MAN DREAM

The second chapter of Daniel treats of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the metallic image of a man with a golden head, silver shoulders and arms, brazen belly, iron thighs and legs, and feet and toes of a mixture of iron and clay, and of the stone which destroyed the image and then grew into a mountain, filling the entire earth. It is not our purpose in our study of Daniel – type and antitype – to point out the prophetic features of Daniel, since that is sufficiently done in Studies, Volume One, Two and Three. Here we limit our attention to the typical features of this book. Nor will we rehearse the typical features. Rather, we will merely indicate them by the citing of the verses in which they occur, asking our readers to have the book of Dan­iel open at the pertinent part for the sake of reference. In interpreting Daniel’s interpretation of the dream, our Pastor gave its prophetic teachings. At the same time, the entire story of Dan. 2 types something very interesting. Typically, this chapter sets forth the meaning of history under the rule of the nations during the Times of the Gentiles and the prophesied role of God’s Kingdom as the destroyer and successor of these. In this chapter, as in the preceding one, Nebuchadnezzar types the Gospel–Age nominal people of God, who, as such, have been in existence since the Jewish Harvest. His having the dream represents the nominal people of God having a proper view of the meaning of history as exemplified in the four universal Gentile pow­ers and in their ten successor powers, and of the role of the prophesied Kingdom of God as their destroyer and successor; for the Apostles properly taught the early Christians that, as represented by the deterioration of the metals from gold to silver, from sil­ver to brass, from brass to iron and from iron to a mixture of iron and clay, under the Gentile rule the race and its governments would become more and more fallen and de­praved – and that when depravity would reach its height the kingdoms of this world would be destroyed by God’s Kingdom, which would stand forever. This, in brief, is the philosophy of human history under Gentile rule and the prophetic role of the King­dom of God. And this view, taught by the Apostles, remained with the real and nominal people of God for several centuries.

The papacy’s teaching another theory of God’s Kingdom in its time and other rela­tions to the kingdoms of this world darkened the subject; for it taught that it was God’s Kingdom commissioned to convert the world and rule over it for 1,000 years be­fore Christ’s return, whereas it was the clay mingled with iron in the feet and toes. (The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach similarly about their organization in our day.) This view gradually caused the one given to the nominal people of God by the Apostles to be forgotten by them (the thing is gone from them, v. 5). For many centuries the true view was forgotten; and it was only beginning with the illumination, 1748, that nominal Christians began to demand an explanation of the meaning of history from the clergy (Chaldeans), the professors (magi), the historians (astrologers) and the prophets (sor­cerers) of Christendom (v.2) Their inability to tell what was the early view of Christians thereon, as well as its meaning, was typed by the inability of Nebuchadnez­zar’s wise men to tell the dream and its interpretation (vs. 4–11). The decree to slay the wise men of Babylon types the determination of the thinking members of the nom­inal church to set aside as their teachers (a symbolic killing) the wise men of Christendom. Arioch (vs. 14,15) represents those who led the people in setting aside such teachers, i.e., the free thinkers, higher critics, etc., who beginning about 1785, worked to undermine popular confidence in Christen­dom’s wise men as teachers. Undoubtedly, the prestige of such wise men was greatly decreased with ever–increasing numbers of nominal people of God from that time onward. Arioch’s seeking Daniel (v.13) repre­sents that such free thinkers, higher critics, etc., sought to undermine Brother Rus­sell as a teacher in Christendom. Daniel’s tact in dealing with Arioch (vs. 14,15) types Brother Russell’s tact in dealing with free thinkers, etc. Arioch’s telling Dan­iel the situation (v. 15) types the free thinkers, etc., telling the situation of the antitypical wise men to Brother Russell.

Daniel’s going to the king and obtaining time to consider and answer the matter (v. 16) represents Brother Russell’s standing before the nominal people of God as a teacher of religion and promising, if allowed due time, to solve the matter at hand. Daniel’s laying the matter before his three friends and asking their united prayers over the matter (vs. 17,18), represents Brother Russell’s habit of asking suggestions from the brethren when in dif­ficulty and asking their prayers for Divine enlightenment, e.g., when he was per­plexed over the meaning of the voice of the three signs (Reprint 4057, last par.). Members of the Bethel family will recall such things as occurring. This course he followed in the present instance. God’s revealing this matter to Daniel (v. 19) types God’s making known to Brother Russell the view of the early Christians on the meaning of history as exemplified in the Gentile rule and the prophesied role of God’s Kingdom. Daniel’s thanksgiving (vs. 19-23) types Brother Russell’s thanksgiving at this mercy of God. Daniel’s desiring Arioch not to destroy Babylon’s wise men (v. 24) represents Brother Russell’s refutation of the course of the free thinkers, etc., which was a hindrance to their object. With Arioch bringing Daniel to the king as one who would tell and interpret the dream (v. 25), types the free thinkers, etc., more or less prais­ing Brother Russell, whose kindly manner and logical teachings favorably impressed them.

Nebuchadnezzar’s asking Daniel if he could give and interpret the dream (v.26) types the nominal people of God inquiring, i.e., searching Brother Russell’s teachings for an answer to the matter on hand. Daniel’s reminding Nebuchad­nezzar that Babylon’s wise men could not answer his questions (v. 27) types Brother Russell’s statements that Christendom’s clergy, professors, learned ones, prophets and philosophers have been unable to answer the matter. Daniel’s attributing the implied wisdom, not to him­self, but that it was of God, who as due revealed the knowledge to him. Daniel’s tell­ing and interpreting the dream (vs. 28–45) types Brother Russell’s showing the view of the early Christians on the increasing depravity accompanying the rule of the Gentiles and on the role of God’s Kingdom as the destroyer and successor of these. This view our Pastor gave in his writings, sermons and lectures. The king’s honoring and pro­moting Daniel (vs. 46–48) type how increasingly the people of Christendom honored Brother Russell and regarding him as above all other religious teachers of Christendom. Dan­iel’s desire for promotion of his three friends (v. 49) types Brother Russell’s using his position to advance the Lord’s people as teacher in Christendom. Daniel’s sitting in the king’s gate (v. 49) types the great and favorable publicity that Brother Russell got especially from 1913 onward.

In the events of Daniel 3, Daniel took no part. It has often occasioned wonder as to
where Daniel was while Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were undergoing the trial of the golden image and the fiery furnace. While the record is silent on this point, one thing is certain about it, i.e., that Daniel was absent from the plain of Dura; for he certainly would have stood beside his three friends, had he been present. When we look at the antitype it becomes manifest that Daniel, who throughout his book types our Pastor, could not have been there; for had he been present it would have spoiled the antitype; for Bro. Russell died before either of the two fulfillment’s set in where he lived. Thus in the light of the antitype Daniel’s absence during the events described in Chapter 3 is entirely clear.

Nevertheless, Daniel wrote this, as well as the rest of the book that bears his name. And what does his writing this chapter type? Brother Russell’s giving the two antitypes of this chapter, e.g., one in Reprints 2495, 2496, and the other in Reprints 4873, 4874, our Pastor antityped Daniel in writing it by giving these two antitypes in this chapter.

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

The fifth chapter of Daniel treats of Belshazzar’s feast, the handwriting on the wall, its reading and interpretation. In one of the pictures used in the German Photo ­Drama the antitype of the interpretation is given. Therein Brother Russell is repre­sented as giving the right interpretation, while the clergy, etc., are pictured forth as in confusion thereof. In this picture Belshazzar types the nominal people of God in state, church and capital. His 1,000 lords (v.1) represent these leaders distributive as being many, i.e., in their totality. His wives represent the main organ­izations of the nominal people of God, and his concubines their lesser organizations. The feast types the Parousia privileges and advantages that the nominal people of God appropriated to themselves – particularly so in the church unions during the Harvest period. The golden and silver vessels (vs. 2,3) type the Divine truths that had been taken captive in the Dark Ages with God’s real people into symbolic Babylon. The send­ing of these ves­sels types the requirements that the teachings of God’s word be made subservient to Babylon’s unclean uses. Putting Babylon’s wine into these vessels types the antitypical Babyl­onians’ partaking of a mixture of truth and error in their Parou­sia feast. The fingers of a man’s hand (v.5) that wrote on the wall represent the ex­hibition of Divine power (hand) on symbolic Babylon’s walls (her political, financial, ecclesiastical, social and labor powers). The king’s seeing the part of the hand that wrote (v. 5) types the nominal people of God recognizing in part that it was a manifes­tation of Divine power that they witnessed. And such power was manifest in the signs of the times occurring in Babylon’s political, financial, ecclesiastical, labor and so­cial powers.

The great perturbation of the king at the sight (v.6) types Christendom’s fears at the events which proved to be the signs of the times – “men’s hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth.” (Luke 21:26) The king’s demand that the wise men of Babylon be brought before him types the demand of the nominal people of God that the wise men of Christendom be summoned to the fore on the subject at hand. His offer to give the purple robe, the golden chain, and the third position in the kingdom to the one who would read and interpret the handwriting, represents Christen­dom’s reward of making the true reader and interpreter the royally accepted (purple), Divinely authorized (golden chain on the neck) chief teacher in the religious (the third) department of symbolic Babylon. The failure of the king’s wise men to interpret the handwriting types the failure of Christendom’s learned men, clergy and prophets, to read and interpret the signs of the times. Belshazzar’s in­creased fears and that of his lords (v.9) types the increased perplexity of the nomi­nal people of God, particularly of its leaders, at the events which proved to be the signs of the times, etc. Daniel’s being brought in before the king (v. 13) types Brother Russell being brought in before the nominal people of God by his writings, ser­mons and lectures. Daniel’s first statement (v. 17) that the king keep his gifts or bestow his rewards upon another types Brother Russell’s disinterestedness; for he gladly gave his service in the cause of Truth freely, declining to accept financial recompense therefor. “Seats free – No collections” was his shibboleth during his en­tire ministry.

First of all Daniel read the writing (v. 25), which the Babylonian wise men could not even read. Then, as Daniel explained the meaning of the words (vs. 26-28), so Brother Russell explained the meaning of the signs: MENE (v.26) – “God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it.” This Brother Russell explained as the 2520 years of the Gentile times, which would end in 1914. Very significant in this connection is the fact that the numeric value of those words on the wall is exactly 2520 – Mene, 1000; Mene, 1000; Tekel, 20; Peres, 500, the gerah being the unit here meant. Thus, Brother Russell boldly declared – many years before 1914 – that the allotted years of Gentile rule were 2520, that they would end in 1914 by a great world–wide war, the be­ginning of which precipitated Christendom into two antagonistic camps – the Radicals and the Conservatives, with the breach between the two becoming ever wider with each passing year. This will presently eventuate in the complete destruction of the Conser­vative camp, with the resultant oblit­eration of the present forms of state, church and capital.

In addition, he related that these signs of pending doom also indicated the immi­nence of God’s Kingdom, as the kingdom that would succeed the kingdoms of this world. Thus did he point out the three great things indicated by the signs of the times: (1) the end of the Gentile Times; (2) Babylon’s judgment going against her; and (3) the overthrow of Satan’s empire, to be succeeded by God’s two–phased Kingdom. Brother Russell explained these things in crystal clarity, which none of Babylon’s wise men could do. They could not even recognize their significance. Events since 1914 amply corroborate the truth of his readings. Daniel’s being accepted as the third (the re­ligious) ruler in Babylon types that Brother Russell was increasingly regarded as the greatest religious teacher in Christendom; and his renown was world-wide.

HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE

Much of the foregoing is taken from Brother Johnson’s writings; and from it we may properly draw the conclusion that he was fully persuaded that Brother Russell was “that servant” (Matt. 24:45-47). And such persua­sion convinced him that the system of Truth he presented, with all important doctrines of the Bible clearly and correctly explained, should be retained as he gave it. Thus, Brother Johnson was bold in defend­ing all attempts to pervert the Truth as it is contained in Tabernacle Shadows and the Six Volumes of Studies in the Scriptures. This he did from the heart, and not by mere lip service.

Both of these Messengers died late in October, and we fondly pay homage to both of them at this season of the year. It is in order here to state that during Brother Russell’s lifetime the Truth group he led was almost 100% solidly persuaded that he was That Servant; but quite a few denied the fact shortly after he was gone. And many others who laud Brother Russell reject large parts of the Truth he gave us ­chief among these are the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is strikingly similar to the Ro­man Catholics, who claim they originated with the Apostle Peter but also reject about every important teaching he gave. Thus, consistency in their words and in their acts is sadly absent.

Of both these “men of God” (2 Tim. 3:17) we offer the tribute: “Wealth and riches (rich in faith and in the knowledge of the Lord) shall be in his house: his righteousness endureth forever... A good man will guide his affairs with discretion... The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.” (Psa. 112:3–6)

This paper was taken from article No. 426, October 1991 written by Pilgrim Brother John J. Hoefle.

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