NO: 763: “THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME” - Some Thoughts for the Memorial

No. 763

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matt. 26:26-29)

The time again draws near for us to commemorate the anniversary of our Lord’s Supper, instituted in commemoration of His death as the antitypical paschal lamb – “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) The correct time for 2021 is after 6 p.m. on March 25. The date is determined by this method: The moon nearest the Vernal Equinox becomes new in Jerusalem on March 13 at 12:21 p.m., thus establishing 6 p.m. March 12 as the beginning of Nisan 1, Bible reckoning. Counting forward to Nisan 14, we arrive at 6 p.m. March 25. Any time that evening after 6 p.m. would be proper for the celebration.

Let all the faithful in Christ Jesus, in every place, do this in remembrance of God’s Lamb who redeemed us by the sacrifice of Himself. All such should assemble together, even if there are only two or three of like precious faith. Even those who are solitary may break the bread and partake of the cup in heart communion with the Lord and with fellow believers.

We agree with the majority view that the Memorial Supper was instituted by our Lord on Thursday night in connection with His last celebration of the Passover, and that He was crucified on the next day, Friday. We have no issue, however, with those who suppose that these events took place on other days of the week. Our emphasis is on what was accomplished there and its significance as the antitype of the Passover instituted by Moses, and as the finishing of our Lord’s great sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. We are willing to contend earnestly for these vital principles; they are part of the faith “once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3) We will not argue about the particular days of the week, as we consider this to be a trivial matter of no real consequence. Such disputes should in no way disturb the minds or heart-fellowship of the Lord’s people.

Our Lord instructed His disciples as to where they should prepare for their special and peculiar Jewish family to celebrate the require­ments of the Law: “Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.” (Matt. 26:18) The man was probably a believer or there may have been some previous arrangement with him. During the Passover week, hospitality was recognized as a duty in Jerusalem; hence the readiness with which the Lord’s request for a room was granted and the “upper room” provided for this supper. Things were made ready, and at evening, the beginning of the fourteenth day of Nisan, our Lord and the twelve assembled.

Our Lord said to them, “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer.” (Luke 22:15) He was not referring to the principal weeklong feast that was to begin on the 15th day of Nisan, but rather to the supper preceding the general feast, which was a memorial reminding the Jews of their deliverance from Egypt and the basis of their subsequent rejoicing as a liberated people.

Through the different accounts contained in the Gospels, we learn that there was a dispute among the disciples respecting the more honorable positions at the supper. Jesus rebuked this ambitious spirit in them by washing their feet, thus illustrating His own humility of heart, His readiness to serve each and all of them. (Luke 22:24-27; John 13:5, 12-16) Thus He set an example for them that He, whom they esteemed to be the greatest among them, would be their principal servant, willing and ready to serve any and all.

“ONE OF YOU SHALL BETRAY ME”

While they were eating, Jesus remarked that one of them would betray Him, and at once a spirit of sadness spread over the group and each one felt compelled to prove his innocence of such a charge. Each one asked, “Lord, is it I?” (Matt. 26:22) Judas asked this question along with the rest, realizing that if he did not also ask, it would imply that he was the one. In response to his inquiry Jesus replied, “Thou hast said,” meaning, “Yes, I am referring to you.” (Matt. 26:25) Another account tells us that Jesus answered by saying that the betrayer would the one for whom He would dip a “sop” (pieces of the lamb and unleavened bread they were eating). Having dipped it, Jesus gave it to Judas, thus indicating him without directly naming him. (John 13:26) It would appear that the other disciples up to this point had not learned of Judas’ true nature.

Although deceit and betrayal were not uncommon, there was a code of honor recognized among both Jews and Arabs according to which no one would eat the food of a person he would in any way injure. As food was seasoned and preserved with salt, it was probably this custom that was known as the “covenant of salt” – the covenant of faithfulness. (Num. 18:19) Having an enemy eat at your table or partake of your food seasoned with salt was considered the equivalent of a pledge of his lasting friendship – his pledge that he would never do you injury. Judas was apparently so lacking in the proper spirit that he did not even acknowledge and obey this custom of the time – to be loyal and faithful to the one whose bread he ate, of whose salt he partook. Hence our Lord’s words, “He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.” (Matt. 26:23)

Nevertheless, Jesus testified that His death was not a victory for His enemies and His betrayer. It was instead in harmony with what the Prophets had written of Him. We are not to consider that Judas was lacking in responsibility, however, or that he did not act willfully in this matter because he was merely fulfilling a prophecy. Such a thought is negated by our Lord’s statement, “The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.” (Matt. 26:24) These words leave no question, we think, that Judas had already enjoyed his full share in the great atonement work through the intimate opportunities he had of coming to a clear knowledge of the Truth and the corresponding responsibilities. Evidently his was the sin unto death – the Second Death. Along with the loss of any future existence, we see that his life was a useless, wasted one, and its joys did not outweigh its sorrows and anguish, especially when considering his subsequent despair and suicide.

“TAKE, EAT; THIS IS MY BODY”

The Jewish Passover Supper consisted of lamb with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Leaven was a symbol of sin under the Law and was especially commanded to be put away at the Passover season. After the Passover Supper, Jesus instituted the Memorial Supper, instructing His followers that this Memorial Supper would take the place of the Jews’ Passover Supper. This was something new, and the Apostles listened with interest to His words as He blessed the thin cakes of unleavened bread, broke them, and handed portions to each of His disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body.” (Matt. 26:26) They wondered what He could mean.

During their three years in His company they had learned that He spoke in parables and dark sayings. Now He was handing them some unleavened bread, saying that it was His body. They certainly understood Him to mean that this bread was to represent or symbolize His body, for He told them that thenceforth they were to do this in remembrance of Him. Instead of eating of a literal lamb as they had done previously, they were to thenceforth remember Him as the slain lamb and partake of the unleavened bread representing His sinless flesh.

He could not have meant, as Roman Catholics and some Protestants believe, that the blessing of the bread turned it into His actual flesh, for He still had His flesh – He was not killed until about fifteen hours later. Hence all the arguments to this effect are foolish and deceptive. When He said that the bread was His body, it was as much a figure of speech as when He said on other occasions, “I am the vine” (John 15:5); “I am the door” (John 10:9); “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11); “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), etc. The correct and sane view of the Master’s words is apparent: He was represented in all these different ways. In the case of the bread, the meaning is clear that it would represent His flesh to His Apostles and to all His followers throughout the Gospel Age.

Bread symbolizes all food and food is necessary to sustain life. This symbol, therefore, teaches that whoever will have the life which Christ has to give must accept it as the result of His sacrifice of it. He died that we might live. The rights and privileges which He surrendered voluntarily may be “eaten” – applied, appropriated by all who have faith in Him and who accept Him and His instructions. Those who do so are reckoned as having imputed to them the perfect human nature lost by Adam and redeemed by Christ, with all its rights and privileges.

On another occasion, Jesus gave a lesson which clearly interprets this symbol. He said, “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. . . . I am the bread of life . . . I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:33, 35, 51) None can have eternal life except by this “eating.” This applies not only to believers of this present time, but also to those of the future age. Their life-rights and privileges must all be recognized as coming to them through His sacrifice. The bread representing our Lord’s body teaches that we are justified through the acceptance of His sacrifice.

“DRINK YE ALL OF IT”

Next our Lord took the cup, blessed it and gave it to the Apostles. This drink is never called wine, but merely the “cup” and the “fruit of the vine.” We are not told whether it was fermented or unfermented, but in view of the requirement that the Passover bread be made without yeast, fermentation being considered a symbol of sin, it seems almost certain that it was unfermented.

In passing the cup the Lord said, “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.” (Matt. 26:28, ASV) Although the King James Version and many other translations render this text as “new testament” or “new covenant,” the two oldest Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the Sinaitic and the Vatican, omit the word “new.” It is true that the New Covenant must be sealed with the blood of Christ before it can go into effect and it is not to go into effect until the opening of the Millennial Age. There was another “old” Covenant, however, which was sealed by our Lord’s death. It is the foundation Covenant of all covenants, namely, the Abrahamic Covenant, also called the Oath-bound Covenant. That sealing was typically represented by the figurative death of Isaac at the hand of Abraham and his figurative resurrection from the dead. The Apostle assures us that Isaac represented our Lord Jesus, and also declares, “Now we [the Church], brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.” (Gal. 4:28)

If we thus apply our Lord’s words to the Abrahamic Covenant, which He was sealing or making sure, we see that it was by His death that He became the heir of that Covenant and all of its glorious provisions for the blessing of all the families of the earth. (Gen. 28:14) From this standpoint we see a special meaning and force in Jesus’ instructions to His followers to “Drink ye all of it.” (Matt. 26:27) The invitation to drink of the Lord’s cup signifies an invitation to all of His elect Church of the Gospel Age to partake with Him of His cup of suffering and death – to lay down their lives with Him that they also might have a share with Him in the coming glories of the Kingdom, which will be the divine channel for the fulfilment of the Abrahamic promise, the blessing of all the families of the earth.

In order to receive the restitution blessings purchased by our Lord’s sacrifice, it will be necessary for the whole world to “eat” of the bread, to be justified through the acceptance of His sacrifice. The “cup” is not for the world, however, but only for the consecrated believers of this Gospel Age. The Lord’s admonition to “Drink ye all of it” means not only for all of you to drink of it; it also means for all of you to drink all of it – that is, leave none of the sufferings of Christ for the coming age. In the Millennial Age there will be no more suffering for righteousness’ sake – then only evil­doers will suffer.

The Gospel Age has been the time when the godly have suffered persecution, and when all of the Lord’s loyal followers counted worthy to share in His Kingdom glories have had to drink of His cup. The Little Flock have not only shared in justification through faith by eating the bread, but they have also shared the cup of sacrifice in order to gain the life eternal promised to the elect who now forsake everything to be His disciples. The Lord unites the two thoughts, saying, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” (John 6:53)

“THE REMISSION OF SINS”

Men teach in vain that God forgives sins without exacting a penalty from anybody, in order that God might be just and yet justify the sinner. They claim in vain that Christ was not the ransom price for the sinner, that it was not necessary for Him to die, “the just for the unjust.” (1 Pet. 3:18) It is also in vain that they claim it was sufficient that Jesus was a great teacher and His words alone can save the world.

The Master’s statements and the testimony of all the Apostles teach that it was necessary that Christ die for our sins. Our sins could never be forgiven by divine justice except through the divine arrangement by which He paid our penalty. It is a most precious thought, therefore, that our Lord’s blood was indeed shed for the remission of sins of the many. It is also a precious thought that the Church has been privileged to be intimately associated with Him as joint-sufferers, their sacrifices esteemed as part of the great sin sacrifice for the world. As joint-sufferers with Christ, they have been permitted to drink of His cup and be immersed in His baptism into death.

It is equally vain for Evolutionists and Higher Critics to tell us that not only did man not fall from God’s likeness into sin and death, he has been on the contrary evolving upward step by step, from beastly conditions to where he now is. We do not believe them, holding fast the divinely inspired testimony that there was a fall that made necessary the redemptive work. We believe that Christ was the honorable servant of God, privileged and authorized to make atonement for the sins of the whole world; that He began this atonement work in the sacrifice of Himself; that He has been carrying it on during this Gospel Age by the sacrificing of the members of His body, and that He will soon complete it.

During the Millennial Age, He, along with His glorified members, will distribute the blessings of that redemptive work to the world, causing all to come to the knowledge of the Truth, the knowledge of the love of God. “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; Hab. 2:14) They will come to know the immeasurable height and depth and length and breadth of God’s love and all that it has accomplished through Christ, who loved us and bought us with His precious blood.

DRINKING ANEW IN THE KINGDOM

The Lord declared: “I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matt. 26:29) Our Lord here implied that at some distant date there would be a new “cup” under different conditions. He thus confirmed what He had been teaching the Apostles for some weeks – namely, that He would not at that time set up His Kingdom. Instead He would suffer and be crucified, and they were to expect also to suffer with Him. Later, He would return in glory and the Kingdom would be established, and His disciples would be with Him in His throne

The present cup of suffering was symbolized for the Apostles by the crushing of the grapes, the blood of the grapes representing their Master’s blood, His life sacrificed, poured out. It also represented their lives sacrificed along with Him in His service and for His cause. The sufferings of the present were linked with the glory to follow – all who would drink of the Lord’s present cup of suffering, ignominy, and death would also share in His cup of joy, blessing, glory and honor in the Kingdom.

We should keep this thought before our minds. As it did for the Apostles of old, it will help us more and more to look forward to the Kingdom as the time when the suffering for the name of Christ will cease, and the glories that will result in the blessing of all the families of the earth will follow. Our Lord identified His Kingdom with His Second Advent, and in no way suggested that His followers would drink of this new cup at any time before then – not at Pentecost, not at the destruction of Jerusalem, not at any other time other than the one mentioned in the prayer which He taught them: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10)

In waiting for the Kingdom, we are waiting for the second presence of our Lord and His subsequent setting up of the Kingdom – that is, the resurrection change and the glorification of His Church who will be with Him and share His glory. As the Apostle declared, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3) The new cup in the Kingdom will be the participation with the Master in the glories, honors, and blessed opportunities for uplifting the world of mankind. Any with this hope will take lightly the sufferings, trials, and sacrifices of this present time.

 “IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME”

In referring to this Memorial Supper, the Apostle Paul quotes our Lord as saying, “This do in remembrance of me.” He then adds, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.” (1 Cor. 11:24-26) The thought is that we are to celebrate this great transaction until the time comes for the Kingdom celebration of it with the new cup of joy, glory, and honors, which His followers will share with Him. It is evident that the Apostle does not mean this should be done merely until the Lord’s Parousia, when He will be present to gather His servants and reward them. Rather it should continue until all of the Kingdom class has been gathered, set up, and glorified.

The same Apostle in the same epistle emphasizes the thought of the unity, the oneness of the Church, unity with each other and with the Lord: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (1 Cor. 10:16-17)

From God’s standpoint there is the one great Messiah, the elect head and the elect members of His body. These, as one loaf, constitute the bread of everlasting life for the world. In order for this picture to be complete, each and all must be broken, each and all must partake of the cup of Christ’s suffering and death before entering into His glory. Not until all these sufferings have been completed will the Lord’s time come for the new dispensation. Then will be the new day for the world, the day of blessing instead of cursing, the day of restitution instead of dying, the day of uplifting instead of falling.

“I LAY IT DOWN OF MYSELF”

The determination of Jesus offers an example of the perfect grace of patience in its true biblical meaning: “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51) His resolute course amid such trying cir­cum­stances was beyond anything understandable by the natural man, and it prompted Peter to say to Him, “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” Jesus appropriately corrected him: “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matt. 16:22-23)

Jesus knew in the final hours of that awful night that He had finished the work God gave Him to do and He resigned Himself to what was to be. (John 17:4) He knew that the fullness of time had come – that it was not the time to wait for His enemies to come to Him (which, had He done so, would have dis­played only the passive grace of longsuffering). He knew that the active grace of patience should now be perfectly revealed in Him and by Him. While it might seem that men took His life by crucifying Him, that is a mistake. As Jesus proclaimed, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” (John 10:18)

Note that those who condem­ned Jesus to the cross were not the lower class elements of that time, not the unbelieving or heathen. It was the “good” people who were guilty of that – the pious who refused to cross the door of a Gentile lest they be defiled for the feast. The heathen Pilate attempted to avoid the tragic miscarriage of justice while it was the high priest of Israel who had “the greater sin.” (John 19:11) Those schooled in the Law were the guilty ones who sat down and “watched him there” – watched the tragedy of the cross as the idly curious might watch a street-corner side show. They watched the final hours of agony of the Lord of Glory with a callous indifference that would be unbelievable were it not written in the sacred record. (Matt. 27:36)

As it was in Jesus’ day, so it has been all through the Gospel Age: “I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” (Rev. 2:9) Referring to the time in which we now live, Jesus stated: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matt: 24:12) As Jesus warned His disciples, “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” God’s faithful people will accept and do – particu­larly at this season – what St. Paul admonished: “Purge out therefore the old leav­en.” (1 Cor. 5:7)

WHO MAY PARTAKE

We must all decide for ourselves whether we have or have not the right to partake of this bread and this cup. If anyone professes to be a disciple, his fellow disciples may not attempt to judge his heart – God alone can positively read the heart. And though the Master knew beforehand who would betray Him, nevertheless one who had “a devil” was with the twelve. (John 6:70-71)

Because the Memorial Supper symbolizes the death of Christ, let all beware of partaking of it ignorantly, un­worthily, improperly – “not discerning the Lord’s body” as our ransom. To do so would be as though we were one of those who murdered the Lord: “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” (1 Cor. 11:27-29) Let all who partake of the emblems realize that they represent the ransom price for our life and privileges.

The primary participants in the Lord’s Supper were to be the Saints, the Little Flock. But we believe the command would apply also to those faithful ones here in the end of the age that we refer to as the “Youthful Worthies.” We believe this class who consecrate after the closing of the high calling is similar to the Ancient Worthies, those faithful ones who preceded the Gospel Age (see Reprint 5761).While they are not a part of the spirit-begotten Church of the Firstborn, the merit of our Lamb has been tentatively imputed to them such that the New Covenant cannot begin to operate toward the world until that embargo against Christ’s merit has been removed. We believe they will be rewarded in the earthly phase of the Kingdom in honor and in service with the Ancient Worthies of Hebrews Chapter 11.

Youthful Worthies are thankful and appreciative of what the Savior has done for them. They do not “suffer with Christ,” nor will they “reign with Christ,” therefore they partake of the bread and cup as symbolizing their tentative justifica­tion and our Lord’s death as the Lamb of God. Their trial is for faith and obedience and not for life as was the Saints’ trial, although they make the same kind of consecration as did the spirit-begotten: “Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger [the unbegotten], as for one of your own country [the spirit-begotten]: for I am the Lord your God.” (Lev. 24:22)

It is our prayer that this year’s remem­brance may be profitable to all who partake in sincerity and Truth. We suggest reading the Passover chapter in Volume Six; and we pray a rich blessing upon all who partake. We are living in wonderful times, and we know not what a day may bring; but we have the strong assurance that we can firmly trust Him who left us an example that we should follow in His steps. (1 Pet. 2:21)

(This paper is primarily drawn from writings of Pastor Russell, including Reprint 3879.)

Write to us at: epiphanybiblestudents@gmail.com

NO. 762: SIGNS OF THE TIMES OF OUR LORD’S RETURN - Part Two

No. 762

“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” (1 Thess. 5:4)

In our January 2021 paper, we gave twelve secular signs of our Lord’s return that corroborate the time prophecies (see our August 2020 paper for more detail) proving that Christ returned in the autumn of 1874. We will now identify fourteen additional religious signs which provide further proof that our Lord has returned and is now engaged in overthrowing Satan’s empire.

RELIGIOUS SIGNS OF OUR LORD’S RETURN

(1) Gospel of the Kingdom preached: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matt. 24:14, 3) The Bible prophesies a peak in the worldwide proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom just before the Gospel Age Harvest, beginning simultaneously with the setting in of our Lord’s return. (Matt. 13:38-39) The best preacher of the Gospel of the Kingdom is the Bible. According to a report of the British and Foreign Bible Society, by 1861 the Bible had been translated into every national language (although not into all dialects) and distributed in all nations, achieving this world-wide proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom thirteen years before the setting in of the Harvest and Christ’s return. In order to bring this work to a head, the Lord raised up foreign missionary societies and Bible societies in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This sign having been fulfilled proves that our Lord has returned in His Second Advent.

(2) Unbelief and false belief widespread: “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) The Bible prophesies widespread unbelief and false belief as a sign indicating our Lord’s return. (Matt. 24:24-26; 2 Tim. 4:3-4) Such false belief and unbelief are not only evident in the contradictions of the creeds and sects of Christendom, they are even more evident in the various philosophies of evolution, higher criticism, rationalism, mater­ialism, atheism, agnosticism, Christian Science, occultism, faith-healing, New Thought, etc.

(3) Evil and selfishness rule: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matt. 24:12) The Bible prophesies that inequity, injustice and unrighteousness will be dominant at the time of our Lord’s return. (2 Tim. 3:1-9, 13) While there is much good in the world today, there has probably never been a time in human history when wickedness – both toward God and toward man – has been greater than it is now. Much of the evil in the world is now organized, therefore more ruthless and powerful than ever before. Rather than the Golden Rule, the rule of selfishness prevails almost universally in politics, government, finance, business, education, family, church, and all levels of society. It is beyond human power to stop the rule of selfishness, and it will result in the greatest calamities of all history if left unchecked. The only power that can reform the world is the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus and His glorified Church.

(4) Scoffing at Jesus’ presence: “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming [presence]? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” (2 Pet. 3:3-4) The Bible prophesies that the proclamation of the Lord’s return will evoke general scoffing and disbelief. (Matt. 24:37-39; Luke 17:28-30) The predicted scoffing and disbelief has been taking place ever since the public presentation of the fact that our Lord is present.

(5) A great falling away: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Tim. 4:3-4) The Bible prophesies that at the time of Jesus’ return there will be a great falling away in the churches, when “itching ears” will desire something new and different. The Scriptures show that many of the clergy at that time will be unbelievers, dishonest, moral cowards, etc. and will be lovers of self, money, popularity, pleasure, etc. They show that many of the laity will be worldly, grossly ignorant of the Bible, lacking zeal for God and true religion, rejecting the Truth for error and attracted by worldly trappings of religion while lacking its spirit. (2 Tim. 3:1-9) All these things are now being fulfilled and are proofs of both the clergy’s and the laity’s falling away from Biblical teachings and practices.

(6) False Christs and false prophets: “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. . . . And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. . . . For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matt. 24:5, 11, 24) The Bible predicts there will be false Christs and false prophets at the time of Christ’s return. These verses cannot refer to individuals who have falsely claimed to be Christ or prophets because such have never deceived many or put the elect in danger of deception. The true Christ is Jesus, the Head, and the faithful Church is His Body. (1 Cor. 12:12-14, 27; Gal. 3:16, 29; Rom. 12:4-5; Eph. 1:22-23; Eph. 4:4, 14) Therefore, a false Christ must consist of a counterfeit head and a counterfeit body.

Every sect that claims a head other than Christ and claims to be the true Church must be a “false Christ” with a counterfeit head and body. Organizations such as the Roman and Greek Catholic Churches, the World Council of Churches, the Anglican Church, and others are false Christs, because all of them claim to be the true Church, and yet acknowledge a head other than Jesus. They are not individuals, but sectarian systems, having counterfeit heads and bodies. The “false prophets” are likewise not individuals, but systems. They are the denominations and sects that teach error while claiming to have no heads other than Christ, and claiming to be the true Church.

Such false Christs and false prophets are the only ones that have deceived many and have put the very elect in danger of deception. Our times above all other times abound with the activities of such false Christs and false prophets who appear to perform wonderful works (“great signs and wonders”), proving that Christ’s Second Advent has set in.

(7) Federating of churches: “Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces . . . gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces . . . Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought . . . For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy . . .” (Isa. 8:9-12) The Bible prophesies a federating or combining movement among the nominal churches as a sign of the Lord’s Second Presence. Isaiah foretells in literal language a world-wide movement for the union of diverse religious peoples, and we have seen this taking place since the year 1874. This union movement has prospered to the extent of embracing most of the Protestant denominations, and efforts are being made to federate the Roman and Greek Catholic Churches.

In Revelation, these federated churches are presented as a figurative scroll with federated Catholicism forming one roll of the scroll and federated Protestantism constituting the other roll. (Rev. 6:14) The rolling up of the two ends of the figurative scroll (the efforts to unify Catholicism and Protestantism) also implies a friendlier attitude of these two parts of the symbolic heavens (the powers of spiritual control, the religious powers) that is everywhere evident in Christendom today. These efforts at federation precede the destruction of Catholic and Protestant sectarianism, and therefore imply Christ’s Second Presence. (Rev. 19:11-21)

(8) Expectation of the Kingdom: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. . . . So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” (Luke 21:28, 31) As a sign indicative of our Lord’s return, the Bible prophesies there will be a general expectation among the consecrated of the imminent establishment of God’s Kingdom. In the parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-12), the going forth of the virgins to meet the Bridegroom represents the Second Advent movement among the consecrated and the virgins’ seeing the Bridegroom represents the recognition by the consecrated of Christ’s Second Presence. This recognition began about a year after His Second Advent in the autumn of 1874 (see Studies in the Scriptures, Volume IV, page 612) and has been fulfilling ever since, showing that the Lord’s Presence must have set in before then.

(9) Clarification of the Truth: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” (Isa. 60:1-3) The Bible prophesies that the clarifying of the Truth on every subject, especially on religion, will be a sign of Jesus’ return. The Prophet Daniel connects Christ’s return with the increase of true knowledge and the understanding of the Truth by the righteous. (Dan. 12:1-4, 10, 12) The Prophet Isaiah teaches the same thought and shows that God’s mouthpieces will see the Truth at that time. (Isa. 60:1-2; Isa. 52:6-8) Our Lord expressly promised that at His return He would give the faithful special feasts of Truth (Luke 12:37) and this has been fulfilling ever since 1874. Through the Apostle Paul, God’s people are expressly promised special light in the end of this age. (1 Cor. 10:11)

The wonderful enlightenment of our times on secular and religious subjects is a result of and proves Christ’s Second Presence. The wonderful inventions and discoveries of our times and the great advances in all branches of secular knowledge for human welfare are due to the presence of Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, shining with healing in His beams as fore-gleams of the Millennial Day. (Mal. 4:2) The dark sayings of the Scriptures and the questions on religion that have puzzled earth’s wisest men are now becoming very clear as a result of the light that Jesus is shedding abroad now in the early stages of His Second Advent. This enlightenment is only the dawn of the light of God’s Millennial Day, which will give perfect knowledge to the entire world.

(10) Gospel Age Harvest work: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matt. 24:30-31) As a sign of Jesus’ return, the Bible prophesies the Gospel Age Harvest work, whereby the fruit of the Gospel Age sowing is gathered. (Matt. 13:30) Psalms, Chapter 50 describes this period and the activities accompanying Christ’s return, showing that one of the activities of that period is a gathering of the Lord’s faithful people to Him (see our January 2021 paper for a more detailed discussion of this Psalm). The “angels” that were to do this gathering of saints were not spirit, but human, messengers who by the sickle of Truth have reaped God’s faithful people.

The great trumpet is the Harvest Truth message that began to go forth in 1874, the greatest manifestation of Bible Truth given since the days of the Apostles. This light of Truth came so abundantly to ensure that the wheat class would be gathered in time. At the same time, the tares (imitation Christians) are being gathered into “bundles” of human organizations, not only church organi­zations, but all the various organizations that tie people together today – unions, parties, sects, conferences, etc. The bundles will be destroyed, not as individuals but as organizations, in the great Time of Trouble. (Matt. 13:40-42)

(11) The consecrated cleansed and tested: “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” (Mal. 3:2-3) The Bible teaches that as a sign of Jesus’ return, the consecrated will be cleansed and tested amid experiences that try the hearts of all professed Christians. The expressions “refiner’s fire” and “fullers’ soap” imply purging and cleansing amid severe trials. The purpose of these fiery trials is the cleansing of God’s people from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. (1 Pet. 1:6-7; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; 2 Cor. 7:1)

Since special trials and cleansings for the consecrated are prophesied as marking the time of His presence and appearing, the fulfilling of such a sign proves that our Lord’s return has set in and that the Lord’s Second Advent is referred to in Malachi’s prophecy when it says, “Behold, I will send my messenger . . . even the messenger of the covenant . . . he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Mal. 3:1) It proves that the “the day of his coming” refers to the Parousia (Presence) and that “when he appeareth” refers to the Epiphany.

Conditions since 1874 have been conducive to such testing and there has never been so much error in the world, as can be seen by various no-ransom theories such as Christian Science, Spiritism, materialism, evolution, higher criticism, atheism, agnosticism, etc. There have never been so many sectarian and other teachings and practices subversive of the ways of truth and righteousness and conducive to error and unrighteousness. It is the Lord’s will that the faith of all professed Christians be tested by these multitudes of errors, in order that it may be manifested whether they have received the Truth in the love of it. (2 Thess. 2:9-12)

There have never been more allurements than now to appeal to the selfish, worldly and sinful instincts of God’s professed people and the Lord permits them to operate so that all of God’s professed people may be tested as to their love for righteousness. The Lord permits these inducements to error, selfishness, worldliness, and sinfulness and He requires His consecrated people to overcome them amid conditions that make it hard to hold to truth and righteousness. These conditions include losses, disappointment, hardship, pain, sickness, weariness, opposition, contradiction, persecution, etc. These trials among the Lord’s people are in harmony with the thought that our Lord returned in 1874.

(12) Unfaithful Christians manifested: “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.” (2 Tim. 3:8-9) The Bible prophesies the manifestation of unfaithful Christians as a sign of the Lord’s return. The fiery trials that have manifested the full faithfulness of the Little Flock and the measurable faithfulness of the Great Company have also revealed the unfaithfulness of the Second Death class and of other unfaithful classes. (Psa. 91:3-12)

Some of the consecrated have become completely unfaithful. (Heb. 6:4-6; Heb. 10:26-31; 2 Tim. 3:1-9; 2 Pet. 2:1-3, 10-22; 1 John 5:16; Jude 4, 8-19) Such unfaithfulness always begins by a slackening of the spirit of consecration, followed by the cherishing of some secret sin, a sin that one cannot see oneself. Secret sins are followed by presumptuous sins, which are then allowed to gain dominion. It is a presumptuous sin to presume to approach God in our own righteousness, or to take for granted and assert as truth something God has not revealed, or to pervert something He has revealed. Among the spirit-begotten, such presumptuous sins have ultimately lead to the great transgression – the sin unto death. (Psa. 19:12-13) Many of these sinners have denied Christ as their blood-ransoming Savior and have repudiated their consecration. (Heb. 6:6; Heb. 10:29; 2 Pet. 2:1; Jude 4)

Spirit-begotten persons in Christ who have revolutionized against the Truth, becoming the leaders in no-ransom theories, are thereby manifested to be of the Second Death class. (1 Cor. 3:17) Such persons have been Satan’s chief representatives on earth in opposition to the Lord’s ways, even as Jannes and Jambres were Pharaoh’s chief representatives in opposing Moses. (2 Tim. 3:8) Because of these evil men, unconsecrated persons professing to be Christians are misled into all sorts of errors in doctrine and conduct. (2 Pet. 2:1-2) This largely accounts for the great falling away from Christian faith and life widely manifested, especially among the clergy and laity. The no-ransom movement having begun in 1878 (see Reprint 3822), the manifestation of the unfaithful on all sides is consistent with our Lord having returned in 1874.

(13) The coming of the Prophet Elijah: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Mal. 4:5-6) The Bible thus foretells the coming of the Prophet Elijah before the day of the Lord. He is to seek to convert the world to the Lord and if he is successful in his mission, the Time of Trouble will not come; if he is unsuccessful, it will come. The Elijah that is to come cannot be one individual – the great prophet-reformer of Israel – because one person could not reach all the nations of his own generation in an attempt to convert them, let alone reach those of other generations.

God gave Jesus and His Church the mission of seeking to convert the world, hence they are the Elijah spoken of by the Prophet Malachi. (Matt. 9:13; Matt. 28:18-19; Luke 24:46-47; Acts 1:8) Because he sought to convert Israel, John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah. (Matt. 17:12; Luke 1:17); however, Jesus said, “This is Elijah, that is to come.” (Matt. 11:14, ASV) Note that Elijah had not yet come according to this statement, although John the Baptist had already come. The Elijah of whom Jesus was speaking is therefore the Church, and the proper interpretation of this verse is that John the Baptist represents the Elijah that is to come. Therefore both Elijah and John were types of the Church.

The Old Testament Jezebel was united to her husband, Ahab, contrary to God’s law (Exod. 34:12-16; 1 Kings 16:31-32), and used Ahab’s power to introduce a false religion into Israel, persecuting all who opposed it, especially Elijah. (1 Kings 17:1-3; 1 Kings 18:1-4, 9-19) In Revelation, which was written long after the death of the Old Testament Jezebel, we see the antitypical Jezebel, the Catholic Church, which became a symbolic harlot by an illicit union with antitypical Ahab, the civil power. (Rev. 2:20-23; Rev. 17:1-6; Rev. 18:3-11) This is contrary to God’s law, which required the Church to remain a pure virgin waiting to be married to Christ at His Second Advent. (2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7-9)

Like the Old Testament Jezebel, antitypical Jezebel has used antitypical Ahab’s power to introduce her false religion into spiritual Israel and has persecuted those who oppose it, especially antitypical Elijah, the true Church. As Elijah was forced by the persecutions of Jezebel and Ahab to flee into a literal wilderness for 3½ prophetic years or 1260 days (Jas. 5:17-18), so the true Church was forced to flee from the persecutions of the Catholic Church and the civil power into an isolated condition, from 539 A.D. to 1799 A.D., 1260 symbolic days, or 1260 literal years. (Rev. 12:6; Rev. 13:5) See Studies in the Scriptures, Volume III, Chapter III for more details.

During the 1260 years that antitypical Elijah was in the condition of isolation, the Lord’s two witnesses, the Old and New Testaments, delivered their message covered with the sackcloth of dead languages and creeds. (Rev. 11:2-3) Consequently, there was a spiritual famine, the antitype of the one during Elijah’s wilderness sojourn. As Elijah refuted the priests of Baal, the true Church through the teachings of the Reformation, refuted the teachings of the Catholic clergy.

Elijah’s prayer upon his return from the wilderness brought the rain which refreshed the earth and made it fruitful, thus breaking the famine. (1 Kings 18:36-46) The prayers of the true Church likewise brought forth, through the Bible Societies founded from 1804 onward, an immense circulation of Bibles, which as figurative rain refreshed society and made it fruitful, thus breaking the spiritual famine.

Jezebel threatened curses upon Elijah for his activities and was frustrated in her purpose by his second flight into the wilderness. (1 Kings 19:1-2) The papacy likewise threatened curses upon the faithful for their zeal against the papal clergy and for the spread of the Bible. It was frustrated in its purpose when the faithful receded a second time into isolation. After refuting the priests of Baal, Elijah worked in more or less isolation for the conversion of Israel, but failed to accomplish a thorough conversion. In like manner, the true Church has sought to convert the world but has failed. The world has instead hardened its heart and, as a consequence, the predicted curse, the great Time of Trouble, has come. (Mal. 4:6)

The above consid­erations prove that the antitypical Elijah has come and completed this work, which is another evidence that we are living in the time of the Second Advent, in which the Time of Trouble occurs. (Dan. 12:1; Rev. 11:17-18)

(14) The great Antichrist: “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (1 John 2:18) The Bible foretells that Jesus’ Second Advent would be preceded by the coming into existence of Antichrist amid a great falling away. (1 John 4:3) It foretells that Antichrist would rise to power despite a hindrance being in the way, that it would prosper and be revealed, and then be destroyed at the Second Advent. (2 Thess. 2:3-8)

Having its small beginning in apostolic times and its end during the Second Advent, Antichrist cannot be an individual, but must be a self-perpetuating system. Unless we understand that Christ, the true Church, is one body consisting of many members with Jesus as the Head, we are unprepared to recognize Antichrist, which likewise is one body consisting of many members. It is the papacy – the Roman Catholic Church with the pope as its head. This does not mean that individual Roman Catholics are antichrists; many of them are real children of God. It is the papal system itself that is the great Antichrist, not an individual.

Papacy, the great Antichrist, was developed through a corruption of the organization, doctrine and practice of the early Church. The hindrance in the way of Antichrist attaining religious and political supremacy (“that which restraineth” – 2 Thess. 2:6, ASV) was the pagan Roman Empire, with a heathen emperor bearing the title of supreme religious ruler. That hindrance was finally removed when Justinian acknowledged papacy’s religious supremacy and Italy was freed from the Goths in 539 A.D., opening the way for papacy to exercise political authority and beginning the 1260 years of papacy’s opposition to and persecution of God’s faithful people. (Dan. 7:21, 25; Dan. 8:11-13, 24; Dan. 11:33; Rev. 12:6) Thus papacy exalted itself over rulers and also inserted itself into God’s temple, the Church (1 Cor. 3:16-17), showing itself to be “a god,” a mighty ruler. (2 Thess. 2:4) The 1260 years ended in 1799, when papacy’s temporal power was broken, especially by Napoleon.

In the Reformation period it was proven from the Bible and history that papacy is the Antichrist, and thus it was revealed. Following that revealing, the papacy began to be consumed through the influence of secular and religious Truth, the teachings of God’s mouthpieces: “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming [Parousia – Presence].” (2 Thess. 2:8)

Since 1874, the glorious and powerful Truth of God has been shining so brightly that through its manifestation it is accomplishing the destruction of the Antichrist (the papacy, the Romanist hierarchy), though not destroying its adherents. This destruction will be completed during the present great Time of Trouble. (Rev. 17:16)

The above considerations show that Antichrist’s appearing, prosperity, revelation, consuming, and partial destruction have occurred; therefore, we are living in the time of Jesus’ Second Advent. See Studies in the Scriptures, Volume II, Chapter IX for many more details.

WHAT THE SIGNS SHOW

The secular signs outlined in our January 2021 paper, along with the religious signs outlined above, clearly show to those who “watch” that our Lord has returned in His Second Advent and is engaged in the work of overthrowing Satan’s empire. (Matt. 24:42; Mark 13:37) His return has been the ardent hope of all true Christians from the beginning of the Gospel Age. (Luke 21:27-31; 1 Cor. 1:7-8; Phil. 3:20-21; Col. 3:4; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:19; 2 Thess. 3:5; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Tit. 2: 13; Heb. 9:28; 1 Pet. 1:7, 13; 1 Pet. 4:13; 1 Pet. 5:4; 1 John 3:2)

The awareness that He is now here in His Second Advent should fill our hearts with unspeakable joy and glory. It should lead us to greater diligence in searching the Word of God in order to learn its deeper truths, leading us to live closer to the Lord. Only by using the knowledge of Christ’s Second Presence in this way do we glorify God, profiting ourselves and others. It is our highest privilege to do these things and the Lord will help us to do them if we seek His help through Jesus Christ.

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The above is derived from Chapter XI of Epiphany Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 17, written by Brother Paul S.L. Johnson, pages 297-312. It has been edited and updated for length and clarity. Readers are encouraged to read the original in its entirety if it is available to them.

Write to us at: epiphanybiblestudents@gmail.com

NO. 761: SIGNS OF THE TIMES OF OUR LORD’S RETURN - Part One

No. 761

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations . . . So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” (Luke 21:25, 31)

The Bible gives time prophecies and sign prophecies to indicate the time and fact of Jesus’ return. Without these prophecies, we could not know of His return since it is invisible. The time prophecies prove that our Lord returned in His Second Advent in the autumn of 1874 (see our August 2020 paper for more detail), while the sign prophecies (as we will set forth here) corroborate this fact.

There are both secular signs and religious signs corroborating our Lord’s return. Looking first at the secular signs, we can identify twelve that add cumulative force to the time prophecies proving that Christ has returned.

SECULAR SIGNS OF OUR LORD’S RETURN

(1) Exposure of evil: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” (1 Cor. 4:5) The Bible teaches that the judging work of the Lord’s Second Advent will expose evil in all walks of life. (Luke 12:2; 1 Thess. 5:1-4; 2 Tim. 4:1; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 16:15; Psa. 82:1-5) In government, the judgment work is exposing corruption among public officials, use of public office for private gain, fraud, protection of the rich at the expense of the poor, militarism, dishonest diplomacy, treaty breaking, oppression of weak nations, etc. Among the wealthy classes in finance and industry, the judgment work is exposing fraudulent stock deals, price manipulations, unfair monopolies, destructive competition, contract violations, unfair housing practices, bribery, tax evasion, misuse of charitable funds, exploitation of the poor, weak and unfortunate, etc. Among the poor and working classes, the judgment work is exposing extreme social unrest, demonstrations, agitation, boycotts, etc. Exposures of these conditions have increased dramatically since 1874, corroborating that Jesus’ Second Advent has taken place.

(2) Increase of travel: “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro . . .” (Dan. 12:4) The Bible teaches that increased travel is a sign we are in the time of the end. At the beginning of the time of the end in 1799, the most rapid means of travel and communication was on horseback. Now cities, nations, and continents are connected by almost instantaneous electronic communi­cations, and we all travel everywhere by auto, boat, train, airplane, etc. In considering this prophecy, Sir Isaac Newton, who died in 1727, said, “I should not wonder if some day men will travel at the rate of fifty miles an hour.” The philosopher Voltaire, who died in 1778 when much more was known about steam power, mocked Newton’s statement, saying this prophecy of God’s Word had made a fool of him.

(3) Increase of knowledge: “. . . and knowledge shall be increased.” (Dan. 12:4) The Bible prophesies an increase in knowledge in the time of the end. The ability to read and write is now general, even among the poorest classes, while only four centuries ago it was common for even members of the English Parliament to be illiterate. Free schools were started as Sunday Schools beginning in 1784, and knowledge began to increase greatly when the time of the end began in 1799. Beginning in 1804, large Bible Societies and Tract Societies were formed; previously there had not been much use for reading material for the masses. Knowledge has increased exponentially since 1874 in harmony with this prophecy, more than in all of previous history.

(4) Great calamities: “And great earth­quakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” (Luke 21:11) The Bible teaches that great calamities will accompany Christ’s return. Since the beginning of the time of the end, some of the greatest and most frequent calamities of history have occurred: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, floods, famines, pandemics, mass casualty disasters, fires, wars, revolutions, etc.

(5) Israel’s recovery from blindness: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery . . . that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” (Rom. 11:25) The Bible teaches that Israel’s recovery from blindness and its restoration to God’s favor will be a sign of the Lord’s return. (Rom. 11:11, 15, 25-27) Around 1878, German theologian Franz Delitzsch began to circulate his translation of the Greek New Testament into Hebrew. Prior to that time both Orthodox and Reformed Jews regarded Jesus as the worst kind of reprobate and false prophet; at the mere mention of His name they would expectorate to show their abhorrence of Him. Their attitude has now changed so greatly that many Jews think very favorably of Jesus, calling Him the greatest of Israel’s prophets and they regard their rejection of Him as one of their greatest national mistakes. Rabbi Stephen Wise, who for years was America’s most prominent rabbi and Jewish leader, warmly recommended that his congregation welcome the Gospels into their homes and study them. Although not accepting Him as the Messiah, some Jewish authors have written complementary works about Jesus, including Dr. Joseph Klausner, an able Jewish Hebrew scholar. The New Testament, including translations in Hebrew and Yiddish, is now widely read among Jews. Israel’s blindness and prejudice is being removed slowly, but surely.

(6) Israel’s return to its homeland: “But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.” (Jer. 16:15) As a sign of Christ’s Second Advent, the Bible prophesies Israel’s return to its ancient homeland and the revival of its national consciousness, symbolized by the leafing fig tree. (Jer. 16:13-18; Ezek. 37:21-28; Amos 9:11, 14, 15; Acts 15:14-17; Matt. 24:30-33; Luke 21:27-36) The Berlin Congress of Nations in 1878 paved the way for Israel’s return to Palestine. World War I resulted in freeing Palestine from the despotic rule of the Turks and also brought pressure to bear on Britain to aid the Jews in returning there. Britain issued the Balfour Declaration in November 1917, pledging that Britain would view favorably the establishment of a national homeland in Palestine for the Jewish people and the other Allied powers concurred. An important milestone was the setting up of the State of Israel in May 1948. Israel’s Parliament passed the Law of the Return in 1950, opening Israel up to all Jews desiring to return. Jews from countries throughout the world have returned, and now Israel accounts for approximately 30% of the world’s Jewish population. These facts strongly indicate that Jesus’ Second Advent has set in.

(7) Preparations for war and world war: “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.” (Joel 3:9-10) The Bible prophesies that gigantic war preparations and world war will accompany the period of our Lord’s return. The war preparations that began a few years after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 (that is, around 1874) eclipsed all previous war preparations in history. After the first phase of World War (1914-1918), there followed even greater war preparations that were followed by the second phase of World War (1939-1945). Since then wars have continued to break out in various parts of the world and nations have continued to heavily arm themselves. A third phase of World War cannot be ruled out as a further part of the great war of prophecy.

(8) Conflict between capital and labor: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. . . . Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth . . .” (Jas. 5:1-4) The Bible prophesies that the period of our Lord’s return will be marked by conflict between capital and labor. (Amos 8:4-10; Mic. 6:10-16) There have been increasingly great conflicts between the two since 1874 and now relations between them are very threatening. Many of the evils that beset the world are traceable to this conflict and there are many rights and wrongs on both sides, with selfishness as the ruling principle with both parties. Those who are thoroughly just may sympathize with both parties but cannot take sides. This conflict will culminate in a revolution, commonly called the Battle of Armageddon.

(9) Bundling of the tares: “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matt. 13:29-30, 40-41) The Bible prophesies that during the period of Christ’s return there will be a great bundling of symbolic tares, an assembling of imitation Christians into all sorts of organizations. An increasing number of organizations of imitation Christians have formed since 1874 along the lines of capital, labor, religion, politics, fraternity, social reform, philanthropy, etc. Some have merged with one another and more new ones have been created until Christendom has an almost infinite number of clubs, societies, orders, federations, unions, corporations, alliances, leagues, etc. Selfishness, self-preservation and self-aggrandizement are the cords binding these symbolic tares – imitation Christians – into these symbolic tare bundles. This bundling work is to precede the hurling of the bundles into the symbolic furnace of fire representing the great tribulation with which this age ends.

(10) Great unrest: “His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.” (Psa. 97:4) The Bible prophesies great unrest among all classes of people during the time of the Lord’s Second Advent. This unrest implies a widespread distress and deep-seated dissatisfaction with prevailing conditions, and an undefinable fear that future conditions will be worse. (Luke 21:25-27) All segments of society are now experiencing varying degrees of unrest and confusion. This can be seen among politicians, investors, clergy, church members, women, minorities, the middle class, the laboring classes, and the poor.

(11) A world-wide unmanageable crisis: “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.” (Luke 21:25-27) The Bible teaches that a world-wide unmanageable crisis, such as the world had never previously seen, will be at hand during the period of Christ’s Second Advent. (Isa. 29:14; Psa. 82:1-5) There have been many unmanageable crises throughout human history – Israel’s national overthrow, the breaking up of the Roman Empire, the religious and the political Reformation, and the French Revolution to name a few. In each of these crises there was a general disregard of religious and secular authority, much hatred, disintegration of family ties, suspicion and strife between the social classes, and widespread suffering from social injustice. At an international level, there was suspicion, envy, rivalry, hatred and war.

These periods were marked by intense dissatisfaction with current conditions, general calls for radical social changes, deep-seated confusion as to the causes of prevalent problems, and fundamental disagreement about the necessary remedies. There were frenzied and futile efforts by reformers, who offered palliatives instead of real remedies. At the same time, there was a prevalence of optimism that was blind to existing evils.

Such conditions are more evident in the world now and are more widespread than ever before in human history, but current experts in politics, foreign affairs, finance, capital, labor, social justice, family and religion do not know, either individually or collectively, how to manage the crisis that now holds the world in its grasp. They are very much discouraged by the present and full of forebodings for the future.

(12) Beginning of the great tribulation: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matt. 24:21) As a sign of our Lord’s Second Presence, the Bible prophesies that the Gospel Age will end and the Millennial Age will begin with the great Time of Trouble. (Matt. 13:41-42; Dan. 12:1; Rev. 14:14, 18-20; Jer. 25:29-33; Isa. 13:11-13; Zeph. 3:8) While this trouble is to be worldwide, Christendom, as symbolized by Jerusalem, will be the storm center and will undergo a fourfold punishment through this great tribulation: “For thus saith the Lord God; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?” (Ezek. 14:21) The “sword” here symbolizes a world-wide war and a world revolution. Since 1914, we have had two World Wars, great shortages of food (“famine”) in many countries, and unusually great epidemics (“pestilence”). The “noisome beast” fittingly represents lawless men – anarchists. These conditions will become worse as the Time of Trouble progresses.

On the mountain, God gave Elijah a corroborating vision of wind, earthquake and fire, representing respectively the war, revolution, and anarchy of the Time of Trouble. (1 Kings 19:11-12) After the symbolic “wind” (world-wide war), the next stage is the symbolic “earthquake” (world-wide revolution). In Scripture the word “earth” is used to represent society. (Matt. 5:13; Gen. 6:12; Gen. 11:1) Therefore, an earthquake represents revolution, because a revolution causes society to shake and quake. (Isa. 29:6; Heb. 12:26-27; Rev. 6:12; Rev. 8:5; Rev. 11:13, 19; Rev. 16:18)

The nations have been greatly weakened by war and the laboring classes in many countries are suffering in a variety of ways. As a result, the loyalty of even the conservative section of labor toward their national governments has been greatly shaken. The selfish policies and blunders of politicians, financiers and ecclesiastics continually create crises that more and more alienate even this section of labor, so that only a few more such blunders are needed to goad them to desperation, resulting in the overthrow of every unrighteous government, greedy corporation and sectarian religious system of Christendom in the bloodiest of all revolutions. (Jas. 5:1-4; Ezek. 7:1-27; Joel 2:1-11) Conditions are fast ripening for this world revolution followed by anarchy, the symbolic “fire” which will consume the social, financial, political, and ecclesiastical order of earth, completing the overthrow of Satan’s empire and making way for the establishment of God’s Kingdom. (Zeph. 3:8-9; Luke 21:26, 28, 31; Hag. 2:6-7; Heb. 12:26-28)

The above twelve secular signs of the times add cumulative force to the time prophecies proving that Christ has returned. There are additionally many religious signs of the times which give further proof that our Lord has returned and is engaged in overthrowing Satan’s empire. We will discuss these religious signs in our February 2021 paper.

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The above is derived from Chapter XI of Epiphany Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 17, written by Brother Paul S.L. Johnson, pages 289-297. It has been edited and updated for length and clarity. Readers are encouraged to read the original in its entirety if it is available to them.

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“PAY THY VOWS”

“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High.” (Psa. 50:14)

Psalm 50 furnishes the consecrated with food for profitable meditation. It starts with a precious reminder of the glory that is shortly to be revealed in and through the faithful. Taking the standpoint of the Church’s future completeness and glory, the Psalm begins:

“The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.” (Psa. 50:1-2) Through the glorified Church, the Christ, Head and Body (“the Sun of righteousness . . . with healing in his wings” – Mal. 4:2), God will rise to call the earth to repentance, righteousness, and eternal life from the beginning of the Millennial Day to its close. God’s glorious character and plan will be made known.

Reminding us that the time is yet future, the next verse begins to describe the coming of the Lord: “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.” (Psa. 50:3) This will be the tempest of the great Time of Trouble, so frequently and vividly described elsewhere.

The next verses describe the first works of the Lord’s presence: “He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.” (Psa. 50:4) In this time of the Lord’s presence and the harvest of the Gospel Age, all who claim to be His people are brought into judgment before the assembled hosts of heaven and earth – angels and men. They are falsely called Christ’s Kingdom (or “Christendom”), but the Scriptures call them “Babylon.” (Rev. 16:19) This judgment of “Christendom,” or “Babylon,” is already in progress, hence the recent overhauling and revision of the previously accepted and unquestioned creeds by its various sects. Hence too, the unsparing criticism of nominal Christianity by the world at large, in the secular press, etc., calling attention to its traditional errors, and to its untenable positions. It is now recognized as a self-contradictory mouth­piece of God.

“Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” (Psa. 50:5) The command of the now present Lord of the harvest to the reapers is to separate the true wheat from the great bundles of tares in Babylon. His saints have made a covenant not merely by the lips but by actual sacrifice, faithfully carrying out the solemn covenant of entire devotedness to the Lord.

“And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.” (Psa. 50:6) The judgment witnessed by heaven and earth will accurately differentiate between the wheat and the tares and will successfully separate them. God Himself, who cannot err, is the Judge. The Kingdom of God will be established as the outcome of this judgment.

The next verses sum up the charges brought against God’s nominal people: “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.” (Psa. 50:7-8) This is addressed to those claiming to be His people by a solemn covenant – nominal spiritual Israel. Their “burnt offerings” such as benevolent works, etc. cannot commend them to God in that Day of Judgment, for as Jesus, said, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:22-23) Their “wonderful works” are not acceptable to God because they have not submitted themselves to His plans and methods. They have been “false prophets,” claiming divine authority for their own erroneous theories and “teaching for doctrines the command­ments of men.” (Matt. 7:15; Matt. 15:9)

God then declares His independence of their works, and makes plain His perfect ability to accomplish the blessing of the world according to His own plan without their assistance: “I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?” (Psa. 50:9-13) Does God need their wisdom or works? Does He depend upon their gifts? The answer is – No!

Then follows words of wise counsel for those who will receive it: “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High.” (Psa. 50:14) What have any of us to offer unto the Lord that we did not first receive from Him? Should we not, therefore, thankfully receive it and use it according to the directions of His plan? This is what all who have consecrated themselves to God have covenanted to do; therefore, all such are obligated to pay their vows, to fulfill their covenant unto the Most High.

Although the faithful fulfilling of a covenant of entire consecration to God requires the endurance of reproach and persecution from the world (2 Tim. 3:12), the Lord makes a promise to the faithful: “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” (Psa. 50:15) They will glorify Him by their testimony and their faithfulness.

The Prophet then turns back to his indictment of the unfaithful: “But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.” (Psa. 50:16-17) The “wicked” here referred to are not people of the world but those who claim to be the Lord’s people and members of the spiritual house of Israel. (Psa. 50:7) They are the covenant-breakers among those still claiming to be faithful people of God. The Lord will not hold guiltless those professing entire consecration to Him while despising instruction and clinging to their own traditions and theories. As the Apostle says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unright­eousness of men, who hold [Greek katecho, meaning to hold down or suppress] the truth in unright­eousness.” (Rom. 1:18) The various ecclesiastical systems of Great Babylon have for centuries taught their own false doctrines, while claiming them to have the divine authority of the Word of God. In doing so they have unjustly suppressed the Truth: they have hated instruction and have cast the words of the Lord behind them whenever those words were used to testify against them or their plans.

What right, the Prophet inquires, have such covenant-breakers to declare the plan of God? None whatever! Such “wicked and slothful” servants are hindered by their errors from seeing truths now due. (Matt. 25:26) Having been unfaithful to the measure of truth received, they are not permitted to know, and hence cannot declare, the deeper things of God – the breadth and scope of His wonderful plan. “Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.” (Psa. 97:11)

The testimony against this class proceeds: “When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.” (Psa. 50:18) All who do not guard the Truth and protect the flock of God against the encroachment of error, all who condone false teachers and commend wolves in sheep’s clothing to the flock are wickedly consenting with thieves and robbers. The Scriptures define such compromising with the spirit of the world as adultery. It is for this reason that Babylon the Great (Papacy) is termed a harlot and is called “the mother of harlots,” her offspring being the various similar systems that sprang from her. (Rev. 17:5) This principle applies in every instance where unfaithful covenant-breakers consent to any degree with the thieves and robbers who plot and scheme against the Truth.

The Psalm then concludes the indictment: “Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.” (Psa. 50:19-21) Evil speaking and deceit is the course of all who suppress the Truth and go about to establish their own righteousness and their own plans. The unfaithful always to some degree become persecutors of the faithful who are supposed to be their brothers. Such is the attitude of the whole nominal church against those faithful servants who receive and advocate the Truth. They have considered God’s permission of their course up to the present time as a sign of His approval, but He has only allowed their evil ways to continue so that their real character might be made manifest. He is now reproving them; their creeds are being investigated and exposed in this harvest and judgment time, and there is growing unrest in the various sects of Christendom.

The Psalm ends with more wise counsel: “Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.” (Psa. 50:22-23) Whoever thankfully receives this reproof and applies his heart to receiving instruction glorifies God as a faithful and consistent believer and representative of the Truth. Those who conform their lives to this instruction and faithfully teach it to others will be shown the salvation of God.

How solemn and weighty are the admonitions of this Psalm, and how worthy are they of the most thoughtful and prayerful consideration by all who name the name of Christ! The day of reckoning is upon all who profess to be faithful followers of Christ: “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” (Rev. 14:7)

“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:36) Only those who gratefully receive the message of divine Truth and faithfully pay their vows to the Most High will be accounted worthy to stand.

(Based on Reprint 3647)

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ANNOUNCEMENT

The date of our Lord’s Memorial is March 25, 2021 after six p.m.

Write to us at: epiphanybiblestudents@gmail.com

NO. 760: GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

No. 760

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:13-14)

At this time of year when so many people have the Savior uppermost in mind, we try to remind our readers of the “good tidings of great joy.” It does not matter that December 25th is not the correct date of our Savior’s birth, as the Scriptures do not mandate that we celebrate His birth. However, the Christian world in general celebrates it on that date, and we are happy that our Savior is specially remembered by all those who rejoice in Jesus as their Redeemer and we gladly join in this remembrance.

God’s promise that the Seed of Abraham would ultimately bless all nations has influenced thought the world over. The Jews at first thought this promise would be fulfilled in them as a nation. They thought they could prove themselves worthy through obedience to the Law Covenant and then teach all nations to keep the divine law, thus bringing the world to perfection, divine favor, and everlasting life. This hope was crushed when they found themselves unable to keep the law – instead of attaining perfection, they continued to die. Even Moses, the mediator of the Law Covenant and the special servant of God, could not attain the blessings of the law.

God then made them the promise of some better thing – of a greater Mediator and of a more successful covenant through that Mediator. The Mediator of the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) was to be greater than Moses, as he himself declared: “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me [but greater]; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:22-23) From then on, their hearts and hopes looked to the future for the accomplishment of the glorious things hoped for through this great Prophet.

“THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS”

As nations near and far heard of Israel’s hope for a great savior and deliverer, the beauty of the idea took root in every direction. Messiah was anticipated under various names and the glories of His Kingdom were pictured as a “Golden Age.”

Thus when our Lord was born, “the people were in expectation” of the promised Messiah. (Luke 3:15) For this reason, the wise men in the East were drawn to see and to worship the newborn King of the Jews. It was also for this reason that during Jesus’ ministry certain Greeks came to the disciple Philip saying, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” (John 12:21) They had heard of Him and recognized that His magic powers implied a relationship with the long-expected Messiah. The multitudes of Palestine also heard of Jesus and asked if He was the Messiah. The rulers denied it but many believed, saying, “When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? . . . Never man spake like this man.” (John 7:31, 46)

Nevertheless, few were ready to receive Him, even among His own people. God specially revealed His Son only to those worthy of heart – those who were “Israelites indeed.” This was in harmony with the prophecy of old, “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.” (Psa. 25:14) It was also written, “In an acceptable time have I answered thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people . . .” (Isa. 49:8)

No one – including Jews, Greeks and Persian wise men – expected Messiah to first offer Himself as a living sacrifice for sinners through obedience to the Truth. None knew what a long period must elapse between the time when Messiah was “despised and rejected of men” until the time He would appear in power and great glory to establish His Empire in fulfillment of prophecy. (Isa. 53:3; Dan. 2:34; Dan. 7:13-27)

Still to this day, few understand God’s great secret or “mystery” kept hidden during past ages and dispensations. The mystery is that during the long period of the Gospel Age a saintly “Little Flock” would be selected from mankind to be Messiah’s bride and joint-heir with Him in His Messianic reign. (Col. 1:26-27) Few see that this Little Flock has been selected from every nation, people, kindred and tongue, and that they have followed the Lamb’s footsteps wherever He has gone. Few understand that with this Little Flock having filled up the measure of afflictions appointed to them, the Kingdom of Glory will be revealed and all flesh will see it together. (Isa. 40:5) All will be blessed by it – first the Jew, Abraham’s natural seed, and also the Gentile – all the families of the earth. (Rom. 1:16)

A SAVIOR – CHRIST THE LORD

The name Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, signifying “savior.” In the Aramaic language used in Jesus’ time, the word savior signifies “life-giver.” It was only in a prophetic sense, of course, that the baby in Bethlehem was called a Savior. He would become the Savior, the Christ, the Lord, but as a baby He was none of these things.

The word Christ signifies “anointed” and in the divine purpose it was arranged that Messiah would be anointed as High Priest of Israel on a plane higher than Aaron – “after the order of Melchizedek” (who was both a priest and a king). (Psa.110:4) Every priest of Israel had to be anointed to his office before he could fill it, thus Jesus became the Christ before becoming the Savior and the Lord. It was also prophesied that Christ would be the great King, greater than David and Solomon, who typed and foreshadowed Him.

Jesus was not anointed with literal oil but with the Holy Spirit, which was typified by the oil used upon the heads of the kings and priests of Israel. He received this Holy Spirit at the time of His baptism, anointing Him for His great work of antitypical Priest and King of Israel. As the long-promised Messiah, He would bless Israel and through Israel He would bless the entire world. But as the typical priests were ordained to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins, Jesus must first offer Himself as a sacrifice acceptable to God for the sins of mankind, in order that He might be the Savior or Deliverer of men from the curse of sin and death, restoring them and their earthly home to the glorious condition of perfection represented in Adam and his Eden home. Thus it was not only necessary that Jesus consecrate His life to the divine service and be anointed with the Holy Spirit, but He must also sacrificially lay down His life unto death – even the death of the Cross.

As a part of His reward, He was raised to glory, honor and immortality on the third day. As the glorified one, He was then fully commissioned and empowered to establish the long-promised, Messianic Kingdom, but He has been waiting for the Little Flock to walk in His footsteps. With the elect number completed and sharing His glory, His Kingdom will take control of earth. Satan will be bound for a thousand years and all the wonderful blessings promised in the Law, the Prophets, the Gospels, and the Epistles will be fulfilled.

We have seen how the Son of God was anointed to be both Priest and King, how He sacrificed Himself, and how He has been waiting for the due time for His Kingdom to begin. Now we consider the force and significance of the word “Savior” and look at exactly how He saves His people from their sins.

The Redeemer, glorified as the antitypical Melchizedek, “a priest upon his throne,” is to be the Savior or life-giver of the race, for whose sin and because of whose condemnation He died to bring us back to God – “the just for the unjust.” He is the life-giver to some during the Gospel Age and to the remainder during His Messianic reign in the Millennial Age. Along with His saintly bride class, He will then gradually lift up humanity from sin and death to righteousness and life eternal. All who refuse the blessings then offered will be destroyed in the Second Death, from which there will be no hope of recovery.

The glorified Redeemer has first saved His Church through a special salvation and High Calling. They have been called to suffer with Him so that they may reign with Him on the Heavenly plane. They have entered into a covenant of sacrifice with God through the merit of the Redeemer. Their salvation is made actual when they share in His resurrection, the “first resurrection,” and become kings and priests unto God, to reign with Christ a thousand years. (Rev. 20:6) The Christ, the Savior of Glory, bride and bridegroom united, will be the world’s Savior.

“FEAR NOT!”

All men realize their imperfection to at least some extent; they realize that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Men’s thoughts toward God seem to run toward fear; they fear themselves unworthy of divine favor; they fear divine wrath. So it was with the shepherds to whom the angel of the Lord announced Messiah’s birth. They were in fear. For what purpose would an angel or messenger appear to them except to pronounce a condemnation or to foretell a catastrophe? That is why the first words of the messenger were ones of assurance: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” (Luke 2:10)

So when we present mankind in general with God’s message to sinners, it is appropriate that we also begin by saying, “Fear not!” The God we preach to you is not a demon seeking to injure and torment you. He is a God of wisdom, justice and love, with complete power to successfully carry out His wise, just, and loving plan for the human race.

Satan has used this human tendency of fear as a weapon to drive man away from God and His revelation, the Bible. We should not attribute the vicious misrepresentations of our Heavenly Father contained in the creeds handed down to us from the “dark ages” to any character deficiencies of our forefathers. Rather we are to credit them to the great father of lies. (John 8:44) In the darkness of the past, he planted the seeds of what the Apostle terms “doctrines of devils.” (1 Tim. 4:1)

We thank the Lord that gradually we are getting our eyes of understanding opened to recognize the true character of God and His Son Jesus Christ, who was sent by Him and who is His express image. St. Paul identifies the problem for us, saying: “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Cor. 4:3-4)

God foresaw our estrangement and our enslavement by the adversary, as He tells us through the Prophet Isaiah: “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as 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 is taught by the precept of men . . .” (Isa. 29:13) These precepts are human traditions and false doctrines inspired by Satan, the adversary.

GOD’S CHRISTMAS GIFT

Intending from the first not to abandon His fallen human creatures to utter destruction, the Father purposed in advance His magnificent Christmas gift to us – the great plan of salvation now in progress – “According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph. 3:11) From before the foundation of the world, He purposed that Jesus would be the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. (John 1:29; 1 Pet. 1:20)

But God has a “due time” for every feature of His great plan, as the Scriptures show:

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” (Gal. 4:4)

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Rom. 5:6)

More than four thousand years passed before the due time came to send the only begotten Son into the world to redeem it. To understand this delay we must first learn two things:

(1) Man’s experience with sin and death is part of the great lesson God designed for all mankind – learning the exceeding sinfulness of sin. They will later receive a second great lesson – learning the benefits and desirableness of righteousness. The knowledge they have gained in the first lesson will aid in making the second lesson more effective.

(2) When our dear family and friends die, it is as if they are sleeping. They have no consciousness. They experience neither joy nor sorrow, as they await the Millennial morning – the resurrection morning. (Eccl. 9:5; John 11:11; John 3:13; Acts 2:34)

Death would be absolute, as in the case of the lower animals, had not God in His great love given us the gift that provides for our redemption and resurrection. (Eccl. 3:19; John 3:16) In view of this provision, the whole world is said to “sleep in Jesus” – in the sense that their hope rests in the great work which Jesus accomplished when He gave Himself as a “ransom for all to be testified in due time.” (1 Thess. 4:14; 1 Tim. 2:6)

While Jesus was “made of a woman,” that was not the beginning of His existence, for He was with the Father “before the world was.” (John 17:5) The Scriptures make very plain that He was the very “beginning of the creation of God.” (Rev. 3:14) He was the very first and the chief of all God’s creatures:

“In the beginning was the Word [Logos] and the Word was with [the] God and the Word was [a] God.[1] . . . All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1, 3)

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

The Scriptures make clear that the Father did not compel the Son to be our Redeemer – on the contrary, He invited Him to do so and set before Him the great rewards:

(1) The privilege of proving His loyalty to the Father: “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psa. 40:8; Heb. 10:7)

(2) The privilege of redeeming and restoring the fallen race: “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28)

(3) The honor of being exalted to an even higher position than He had before He left the Father: “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9; Eph. 1:21; Heb. 12:2)

THE GIFT WILL NOT BE TAKEN BACK

While the birth of the Savior was the beginning of God’s Christmas gift to us, the gift includes much more. By obedience to the divine law, our Lord Jesus earned the right to eternal life on the human plane. By consecrating Himself to death, He laid down His perfect human life, giving it to us, and He will never take back that human life. When He arose from the dead on the third day, it was as a perfect spirit-being. (2 Cor. 3:17)

His appearances in a materialized body of flesh during the 40 days after His resurrection were very brief and few, after the manner in which angels had previously appeared in materialized fleshly bodies. His appearances were for the purpose of convincing the disciples that He was no longer dead, and to convince them also that He was no longer limited to earthly powers, as before His death. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in spirit. (1 Pet. 3:18)

Having sacrificed His perfect human life rights, the glorified Jesus ascended on high with those rights to His credit, so to speak. Those rights were sufficient to satisfy the demands of justice for the sins of the whole world. Because all mankind had been condemned through one man, all mankind could be justified, atoned for, by the sacrifice of one perfect man. (1 Tim. 2:5-6)

However, the ascended Savior did not then apply the merit of His sacrifice for the world, but as the Scriptures show, He applied it for His Church and the entire Household of Faith. Unbelievers were not covered by that application of Christ’s merit. In order to get under the merit of Christ, one must believe, renounce sin and consecrate oneself to walk in the Redeemer’s footsteps.

The gospel call has been going forth under this provision for nearly twenty centuries. According to the Scriptures, the object has been primarily for the selection of the Church of Christ, and secondarily for the blessing of the broader Household of Faith.

SAVIOR OF THE WORLD

God’s gift of the Savior will continue to bring still more blessings, however. Jesus is not merely the Savior of the Church and the Household of Faith; He is also the Savior of the world. We are not to think that those who reject the Lord’s Cross and refuse to make a full consecration of their lives during this age are condemned, either to eternal torment or to anything else. The call of the Gospel Age is a favor and a privilege. Those who respond get a special blessing and those who do not respond miss that special blessing. They are not condemned in any sense of the word because of rejecting the privilege of walking in the Master’s steps. On the contrary, the Scriptures declare that they were already condemned. As members of Adam’s posterity, they share in his death sentence; they share his weaknesses and unworthiness. They have failed to escape from that condemnation, and thus they continue under it.

But even those who lose God’s highest blessings and rewards will still have open before them great and wonderful favors of God, all of which were purchased by the Redeemer’s precious blood – by His sacrifice for our sins, by His submission of His life for the forfeited life of Adam so that Adam and all his race might be recovered from the death sentence. These blessings for the world are not yet clearly seen or appreciated except by those to whom “the deep things of God” have been revealed. (1 Cor. 2:10)

The particular point we wish to emphasize is that God has provided a salvation for the world, as well as a salvation for the Church. The Bible tells us of the general facts of these salvations. It assures us: “For God so loved the world [as well as the Church], that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

This verse contains the whole message of the Gospel in condensed form. Notice what it shows: (1) Man is perishing and in need of redemption. Note that the penalty that is upon the world is not an eternal torment penalty, but a penalty of destruction. (2) God’s love is proven by the gift of His Son. (3) The blessings are to encompass the entire world. (4) The limitations of divine grace are plainly stated – the blessings can only be obtained through a true acceptance of Christ.

While our Lord’s merit is fully appropriated during the Gospel Age for all who come unto Him, it will be fully set free when the last of the consecrated ones have passed beyond the vail. His merit has been imputed to them for the very purpose of enabling them to sacrifice, following in Christ’s footsteps. When His merit has been released by the death of the last of the consecrated, it will be again at His disposal for appropriation to the world.

In due time the knowledge of God will fill the whole earth as the waters cover the great deep and all will understand; all will hear and be able to believe in God’s goodness and in His wonderful arrangement on man’s behalf. (Isa. 11:9; Heb. 8:11) Those who will then believe, and who will then accept God’s favor on its terms of loyalty, will be blessed by Messiah’s Kingdom. The appointed work of that Kingdom will be the rolling away of the curse of sin and death and the blessing of all the families of the earth

THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE

Let us now review the unfolding of the divine plan: The Babe of Bethlehem; the Man of Sorrows; the Risen Lord; the Ascended High Priest and Advocate; the appropriation of His merit to consecrated believers; the joy of forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God experienced by all believers; their instruction in the school of Christ; their testing and proving by trials and difficulties; the glorification of the Church with her Lord; and finally the appropriation of His merit to the world and the Millennial Kingdom reign of righteousness for the blessing of the world.

Oh, the exceeding riches of God’s grace to us through Jesus Christ! (Eph. 2:7)

By applying His merit for the world and using it to seal the New Covenant, Messiah opens the way whereby all then living may become reconciled to God – may be blessed with restitution to full perfection of mind, body and character – and have back again the paradise lost by sin, but redeemed at Calvary. The billions that have already gone down into the tomb will also be blessed by God’s great Christmas gift. The Master tells us that they will be awakened from the sleep of the Adamic death for the purpose of being resurrected out of present sin and death conditions to the glorious condition of human perfection. (John 5:28-29)

The more we examine this picture, the more enchanting it is. The glorious King and His glorious bride, the Church, will be very merciful and kind and helpful as well as very firm in dealing with poor humanity, the groaning creation. This will ensure that all who can be reformed will be reformed, while the willfully rebellious will be destroyed in the Second Death. (Acts 3:23)

GREAT JOY TO ALL PEOPLE

We are truly beginning to understand the message sent us through the angel when our Savior was born. The message is not to fear bad tidings of eternal torment and misery for all people. It is the very reverse of this, namely to, “Fear not” because the tidings are exceedingly good!  

The good tidings of great joy have not yet been to all people. Even the knowledge of the Lord has reached only a small fraction of earth’s population thus far, and the message that has reached them has been generally a very unsatisfactory, unreasonable message of damnation and great misery. As we have seen, however, the great plan of the ages is rolling toward completion, bringing at every stage fresh blessings and fresh revelations of the glorious things which God purposed in Himself from before the foundation of the world. How true is God’s statement: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:9)

How thankful we should be for the further knowledge of God’s great plan that is now streaming forth from His Word for the blessing of all whose eyes of understanding and ears of faith are open. We are truly thankful that our friends and neighbors are not in everlasting torture, thankful that they are, on the contrary, waiting for the glorious millennial morning and its opportunity of restitution bought by the blood of the Redeemer. (Acts 3:19-21)

For those who thus see the real value of Christmas Day, it is possible to be a thousand times happier and more grateful to God than others can possibly be. We should in turn seek to share the good tidings and to glorify our Father in heaven, who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE

Certainly the general joy of the Christmas season is very appropriate, even if it is not always appropriately expressed. The custom of exchanging gifts and tokens of love and friendship prevails everywhere the story of Jesus has gone. During this season, the less fortunate of society are often aided and remembered by those who are more advantaged. Surely this is as it should be. Although not all who have received this benevolence have experienced a lasting blessing, those giving it are almost always blessed. In this we see the truth of the Savior’s own words, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

To give is godlike: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (Jas. 1:17) The Father has set an example of benevolence which all who know Him should strive to emulate. Consider the great gift of God’s love: “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” (2 Cor. 9:15) As we discern something of the length and breadth and height and depth of God’s love, our amazement and our joy increases and we have more desire to be likewise generous with others, especially with all who are less fortunate than us, either in material things or spiritual things.

We hope this Christmas message prompts joyful thanks to God for the gift of His only begotten Son to be our Redeemer. Hallelujah what a Savior! “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psa. 107:31) Our best wishes to all our readers for the Lord’s blessing during the holiday season and for a blessed New Year. Let the Lord be your trust and your guide: “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” (Prov. 30:5)

(Based on writings of Pastor Russell, primarily Reprints 4714 and 5596, and Harvest Gleanings Volume II, pages 749-753.)

Write to us at: epiphanybiblestudents@gmail.com

[1] See Emphatic Diaglott translation.

NO. 759: LOVE IS THE GREATEST THING

No. 759

“But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:13, ASV)

St. Paul’s great discourse on love (1 Cor. 13) stands next to our Lord’s marvelous Sermon on the Mount, teaching the same lesson, although from a different standpoint. The word “love” in this lesson is from the Greek agape, signifying love in its strongest, purest and most disinterested form. Mistranslated “charity” in the King James Version, agape means love that practices goodness for the love of it; such love is a refreshing and uplifting thing for all who come into contact with it.

Why is this character quality of love so prominently featured in the Word of God? It is because it is the first thing, the most important thing, the principal thing. As the Apostle states, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Rom. 13:10) Indeed, the sacrificial love described by Paul goes even beyond the requirements of the perfect law.

Love is not put first because God arbitrarily placed it so; it is not because He exercised His power of fiat and declared that it should be first. It is because no other character quality is as beautiful, as productive of happiness and joy, and as great a blessing upon those who receive it. Love is the very essence of God’s character – He is the personification of love and sympathy. “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16) While God is all-wise, all-just, and all-powerful, we do not say that God is wisdom, or that God is justice, or that God is power, but that God is love. He uses His great wisdom, justice, and power only in fullest harmony with His glorious attribute of love.

THE PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE

Christians generally accept the Bible state­ment that God is love, and they also accept its teaching that He is wise, just, and powerful. Our conception of the great Creator of the universe acknowledges nothing short of perfection in each of these four attributes. But what visible proofs do we have of the attribute of love which the Bible ascribes to Him?

Creation everywhere speaks of God’s power and wisdom. We look at distant worlds and note the harmony and beauty of the entire arrangement; “Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” (Psa. 19:2-3) The mountains and oceans of earth repeat the same story of God’s wisdom and power. If we look at the animal creation, from the insect with its wisdom and skill all the way up to man, even in his fallen condition, we are forced to admit the wisdom and power that made us.

As to His justice, God designed one very impressive illustration for us and for all His intelligent creatures, an illustration that will last for all eternity. This illustration is found in mankind itself. The aches and pains and sorrows associated with the great enemy death, which as a great monster swallows up the human race, speak to us of God’s justice, for we realize that we are sinners and recognize the justice of His law which declares the just wages of sin to be death. (Rom. 6:23)

We recognize that the law condemning us is holy, just and good and that our penalty is deserved, that the fault is with us, and that “just and right is he.” (Deut. 32:4) We wait for God’s favor, hoping for forgiveness, hoping that He will excuse our sin and receive us back into fellowship. We see that God’s justice was so great, so perfect, and so unalterable, that even He could not violate His own just law. To clear the guilty, He must provide a ransom – a corresponding price. If the justice of the Almighty had not been equaled by His wisdom, man’s situation would have been sad and hopeless, but wisdom foresaw the need and a Redeemer was provided, a Redeemer who gave Himself a ransom for all, so that all will go free.

Thus we have abundant proof that God’s justice, wisdom, and power are complete, but what are the proofs of God’s love? Surely if God is all love and His wisdom, power, and justice are small in comparison to His love, we should be able to give many proofs of it, many more than the few we have just given of His wisdom, power, and justice.

Some might consider rain, sunshine, warmth, cooling breezes, life, health, and strength as proofs of the love of God to mankind, but these are not proofs. He sends His rain upon the just and upon the unjust and causes the sun to shine upon the evil and the good. Life, health, and strength are found in our race in only a modified and limited sense. Even then, they are inapplicable as proofs of God’s love because the wicked are just as likely as the good to enjoy robust health. Day after day, year after year, century after century, natural disasters manifest power but do not speak of God’s love. Epidemics, pandemics, and innumerable diseases of all kinds also surely do not prove God’s love.

What all these things do prove is that God’s love does not override and overthrow His justice. The mind is surely blind which sees in God’s past and present dealings a God wholly of love and devoid of justice. Lame indeed is the world’s hope if it depends upon God’s love to overthrow His just sentence against the human race, and thus release it from condemnation and death.

But if there is no proof of God’s love, man’s case is truly hopeless. Justice could never clear those it had condemned as unworthy of life, nor could it grant them another trial as though its present sentence were unjust. Thank God there is one proof of God’s love, and it is overwhelmingly convincing to anyone with an ear to hear. That proof is Jesus. The fact that God sent His only begotten Son, that with so great a price God “redeemed us,” that He “bought” us, is proof of His love, beyond all question. Here we have the proof that was in the Apostle’s mind when he wrote that God is love, for he further declared, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

Though the Bible repeats over and over again that God is love and promises that He will prove it in due time, only those who accept the Ransom as the expression of His love and the central feature of the plan of salvation can see any proof of God’s love. The more clearly we grasp the plan centered in the Cross and the Ransom, the more truly we see the only manifestation or proof of God’s love yet given to the world.

By faith we see proofs of His love and care where others see just the opposite; we walk by faith and not by sight. By our faith we are enabled often to see love, care, and providential blessing in adversity, tribulation, opposition, and persecutions, and to realize the truthfulness of God’s assurance that all things good and bad are being overruled for good to us. (Rom. 8:28) Hence we see by faith in God’s promises what has only been demonstrated by the gift of His Son to be our ransom price and in due time our deliverer.

The next age will demonstrate the love of God as fully and clearly as the past has demonstrated His other attributes, but as yet His love is entirely a subject for faith. That faith is instructed out of God’s Word; its foundation is the Bible’s explanation of present circumstances, namely, that all disasters and calamities, as well as the ravages of death and disease, are all parts of the penalty on our race as a result of the disobedience of our first representative in Eden. This faith also looks with confidence and hope to the future promised by the Bible, to the promised “times of restitution” secured by the Ransom. (Acts 3:21)

To appreciate the love of God, faith must grasp that the penalty was just. It must also grasp the assurance that the Ransom given by our Lord fully met the obligations of all sinners, and that consequently the curse will be removed and the entire race will be blessed in due time. On the other hand, the mind which draws the inference that God’s love overbalances His justice, and concludes that He could not, in the exercise of His justice, blot out the willful sinner because His love would prohibit it, is in even a worse condition. Anyone believing this is more blinded than those who believe God unjustly inflicts calamities upon those innocent of any fault – that man never was perfect, never was tried, and never fell, but was created imperfect and then cursed and subjected to evil, that he might develop (evolve) greater perfection than God was able to give him when He created him.

Both of these theories are weak and foundationless and are contradicted by both facts and God’s Word, which furnish the only reasonable explanation and the strongest imaginable grounds for faith and love. Thus seen, God is love, God is just, God is wise, God is powerful. “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Rom. 11:33)

Since love is the mainspring of all God’s works, being God-like requires having love as the dominating quality of one’s character and life. Love will continue to all eternity, and only those who become the active embodiment of this gracious quality of character will live eternally, hence the paramount importance of its development in every life. This noble quality of Christian character cannot be acquired instantly. It is a growth; and its development is the chief business, the chief concern, of every consecrated child of God.

As pupils in the school of Christ, all the instructions of God’s Word and all His providences in our lives are designed by the Lord to develop our characters and to influence our conduct in harmony with the requirements of love. Righteousness and love and are inseparable.

The Master said to believers, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another.” (John 13:34) Love is termed “the bond of perfectness” in the child of God. (Col. 3:14) It is no wonder that we are assured: “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Our Lord further declared, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God . . .” – the God who is love. (John 17:3)

“A MORE EXCELLENT WAY”

When the Apostle Paul said the words in our opening text, he had just been speaking of the various miraculous gifts of the Spirit granted to the early Church. These special gifts were a sign of being begotten to the new nature and anyone who lacked some such special gift would thus manifest to all believers that he had not become a member of the Church of Christ. These supernatural gifts also served to assist the primitive Church in spiritual growth. They did not have the Bible in those days, and if they had possessed it, very few would have been able to read it. Thus, they needed special assistance which the Church afterward did not need, and which later was taken away.

After discussing these various gifts, the Apostle proclaims he will show “a more excellent way.” (1 Cor. 12:31) He then proceeds to point out the super-excellence of the fruit of love. Whoever has the Holy Spirit must have at least a measure of this fruitage, whether it be a little flower containing the fruit-bud, a partly developed fruit, a developed but unripe fruit, or a fully ripened fruit. We are not able to judge one another’s hearts, but God our Father looks upon the heart and sees this fruitage. The Apostle acknowledged that he did not feel able to properly judge even himself; he left judgment to the Lord. He knew that his heart was loyal and that he was endeavoring to be all that the Lord would have him be. Though he was conscious of his inability to always “do the things that he would,” he knew that the Master would accept his loyalty of heart, so he would do his best and leave the rest with God.

Our faith and our hope in the Lord lead us to earnestly endeavor to develop the fruitage of love in all its varied and beautiful phases. Gentleness is a part of love; meekness is a part of love; so also are humility and brotherly-kindness. For each child of God, the question is not: How physically attractive am I? How educated am I? How socially well-connected am I? How many fine sermons have I preached? It is not even: How many have I brought to a knowledge of the Truth? The vital questions are these: How much of the quality of love have I developed? How great is the likeness of my character to that of Christ?

St. Paul points out that this crowning grace of love is essential to make any service acceptable to God. If love is not the motivating power controlling us, the greatest zeal, the finest rhetoric, and the richest eloquence on behalf of truth and righteousness will pass for nothing in God’s estimation, and will bring us no reward from Him. If love is lacking, great ability in expounding the mysteries of God, much study and great knowledge, will be as nothing in winning the approval of the Lord. Even a mountain-moving faith is valueless if the Father looks into the recesses of the heart and sees that love is lacking. The giving of all one’s possessions to feed the poor or to spread the Gospel is powerless to bring us God’s approval if done without love as the moving impulse. Even death as a martyr would not be acceptable unless undergone from love for the Lord and loyalty to His Truth.

Why is this? It is because all these things might be done for selfish motives – to be seen of men, or to feed pride, or to exercise the spirit of combativeness. Love must prompt all our service for God or it will be utterly without value: “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. “ (1 Cor. 13:1, ASV)

THE SPECTRUM OF LOVE

In a discourse on love, a nineteenth century professor observed that as a beam of light can pass through a prism and come out on the other side broken up into all the colors of the rainbow, “Paul passes this thing, love, through the magnificent prism of his inspired intellect, and it comes out on the other side broken up into its elements.” In a few words the Apostle gives us the “spectrum of love.” Observe its components: (1 Cor. 13:4-7, ASV)

 Patience: “Love suffereth long.” Love is tolerant of the weaknesses and imperfections of those who give any evidence of good intentions. It is even patient with those who oppose righteousness and truth, realizing that the whole world is more or less under the influence of the great Adversary and his helpers who blind the minds of the masses. Our Lord Jesus prominently displayed this element of love in His patience with His opponents. Let us heed the Apostle’s words in his Epistle to the Hebrews: “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied [in well-doing and patience] and faint in your minds.” (Heb. 12:3)

Kindness: “Love . . . is kind.” Love not only seeks to do good deeds, but it seeks to do them in the kindest possible manner. To the extent we attain this quality of love, our hearts will seek to have our every word, act and motive to be full of kindness. Love is tender, affectionate. It has a real and deep interest in others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. We would do well to remember this famous quote: “I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow human being let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

Generosity: “Love envieth not.” Envy springs from a perverted nature – from selfishness. Love has no place for it. Love rejoices in the success of every good word and work. It rejoices in the growth in Christian grace and service of all who are activated by the Spirit of God. Love rejoices with those who rejoice.

Humility: “Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” Love does not sound a trumpet to announce itself. Its good deeds are not done to be seen of men or to be praised by the brethren, but would be done just the same if no one ever saw or knew but the Lord alone. Love neither boasts of its knowledge nor of its graces, but humbly concedes that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father, and returns praise to Him for every mercy received. Love seeks to keep self in the background.

Courtesy: “Love . . . doth not behave itself unseemly.” The trait of courtesy is so beautiful in the child of God and the secret of genuine courtesy is love. Much pain is caused by the lack of courtesy. Thoughtful consideration for others springs from real love in the heart – love that is cultivated. Pride and selfishness are at the root of most rude and boorish conduct – conduct so common to those who consider themselves superior, whether socially, intellectually, morally or financially. Perfect love, on the other hand, manifests courtesy along with humility.

Courtesy may be defined as love in the little things. One who does things gently, thoughtfully, kindly, and lovingly may be said to be a true gentleman or lady, and a true Christian should thus be a gentleman or lady in the most real and perfect sense. To ignore the little courtesies of life as unnecessary is a serious mistake in a child of God. Who has not realized the potency of a kind greeting, a pleasant smile, a small act of thoughtfulness? Who has not felt pain from the lack of these things?

Unselfishness: “Love . . . seeketh not its own.” Love never seeks to take advantage of others or to promote its own selfish interests exclusively or preeminently. Rather, it goes out to others, and seeks to promote their comfort and happiness. It does not desire to grasp the best of everything for self; it does not seek to have the highest position, the most attention or the highest honors. It instead prefers to honor others and is willing to cheerfully take the lower position. When put into practice, unselfishness has great influence for good in all aspects of life – in the home, among the brethren, everywhere.

Good temperament: “Love . . . is not provoked.” One of the evils abounding today is the propensity to be bad-tempered, argumentative, touchy, and quick to take offense. To the extent this inclination is not fought against but instead cultivated or willingly harbored, it is evidence of a deficiency in the development of the Spirit of God, and a failure to conform to the likeness of Christ, who is to be our pattern. Few faults receive as much leniency and as many excuses justifying its continuance as this one. However much one’s natural disposition might tend in this direction, every true follower of Christ must vigorously oppose the inclination to be irritable, fault-finding, and morose. To fight this tendency of the fallen nature, one must wage good warfare against it in the strength of the Lord. Self-imposed penalties for every outbreak of irritability or bad temper can result in greater watchfulness over the tongue and over unloving impulses. Few traits of character more truly glorify the Lord than an agreeable and loving temperament.

Guilelessness: “Love . . . taketh not account of evil.” Love does not look for faults in others or attribute evil motives to them. It seeks to interpret the actions, words, and manners of others charitably. Being pure and well-intentioned itself, it tries as far as possible to view the words and conduct of others in the same light. It does not harbor animosities and suspicions, nor does it manufacture circumstantial proofs of evil intentions out of trivial matters.  “Faults are thick where love is thin” is a wise and true proverb. Love makes every possible allowance for errors in judgment instead of impugning the motives of the heart.

Sincerity: “Love . . . rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth.” Love is saddened when it encounters evil, but it is sympathetic toward all who fall into evil through weakness or who are beset by temptations. In this respect love prompts to an opposite course of action from that of Balaam, “who loved the wages of unrighteousness.” (2 Pet. 2:15) Balaam feared the Lord and as His prophet would not think of doing other than according to the strict letter of the Lord’s command; however, he lacked the spirit of obedience and loyalty, the spirit of love. Thus when Balak, king of Moab, offered him a reward if he would curse Israel, he was willing to conform to the evil proposition in order to secure the reward, but only if the Lord would permit him.

There are some Christians who likewise have respect for the letter of God’s Word because of fear, but who lack the spirit of love. A love for wealth, popularity, ease, etc. makes them willing to engage in practices which come as near to injuring the Lord’s cause as possible without being in open opposition to Him. Some of these “Balaams” are in the ministry. For the sake of salary, prestige, and the friendship of wealthy “Balaks,” they are willing to violate the spirit of the Word. They preach doctrines they do not believe; they wink at unholy practices; they cast various stumbling-blocks before Spiritual Israel, and encourage others to do likewise. Both our Lord and the Apostles mention these “Balaams” as being false teachers in the nominal church. (2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 11; Rev. 2:14)

All who seek to develop the spirit of love in their hearts should seek to have sincere motives as well as honorable conduct. The least inclination to rejoice when another stumbles from a righteous course is to be deplored and overcome. Perfect love does not rejoice in iniquity under any circumstances or conditions. We should only feel sorrow for the fall of another, even if it results in our own gain.

Fortitude: “Love . . . beareth all things . . . endureth all things.” Love is both willing and able to endure reproach, insult, loss, misrepresentation, deprivation, and even death for the cause of God. At the very center of faith is the holy spirit of love – love for the Lord, love for those who are His, and sympathetic love for the world. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4) By God’s grace, perfect love can bear up under the most trying circumstances the Lord permits His children to experience. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Rom. 8:37)

Trustfulness: “Love . . . believeth all things.” Love is not suspicious, but on the contrary is inclined to have confidence in others so far as possible, and to give them credit for sincerity. It operates on the principle that it is better to be deceived a hundred times than to go through life soured by a distrustful, suspicious mind – it is far better than unjustly accusing or suspecting even one person. The Master spoke of this merciful disposition when He said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matt. 5:7) The untrusting, unmerciful mind and heart, ready to think evil of others based on a slight or imaginary provo­cation, gives rise to unmerciful words and conduct toward others.

Hopefulness: “Love . . . hopeth all things.” Love is buoyant, not easily discouraged. Hope is the secret of love’s perseverance. Having learned of God, and having become a partaker of His holiness, it trusts in Him and fearlessly hopes for the fulfilment of His gracious Covenant, no matter how dark the immediate circumstances may be. This hopeful element of love is one of the striking features in the perseverance of God’s Elect, enabling them to endure hardship as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. (2 Tim. 2:3) This hopeful quality prevents love from being easily offended or impeded from doing the work of the Lord. Where others would become discouraged and flee, the spirit of love gives endurance. It holds firmly to the Rock of Ages, and hence cannot drift into despair.

Not only is love the greatest of all the graces but, as we have seen, it is the sum of all the fruits of the Holy Spirit. It is everlasting: “Love never faileth.” (1 Cor. 13:8, ASV) All those who develop this quality to its glorious perfection will have eternal life.

A FALSE VENEER

Although these elements of love are seemingly ordinary virtues, we contend that these fruits as a whole cannot belong to the “natural man” in his current state. He may indeed put on some of the gentleness, some of the humility, some of the courtesy, some of the patience, some of the kindness, but with him these graces are wholly put on; they are not evidence of relationship to God, to which there is only the one door – Christ Jesus.

Moreover, with the Christian a mere outward manifestation of these virtues is not sufficient, either in God’s sight or in his own sight. These rich fruits are produced only by the indwelling spirit of love in his heart. Many of these fruits are recognized by the world as desirable traits and imitated as marks of refinement, often successfully masking hearts and sentiments quite antagonistic to the spirit of love. While even an outward imitation of the elements of love mitigates to some extent the evils, distresses, and conflicts accompanying man’s fallen condition, yet it is only a veneer and often painfully shattered in times of stress and trial.

The time is now very near when a great and terrible crisis will make manifest to the whole world that much of the politeness and restraint considered normal in society is only skin deep and is not from the heart; it is not the fruitage of the holy spirit of love. The Word of the Lord graphically shows that in that great crisis brother will be against brother and neighbor against neighbor. (Isa. 19:2) In that great “day of vengeance” the masks of formal politeness and decorum will be discarded, and for a short time the world will receive a revelation of its own hideousness and selfishness that will horrify it and help to prepare it for the blessed Kingdom of love to be established by the great Immanuel, the Messiah of God. We already see the signs that this great day has begun.

CULTIVATE LOVE

The Scriptures inform us that unselfish love is foreign to our makeup in our fallen state. This love must be introduced into our nature by the power of God. We must learn of the great love of God, which is the love of Christ, and accept His conditions for our return to Him through His Son. “For the love of Christ constraineth [compels] us; because we thus judge [conclude], that if one died for all, then were all dead.” (2 Cor. 5:14)

The degree of our appreciation of divine love will be the degree of our zeal in conforming our characters to the divine pattern. Let us, dear brothers and sisters, more and more cultivate love, remembering that whatever else we may attain in life will be in vain without this crowning grace. We each should pray every morning for the Lord to bless us in the cultivation of love throughout the day – in thought, in word, and in deed. Every evening we should review the events of the day at the throne of Heavenly grace and remember to report to the Lord our success or failure. Only He who reads the heart is competent to judge who has and who has not this quality of love well developed in his character.

(Based on Reprints 880, 2202, and 5668.)

Write to us at: epiphanybiblestudents@gmail.com