NO. 338: PSALM 107

No. 338

This Psalm is in effect a prophecy, which has special application to this our time. We say this because it has never been even remotely understood until the Harvest; and, as has been so well stated by That Servant, prophecy cannot be clearly understood until it has been fulfilled, or is in course of fulfillment. A potent illustration of this truth is to be found in Rev. 12:6, where the 1260 days of Papal persecution of the saints is set forth. It is conceded by most people that Martin Luther is one of the 25 greatest intellects among the entire human race; yet, with all his brilliance, and his intense effort to understand Revelation, he could not possibly produce the right interpretation of Rev. 12:6 – because those days did not end until 1799, more than 200 years after he died. Therefore, it was left for the bright shining of Harvest truth to give the prophecy its proper interpretation. Although not so pointedly true as Rev. 12:6, the 107th Psalm may be given the same general comment; it, too, could not be understood until the “due time.”

“O give thanks unto the LORD.” The Psalm treats of four general classes of the human race, each of which we shall treat in due course; but we first offer some comment on the introduction. Rotherham’s translation, which we shall use in much of our explanation, says, “O give thanks to Yahweh.” This Yahweh – or Yahveh – is translated from the tetragrammaton, the same being from the Greek word used to denote four letters. The four Hebrew letters – or consonants – are Yod, He, Vav, He, and they are the counterparts of our English consonants J‑H‑V‑H, which some have used to form the word Jehovah – although such construction is based almost exclusively on imagination. The Tetragrammaton occurs about 7,000 times in the Old Testament; and it has become known as the ineffable name because there are no vowels in it, which makes it unpronounceable. At the first Advent, the Jews had come to regard that combination of letters with such awesome reverence that none of them would even attempt to state it. It is usually translated LORD in the King James version; and, whenever Lord appears in all capital letters – as it does in the opening of this Psalm, we may know it is from the tetragrammaton.

It is probably for the general good to offer some quotation here from Doctor Rotherham’s Introduction: “As it might appear premature, at the outset of this chapter, to spell out that Divine Name which some regard as not only incommunicable but unpronounceable, it will be considerate to begin the present investigation by the aid of abbreviation... The Tetragrammaton, or name of four letters, is a technical term frequently employed by scholars, and will here serve a useful purpose... We can reverently speak of The Name, or can set down the first letter only, Y, in the same way as Hebrew critics are wont to use the letter Yod as the initial of the Divine Name intended ....

“It is willingly admitted that the suppression has not been absolute... To those who can note the difference between LORD and Lord, and can remember that the former do while the latter do not stand for The Name... an intimation of the difference is conveyed… Yet the mere reader remains completely in the dark respecting it, because in nearly all the occurrences of The Name the special Name of God is withheld. ‘nearly All,’ for there are about a half dozen instances in the A.V., in which this concealment does not take place... Is it too much to assume that The Name has about it something very grand or gracious, or at least something very mysterious? Whichever conclusion is accepted, is there not something essentially presumptuous in substituting for it one of the commonest of titles, seeing that there are on earth ‘lords many,’ and the master of the humblest slave is his ‘lord’? Therefore, it is the most natural presumption that suppression of The Name has entailed on the reader irreparable loss.

“The motive was good – let that be assumed... The motive is respected; but the reference is regarded as misapplied, the reason given to be invalid. A plausible argument in favor of leaving The Name veiled, as it is now, may be based upon its concealment by the Septuagint, which conceals the Tetragrammaton under the common title ‘Kurios’ – Lord. Jesus used that version as it stood. (Matt. 22:41‑45) Therefore what was good enough for Him should be good enough for us. However, Jesus had to plead His Messiahship with the Scriptures then current; and any criticism of the nation’s Sacred Documents might have placed a needless obstacle in the people’s path.

“Why not then translate The Name as Jehovah? Is that not euphonious? It is, without question. Is it not widely used? (Especially since 1931 by the Jehovah’s Witnesses – JJH) The reason it is not used here is that it is too heavily burdened with merited critical condemnation – as modern, as a compromise, as a ‘mongrel’ word. What are the facts? First, as to age ‘Jehovah’ was unknown before 1520, when it was introduced by Galatinus; but was contested by others as against grammatical and historical propriety. Next as to formation: Erroneously written and pronounced Jehovah – which is merely a combination of the sacred Tetragrammaton and the vowels in the Hebrew word for Lord, substituted by the Jews for JHVH, because they shrank from pronouncing the name... But to give the name JHVH, the vowels of the word for Lord, and pronounce it Jehovah, is about as hybrid a combination as it would be to spell the name Germany with the vowels in the name Portugal – namely, Gormuna. The monstrous combination Jehovah is not older than about 1520 AD, so the Jews are not responsible for it. Therefore, the form Yahweh is here adopted as practically the best.”

Later writers than Doctor Rotherham – adept in Hebrew and Greek – say Yahveh is better still, so we go along with that. We assume many of our readers do not have access to what we have quoted aforegoing, which is one of the reasons we have gone into such detail about it. A second reason is to alert our readers to the fact that the name “Jehovah’s” Witnesses has no Scriptural foundation whatever; and the great flare they try to give the name is simply a “profusion of words to no purpose.” Of course, this is to get away from the name “Bible Students,” as the Truth people under Brother Russell was known.

Now, as to the Psalm itself, there are seven (divine completeness) distinct divisions in it, the last of which is the summation in v, 43: “Who is wise? Let him observe these things! And diligently consider the loving kindness of Yahweh.” In its overall purport the “loving kindness of Yahweh” is His great Plan of Salvation for the human race; and who is wise to understand this Psalm here in the end of the Age will have a clear understanding of the entire Plan. But, “none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” (Dan. 12: 10) It is our understanding that (1) vs. 1‑9 treat of the Little Flock (the wise); (2) vs. 10‑16 of the Great Company; (3) vs. 17‑22 of fleshly Israel during the Gospel Age, with special emphasis here in the end of the Age; (4) vs. 23‑32 of the world in general during and at the end of the great tribulation; (5) vs. 33‑38 of the Millennial conditions and people; (6) vs. 39‑42 of the good and evil in the Little Season – “Satan must be loosed for a little season” (Rev. 20:3); then (7) v. 43 as already stated.

THE LITTLE FLOCK

Vs. 1‑9 – “Let the redeemed of Yahveh say, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the Adversary.” Rev. 5:9 tells us “Thou hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” These “redeemed of the Lord’’ have indeed been a conglomerate lot – a cross‑section of the human race, as to color, residence, intellectual achievement and providential circumstances. “And hast made us unto God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (v. 10) This Little Flock is the “us‑we‑ye” of this and many other Scriptures. “These were redeemed from men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.” (Rev. 14:4) These are they who ever “give thanks to Yahveh... whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary.” And they have come “from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south” (107:3), the “quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins... walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience “ (Eph. 2:1‑2) Psalms 107:4 and 5: “they wandered about in the desert – in a waste – a city to dwell in found they none” (“We have here no continuing city” – Heb 13:14) Their soul within them fainted.” (v 5)

Continuing with Psalms 107: Amidst all of the foregoing “they made outcry to Jahveh in their peril, and out of their distresses He rescued them.” (v 6) The sentiments stated in v 6 are repeated in vs. 13, 19, and 28, the underlying thought in all these verses being that when the various classes call upon Yahveh in true penitence He is ever ready and willing to hear and give them the relief they seek. It should be noted that in the first nine verses of this psalm, which have to do with the Little Flock, there is no adverse criticism; whereas, there is sharp denunciation of the next three classes that are discussed in vs. 10 through 32. However, the prayer of thanksgiving is identical from all four classes – after He has heard their petitions and given them the needed relief: “Let them give thanks to Yahveh for His loving kindness, and for His wonderful dealings with the sons of men.” The footnote of this last clause says it should read, “For His wonderful dealings with the sons of Adam.”

In response to their petitions, the Psalm proceeds to tell us that Yahveh “led them by a straight road.” He gave them the instruction and the ability to “make straight paths for their feet.” (Heb. 12:13) “That they might journey to a city to dwell in” – in New Jerusalem – Zion, “the perfection of beauty.” (Psa 50:2) Theirs is the promise, The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.” (Psa 128:5)

THE GREAT COMPANY

Psa 107:10‑16 – “Such as sit in darkness” – error. The contrast here is between the Little Flock and the Great Company on the Truth. “Ye (the Little Flock) are all the children of light: we are not of the night (of sin), nor of darkness.” “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness.” (1 Thes. 5:4,5) Note the Berean Comment on these texts: “Even to the last solitary one, no matter where he may be located... The spirit will show you things to come.” Here, then, is the clear contrast between the Little Flock and the Great Company – especially now in the end of the Age, when the Truth has shone with special brightness, even making “manifest the counsels of hearts.”

And in their darkness (error), their groping about in confusion, they “sit in the shadow of death” – that is, the second death constantly casts a shadow in their direction, leading them into devious and sundry activities, to which their unholy ambition prods them. While the Great Company did not appear as a class all during the Age, there were many individuals of them – many times more than the Little Flock all during the Gospel Age, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Their confused views on “the straight road” prompted them to build Great Babylon; and here they have repeated the performance. Especially while in Azazel’s clutches do they become ambitious in works of false propaganda, of building false religious sects, and in indulging in slander against their more faithful brethren. Thus they are deceived into believing they will accomplish great works, win great numbers (such as filling the Epiphany Camp with consecrated ones outside the linen curtain of Christ, and deceiving them into believing they will have the preeminence in the Kingdom in superiority to the Jews), gain great favor. So often are we reminded of some at the first Advent: “They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:43) But in this day, “when He maketh manifest,” they will learn by sad experience that “the praise of men” is a very transitory and unprofitable possession.

Also, they are “bound with oppression (humiliation) and iron.” (v 10) “Because they had rebelled (revolutionized against the sayings of God.” Among the oppressions (humiliations) that come to them their defeat in controversy is probably at the head of the list. Of those who have rebelled against the sayings of God, St, Paul says, “On this account God will send to them an energy of delusion, to their believing the falsehood (various errors which bring them severe humiliation); in order that all those may be judged who believed not the Truth, but approved the iniquity.” (2 Thes. 2:11, Dia.)

“The counsel of the Most High they had spurned.” (v, 11) Yahveh has given definite instructions for the conduct of His people and their ministry of the Truth – such as congregationalism (each ecclesia is mistress in her own locality), the settlement of differences between brethren, ranking officials in the Church, how to carry on the study and spread of the Truth, etc. To set aside any of these things would be to “spurn the counsel of the Most High” – consider His instructions of little worth by such as think they see a better way to do things. Some of the Lord’s people during this Epiphany have replaced the Berean method of study for textbookism, which is also “spurning” the counsel of the Most High. During the Age this has led to the erection of autocratic systems in some sects, and in loose and irresponsible conduct in others. Most of these perversions have been traceable directly to the crown‑losers, who often have been held in higher esteem by the general public than their Little Flock brethren. John Calvin, for instance, is considered to be one of the sharpest intellects of the entire Age, and he readily attracted a following – so much so that he persuaded his supporters to burn Little Flock member Miletus Servetus at the stake because he could not meet the truth that Servetus presented.

Here in the end of the Age, when we have arrived at the time when “He maketh manifest,” we may definitely conclude that those are of the Great Company who “Rebel against the sayings of God, or spurn the counsel of the Most High.” This is the only way we have of knowing those who “received not the love (the motivating conduct) of the Truth”; but such a conclusion would not be proper for any slight departure, or even some gross departure, from the Truth or God’s arrangements, unless – after the offense is clearly directed to their attention, they then persist therein. This would mean their conduct is not a safe guide for reaching such a conclusion, because we cannot know what degree of Adamic depravity afflicts the individual. It is “God that looketh on the heart.” There are some who believe that Brother Russell was the last saint; thus, by the death of a man they relegate by one broad judgment all others out of the Little Flock. Such a decision is in itself a rebelling, revolutionizing, “against the sayings of God,” because there is no Scriptural support for such a thought.

There was a time, up to about 1910 or 1912, that Brother Russell was firmly convinced that the entire Christ Company would leave the earth by the Fall of 1914. Some one, for reasons unknown to us, once asked him if 1914 came and went, and he was still on earth, would he then conclude that he, too, was of the Great Company. To this he answered an emphatic, No! It was the same with the Epiphany Messenger, who thought all the saints would be glorified by the end of 1956. If some one had asked him if he would think he was of the Great Company if he were still living after 1956, his answer also would have been an emphatic, No!

But to those who have actually fallen from the Little Flock, and have been delivered to the ‘fit man’ for buffeting experiences in the wilderness of adversity, verse 12 tells us “He brought down their heart with labor” until “they made outcry to Yahveh in their peril”; after which “He brought them out of darkness (erroneous and sinful ways) and death‑shade, and their fetters He tare off.” This means identically the same thing – although stated in slightly different fashion – as Rev. 7:14: “These are those coming out of the great affliction, and they washed their robes, and whitened them in the blood of the Lamb.” “That Lamb which is in the midst of the throne will tend them (after bringing down their heart with labor), and will lead them to fountains of waters (clear unadulterated Truth) of life; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:17, Dia.) “The bars of iron (enslaving erroneous practices) He hewed asunder.” (Psa. 107:16)

THE JEWS

Psalms 107:17‑22 – “The perverse by reason of their transgression, and on account of their iniquities are afflicted.” The “transgression” for which the Jews have been afflicted is their treatment of the Messiah, when “He came to His own, but His own received Him not.” The “iniquities” are their many violations of the Mosaic Law, which they repeatedly did against one another and against the prophets that Yahveh sent them. “But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears... Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in His spirit by the former prophets: Therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts.” (Zech. 7:11,12) For 1845 years the Jews had enjoyed the special blessings from Yahveh. “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.”

The land of Canaan, which the Lord had given them, was a goodly land, with an excellent climate – a place in which it was easy to live. Their abuses of their blessings reached a climax when they rejected the Lord of Glory; and He pronounced upon them the penalty: “Your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Matt; 23:38.39) That day their religious house was left to them desolate; then began the fulfillment of the prophecy, “Even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee.” (Zech. 9:12) The word ‘double’ is from the Hebrew ‘mishneh,’ which means repetition, that is, they would receive a repetition of disfavor for the same length of time they had received the favor – namely, 1845 years. And so completely was this carried out that, after the capture of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 AD., the entire Jewish religious ritual of the Aaronic priesthood was so completely demolished – desolated – that the Tribe of Levi was lost in the dispersion. This prevents them from now having a high priest; and any attempt to carry on as did Aaron and his successors is now an empty performance.

“All manner of food their soul abhorreth, and so they draw near unto the gates of death.” (v. 18) The scourgings they have received during their “double” in this Gospel Age have indeed been horrible – enough to take away their appetites, and bring them to the brink of the grave. During their stay in Palestine they had been very much an agricultural people; but that was no longer practical for them, because they were often forced to flee to another city or country, and they could not take their farms with them. Consequently, they were forced into becoming businessmen, and to keep their assets as liquid as possible – to be carried with them if they were forced to leave on short notice. On numerous occasions, during their dispersion, they employed all the ingenuity at their disposal to regain the land of their fathers. They attempted to buy it; they attempted to regain it by force; they used all the tricks of diplomacy; but to no avail. The sentence of ‘desolation’ against them by Jesus was not lightly spoken; they were to learn by the bitter dregs of experience that “the word that goeth forth out of My mouth shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please.” (Isa. 55:11)

The sentence of desolation was pronounced upon them in the year 33 AD.; and, if they were to have 1845 years of disfavor – a double of their time of favor – it would bring us to the year 1878, at which time the Berlin Congress of Nations decreed for them certain rights in Palestine, which were the opening wedge in their efforts to regain their homeland, Since that time they have been in what the Bible terms “Jacob’s trouble,” “That day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it... and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him.” (Jer. 30:7, 8)

The trouble is to have two phases, the first part a rather mild experience. “I will send for many fishers, and they shall fish them” – offer enticing bait to bring them back to Palestine; then “will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them... they are not hid from My face, neither is their iniquity (the violations of the Mosaic Law) hid from Mine eyes. First will I recompense their iniquity and their sin double,” (Jer. 16:16‑18) There was good evidence of rapacious hunters in Germany during the last great war; and those atrocities tended to sharpen the desire of Jews everywhere to once more have a land of their own – which was eventually realized in 1948.

Although they are now established as a nation, they are yet to experience the second phase of “Jacob’s Trouble,” the same being contained in the prophecy of Zech. 14:1‑3: “The day of Yahweh... I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall Yahveh go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.” Then will be fulfilled the words of Psa. 107:19: “Then make they outcry to Yahveh in their peril, and out of their distresses He saved them. He sendeth His word (the truth about their Scriptural past, present and future), and healeth them, and delivereth them from their graves.” After that, “they shall look upon Him whom they have pierced” – they will then “give thanks to Yahveh for His loving kindness” – they will “sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and recount His works with a shout.” (v.22)

THE WORLD

The world of mankind during and at the end of the great tribulation – (Psa. 107: 23‑32: “Men who go down to the sea in ships, doing business through mighty waters.” All know that the Capitalistic system has been the dominating economic force during this “present evil world” – doing business through mighty waters. But, “Yahveh speaketh, and there ariseth a tempestuous wind (the world war in 1414, “The wind” of Rev. 7:1), which lifteth on high its rolling waves; They mount the heavens; They descend the roaring deeps (vs. 25‑26), their soul by trouble dissolveth.” On the literal ocean it is wind that produces roaring waves, which roll high, thus making huge deep clefts in between them. This is indeed a vivid illustration of what the symbolic wind (the World War) did in 1914. Although the United States was not involved then, the New York stock market received such a jolt that it was closed for three months after August 1, 1914. That trouble did truly dissolve the souls of the market traders, who had no way to buy or sell on that Exchange.

The World War in 1914 was the greatest calamity in history up to that time; but the “rolling waves” have continued to make “roaring deeps” – each “deep” being lower and more severe than the previous ones. When the market smash came in 1929, it brought on the depression of 1930‑32; and the “roaring deep” of those years probably caused more distress than did the years 1914‑1918, because it was wider in scope, and brought distress upon more people – although probably not as many deaths as did the war.

Came next the “rolling waves and the roaring deep” of 1939‑1945, which was a much deeper calamity than the 1914‑1918 or the 1930‑1932 distresses. The waves rolled higher, and the clefts were much deeper than any previous episode. One man from England, who had been there during 1914‑1918, and who still had relatives in that country, told us at the outbreak of the conflict in 1939 that he felt like lying down in the gutter and weeping. When the German army overran Belgium in 1940 they defeated an opposing army of two million men – described by writers at that time as the most destructive battle in all history – the roaring waves, caused by the tempestuous wind, rolled higher and deeper than ever before.

Just ahead is the next “rolling waves and the roaring deep” – Armageddon, which will prove even more severe than any of the previous happenings since 1914; and this will shortly be followed by Anarchy, which will be worst of all, ending in Jacob’s Trouble, and the destruction of all existing institutions. As previously written, we witnessed the riot in Detroit in 1967, with the immense destruction it produced; and we made comment then that once Armageddon topples over these present governments, it will not be very long until Anarchy will follow, because it will not be possible to assemble any sort of sound order from that wreckage. Detroit is not yet even substantially recovered from that debacle, although they have had the help of the Government and other communities, which they will not have in Armageddon.

At that time “make they outcry to Yahveh in their peril, and out of their distresses He bringeth them forth.” For, “He calmeth the storm to a whisper, and silent are their rolling waves” – after the great tribulation has accomplished to the full the dissolution of present elements. Then, “Let them extol Yahveh in the convocation of the people, and in the seated company of elders let them praise Him.” (v. 32) The word ‘elders’ in this text is from the Hebrew ‘zaqen,’ which is the same word that is translated ‘old men’ in Joel 2:28. Thus, the “company of elders” here means the Ancient Worthies who will be sending forth the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem – after the tribulation be passed. (See Isa. 2:3) The World will then have learned through excruciating experience what they could not learn by instruction.

MILLENNIAL CONDITIONS – AND PEOPLE

Psalms 107:33‑38 – When the benign Kingdom reign is established “Yahveh turned rivers into desert, and springs of water into thirsty ground” – “the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.” (Isa. 35:1) This section of Psalm 107 is in exact keeping with the 35th Chapter of Isaiah, a beautiful companion text for this Psalm. “Thus hath Yahvey blessed the people, and they have multiplied greatly (as one generation after another returns from the tomb the total population will amount to something around thirty to fifty billion – “multiplied greatly” by present standards)” – and their labors will be greatly blessed – “Their cattle He maketh not a few.”

The Little Season – Vs. 39‑42: “Yahveh poureth contempt upon nobles, and causeth them to wander in a pathless waste” – typed by Pharaoh and his armies engulfed in the pathless waste of the Red Sea – the “goats’ of the parable in Matt. 25: 31‑46. “But Yahveh hath set the needy on high from affliction, and made families like a flock.” (v. 41) Here the “sheep” of the parable are described; they will be “set on high from affliction” – typed by the Jews passing through the Red Sea on dry land, and eventually to the opposite shore in full safety. “The upright (sheep) seeth and is glad” (v. 42 – typed so markedly in Ex. 15:20, 21: “Miriam, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to Yahveh, for He hath triumphed gloriously; and the horse and his rider (the ‘nobles’ of v. 40) hath He thrown into the sea” – into the Second Death at the full end of the Little Season. The world of mankind will be under the ‘‘resurrection by judgment” – krisis, or trial time – (John 5:28,29) all during the Mediatorial reign; but the real and final test that will make clear separation between the sheep and the goats will not occur until the Little Season has come to a complete end. All Restitutionists will enter the Little Season with perfect minds and bodies, but all will not have perfect heart condition – perfect characters. Those goats who don’t have perfect hearts will not be able to stand the tests of the Little Season.

“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power,” (1  Cor. 15:24) And this will be the “restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world Began,” (Acts 3:21) Not until then – the end of the Little Season – can this “restitution of all things” be accomplished.

It is only then that the Restitutionists will be made kings, as was Adam in the Garden of Eden. “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psa. 107:31) That Servant expresses it beautifully in Reprint 5636, Feb. 15, 1915:

“God created Father Adam the king of earth. Had he remained loyal to his God, he would have retained not only his life and health and happiness, but also his kingly authority over the beasts, the fish and the fowl – ruling them with telepathic powers. The breaking of the covenant with God by Adam not only brought death and separation from God, but impaired his ruling powers as respects the lower creatures. The redemption accomplished by the death of Jesus is eventually to reach every member of Adam’s race, and not merely will be applicable to their restoration to human perfection of mind and body, but will include a restoration of kingly powers.

“Surely the Divine program for humanity is beautiful, simple, and sublimely grand! As the Bible declares, it will be ‘the desire of all nations.’ Those whose eyes and ears of understanding are open to appreciate this message of the Bible have much advantage in every way over the average man at the present time. ‘Who is wise? then let him observe these things.’ (Psa. 107:43). This knowledge is very assistful to them as they come to realize that the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon them is with a view to preparing them to be the royal priesthood of the future and, with Jesus to bring to mankind the blessings of Jehovah, lost by sin, redeemed at Calvary.”

“The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness of Yahveh.” (Psa. 107:43) “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly” wait for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lam. 3:26)

========================

LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother Hoefle: Welcome to you all!

And I hurry to put things straight. When I received the latest numbers – the Truth of the matter concerning Campers Epiphany Consecrated, it “struck me fair and square.” Please understand me when I say that there is order in your explanation of the Youthful Worthies only being consecrated up to Restitution. I am glad that Jehovah has allowed me to persevere along this line, as it is so very important not to presume over the Epiphany Messenger’s thorough explanation re the Camp. So “breathe easy,” John, but also pray that I continue taking hold of real “Present Truth,” for what ability I am allowed.

Please send me some of the various tracts, each – especially the “Two Salvations” in large number – also Nos. 108, 255, 130.

Do you have the Improved Version of the Bible for purchase, as in No. 130 mention is made of it? I agree with the view that Christ rules until all enemies are put under His feet. Satan is surely “The enemy of enemies” (6:319), even as death is an enemy. The Second Death covers all enemies, death and hades included. Nobody attains life until all death is gone, even as Christ attained immortality by His faith, and those of like faith, before Restitutionists, as in God’s Plan before the world began. (E8:218‑19)

“Satan” was never given life before his fall.

Send the three following names your papers: .......

I am concerned about Jolly’s magazines as to what happened between you and him, Can you supply your own details, as it is fair? Love to you all, ------- (AUSTRALIA)

………….............……….

Dear Brother and Sister Hoefle:

What a Beautiful morning! Especially so following days of rain which has caused flooding and evacuations in various parts of the State. This situation brought in various memories of the 1913 flood, and pictures of Dayton, Ohio which, of course reminded us of Brother Hoefle, an experience he will never forget. The dams that were then built have really protected that area well. Of course, our area is only 16 miles from the highest point in Ohio – just east of Bellefontaine, so we had no worries except that harsh rains washed away the top soil. ....So we are not planting corn this year, which reminds me of the programs of the Israelites giving the land a rest.

It is so interesting to watch each day as prophecy develops – wars, disasters, earthquakes, etc., coming it seems more rapidly. I heard yesterday on the radio, there are 41 wars going on right now.

We are anxiously awaiting for news of war equipment being made into pruning hooks and plowshares.

Many thanks for the good articles you send us. Every one is priceless in the messages they contain.

With very best for your health and Christian love, ------- (OHIO)

NO. 337: TAKE, MY BRETHREN, THE PROPHETS - PART FIVE

No. 337

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

In four previous papers we have offered analysis of the MAJOR PROPHETS: and we shall now consider the twelve Minor Prophets, the first of which is:

Hoseah – However, before commentating on any individual among them, we shall offer some thoughts from a qualified writer concerning all the prophets:

The Hebrew word for prophet, nabi, means “one who announces or brings a message from God.” Our word prophet has essentially the same meaning – one who speaks by divine inspiration as the interpreter or spokesman of God. In Eph. 4:11 it is written: “He gave some apostles (who wrote by inspiration and plenipotentiary powers in the early Church, a privilege not accorded to any other members of the Christian Church), some prophets,” etc. These prophets stood in rank second to the Apostles who were specially enlightened to explain what had already been written by inspiration – men such as John Wesley, Thomas Cranmer, William Miller, Charles Russell, and some forty‑five others. None of these wrote or spoke by inspiration, thus they all made mistakes, yet they were the special mouthpieces of the Lord for the day in which they lived; and quite a few of them received from their fellow men the same brutal treatment that had been accorded to the Old Testament prophets; and they stand high in the development of the Gospel Age Christian Church. Their messages were of duty and warning, or a prediction of future events based upon the truly inspired contents of the Old and New Testaments.

The Jewish prophets were raised up from the people – as were also the prophets of the Gospel Age – many of them men of low degree, but of fine intellectual qualities. What Jesus said of the entire Christian Church would be markedly true of them: “Ye are the salt of the earth... Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” (Matt. 5:13, 14) And it may be noted here that those countries that contained the best of these people – and especially so of the “prophets” are now the most enlightened among the nations. “The entrance of thy word giveth light. It giveth understanding to the simple.” (Psa. 119:130)

The prophets were called by God for some particular purpose or need, as the Judges were called up for special crises. They were not a class or a guild, inheriting the office. Prophecy was not an institution like the priesthood, and monarchy, but each one had a personal call to his work. This is true of most of the great men who have influenced the world’s history.

The Work Of The Prophets: The prophets were the moral and religious teachers of their nation, authoritative preachers of righteousness. Statesmen who guided the religious life which lay at the foundation of the nation’s welfare, the counselors of kings, revivalists and reformers who awakened the religious life of the people, forewarners of the certainty of the Divine judgment on sin, proclaimers of the Divine ideals, the golden age toward which the nation was to move.

“The prophet was not only the bearer, he was the embodiment of the idea of the theocracy. This idea, which is that of the communion of the living God with mankind, was realized in him, and through him in Israel. Though he could be distinguished from Israel, he was in truth Israel at its highest” – (Hastings Bible Dictionary)

The Methods Of The Prophets – The prophets received their message in various ways: by visions, dreams, “thought images,” angels, and direct action of God upon the mind, inspiring them (“holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” – 2 Pet, 1:21), and revealing to them the needed truths. It is probable the mind of the prophet was not passive but intensely active during the revelation. The assurance on the part of the prophets that they were messengers of God, and were speaking His truth, gave power to their words. They spoke with authority.

Schools Of The Prophets – Samuel planned and set up an institution, so to call it, that has made far more mark on the world than anything else that survives to us out of Israel or Greece or Rome. In his ripe and far‑seeing years Samuel devised and founded and presided over a great prophetical school in his old age; an estate of learned and earnest‑minded men, who were to watch over the religion and the morals of the people, in the prophetical spirit and in the prophetical name. And thus it came about that at Naioth in Ramah the first school of the prophets was set up.

THE TWELVE MINOR PROPHETS

No. 1 – Hosea – This prophet is considered first because the Bible Index places him first. Just why is not clear to us; but it may be because he immediately follows Daniel, the last of the four Major Prophets. The Bible comment says this about him: “A native of the Northern Kingdom where he prophesied under Jeroboam II and succeeding kings. He was a younger contemporary of Amos, whose book he seems to have known. He warned Israel of their infidelity towards God, rebuked them for their sins, and threatened them with punishment if they would not renounce their evil ways.”

The sentiment of all twelve of the Minors is pretty well summarized by the Prophet Zechariah (7:11, 12): “They refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears... Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: Therefore, came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.”

Follows now some comment from another writer: “Hosea’s prophecy came in very evil times, when luxury and vice, oppression, drunkenness and every law of God was habitually broken. Just before him Amos had tried to stem the tide. His message was one of denunciation of sin, of ‘Woe unto you,’ of punishment, of warning. It was of Divine justice. He enforced his message by pointing out the disasters that had come upon the people for their sins, – famine, blasting, locusts, pestilence, war.

“Hosea follows him with a new motive, the mightiest that can be brought to bear upon the heart of man, – the love of God, the deepest, tenderest, strongest love possible. To Amos’ proposition God is Justice, Hosea adds, ‘God is love.’ Not as if Hosea were any less severe in his judgment of the evils of his people; on the contrary, he shows himself even more deeply affected by them... But God is a kind Father, who punishes his child with a bleeding heart, for its own good, so that afterwards he may enfold it all the more warmly in his arms.”

Probably Part I, chaps. 1‑3, record a prophetic appeal growing out of the prophet’s own experience with a beloved wife, who has been unfaithful to him, as the Israelites had been unfaithful to their God. But Hosea appeals to her, and receives her back into his home, a perfect picture of God’s forgiving love.

From Another Writer: The Book of Hosea stands first among the writings of the Minor Prophets, not because it was thought to be the earliest (for of this there is no proof), but because it follows immediately after Daniel, one of the great major Prophets. It is much more difficult to date exactly the time of Hosea’s activities. General opinion places Amos and Joel prior to Hosea; and they should be very carefully compared with Hosea:

Hosea is indeed throughout enigmatical and obscure compared with Amos, partly from the peculiarities of his style, partly from the want of such illustrative details as those with which we have been supplied by Amos (Amos 7:10‑17). The prophet’s name is one specially characteristic of Northern Israel; it was borne by the last king of the Ten Tribes (2 Kg 15:30), and also originally by Joshua (Num. 13:8, 16). True, the prophet appears in Authorized Versions as Hosea, but there is no difference between the names of the three persons in the Hebrew. St. Jerome bears witness that even in his time there was no distinction between the letters Sin and Shin. (We merely mention this detail to show our readers the intricate difficulties under which some of the Bible’s commentators had to work). That Hosea was a native of the Northern Kingdom needs no proof to any one who has studied his book; but we have taken some pains to prove his Israelitish origin, because it is this which gives his book such a high historical importance. There is very much to interest us in that northern people of which we have for the most part such fragmentary and indirect notices.

Here we believe it is opportune to recite some of the tradition which is quite rampant in England and here in America. The Northern Kingdom (Israel) was carried captive into Babylon in 739 BC by Shalmanezer – 133 years before Judah came to the same fate. But, whereas Judah clearly maintained its identity while in Babylon, and after its return to Palestine in 536 BC, the ten tribes became “lost.” There is no reliable historical record that tells us what became of them. Some contend they became the North American Indians, having crossed the bearing strait into Alaska, and down the western coast of the United States and South America. Others believe they migrated west and into England, and were the ancestors of the English people. They use the words of Jesus in Matt. 10:5, 6: “Go not in the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.” These people contend that the word British comes from two Hebrew words ‑ Brith and Ish ‑ which mean “chosen man,” and that the English people have indeed been the chosen of God over the years. Before the 1914 war there is no argument that London was the financial center of the world. Any one who wanted money went to London to get it – the British Navy controlled the sea, and “England’s sun never sets.”

However, this conclusion withers under careful analysis: England was not generally known to the Western European world until 55 BC, when Julius Caesar invaded it with his Roman army. And, if Jesus told His disciples to go there, none of them ever did it – a very unlikely thing if Jesus had told them specifically to go there. In fact, there was no Christian Church established in England until about 500 years AD.

Further about Hosea: As Stanley has said, he was the Jeremiah of Israel; no wonder therefore that he met Jeremiah’s fate of opposition and contempt. Therefore, he was the prophet of the decline and fall of Israel; so much indeed is clear from a glance at his book. He received Divine revelations in the days of Uzziah, Jothan, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. The natural inference would be that these two historical periods synchronized. But if anything is certain in Biblical history, it is that Jeroboam II, of Israel, died before his contemporary Uzziah or Azariah of Judah.

Many of the illustrative details that we have in the case of Amos are lacking in the life of Hosea. We have no information as to his outward circumstances, or as to his intercourse with the various classes in the state. But we do know a series of domestic events which Hosea himself viewed as interpretative of God’s purposes for him, and as conveying to him a clearly defined mission. The prophet himself has lifted the veil from his home life, and the sad story is briefly this. In the reign of Jeroboah II, when the nation was already on the down‑hill road to moral ruin, Hosea married a wife named Gomer – because God had told him to do so, which in a sense puts him in a class of all the faithful Old Testament prophets. They all did what God told them to do – even though it seemed to them repulsive at the time. He hoped the best of her, and there is no reason to think otherwise; but she proved unworthy of his trust. Whether her profligacy showed itself in simple adultery, or in her following the licentious rites of the consort of the Canaanitish Baal (Asherah), we do not know.

But we inject here the opinion of another writer: “The two sins of idolatry and sensual license were closely intertwined. It would be hardly too much to say that every harlot in Israel was probably a votary of the goddess. Ashera was, as most think, the name of a Canaanitish goddess, though some scholars prefer to regard the word as a noun meaning ‘pole,’ the sacred tree being represented by a pole on or near the altar. In any case the goddess had such an artificial tree or symbol of a tree erected near her altar. Those who take Asherah to be the name of a goddess refer to the Assysian ‘asir,’ whence also probably the name Asher came (a Divine name, like God). They also quote passages in which an image of Asherah is spoken of (1 Kgs. 15:13), and others in which vessels and tents for the Asherahare mentioned in 2 Kgs. 23:14; also the famous phrase in 1 Kgs. 18:19, the prophets of Baal and the prophets of the Asherah. This is quite consistent with the occasional use of the word for the material symbol of the goddess. It is right to add that Hosea does not mention Asherah by name; he only alludes to the worship of her (Hos. 4:13). But Amos does not mention either Asherah or Baal.”

But such was Hosea’s love for his wife, and such perhaps his hope of reclaiming her, that he took no legal steps against her, and acknowledged her three children for his own. At last, however, Gomer fled away to her paramour, but even Hosea’s love followed her. He found her, it would seem, already despised and shamed; perhaps her paramour had grown weary of her, and brutally sold her for a slave. At any rate, Hosea had to buy her back for the price of a slave.

Such is the story told us in the first and third chapters. There is no attempt to soften the coloring by half tints; ‘rough fresco‑strokes’ to adopt Ewald’s phrase, seemed perhaps more effective. Besides, it would have led some to accuse Hosea of egotism, a fault from which a prophetic writer must be conspicuously free, if he had lavished his artistic power on his own tragic history.

Hosea’s poetic imagination was marked by spontaneity and originality. At a later period of Hebrew literature, a fictitious narrative of this kind might be conceivable, but not in the still youthful bloom of lyric poetry – especially in the case of so fresh and original a poet as Hosea. Says one writer: “There is no ground to justify our taking as a parable what Holy Scripture relates as a fact. There must be some plausible ground for it, or the opinion would not have commended itself to the majority of modern commentators. It is not all a necessary inference from the inspiration of the Scriptures that the events described by Hosea should be historical; it is rather an intuition which comes of itself to the unbiased reader who has any poetic insight. The only plausible argument on the other side is that Hosea “seems” when understood literally, to confess to an act which offends our moral consciousness. But Hosea really meant this, he could have said at once that the bride of his choice had been ‘a harlot.’ He simply says that she was a woman of whoredom, which according to Hebrew idiom, need only mean a woman of an unchaste disposition; we must suppose that he afterwards found out Gomer to be a woman of the character described. (See 1:2)

“Indeed, we must conclude that Hosea, after selecting, as he had thought, a bride like the Shulamite of his favorite poem, discovered to his unutterable grief that instead of ‘A lily of the valley, he had unawares enfolded in his arms a lily torn and trampled in the mire.”’

Hosea was jolted by the grim experience with Gomer what he was to record of Israel – that so many of the women were devotees of Asherah, while the men fell captive to the wiles of Baal; and the prophet is cut to the quick by this tragic apostasy; he spares no detail of the abominations that are committed. With a kind of grieved surprise he puts before the people the inevitable punishment; but when he realizes the awful nature of the doom, he melts with pity, and recalls the woe (Chapters 13 & 14). His feelings are those which are natural to a pure‑minded worshiper of Jehovah, trained in the high thoughts of prophetic religion, as an inner voice assures him that his own experience with Gomer offers intimate comparison to the feelings of Jehovah with Israel. God had indeed prepared the prophet to think in unison with Himself concerning His experiences with Israel. Undoubtedly – for that particular time – a more fit person than Hosea could not be found to be Israel’s prophet in the gathering storm. Knowing God’s secret, he could be faithful to Him without being untrue to Israel. Next to God, he loves his country and his wife with a clinging, inextinguishable love. But the Prophet is ever mindful of his intimate relationship to God; and that both the people of Israel, and each individual Israelite, are before everything else ideally God’s children. Therefore, if we cannot strictly call him a ‘patriot,’ we may freely say that he has something higher even than patriotism – an enthusiasm for ‘the pearl of great price’ – the Divine sonship of Israel.

Summary ‑ The gist of his ministry may be summed up tersely thus: Immorality of the northern kingdom; sinfulness of the idolatrous fusion of Jehovah with Baal; sinfulness of Israel’s foreign policy; sinfulness of the separate kingdom of Israel; the conception of love as the bond between God and Israel, and between the individual Israelites. To clarify all of this is no easy task, Hosea probably being more unsystematic than any other prophet. Like Jeremiah, a large part of his book contains lamentations over the general immorality of the Israelites, which seems to have been more glaring than that which prevailed at any time in Judah. Thus, iniquity came to an end in the northern kingdom 133 years before Judah also was removed from the land ‘flowing with milk and honey.’ The northern kingdom was much more intimate with Canaanites than were those of Judah. Israel had received greater infusion of Arab blood.

Here we may profitably consider somewhat the “Arab”: They are the descendants of Ishmael; and Ishmael and Isaac were half brothers, both having Abraham as their father. Because of the friction that arose in their boyhood, Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael (her son) away from his house; and the enmity that had developed between the two Boys has continued unto this day. It is now preeminently evident in the events in Lebanon. However, Gen. 25:5 tells us “Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.” Ishmael is not even mentioned in Abraham’s estate; and the years have vividly revealed Abraham’s good judgment in that affair. Surely, there can be no argument but that the children of Isaac are a vastly superior race to the children of Ishmael. The Arabs have continued upon that pile of sand for 2,000 years, but did nothing to improve their condition until the U.S. financiers came there and developed their present wealth of oil. However, in the short time since 1948 the children of Isaac have made tremendous improvement in the general uplift of many angles; now the Arabs want it.

While Hosea is very profuse in his condemnation of Israel, he does not completely overlook Judah. They were traveling in the same direction Israel had trod, but had not yet reached that same degree of degradation. However, he does register some strong complaints against Judah – complaints which emanate from a loving heart. Thus, Hosea, like most of the other prophets, is a preacher of morality. His ideals are pointedly expressed in v 6:6: “I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” Hosea emphasized it was the duty of the priests to teach a morality based upon pure religion, but they promoted a worship which tended to promote immorality; and this same doctrine was stressed by some of the other prophets. Their teachings tended to spread iniquity because the consequent sin offerings brought financial gain to them. (See v 5:1) At times they even took the lead in disobedience to the Law – “make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.” (7:3) How similar is this to the charge of Jeremiah 5:31: “The prophets prophecy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so; and what will ye do in the end thereof?” Jeremiah and Hosea both saw with painful certainty that destruction lay immediately ahead for the nation, as their protests were falling upon deaf ears’

Clearly enough, the prophet was telling Israel that they and he were following two different versions of Jehovah God. Israel had by that time degraded Jehovah to the level of the iniquitous Baal. It is well to emphasize here that all the gods of the heathen that were immoral were also cruel gods. Thus the heathen of Canaan made their children to pass through fire to Moloch ‑ a clear violation of Lev. 20:2: “Whosoever he be of the children of Israel... that giveth any of his seed to Moloch, he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.” The great military success of the Assyrians – who worshiped the heathen gods – prompted the Jews to distrust their God. And this corrupt religious diversion brought rapid national decline. Hosea could see it, and he emphatically condemned it, which brought upon him the wrath of his own countrymen. But the prophet was adamant that the pure religion of Jehovah God was the safeguard of national existence. There could be no compromise between Jehovah and Baal; and he used all his persuasive power to have Israel see this, but to no avail. He emphasizes a harvest of retribution!

But in all this, Hosea stresses that ‘love’ is the highest attribute of God; and men, from love to Him keep all His commandments, because God first loved man, and that man in like manner should love his fellowman. Thus, a true Israelite would love both his brother Israelites as well as God – of his own accord – just as Jehovah of His own accord loved Israel. Thus, St. Paul exclaims, “Jacob (Israel) have I loved.” It is this primal love that permeates Hosea’s prophecies, and his highest aim is to impress this upon all Israel. Israel should love God, not as a morning cloud which passes rapidly away, but must be enduring and from the heart. But he states that God would not punish the entire nation for the sins of individuals; but, if the nation persists in forsaking His law, then the nation must pass through a hurricane of cleansing judgment.

God Himself only knows the love of God, and Hosea’s declaration of it simply reveals the truthful condition of the Divine heart. This love has a threefold application: God to man; man to God; and man to his neighbor. And – we should love God because God loves us! We recall here that when the Jews left Egypt, they were told specifically that when they came into the “land of milk and honey,” they should not forget that they were once slaves in Egypt, and should refrain from imposing such servitude upon other men. Thus the giver and the receiver are united by a bond of moral obligation; and the idea of a covenant or contract is implied.

The prophet was well alerted to the moral bond that existed between Jehovah and Israel – a bond vividly comparable to the bond between husband and wife, or of a father to a son – although Jehovah is God and not man, a personality free from all earthly taint. And sharp criticism against Israel is stressed in ch. 4:1,2: “Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.” This criticism becomes sharper with each chapter of his book; and he stresses the fact that Jehovah’s love to Israel (beloved for the fathers’ sakes – Rom. 11:28) – keen as it is – yet has a moral foundation. David expresses this well to the pious Jews of his time: “those that have made a covenant with me (Jehovah) by sacrifice.” (Psa. 50:5)

As we read the expressions of this “holy man of God,” we may easily pass over the thought that we owe a precious truth to Hosea, giving us a fresh stage in the slow progress of revelation, and of the rise and fall of the Jewish nation. It had a sublime beginning in the unselfish and magnanimous leadership of Moses and Aaron; and in Hosea’s time had sunk close to the bottom of the dirty barrel; and they left no other prospect of a cure than to deliver them into the hands of the heathen Assyrians. As Isaiah so tersely expresses it: “O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.” (Isa. 10:5) And Isaiah’s statement now in our day offers gruesome forecast of the destiny of Christendom’ Yet with all of Hosea’s condemnation he reveals a milder side of the Divine nature not found in other prophetical writings of his time. Other prophets portray Jehovah as king and judge of Israel; Hosea pictures Him as her Husband and her Father. He magnifies the moral attributes of the Almighty.

In comparison with some of the other prophets we may dissect Hosea’s writings somewhat after this manner: He may equal Jeremiah in tenderness, but he is inferior to him in moral depth; no clear conception of a New Covenant (See Jer. 31:31). He does not succeed like Isaiah and Jeremiah in expressing his latent consciousness of the unity of God, although he does say that recovered Israel shall be celled ‘sons of the living God.’ He tells us that the family of David, then shorn of so much of its glory, shall yet stand at the head of a reunited and victorious nation. (See chap. 1:10, which contains a forecast of the future Divine Kingdom which shall eventually prevail on earth.) This will occur, of course, when the One greater than David occupies the throne of His earthly Kingdom. THY KINGDOM COME.

Jesus told His followers to pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” And St. Peter tells us, using much different words: “God will send Christ Jesus... whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution (restoration)... which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets.” (Acts 3:19‑21) Since Hosea was one of the “holy prophets” we should expect to read of such confirmation in his writings, and so we do: “I will sow her (Israel) unto me in the earth (“Thy kingdom come on earth”); and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say Thou art my God.” (Host 2:23)

Also further confirmation from Chapter 13: “l will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.” (v. 14) And from Chapter 14: “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. (v. 4) I will Be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. (v. 5) His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. (v. 6) They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. (v. 7) Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.” (v.9)

We have further confirmation of “the transgressors shall fall therein” by the Apostle Peter in Acts 3:23: “And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear (obey) that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.”

And may our readers all come to a more intimate knowledge of that “Kingdom” through their study of the writings of the Prophet Hosea. “So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I shall please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isa. 55:11)

===========================

QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION: – In Rev. 10:6 there is this statement: “There should be time no longer.” Is this a proper statement, or proper translation?

ANSWER: – No! it is not. As it occurs in the King James version this is certainly a wrong translation – a most ridiculous statement. There will always be time, regardless of what we may think about the continuance of our earth. However, even as respects our earth, it is clearly stated in Eccl. 1:4: “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever.” The Emphatic Diaglott gives the proper translation for the text: “The time shall be no longer delayed.” Verse 7 speaks of the days of the “Seventh Trumpet”; and it refers to the time in which we are living; and part of the message of the Seventh Trumpet is what is stated in verse 6. It has been properly stated in Acts 3:21 that there would be a “restitution of all things,” which has been postponed for such a long time that few people now pay any attention to the words of St. Peter. But verse 6 says we have come to that time in history that the great Plan of the Ages is now to see important parts of it fulfilled, – we have now come to that time in earth’s history that the time should be no longer delayed; the great procession of the Plan is now to be fulfilled.

The book of Revelation is a very complex part of the Bible – so much so that in the early church some members would not accept it as a part of the Bible; it was not capable of explanation. However, we have now come to understand much of it; and there is no question in good scholarly minds that it is a genuine part of Holy Writ, although verse 1, of Chapter 1 says it was given to the Apostle John in sign language “He sent and ‘sign’‑ i ‑ fied by his angel unto his servant John.” When properly read, Rev. 10:6 is a very enlightening statement.

In our discussion of the various prophets we have stressed the overall import of this statement: “The time should be no longer delayed.” While we can recognize the fulfillment of this prophecy in a limited manner now, it will be much more pronounced in the years immediately ahead. Once these present institutions are removed, and the new order is firmly established, it will be in the daily news: “There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Rev. 21:4) Then, as the Apostle John expresses it, “I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. ... Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Rev. 21:2,3) – after the close of the “little season.” (Rev. 20:3)

Here we offer just a few of the prophecies of that time: “His (man’s) flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth.” (Job 33:25) “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues: O grave, I will be thy destruction.” (Hosea 13:14) Then, according to the promise to Abraham: “In thee, and thy seed, shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 22:18)

Next we offer 1 Tim. 2:4‑6: “God will have all men to be saved, and come into the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Especially do we stress “in due time.” No prophecy can be fully understood until it has been fulfilled, or in course of fulfillment. And even with Jesus Himself, He told the disciples with some of the last words He spoke to them: ‘‘No one knows concerning that day and hour (when the Kingdom would be established); no, not the angels of the heavens. nor the son, but the Father only.” (Matt. 24:36, Diaglott) But here we should recognize that the Son “in due time” did know “the day and hour,” although He did not know it when speaking to His disciples. As for ourselves, we do not pretend to know the day or the hour; but we do know from certain prophecies, by the chronology, the parallel dispen­sations, and the signs of the times that we have come to that day when “The time shall be no longer delayed.”

Jesus has provided us with a very strong picture of the Kingdom in Luke 20:27‑36: The Sadducees, one of the leading cults of that time, who did not believe in any resurrection, came to Jesus with a hypothetical question concerning a woman who married one of seven brothers. The man died leaving no children. At that time it was the custom for his brother to marry the woman in an effort to carry on the family name. In due course, she married all of the seven men, leaving no children, so the Sadducees asked Him: “In the resurrection whose wife will she be?” And His answer: “Those that attain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, or are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more” (“There shall be no more death.” – Rev. 21:4).

========================

LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother and Sister Hoefle: Grace and peace!

Thank you very much for your telephone call and also for your comforting letter. I enjoyed your letter to Brother ‑‑‑‑-‑‑. I think you answered him with plain Scriptures to cover all points. I just received a letter with more bad news. My daughter whose husband had cancer of the colon a year or so ago, now has kidney trouble due to it – and is suffering something awful... My daughter is 61 now, so it never rains unless is pours, they say.

So keep on praying for us, that I might be able to bear up. Hope you can read my writing. I can think better by hand than to type. Sure hope you both are better now; and may God bless you both.

As always, with much Christian love, Your brother in Him, ------- (MICHIGAN)

NO. 336: NEW AND OLD COVENANTS ISRAELITISH

No. 336

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

While it is our intention herein to treat mainly of the Old (Law) Covenant and the New (Millennial) Covenant, certain explanatory comments will be offered on various features of other covenants.

The Bible covenants are of two kinds – unilateral and bilateral. An example of a unilateral covenant is found in Gen. 9:11: “I will establish my covenant with you (Noah and his sons); neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there be any more a flood to destroy the earth (the present social order).”

The outstanding example of the bilateral covenant is that made with the Jews through Moses. That the Law Covenant is bilateral is indisputably established by Jer. 31;32: “which my covenant they brake.” The Jews had solemnly promised to keep the Law Covenant – “all these things will we do, and live” – but they did not then realize their inability to do “these things” because of their fallen condition. Therefore, the man Christ Jesus is the only one who was able to keep that Law, although some Jews today make very determined effort to keep it. When we were a boy in Dayton, Ohio, our Jewish neighbor had us to light the fire in his stove every Friday night at six o’clock, for which he gave us a penny; but he did not realize that in this very effort to keep the Law, he was breaking it by hiring us to work for him.

That the Law Covenant is typical in many ways of the New Covenant is also readily apparent. “Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet (mediator) shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.” (Acts 3:22) The New Covenant consists of the promises that God and man will make Millennially and post‑Millennially to one another on certain conditions – as is evident from Ezek. 18:1‑24: ‘‘The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel? saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.” (vs. 1‑3) “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” (v.20) These conditional promises will constitute the New Covenant in its narrow sense. God’s two conditional covenants are contracts whose terms bind God and Israel to one another.

As an example of the word Covenant used in the second or wider sense of the word, we mention again the Law Covenant, as consisting not only of the things stated above, but also of the teachings, arrangements, institutions, etc., that were made the basis of the covenant in its narrow sense, and that as such were obligations of the parties to it. (See Ex. 24:3, 7; 34:27, 28; Deut. 4:13; Heb. 9:1‑10; 10:1‑4) In this sense the covenant was forty years in its making (Heb. 8:9; 3:7‑9), its first part being certain (not all) features of the Passover, given before they left Egypt; the Sabbath given before they came to Sinai; the features given at Sinai, where the contract – the covenant in its narrow sense was made: “Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on all the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you.” (Ex. 24:8) It would include also those given after they left Sinai until they were ready to enter Canaan – in addition to numerous ones in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

The teachings, arrangements, institutions, etc. (con­tained especially in the New Testament), whereby God is realizing the oath-bound promises in its Sarah Covenant features to the Christ, are likewise seen to be, with those promises, the Oath‑bound Covenant to the Christ in the second sense of the word. Also all of the arrangements, institutions, teachings, etc., of the millennium will, with the New Covenant promises, be the New Covenant in the wider sense of the word.

As examples of the word Covenant, the widest and third sense of the term, we cite the Mosaic, the Sarah and the New Covenants, whenever they are presented as wives of God (Gal. 4:21‑31; Isa. 54; 60:6 – compare with Gen. 25:1‑5). This requires some explanation: In addition to the conditional promises of the Law Covenant and their pertinent teachings, institutions, arrangements, etc., the covenant in this sense of the word includes every Israelite in his capacity of ministering the covenant teachings, institutions, arrangements, etc., i.e., the covenant provisions, to his fellow Israelites, who, in their capacity of being so ministered unto, are the child or children of the Law Covenant. Let us note well this distinction: It is not so much one of persons as of the pertinent persons. When the Israelites ministered the covenant provisions to one another, they acted as the mother, antitypical Hagar (Gal. 4:24, 25); and when nourished with the Covenant provisions by their brethren, they acted as the child, antitypical Ishmael (Gal. 4:25, 29,30)

OLD COVENANT ‑ NEW COVENANT

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.” (Jer. 31:31) It should be stressed here that this New Covenant is to be made with both the houses of Israel. Prior to the death of Solomon there had been but one house of Israel; but the revolt led by Jeroboam after Solomon’s death divided the nation into two parts – the ten tribes going with Jeroboam, and two (Judah and Benjamin) remaining with Rehoboam. (See 1 Kings 12) They were first called Judahs (the tribe of Benjamin had been so decimated in the atrocity recorded in Judges 20 that they were more or less inconsequential in the new arrangement); then Judes then Jews. The word Jew first occurs in 2 Kings 16:6.

However, the statement in Jer. 31:31 says the covenant will be made with both houses, so this pretty well eliminates any argument about the matter. As most of us know, there has been much argument about those “ten lost tribes”; the Anglo‑Israels claim they are what is now the people on the British Isles. The arguments they produced had quite some surface logic before 1914 – when the center of the world’s money market was London. They also contended that British was from two Hebrew words, brith and ish, which means chosen man; and the London English in 1914 were the “top dogs” in world’s finance and about everything else. That has changed pronouncedly now, and we do not hear very much more about it; in fact, England is now in a deplorable financial condition, having lost most of their foreign possessions.

Whatever happened to the “ten lost tribes” is not of major concern to us now. Inasmuch as we are now almost face to face with the New Covenant, and its Jewish destiny, that should be of chief concern to us – and it is with us! When any one wanted to receive any benefits under the old Law Covenant, they had first to become Jews; and that was typical of the New Covenant, where also all must become Jews if they are blessed by the Mediatorial reign.

The question properly arises, Why are the Jews Gods chosen people? The answer is that the Jewish nation descended from Abraham. And why is Abraham so favored? It is because he stood firm in his faith in the one true God, even as his own father was an idolater, as were also most of his relatives. “Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.” (Josh. 24:2, 3)

It should be stressed here that God never blesses any one that does not believe in Him; but the strength of Abraham’s belief is strongly revealed when he intended to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah, because God had told him to do that. There can be little doubt that Isaac was a most handsome, winsome and intelligent lad – born to Abraham when he was a hundred years old, and Sarah 75 years old. It is little wonder that Sarah laughed openly when the angel told her she was going to have a little boy, thus when he came, she named him Isaac, which means laughter.

And because Abraham hesitated not to offer Isaac at God’s request he was then given what we understand to be the oathbound Covenant: “The angel of the Lord called to Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven (the Gospel‑Age Christ Company), and as the sand which is upon the seashore (the Worthies, and through them the Jewish nation); and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” (Gen. 22:15‑18)

While the Jews as a people went far astray from God during the Jewish Age, Paul tells us in Rom. 11:28, “As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes; but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes,” In the very strict sense of the word, “the fathers” are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Gen. 35:10 says this: “Thy name Israel means, “He will rule as God”; and “he is faithful that promised.” (Heb.10:23)

After the year 70 AD the Jews became a hunted and despised people – people without a country; and they were changed from an agricultural nation to a nation of money people – something they could take with them if things became rough – as they often did. And because of this, many Gentiles concluded that they had lost completely all favor from Cod. Yet during the most severe times they still maintained their racial and religious identity. So far as we know, it was not known by any one before 1874 that the Jews were receiving their “double” – 1845 years of disfavor for their 1845 years of great favor that ended when they crucified Jesus.

During this Age they used all the ingenuity they could muster in an effort to regain Palestine as their homeland, but they always faced failure until the “due time.” In 1878 some returning favor appeared, when a small measure of favor returned to them. More of this appeared in 1918 when the English wrested Jerusalem from the “terrible Turk.” And yet more of it in 1948, when they became established as a nation – although the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church has not yet recognized them as a nation. Since 1948 they have been having their troubles; but we have the strong assurance they will not any more lose their national unity.

THE 1967 WAR

In the year 1967 Egypt declared war on the Jews, which lasted just five days, with great victory for the Jews. Just recently a sister sent us a book, written by a Jewish lady who was there then, and we shall quote parts of that book, with some comments of our own, and perhaps some paraphrasing, the general tone of which is somewhat after the form of a diary:

“All through the month of May 1967, the storm clouds darkened on the horizon. Egypt was massing troops on the border and building up a formidable military force ready for attack, Israel was preparing to defend herself. Each day the situation became more serious. All our able‑bodied men were being called up. The roads were filled with military vehicles carrying soldiers and equipment. Many more soldiers were being posted in Mount Zion and every corner was inspected as plans for its defense went ahead. It was dangerous to linger near the border at night …..           War was threatening our be­loved land.

War was poking its ugly finger into every home and opening its grasping hand. “Thursday, June 1: The month began with a great movement of people; citizens of other nations who had been advised to leave and Israelis abroad who were hurrying to return. The rabbi in the States came to say good‑bye .... ‘The situation is very serious,’ he said. ‘It seems that war is inevitable.’ He was very depressed. ‘And when all the Arab countries around us come against us intending to destroy us completely, what chance have we got?’ ‘I also believe that war is on our doorstep,’ I said, ‘but I would ask what chance the Arabs have when they come to fight against Israel?’

“‘But look at their strength and their numbers, and we are surrounded by them.’ ‘Do you think,’ I broke in, ‘that we’re been brought back to our land after nearly two thousand years of dispersion, only to be destroyed by our neighbors? I cannot believe that God gave us a State of Israel for that purpose.’ ‘O agree with him,’ I said. ‘You know what befalls the enemies of Israel who attempt to foil the plan of God’ ....

“As he was about to leave, a commander and some of his men came to tell us that we should prepare to be evacuated from Mount Zion at once, ‘You can’t possibly remain in this house exposed to the enemy on nearly all sides. Look down at those Arab soldiers right now.’ ‘We do not want to leave Mount Zion,’ I said. ‘But you’ve no protection here and the enemy is only a few yards away. Go to the city, where there are shelters.’ Albert said quietly, ‘We have the best protection and the best shelter.’ ‘Where?’ asked the commander in surprise. Albert looked upwards ‘Above us,’ he replied. ‘The Almighty can protect us here just as well as in the city.’

Sabbath eve, June 2: ‘Again we have to face our enemies. When will they leave us in peace?’ He answered cheerfully, ‘Next Friday we’ll all be at the Wailing Wall.’

“Monday, June 5: Suddenly the noise of machine‑gun shells and rifle fire rent the air. Bullets were flying in all directions and as they hit the walls I knew that I must leave everything and make a dash for the gallery. Remembering a pot of potatoes cooking on the stove I ran upstairs to turn off the gas, trying to avoid the windows .....

“The noise was deafening and continuous. It sounded as if every Bullet hit the wall of the gallery and every explosion was outside our door. The play of sound was very misleading ... Half an hour passed and the ring of the telephone could scarcely be heard above the din of the Battle. With great relief I heard Albert’s voice on the line .... There was no lull in the fighting that whole day. Shots were being fired from above the gallery and from all the posts around us. Also the bullets and shells were coming from the other side of Mount Zion. It was a great battle. Jerusalem – City of Peace – heralding by its name its ultimate destiny, was once again being lashed by the enemies of peace ....

“We tried to sleep that night but it was impossible. The battle for Jerusalem raged all night with unabated fury. Added to the deafening noise of shells and bullets was the roar of war planes flying over Mount Zion in waves with such speed and power, scooping up every other sound in their path and then casting it all back to earth with such a thunderous roar that it seemed as if our ears would be shattered. We listened to all the firing on Mount Zion, not knowing which was from our side and which from the Arabs, and because every shot and explosion always sounded as if was destined for our wall, I imagined that little would be left of our house. Perhaps it had already been reduced to greater ruin than when we first saw it......

“There was fierce fighting to the right of us, on the hill of Abu Tor, also on Mount Scopus and in the Mea Shearim quarter. Then we heard that four hundred Egyptian planes had been destroyed. We looked at one another. ‘That is surely impossible,’ someone remarked. ‘They must have made a mistake in the announcement. Perhaps they meant forty.’ But there had been no mistake in the announcement.

“During the night we had to brave the bullets and flying shrapnel and go upstairs. The toilet was situated on the open roof, next to the room where our soldiers were shooting from behind sand‑bagged windows. On this open roof, the whizzing of shells and bullets and the noise of their hitting the stones seemed so unreal that we did not fully comprehend the danger in which we stood. A great blaze in front of the Church lit up the whole area. Then, suddenly, the dome of the Church went up in flames ,...

“Tuesday June 6: A day we shall never forget. All day, without a stop, Bullets and shells were flying and exploding. Always the noise seemed to be just outside the gallery ... Israeli forces were occupying so many places, making such rapid progress, it was hard to believe ... A broadcast came over in Arabic, which one of our men understood. When it was finished he said simply: King Hussein giving orders to his soldiers: ‘Kill every Jew you encounter, kill them with your guns, your hands, your feet, your teeth – only kill them.’ We made some coffee for him and he told us our progress had been amazing. The Arab military post opposite us had been conquered and also other surrounding Jordanian posts; only one of our men had been slightly wounded and the others were perfectly all right.

“‘I have had some strange experiences today,’ he said quietly; ‘every bullet we fired struck its target. Whatever we did succeeded. We were amazed to see how quickly the Arabs evacuated their posts.’... I cannot believe the things I did today. It was as though some one else was commanding.’ Then he returned to his men upstairs... They bent their helmeted heads low as they felt their way along the walls on their way back, That day had changed them from carefree boys to responsible men – defenders of Mount Zion.

“Wednesday June 7: I rushed upstairs. Everything was covered with a thick layer of dust which had fallen from the ceiling with every explosion, but I could not see any damage, not even a broken window. I was astonished. Where had all the bullets and shells landed during those two days of constant battle? It was really a miracle. Mount Zion seems to have been specially protected. I remembered the Commander’s words ‘It was as though someone else was commanding.’ ......

“The shooting started again. There was hard fighting in the street and blood flowed in the narrow alleyways of the Old City. A high price was being paid in human lives and suffering in order to break down the walls of hatred and division. There are moments on the road of destiny which inspire fanciful thoughts, perhaps even prophetic thoughts. I looked into the future, the promised future, when the State of Israel would become the Kingdom of Israel, the Kingdom of peace, the Kingdom of God on earth with the Messiah ruling on the throne of David, and bringing peace to all the world. ......

“Then the sound of a trumpet could be heard, the long blast of the ram’s horn – the shofar – shattering the silence. The battle for Jerusalem was over. Rabbi Goren, the army chaplain, was blowing the shofar at the Wailing Wall, the wall of the Temple, and we could hear him singing the prayers. At that moment all Israel was pouring out its heart in prayers. For the first time for nearly two thousand years independent Jews were again in the City of David, at the Temple Wall, freed of its enemies. I remembered the time when the Jews stood praying at that Wall and had been stabbed in the back as they prayed. .....

“Now, imagine the flag of Israel on the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem after nearly two thousand years’ However, the war had not yet ended, and we listened intently to the news coming over the radio. We heard that Jericho was in our hands, and later, Hebron and Bethlehem, Ramallah and all the surrounding towns and villages. We were quite dazed. It seemed so incredible.

“Thursday June 8: It was an emotional day. So much joy, so much tragedy and such a consciousness of having experienced a miracle. Even those who had no religious beliefs at all had to acknowledge that something had happened which was beyond their power. Every one was saying with the Commander of Mount Zion: ‘It was as though someone else was commanding.’ In fact, one religious soldier said: ‘I hope that our people will not forget that God has given us this victory.’ His words reminded me of the time of the siege of Jerusalem in 1948. Then, too, a wave of religious fervor swept through the people.

“‘Yes,’ I answered, ‘we hope that this experience will strengthen the faith of our people and bring a deeper realization of the fact that when Israel fights her battles there are also the ‘armies of God fighting with her.’ ‘That was always true,” replied the soldier, “just as he fights for us now.”

“Friday June 9: In the first pale light of dawn I looked out of my window and saw intense action among the soldiers – some coming, some going. Then I learned that Egypt had accepted the United Nations cease fire. The war in Sinai was over. A new sound drew me to my window. A huge bulldozer was noisily climbing the hill. I watched it turn clumsily to face the corrugated iron fence which marked the border, marred the beauty of the Landscape and was a constant reminder of the divided Jerusalem. How intensely I had always wished it could be removed. As it passed, broken walls and mounds of scattered stones and debris were all that was left. But the great majestic trees which had shielded it from view also lay prostrate in the dust. The border had disappeared and a new road was being made, After little more than an hour of continuous work with the bulldozer a small part of the way was cleared and I saw a car coming through from the Old City... a safe and free road from Mount Zion to the Wall – all barriers down. It was only five days since the war started!

“At midday we were allowed to use the car to go into town. I had expected to see much damage in the city as a result of those two days of shelling, but I found no more than an occasional wall with some stones knocked out and a few broken windows, Even in the center of the city everything seemed to be going on normally. I had heard that the Knesset museum and university had been hit, but was told that very little damage had been done. It was all part of the miracle.”

The foregoing report of the 1967 war needs no elaboration from us; but we would inform our readers that we have been told that the Jews were given a plan of the Egyptian defense, so they went around the end of that defense, came in from the rear upon the unsuspecting Egyptians, who were then sleeping; and this accounts for the destruction of 400 of their planes in one night. We are inclined to believe this because of the great success of the Jews which terminated the war in five days – A MIRACLE INDEED! But, then when the Lord was with the Jews, they never lost a battle even though outnumbered by their enemies; and He will again be with them as “in the days of old” in all their battles for righteousness. How true it is, “It was as though someone else was commanding.” And this was forcefully shown to even the non‑religious.

Information has come to us that the lady who wrote the book, and her husband, have both died since this writing; that he had been offered a knighthood in England for certain meritorious service, which he declined – and that he left his entire estate to the Jewish State of Israel. An excellent example of faithful Jews – those who are promised the “first” blessings of the Kingdom under the New Covenant. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.” (Jer. 31:31)

The great Victory of the Jews in the 1967 war brings sharply to mind a remarkable coincidence of the Jews and the Egyptians when Moses led the Jewish people out of Egypt. It was Egypt that experienced the annihilative defeat – a miracle also – with the Jews doing no fighting at all. And here, in the end of the Age, the Jewish nation was saved again – this time also with a crushing defeat of Egypt. We realize their troubles are not nearly over; but these upheavals and great successes at the hand of God are certainly preparing them to receive the “New Covenant” (Jer. 31:31) in due time, all of which ties in most pointedly with St. Paul’s statement in Rom. 1:16: “To the Jew first’’ – they are still “beloved for the fathers’ sake”; and no amount of “strange fire” (false teaching) about Campers Consecrated, Quasi‑Elect Consecrated, or the Large Crowd of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is going to change that. “God is‑ faithful that promised.” (Heb. 10:23)

As stated, we expect more and worse trouble yet ahead for the Jews, but we have the “sure word of prophecy” that they will come off victorious there, too. “Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.” (Psa. 107:19) Note Zech. 14:1‑3: “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh (it is already here), and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.” Note the Berean Comments on this Scripture: “When he fought for Joshua against the six Amalakite kings at Gideon; when he fought for David against the Philistines at Perazim; when he miraculously delivered Israel from the hosts of Midian by Gideon and his band.”

SOME POWERFUL CORROBORATIONS

Following are some quotations from Parousia and Epiphany writings: “We may see that aside from natural Israel and spiritual Israel, and the influences which have gone out from these to the world, God has let the world alone – let it do the best it could in the way of self‑development, etc.” (Parousia 6, p. 204) And Reprint 4544, col. 1, top: “The first to look upon Him whom they pierced will be the natural Israelites.”

“This Mediator – the Head and Body – is such, as His death (the merit being that of Jesus alone) cancels the sins committed under the first (Law) Covenant, i.e., those of the Jews, that these Jews, having had the unchangeable call to the earthly favor (Rom. 11:29), might receive the promise given them – the land of Canaan as an eternal inheritance.” (E‑6:686)

“Not that it gave them life thereby (the Mosaic Covenant), but that it gave them further revelations fruitful in the spread of truth and righteousness among them, gave them a knowledge of their sins and sinfulness, brought the faithful among them to see that by their own best endeavors they were unable to save themselves, worked in them an intense longing for the promised Savior, prepared them to receive Him, helped the faithful among them to qualify for Ancient Worthies and helped the measurably faithful among them to be fit for the first place among the world of mankind in the Restitution Age.” (E:1:115, bottom and 116 top)

“He confidently looks for the zeal of God to establish God’s Kingdom at the hands of His Elect under Christ, on the ruins of Satan’s Empire, to offer the Kingdom blessings, first to the living Jews, then to the living Gentiles, then to the non‑elect dead from our times even to Adam’s time.” (E‑1:302)

“How true the statement that those who have cursed, or injured, Israel have brought injury upon themselves’... Great Britain and the United States, nations which have blessed the Jews, have in turn received great blessings.” (Reprint 5323, colt 2, near bottom)

We not only have this from That Servant, but we also have a higher authority for this truth. God tells us to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” (Psa. 122:6) Also, “They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever.” (Psa. 125:1)

On page 31 of the January 15, 1978 Watch Tower there is a question on Rev. 11:8 “the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” The Witnesses say “the great city” is Jerusalem; but they blithely pass over verse 9, regarding the “two witnesses” (the Old and New Testaments) and their dead bodies lying in the streets for “three days and a half.” Here is the Berean Comment on that: “Three and one‑half years from 1793 AD.” The Comments also say “that great city” is Babylon, Christendom.” (See verse 13) Also, Zech. 14:2 says “the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city”; but that doesn’t bother the Witnesses any. They can see the destruction of Jerusalem, even though the Bible plainly contradicts them.

Once more we refer to Gen. 22:16‑18 as embracing all the saved classes: The Little Flock, the Great Company, the Worthies and the saved Restitutionists (the “Sheep” – the Jews being the first blessed under the New Covenant). Thus, it fits excellently with the promise of a “New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah”; and is a strong support for our faith as we see the progress being made for its institution.

“O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.” (Psa. 66:8‑9)

Reprint of No. 277

=======================

LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Epiphany Bible Students: Greetings!

I saw a copy of the bulletin you sent out on how to observe the Passover this year. It is from the March 1, 1983 paper, No. 333.

I would like a copy of this please if it’s not too much trouble. I, too, am interested in this subject. I question it because we do not observe the Memorial on a full moon and the new moon – not before the equinox.

If it is not too much trouble I would like a copy of this and study this out more. My address is as follows:

Thank you! ------- (MICHIGAN)

---------------------------------------

Dear Brother & Sister Hoefle: Greetings in the name of our Lord!

Again through your generosity our needs have been supplied. It was a moment of real astonishment when we opened your letter of March 1 to find again a remittance which was providentially in the amount which was needed to meet the expenses of a trip to Houston, Texas, where I will attend the annual meeting of the national Board of Directors of the International Christian Embassy, U.S. Branch. Sister Jean and I will drive from Bellingham to Phoenix, Arizona, where she will stay with relatives while I fly on into Houston for the meeting on March 17.

We had just determined that our committee funds were not sufficient to cover the cost by about $400, but felt that it was important for us to go anyway since we will also be meeting with other associates in our activities en route, including two Bible Student truth friends who are sympathetic with our efforts on behalf of Israel, although not actively participating with us at present. The only ones actively associated with us who understand the Truth of the Gospel of the Kingdom are my two sons and one other elderly local brother who attends our meetings and contributes to some extent. We do have a number of local Christians who are associated in what we call the Beracah Fellowship for Israel. Beracah (Blessing). Some of them are members of the non‑profit organization “International Association of Christians for Israel.” But our numbers are not great and our resources small.

In your last letter you ask if I have read “The Roots of Christian Anti‑Semitism” by Malcolm Hay. I have not read this book. Is it a recent publication? If so, who is the publisher? Perhaps I can obtain a copy. I have read other books on this theme, but not this one.

It is amazing to see how sects like the JW’s, 7th Day Adventists and Mormons will bitterly attack the Catholic Church but adopt a similar authoritarian exclusivism toward all other professing Christians. It is a tactic of the adversary to create a false rulership structure – and it has worked time and again in the history of the church. So many Christians fail to heed our Lord’s words, “Neither be ye called Masters, for one is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren.” In most cases when a person has given allegiance to an organization or denomination, any questioning or challenge is a threat to his faith – which does not rest properly on a personal relationship to Christ through His Word and Spirit.

Now again, Brother and Sister Hoefle, our appreciation for your faithfulness in doing what you feel serves the Lord’s purpose. We will do our best as stewards of the means which have been provided. On our return, around the first of April, we hope to have some interesting things to report on our efforts.

And now – Beracah veh Shalom l’atah B’hashem Adonai! Or in English, “Blessing and Peace to you in the Name of the Lord”’ ------- (WASHINGTON)

--------------------------------------

Dear Brother and Sister Hoefle: Grace and peace be multiplied’

I could not send a card without writing a few lines to you. I want to express my sincere thanks for the papers which we receive, and the blessings that come from reading them. The Lord is very gracious to you as He blesses you with the grace and wisdom to perform His work. May He continue to bless and guide you. May He strengthen and guide you with the wisdom that cometh from above. With Christian love, ------- (TRINIDAD)

-----------------------------------------

Dear Friends in Christ:

I am enjoying the good reading you put out. Thank you! I would like you to send the papers to a friend. She did go to the Dawn studies, but the class fell apart. All too old to drive up from Palm Springs. So now there are two of us. Is there any one else here or near here who takes your papers? If so, please send their address. Maybe we can have a small study.

Please, may I have a set of “Take, My Brethren, The Prophets”? How many parts are there? I have four. I want to loan them. Thank you’ Your sister in the Truth, ------- (CALIFORNIA)

NO. 335: WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT?

No. 335

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

“The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night. If ye will inquire, inquire ye.” (Isa. 21:11,12) First, notice that the question is repeated for emphasis; and for good reason, we believe, of which we shall give details later.

However, when this prophecy was written, it was the custom to erect a wall around the important cities. At that time the wall around Babylon was a feature piece of construction for that time. It was conical in shape with the narrow top wide enough for two chariots to drive around it side by side. It was considered impregnable – a good representation of our present spiritual Babylon, who also is saying, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” (Rev. 3:17)

Upon the tops of those ancient city walls there was erected turrets, or towers, in which a watchman was located at night to watch for the approach of enemies, man or beast, to watch for thieves of the crops outside the city, etc. Occasionally, a citizen – inside the fort or directly outside it, would call out, “Watchman, what of the night.” That is, do you notice any sign of enemies or thieves? And in our quoted text the watchman would answer, “The morning cometh (it will be here shortly), and a night also.”

At the time of writing, there was mirth and festivity, But Isaiah alone was overwhelmed with grief, and refused to be comforted. In the rejoicings of the populace he read the evidence of their hopeless impenitence and insensibility, and he concludes his discourse by expressing the conviction that at last they have sinned Beyond the possibility of pardon. The circumstances recall our Lord’s lamentation over Jerusalem on His triumphal entry into the city five days before His crucifixion. (Luke 19:41,42)

THE MORNING COMETH, AND ALSO THE NIGHT

From the Bible chronology, the parallel dispensations, and the signs of the times, it is our firm conviction that this text applies directly to the time in which we are living. From these different sources, it is our conclusion that the “morning” began in 1874. In Matthew 24:27 Jesus said, “As the lightning (the bright shiner the sun) cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the son of man be.”

That the word “lightning” is a poor translation in the above is evident that the lightning does not start in the east and go to the west, but the sun does. This word is from the Greek “astrape,” which has several meanings (Strong’s Concord­ance). The sun rises noiselessly in the East, when most people are still asleep, but gradually becomes more prominent and noticeable in the heavens until high noon. “The path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, going on and brightening, unto meridian day.” (Prov. 4:18 – Rotherham) And the foot note on this text says: “The stable part of day – when the sun seems motionless in mid‑heaven.” Thus, we should expect a very obscure beginning of the “morning” in 1874 – just as the sun also arises in the morning without much clamor. However, most of our great inventions have come since that date: The telephone, the electric light, the automobile, the airplane, the computers, and all the magnificent machinery, industrial and agricultural, have come since that time – more in a little more than a hundred years than occurred in the six thousand years before that time.

The “sun” of our text has not yet come to “meridian day”; but with this great increase of learning has come also “the night” of trouble. This also has had a very mild beginning in 1874, but it has now reached alarming proportions; even those not familiar with Bible prophecy see it with much certainty. It may appear that we are here offering a contradiction of Scripture, but we do not really do so. Those who have become alert to the Bible teaching realize that “none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” (Dan. 12:10) It is written in Dan. 12:1, There shall be a time of trouble (mentioned by Jesus in Matt. 24:15 – also v. 7) – “great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” And just as the bright shining proceeds to meridian height, so the trouble also increases; but by the time the sun has reached meridian height, the trouble will have reached its nadir, and will be completely over when the sun reaches height. Then will be fulfilled the prayer, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”

OUR LORD’S SECOND COMING

The word ‘coming’ in the above texts is from the Greek Parousia, which actually means “presence,” and should be understood in that manner. Often the question comes to us, Watchman, what of the night – How long is the night? We cannot give a positive answer to the question, although we can quote the words of Jesus: “This generation shall not pass away till all these things shall be fulfilled.” But we do not know the length of time of “this generation.” It has been suggested that it may be 120 years – the length of time that Moses lived. (Deu. 34:7) But, we can quote the words of Jesus, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” Therefore, we can say with conviction that “the time is at hand.” (Rev. 10:6; 11:18; 22:10)

It is our understanding that our Lord’s Parousia has been with us since 1874. It will continue until all of the “wheat” has been gathered into the Lord’s barn; and the “tares” will be bundled and burned. In a broad sense our Lord will continue to be present as the world’s King to the full conclusion of the Millennial Age: but His Parousia in the sense of secrecy of presence – will terminate when, as the Scriptures state, He shall be revealed in “flaming fire” (2 Thes. 1:8 – the great time of trouble), taking vengeance on all who do not receive the Truth in a good and honest heart, but enlightening all those who will hear to the extent of their opportunity. The secret Parousia is only for those who now hear and obey His calling. The Epiphania is not to the Church, for the Church, but to the world and for the world.

Of the world, the first to “look upon Him whom they pierced” will be the natural Israelites. Brought into covenant relationship with God through the “better Mediator than Moses,” they will be trained, chastened, blessed and uplifted by Him during the Millennium; so that by the end of the Millennium they shall be ready for the everlasting covenant condition of perfection in harmony with God.

While the besom of destruction becomes more apparent each year to those who are the “Watchmen,” the great majority of the world still sleeps on, as Jesus foretold they would. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the presence of the Son of Man: “The world that then was knew it not until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” Thus we should not be surprised to see the inattention of the great majority. “When the Son of Man cometh, will He find the faith (the Truth) in the earth?” However, history tells us that thus it has always been, with retribution usually overtaking those who disregard the Word of Truth.

However, the Watchman said, “Turn ye; come.” Thus, some may eventually hear. The Rabbis expound the Watchman, who speaks here, as the Messiah; and they are right on this, although they are not at all clear how the interpretation is to apply. Nevertheless, when He pours out His spirit “for all flesh” many will then awake to the tremendous operations that occur. As one writer has put it, “The difficulty in the world today is not to find God, but to escape Him.” There is great effort today to eliminate all study that may prove there is a God in heaven; especially is this true in the Communist countries; and already we see the rewards of their sowing. Russia and its pals are all in deep trouble; and we may expect this to become much worse in the holocaust just ahead.

The following is from the pen of That Servant: “At the Epiphania, or bright shining, of the Lord’s manifestation, God will have completed His present work of directing the Church; and the world will be informed that they are under a different dispensation. When the world will have come to understand the matter fully, they will know the Truth of our Lord’s words, in His last prayer with His disciples – that the Father loves the Church as He loved the Lord Jesus. This is a very astounding statement. It shows that there is nothing selfish in our Lord. He did not say, “They will always be inferior to me. They will never have the glory that I shall have.”

PAROUSIA AND EPIPHANIA

Follows something from Reprints 5522‑5523: “Bible students call our attention to the fact that the Bible distinctly differentiates between the Parousia of Christ and His Epiphania, at His second coming. The word Parousia signifies presence, without in any sense of the word indicating that the presence is visible. The word Epiphania signifies the revealing of one who is already present. These Bible students claim that in the end of this Gospel Age Christ will be present, invisible to men, during a period of forty years, doing a work especially in His Church – rewarding the faithful, as shown in the parables of the pounds and Talents, and receiving the “wise virgins,” as stated in the parable.

“With the conclusion of this work of separating the wise virgins, and after they shall have entered into the joys of their Lord by the glorious change of the First Resurrection, then will come Immanuel’s Epiphania, revealing, showing forth. ‘When He shall appear, ye also shall appear with Him in glory.’ ‘He shall be revealed in flaming fire, taking vengeance.’ In other words, the revelation of Christ to the world will be subsequent to His revelation of Himself to the ‘wise virgin’ class. The world will know that He has taken His great power and begun His reign of righteousness, not by seeing Jesus in the flesh, But by seeing the great time of trouble which then will break upon the world ‘a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.’ (Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21)

ARMAGEDDON STILL FUTURE

Now more from the Reprint 5527: “The Scriptures indicate that the Gentile governments will receive from their own peoples their first notice that their lease of power has expired. The people will take note of the sign of the Son of man in the heavens, The judgments of the Lord will begin to be manifest in the world, and will run counter to many of their interests. This manifestation of His presence is Scripturally called Epiphania, the shining forth, the revealment of the King of Glory. ‘He shall he revealed in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (2 Thes. 1:7‑10) As a result, the nations of earth will be broken to pieces like a potter’s vessel, (Psa. 2:8,9; Rev. 2:27)

“The prophetic forecast tells us that the trouble will begin in the ecclesiastical heavens, and later will proceed to the social element. The picture given of the end of the Gentile Times is that of a stone striking the image of Gentile supremacy on its feet. (Dan. 2:34,35) The impact will be so sharp and so thorough as to leave nothing of them. Having had their day, they will cease to be – ‘become like the chaff of the summer threshing floor.’ The next event in order will be the messianic kingdom, of which it is written, “The desire of all peoples shall come.”’ (Hag. 2:7)

From the foregoing it is clear enough that That Servant taught we are in the time of establishing God’s promised Kingdom. Although he saw this clearly more than 25 years before 1914, he erred in expecting the entire program would be consummated in a very short time. However, by 1910 he recognized that the time was much too short for the accomplishment of the things necessary, and he openly said so. But some of his dogmatic supporters did not accept his corrections then. In fact, one of them said early in 1914 that he was buying a ticket to go to some western coast area, but he did not buy a return ticket because he would have no use for it. Of course, many such lost much of the Truth and quit the movement as the days carried on. But, when the Russian government was toppled in the fall of 1917, some brethren then fairly shouted that we are no longer walking by faith; they were then walking by sight – a mistake very easy to make, since the Czarist government of Russia was then one of the strongest autocracies that had ever been on earth. But the war ended in November 1918, things began to calm down, followed by a business boom for eleven years; then the great crash of 1929, followed by the great depression of four years. Once again the predictions of doom were very prevalent, but soon disappeared. In fact, some real smart boys concluded by about 1920 that Brother Russell had made a mistake of nineteen years in the Chronology; the Gentile Times would not end until 1933. This same error had been ‘discovered’ about a hundred years before that by a deluded Babylon teacher; so it was nothing new. Came 1933, and not one thing occurred to substantiate the error, and the subject was discreetly dropped. It is our firm conviction that no mistake was made in the Chronology by That Servant. His dates are yet well established, but he made the mistake of expecting too much in too short a time, although everything he taught about what would happen is still well substantiated by the Bible and current events.

In all of the events that have occurred since 1914, we are firmly convinced that he was right in declaring that the Kingdom had been set up in 1878, that the elect Church had then been tentatively gathered – although some of them dropped out before 1914, and others were called in. But by 1914 he was convinced that the full number of the Elect had been won; and so stated. For some years now the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been declaring the full establishment of the Kingdom, with their group being the firm nucleus of that group. But current events clearly reveal their error on the matter. Just recently one of their more prominent leaders – Raymond Franz – has been cast out by them, leaving yet at least one short of the prescribed number. This leaves them in a very embarrassing position.

As late as 1915, Reprint p. 5632, we find this: “The final phase, ‘to execute the judgments written,’ would seem to imply that there would be something for the saints on this side of the vail to do in connection with the execution of the judgments upon the nations. (It was going on right then, but our dear Pastor had not then discerned it – JJH) As to just what this means, we have not yet fully learned. But we see nothing here to conflict with the thought that the Lord’s Kingdom may be properly understood to have begun operations and that the present smiting of the nations is under kingdom control. The fact that some of the members of the kingdom class are still in the flesh does not militate at all against this thought. We see the kingdoms of this world now being dashed to pieces, and we are expecting to see the process continued until they are all completely ground to powder. They shall become as the chaff of the summer threshing floor, and the wind shall carry them away. Then shall they be found no more at all. (Dan. 2:35)

“Because certain important things are to be accomplished, we see that God is permitting what to others might seem to be purely human devilishness. For a wise purpose He permits this reign of lawlessness, this condition which evokes universal odium. Our thought is that we should look for still further evidences day by day that the Gentile Times have ended, and that God’s kingdom has begun its work. We are expecting to see multiplied proofs of the kingdom power, though the world will not recognize it as such until it is manifested in the flaming fire of anarchy, which is still further along. The present step is the war of the nations. The next step will be Socialism – an attempted Socialism – among the people (after Armageddon – JJH). Then the third step, anarchy, will gradually come on. When this symbolic fire shall prevail then the world will realize what we are trying to tell them now; namely, that God’s kingdom is taking control, and that these various demonstrations are evidences that our Lord is taking His great power. But the many will not begin to see until the flaming fire is revealed. When we endeavor to tell them now they will not receive it, but they will be thoroughly convinced when they see the destructive fire of anarchy.”

MESSIAH’S KINGDOM TO BE INVISIBLE

“Our understanding of the Master’s words (Luke 17:20‑37) depends considerably upon the setting in which we see them. John the Baptist preceded Jesus and preached the Kingdom of God is at hand. In due time he pointed out Jesus as the Messiah that should come, the Lamb of God. After waiting for months to establish himself, and finding instead that his own work was closing, he was put into prison by Herod. John then sent to Jesus to inquire whether or not He was the one that should come or whether they should look for another. He was disappointed in not seeing evidences of the Kingdom, as he had expected.

“The scribes and the Pharisees heard of the claim that Jesus was the long‑promised King who would set up His Messianic Kingdom, and they derided Him. They looked at His motley company of followers – publicans and sinners, as well as honorable people, but none of special rank, influence or wealth. They considered Jesus a deceiver and His followers as dupes. Our lesson tells how they attempted to expose what they supposed was a deception of Jesus, thus to turn away the delusion of His followers. Therefore, they asked Him in public the question, When will God’s Kingdom come? How long will it be before you set it up?

“Doubtless they purposed to entrap Jesus; for if He should say, A long time, they would proceed to query, Where will you get your army? How will you pay your soldiers? How will you supply them with food? Will you go to Rome to battle with the powers that be, that our whole nation has been unable to cope with, etc.?

“But those Pharisees got only as far as the first question, because the answer to it confused them, and no doubt perplexed them. Jesus answered that God’s Kingdom would not come with observation – “with outward show”; that is to say, when the Kingdom should come people would not see it. Proceeding, Jesus elaborated, saying that when the Kingdom of God should be established, people would not see whether it was here or there; for the Kingdom of God would be the power of God exerted everywhere in the midst of the people.

“Our translation is faulty, though evidently not intentionally so, when it reads ‘For, behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.’ (Luke 17:21) The translators, had they noted carefully, would have been on guard against saying that the Kingdom of God was within those Pharisees that Jesus had designated hypocrites, whited sepulchers, etc. A closer examination of the original would have shown that the text would better be translated, ‘The Kingdom of God is in your midst.’

“A kingdom is always represented by its king. Jesus, as the King, was present in their midst, but they did not recognize Him. ‘There standeth one among you whom ye know not.’ Similarly, all through the Gospel Age, the Church of Christ, His ‘body,’ had been undiscerned by the world. ‘The world knoweth us not, even as it knew Him not.’ For eighteen hundred years this has been true in this sense; but Christ and the Church in the flesh are not the kingdom of God in the full, proper sense that the Bible promises: a Kingdom of power and great glory. Christ and the Church have been only the incipient Kingdom, an embryo Kingdom – the Kingdom class, preparing for investiture of authority in God’s due time, which we believe is now near.

“The Kingdom is to be a spiritual one, and hence its rulers will be as invisible as are the angels and the Heavenly Father. Jesus declared, ‘Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more.’ What was true of the Head will be true of every member of the elect body of Christ, the Church. ‘Changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,’ the world will see them no more; ‘for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,’ and flesh and blood cannot see that which is spiritual.

“During the Millennium, the kingdom authority and power of God through Christ and the Church will be exercised amongst men; and yet they will not see it with the natural eye, but merely with the eyes of their understanding. All the blind eyes will be opened. Thus every eye will see that the kingdom is established; and every one will understand that He who suffered has entered into His glory, that the Church, His bride, is with Him in glory, and that the blessings of the Millennium proceed from them. (Rev. 20:6)

DAYS OF THE SON OF MAN

“Turning from the silenced Pharisees to His disciples, Jesus said, ‘The days will come when ye shall desire one of the days of the Son of Man, and ye shall not see it.’ This was astonishing news to the faithful. Yet they were accustomed to hearing from the Master things which they could not understand; such as that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood, that He must be crucified, etc. They took all these things figuratively and wondered what might be the real interpretation. How could Jesus be the great King, as they had expected, and yet they not see Him and His days?

“Jesus continued the enigma, saying, ‘They shall say to you, See here; or, See there; go not after them, nor follow.’ In a word, do not believe anybody who will thus tell you about My second coming; do not be deceived into believing that I will come in any such manner. This is how I shall come: ‘As the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, and shineth unto the other part under heaven; so also shall the Son of Man be in His day.’

“This astounding statement is better understood when we translate the Greek noun astrape as ‘shining’ instead of lightning; for evidently it refers to the sun, which rises in the east and sets in the west, shining out of the one part of the heaven even unto the other. But how will this represent the Son of Man in His day? How will He be like the sun? (Another Scripture fits very well here: “Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.” – Mal. 4:2 – JJH) We answer that the day of Christ is a thousand‑year day, the Millennium; and our Lord’s statement was one of the ‘dark sayings’ of which Jesus said, ‘I have many things to tell you, but ye cannot bear them now,’ and promised in due time the Holy Spirit would grant them an enlightenment, that all of His words might be clearly understood. This portion, now due to be understood, is therefore becoming clear to those of spiritual discernment.

“Then, that they might gradually learn that these things belonged to a distant time, Jesus explained that first He must suffer many things and be rejected of that nation. Coming back to an explanation of what would be the signs of His presence as recorded in Matt. 24, He declared, ‘As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.’

“Here we have something definite, concrete. We know what to look for at the time when the kingdom will be due for establishment – the time when the Sun of Righteousness will begin to shine forth from one end of heaven to the other. The signs of the time will not be in the outward condition of the world; for on the contrary everything will be going along in as quiet and orderly a manner as ever, just as in the days of Noah, just as before the deluge came, and just as in the days of Lot, before the destruction of Sodom – they ate, drank, married, built, bought, sowed, planted, as usual. These things are not signs of wickedness, but are mentioned to show us that there will be no outward sign to indicate to the world the time of the second presence of Christ, when He will begin to deal with the world and to set up His kingdom. (This is the condition of the world just before World War One – the greatest calamity that had ever happened. However, today “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” – JJH)

THE DELUGE AND SODOM’S DESTRUCTION

“Why introduce these two pictures – the Deluge and the destruction of Sodom – in conjunction, while talking of the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom, which is to bless the world? The answer is that the Bible everywhere foretells that although Messiah’s kingdom is the greatest provision of God, which will lift the curse and bring in blessings world‑wide, nevertheless it is to be established upon the wreck of our present institutions. And it is this wreck of social, financial, political and religious institutions of the present time that Jesus illustrated by the Deluge and the destruction of Sodom. And His own presence preceding this time of trouble is to be unseen to the world, unknown to the world, unsuspected, unbelieved, until the cataclysm of trouble precipitates with suddenness (as it did in World War One – JJH).

“This is not a charming picture. We are glad that we may turn from it, and note the silver lining of the cloud, and the glorious blessings which will speedily follow the establishment of the kingdom on the ruins of our human failures.

“Emphasizing the suddenness with which the calamity will overtake the world, Jesus said that on the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained down fire and brimstone from heaven; and He declared that thus it will be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. The Greek text shows a difference between the Parousia, or presence, of Christ before the later Epiphania, or revealing – the Time of Trouble. (The Epiphania is the time in which we are living. Men are perplexed – “Men’s hearts failing them for fear.”¾ JJH

“The description of the revealing of Christ is given in the words, He shall be revealed in flaming fire. (2 Thes. 1:7,8) Indeed, that time of trouble is frequently described in the Bible as a burning of the world – so much so that many creeds of Christendom express the thought that the earth is to be ‘burned.’ They overlook the fact that the heavens are to be ‘burned’ also. In the symbolical usage of the Bible, the earth represents the social order of human affairs (this is stated in so many words in Gen. 9:11 Neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.” The planet earth is still here, so the text cannot possibly mean the literal earth – JJH); the sea, the restless, discontented masses; the heavens, the ecclesiastical powers. St. Peter tells us that all these will pass away with a great confusion (a great hissing noise – JJH), and that instead will come the new heavens and the new earth which God has promised. (2 Pet. 3:10,13) The new heavens will be the new ecclesiastical society – the Church in glory, joint‑heirs with Christ in His Kingdom (also with the Worthies as the visible ruling powers – JJH) The new earth will be the new social order which Messiah’s Kingdom will establish.” (Reprints 5455‑5456, May 1, 1914)

“Watchman (the present enlightened Lord’s people), What of the night?” (Isa. 21:11) It is our hope that we have clearly defined “the night,” as well as its purposes; but we would also more forcefully define “the morning.” “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psa. 30:5) A proper understanding of the morning in Messiah’s Kingdom will minimize greatly the gloomy picture of the night.

So the faithful believers will recognize the trouble as the preparation, according to God’s Plan, for blessing the whole world – and they will be cheered and comforted through it all. “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness (of sin and error). Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thes. 5:5,6)

“So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto, I sent it.” (Isa. 55:11)

===============================

LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brethren: Greetings in the name of Jesus our Saviour!

Our dear Brother Ted Smith finished his earthly course on Feb. 21. He had been in hospital only one week, surgery for removal of an abscess on his lung took place Feb. 14, and he suffered considerable pain after the operation. He was healing satisfactorily but the strain on his heart was too great and he passed away at 2 a.m. We will miss him very much, but will attempt to carry on as he would have wanted us to even though it be to a limited extent. We ask for your prayers and suggestions regarding Bro. Ted’s items which he sent out every month. We seek the Lord’s direction for future service and want to be ready and willing to follow His leadings.

Please read the Manna for Feb. 21, again, as it was so fitting for that day (Bro. Smith’s passing). With our sincere Christian love, ------- (Washington)

………...............................……

Greetings Brethren through our mutual love for Christ our Lord!

Your periodical dated Feb. 1, 1983 – No. 332 – which we received today has on its last page a letter signed by someone from Argentina that asks several questions about your group. Your answers to them I would like very much to have a copy of it if at all possible. Also I would like to get a general idea of your following....

Is there anyone of your associates in our general area of San Diego, Ca?

Thank you, ------- (CALIFORNIA)

………….............................……….

Dear Brother Hoefle: Greetings to you and co‑workers in the Name of Jesus!

Thank you for the March‑April papers which surely will be studied time and again. Several thoughts expressed by you have come to my mind also, such as the pairing of the Ancient Worthies with the ‘Younger ones.’ There will be plenty of work to be done under the guidance of The Christ – and it surely will be an honor to be so used. Of course, we leave these matters to the Lord, but it seems reasonable.

I have not finished Bro. Johnson’s book – “Elijah and Elisha” – but I surely realize that he had an excellent knowledge of European history – Antichrist; and his clear insight into the doings of Rome to gain more and more influence in America, as predicted by Bro. Russell, is remarkable. It is rather painful to read about the corruption of the Society – but it is true! I could add some personal experiences to this record, for I did spend some five years at Brooklyn Heights Headquarters after coming to the States. It took time to learn enough English to understand what was really going on there (especially the kind of English spoken there!), and it was certainly different from what I had left in Germany. I am glad that I had the courage – all five feet of me to stand up to this Big judge when my husband and I were fired for getting married without his consent – and telling him: “I came here to serve the Lord, but the way you talk and act I think I’ve been wasting my time.” He tried to reassure me, that I had indeed served the Lord. But I knew better… By the way, I had been head-housekeeper during the last year there, and had been given a bunch of private keys by the judge, includ­ing one to a room known to have been Bro. Johnson’s. I had to stand guard whenever any cleaning was to be done in that room. Nobody was to get a chance to take a look into that trunk, to which there also was a special key. The day we got fired the judge was very much agitated about those keys, seemingly afraid that I was going to take them with me! Now I almost wish I had taken a look into that trunk while the judge was in Cali­fornia.

Well, I thank the Lord for having patiently helped me to regain my footing upon the solid rock, away from those ‘slippery stones of offense.’

Did you know that the judge even tried to make a deal with the Nazis in 1933 for the bank accounts, etc., by sending a brother over there? – no matter what it did to the Bible students there. This had been another eye‑opener to me: that he was far more concerned about the loss of material things and the money than about the fate of the friends’

Please use the enclosed for the work. May the Lord keep us in His Grace through these evil days is my prayer for all of us. Yours in the Lord, ------- (DELAWARE)

.....................................................

Dear Brother and Sister Hoefle:

Now this is not a letter you need to answer – rather use your time for the work before you. I have Been re‑reading the first two papers of the year and had just finished the sixth volume again; and the words of Pastor Russell were still fresh in my mind when I read your reference to them. Surely little Babylon is getting bigger and bigger! I hope I am home next time they come to our door. Usually I show them my row of the six “Studies,” and that is enough to send them on their way. But I have a little more ammunition to use next time (in a friendly manner, I hope’)

We three feel like the brother who wrote you regarding the present state of the world affairs, that he looks forward to their development knowing that conditions will change. There is so much news these days that bring out the Truths that were taught us from infancy. Each day I turn on the news looking for evidence that the time is drawing near, and that “I come quickly” is indeed needed to straighten out the affairs of man. It is so wonderful to know these things, and we wonder how folks live without it. The knowledge certainly does foster peace – and we are so grateful! ........

Do hope you both are reasonably well and able to put out the welcome papers. Just received the last two.

Christian love, ------- (OHIO)

NO. 334: EPIPHANEIA - APOKALYPSIS

No. 334

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

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

As an act, and as a period of time, Epiphaneia and Apokalypsis do have the same application – although they are not synonymous in the strict sense of the word. Many translators give Epiphaneia as ‘bright shining,’ ‘forthshining’ – ‘uncovering,’ etc.; whereas, they offer ‘revelation’ as the meaning of Apokalypsis. Viewed critically, it is impossible to have one without the other, which explains why they are synonymous as an act and as a period of time. Thus, it requires the bright shining to produce the revelation.

The Book of Revelation, for instance (the last book of the New Testament) has been with us since the Apostle John wrote it; but it cannot possibly be understood – revealed, uncovered – until the bright shining (Epiphaneia) makes it clear. While Martin Luther saw the explanation for some parts of Revelation, other parts of it he could not possibly understand because the ‘bright shining’ had not arrived to reveal it – in the “due time.” Just one instance: The 1260 days (1260 literal years) of the Beast (Rev. 13:5) could not possibly be clear to him because those years did not end until 1799 (and prophecy cannot be understood in detail until it has been fulfilled, or is in the process of fulfillment) – when the Pope’s power was broken by Napoleon – about 250 years after Luther’s death.

Thus, it will be seen that the ‘bright shining’ and the ‘revelation’ have continued in a limited measure throughout the Gospel Age; and there is also an Epiphaneia or Apokalypsis – designated as a special period of time here in the end of this Age; but it cannot truthfully be stated that there is a special Apokalypsis period apart from the Epiphaneia – or the Epiphany, as we call it. For instance, 2 Tim. 4:1 says, “The Lord Jesus shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing (Epiphaneia) and kingdom (Basileia).” There is no mention of His judging in the Apokalypsis, as a period apart from the Epiphaneia. And all Bible Students will surely admit that we are yet in the ‘judging’ period of the elect and of the world – the world in the sense of the “judgments of the nations” (not individuals).

Regardless of how little time that judging would consume, it must be evident that it is nevertheless a special period of time. And, again, “That wicked one whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness (Epiphaneia) of His coming (Parousia)” – 2 Thes. 2 8. Here is a statement concerning the time and method of Antichrist’s destruction – also clearly setting forth a period of time for the Epiphany here in the end of the Age – the time in which we are now living. There are no such Scriptures anywhere to designate an Apokalypsis apart from the Epiphaneia as a period of time; but, granted that there were, we must self‑evidently still be in the Epiphaneia because Antichrist is still with us. Thus, the Epiphaneia must continue until that destruction occurs; and, since it is one of the special features of the Time of Trouble, it should also be apparent that the Epiphaneia and the Time of Trouble are identical; the one cannot end until the other ends. But nowhere in the Bible are these things declared regarding an Apokalypsis apart from the Epiphaneia as a period of time.

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

And this “manifesting” is certainly true of those “pertinent persons” who once accepted the above teaching, but have now departed from it – whether in whole or in part because that is the Truth today the same as it was the Truth when it was written almost fifty years ago. The Epiphany Messenger had sound foundation for his teaching of the Epiphany and the Time of Trouble as an identical period of time. It was given him and us by the Parousia Messenger – That Servant. But the would‑be teachers of today have no sound foundation for their “New Views” from either Messenger – no hint of another period from either messenger, and no hint of an ‘extended’ Basileia overlapping to include three major features of the Epiphany, or the Time of Trouble – the World War of 1914 was the first feature of this Time of Trouble, and the other major features, Armageddon, Anarchy and Jacob’s Trouble, haven’t fully matured; although the world is rapidly advancing toward the remaining three.

EPIPHANEIA‑APOKALYPSIS IDENTICAL

The word epiphaneia occurs six times in the New Testament – translated five times as appearing, and once as brightness, the latter occurring in 2 Thes. 2:8. The other five texts are 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 1:10; 4:1 and 4:8; Titus 1:13. Aside from 2 Tim. 1:10 (which refers to the First Advent), all other five occurrences refer to the Second Advent and the Time of Trouble. In the sense of the second period of our Lord’s Second Advent it is limited to the time between the Parousia and the Basileia. It is used to designate the period of the great tribulation, the Time of Trouble. Remembering that the epiphaneia and the apokalypsis are one and the same time and that this period is for the benefit of the world and the Great Company, we can readily see that the Scriptures teach that the Epiphany, as a period, is the Time of Trouble. (See E‑4, p, 21, par. 14)

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

Further corroboration of the same is to be found in Zech. 12:9, 10, wherein is described the Lord’s epiphanizing of Himself to Israel: “It shall come to pass in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem (in the end of the second phase of Jacob’s Trouble – Zech. 12:1‑8; Ezek. 38 and 39) and I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication, and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced (Rev. 1:7); and they shall mourn for it” (for having pierced Him at Calvary?. All Truth people recognize at once that this passage refers to the end of Jacob’s trouble, and that it proves our Lord’s revelation of Himself to Israel as their long rejected Messiah. Hence these two verses prove that the Time of Trouble and the Epiphany are identical. By the above passages we have proved that the Epiphany began with the War in 1914, and will progress through Revolution, and will end with Anarchy and Jacob’s trouble. Quite a few brilliant men have remarked that the world has never been the same after the World War of 1914. Its beginning, progressing and ending with the Time of Trouble demonstrates its identity with the Time of Trouble.

We repeat it should be noted in the foregoing it is stated that Apokalypsis and Epiphaneia are synonymous “as an act and as a period of time”; and there is good reason for this limitation, because the two words are not synonymous in the strict and all‑inclusive sense of the term. Apokalypsis means uncovering or revelation; whereas, Epiphaneia means bright shining, or brilliant illumination. As an act this latter is clearly designated in Matt. 4:16, 17, Dia.: “People dwelling in darkness saw a great light (through the brilliant illumination that came from Jesus’ teachings)....the royal majesty of the Heavens has approached.” But the word apokalypsis is limited more to an uncovering, a revelation. The last book of the Bible is commonly called The Revelation; but the Diaglott translation simply heads it The Apokalypse. It was indeed a revelation at the time it was written by the Apostle John, but it could not be understood in any of its parts without the help of the Holy Spirit and time itself, Therefore, we state it is impossible to have a revelation without an epiphaneia Because it is the bright shining that accomplishes the uncovering.

To illustrate: A dollar bill may be lying on the floor of a dark room, with a person standing directly over it, but he cannot see it because of the darkness. But once the electric light is turned on, that bright shining reveals it. Even so, it would yet be revealed only to the one standing in that particular room, and awake. “Blessed are your eyes, for they see.” (Matt. 13;16) Since 1914 this bright shining has increased to such an extent that even some of those in the world not understanding the performance, yet can see some of its effects – hazy and blurred though their vision may be. One outstanding financial expert has stated it this way: We are now in the 69th year of monetary disorder (since 1914).

TIMELY QUOTATIONS FROM THAT SERVANT

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

Haven’t the “commotion of this Epiphany period disturbed the ordinary avocations of daily life’? Certainly it is self‑evident that the world since 1914 – the beginning of the Epiphaneia, the Time of Trouble – now is most cognizant of a great change. Often do we hear the remark that we are in a “Time of Trouble” since 1914, even by those who have no concrete knowledge of present truth. But those who have departed from the Truth on the Epiphaneia and the Apokalupsis, the Time of Trouble as given us by That Servant, manifest that they are no longer faithful to the Truth that once sanctified them. That Servant clearly and distinctly differentiates between the reaping feature (the Parousia) and the Time of Trouble (the Epiphania), Thus, in casting aside these Scriptural teachings, they teach error mixed with Truth.

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

WANDERING FROM THE TRUTH

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

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

It would seem the first of these occurred in the Jewish Harvest – when the Lord, the Apostles, the Seventy and others made diligent and truthful search of the Gospel Age Canaan land, the same being a type of the sphere of the Truth and the spirit of the Truth. But there in that first antitype again it was only a very “little flock” who accepted the Truth. In doing “among them the works which no other man did” – miracles never before seen in Israel – our Lord had influenced only about 500 (1 Cor. 15:6) to full belief – a very “little flock” when compared to the thousands of unbelievers in Israel who rejected Him. There the ‘great company’ of Jews listened to the evil report of the Scribes and Pharisees – (just as it is today), with the resultant “wandering Jew” (almost the entire race) during the 1845‑year “double” of the Gospel Age, which ended in 1878.

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

PRESENT‑DAY WANDERINGS

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

All with any knowledge of Parousia Truth will readily agree that the destruction of “the world that was” in the great flood was typical of the destruction of this “present evil world.” And we are told that the destructive force of rain continued for forty days and forty nights. (Gen. 7:12) The Bible seldom uses words simply for euphony or window dressing, as is true of mundane writers. And, since the Time of Trouble and the Epiphany are identical, we should expect the Epiphany to be still with us (as taught by both Messengers), because the Time of Trouble is also still with us. And we believe it is also evident to all that the 40‑year Epiphany day (1914‑1954) was not nearly so violent as is the present 40‑year Epiphany night – as described in our No. 108, The Third Watch).

In the past 29 years there is increased tumult in the home, in the community, and in the nation. The antitypical Assyrians (the violent radicals) have no restraints at all in their atrocities, as evidence the many riots in America, the horrible butcheries of helpless women, children and aged in Vietnam, and the impudent and unscrupulous attitude of the Cuban rulers – to say nothing of the stepped‑up decay in the world’s finances. Almost the whole civilized world is operating today on worthless paper; and each year finds this condition pyramided in indescribable bedlam. This is emphasized when we recall that the national debt of the United States was about one billion dollars in 1914 and then considered dangerously high. This present fiscal year will witness a deficit of about 200 billion dollars for this one year alone.

But, while it is proper that we note the decay in the world’s affairs, our main concern is with those who “wander from the Truth.” Clearly enough, this could refer only to those once “in the Truth,” the same being the various individuals among Truth groups who have fallen prey to false leadership, thus believing the report of the ten false spies.

CHARACTER BLEMISHES NOT SUFFICIENT FOR JUDGMENT

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

That Servant tells us in the Sept. 1, 1916 Watch Tower, Reprint 5249, top, Col. 1: “Let us remember, too, that God has promised to guide the minds of those whose hearts are loyal and true to Him. We should therefore conclude that if the Lord is thrusting any out of the light as unworthy of it, into the outer darkness of the world, if He is permitting unfaithful ones to be seduced by the great enemy... We are to remain with the Lord and those who are walking in the light... When the Lord has put any out of the light (Matt. 22:13), we cannot hope to bring them back.” And more from his pen: “However, none are ever permitted to be overcome who have not in some way been unfaithful to the Truth and hence unworthy of it. Upon all such God has said He would send the strong delusion, so that they shall believe a lie.” (2 Thes. 2:11)

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

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

Even without the type this should be readily apparent to the critical observer from the fact that so many of them now have so little of the Truth, and the spirit of the Truth, that once sanctified them – especially the Truth on Youthful Worthy opportunity. Many have forsaken the Truth that Youthful Worthies can be won “until Restitution sets in,” and are now substituting a “consecrated” (?) class in the Camp to supplant them, in this Epiphany period when the Highway of Holiness is not available – and a “way” (Christ’s merit applied for the world) to enter it.

That the Parousia messenger taught such a class, and that the Epiphany Messenger merely elaborated on that class, is indisputable and very clear to all who have received the Truth “in the love of the Truth.” However, we believe there are many Youthful Worthies in the various groups who haven’t been taught the Truth on their class standing. Some are being won now; and after Armageddon, when the “heavens” will be removed (the present religious ruling powers in both Big and Little Babylon), we believe many will gladly come to a “knowledge of the truth” and will be among those faithful consecrators who will be rewarded in honor and service with the Ancient Worthies,

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

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

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

==========================

QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST

QUESTION: – Why do our and the Jewish Calendars differ so widely in giving the years from Adam’s creation to the present?

ANSWER: – Our chronology follows (1) the full Biblical data on the subject up to the time that secular chronology becomes reliable, 536 years before Christ and then (2) takes the secular chronology as correct; while the Jewish chronology does not so do in either case. The both chronologies agree until nearly four centuries after the flood; but from Abraham’s birth on they diverge. The Bible chronology gives us 427 years from the flood to the entrance of Canaan while the Jewish chronology allows only 367 years for this period, a discrepancy of 60 years, due to the Jews thinking Abraham was born in the 70th not 130th year of Terah. Again the Bible chronology gives 430 years from Abraham’s entering Canaan to the Exodus, fixing it at the Passover of 1615 BC, while the Jewish Chronology gives the Exodus as at the Passover of 1492 BC – a difference of 123 years. The Bible Chronology gives as the time from the Exodus to David 40 (wilderness) + 6 (conquest of the Land) + 450 (Judges) + 40 (Saul) as 536; while the Jewish Chronology gives it as 445 years – a difference of 274 years between the two chronologies, the Jewish Calendar being at the beginning of David’s reign 274 years too short. According to the Bible chronology it was 473 years from the beginning of David’s reign to the end of Zedekiah’s reign, while the Jewish chronology allows but 460 years for this time – a difference of 13 years in this period, and of 287 years from the flood until the dethroning of Zedekiah.

The Bible Chronology gives 70 years from the desolation of the land and the Jewish Chronology gives 51 – a difference of 19 years (Josephus, however, makes the desolation 70 years long), making the total difference so far 306 years. For the period from 536 before Christ until Jerusalem’s destruction 70 A. D.; our Chronology gives 606 years, while the Jewish Chronology gives the period 490 years, claiming that this period is the 70 weeks of Daniel. Here is a difference of 116 years, making the total differences from the flood to 70 A. D. 422 years. According to the Jewish Calendar we are now (written in 1932) in the 5693rd year, while according to the Biblical Chronology we are in the 6061st year since the creation of Adam, a difference of 368 years, which means that since 70 A. D. they have added 54 years more to their chronology than the Gentile world has to theirs.

Even their own chronologers admit that their chronology since 70 AD is hopelessly confused. In the Divine providence this, their confusion, has been permitted for their blinding on the time of the Second Advent; for they, too, believe that Messiah’s reign is to come in the seventh one thousand years, the antitypical Sabbath.

For the above data on the Jewish chronology, please see the article on Chronology in the Jewish Encyclopedia – and see Vol. 2, chapter 2 for the facts on Biblical Chronology – also see our paper, No. 327, September 1982, on Bible Chronology.

===========================

LETTER OF GENERAL INTEREST

Dear Brother and Sister Hoefle: Grace and peace in His Name!

Our prayers are with all of you there, for your health and the Lord’s continued guidance. We have been blessed by your work in the Lord, and I have especially enjoyed the current articles on the Major Prophets.

My friend ------- tells me he does appreciate your articles and will be pleased to continue receiving them. Please read the enclosed clipping taken from our local newspaper. He and his wife are very active members in the subject church in this clipping. They had decided to leave the church if the vote to break with the parent body (The Disciples of Christ) was not passed by a large majority. On Sunday Oct. 9 the vote did carry by 3/4 of the majority to break with the parent body, and they... still attend this church. Many years ago I told him that in these end times the nominal church would become even more worldly, and that God’s people would be tested and separate themselves from that system. In God’s providence this has come to pass in some degree in the case of my friend.

My prayers continue for a Bible study class, and this would be possible to a limited degree with my friends. I thought the Rev. ------- took a brave stand with his decision to recommend the separation from the parent church body. I had an opportunity to talk with him briefly, and congratulated him on his stand to bear the cross. I pray for an opportunity to share other essential Scriptural Truths with him. Any suggestions in this regard, or any appropriate literature for him will be appreciated.

Thank you for the book with painted scenes from Israel. This is a very thoughtful gift and we enjoy the beautiful paintings of the Holy Land. We are enjoying the Dispatch from Jerusalem with its many articles giving the Scriptural proof of Israel’s right to their homeland. It is so refreshing to hear the Israeli’s side of the conflict in Lebanon when we get so many negative reports concerning Israel from the western news media. We continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

We are all well here and feel blessed to have all our family with us this Thanksgiving. We hope that this finds you and yours in good health. May the Lord bless and keep you through the Holiday Season and the coming New Year.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers toward us. Please be assured of our continued prayers for all of you. With warm Christian love, ------- (CALIFORNIA)