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diff --git a/46016.txt b/46016.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..090f585 --- /dev/null +++ b/46016.txt @@ -0,0 +1,27646 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Finished Mystery by Charles Taze +Russell + + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no +restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under +the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or +online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license + + + +Title: The Finished Mystery + +Author: Charles Taze Russell + +Release Date: June 17, 2014 [Ebook #46016] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: US-ASCII + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FINISHED MYSTERY*** + + + + + + Studies in the Scriptures + + Volume VII + + The Finished Mystery + + "The Winepress of God's Wrath" and the Fall of Babylon. + + By + + Charles Taze Russell + + (Published Posthumously) + + Edited by + + C. J. Woodworth and George H. Fisher + + 850,000 Edition + +"And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up + his hand to Heaven, and swore by Him that liveth forever and ever, who + created Heaven and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the + things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, +that the time should be no longer delayed; but in the days of the voice of +the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the Mystery of God should + be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the Prophets."--Rev. + 10:5-7. "At the end it shall speak and not lie."--Hab. 2:3. + + Copyright 1917 + + Peoples Pulpit Association + + Brooklyn, N. Y., U. S. A. + + International Bible Students Association + + Brooklyn, London, Melbourne, Barmen + + 1918 + + + + + +CONTENTS + + +Publisher's Preface +Explanatory Note +The Revelation Of [St.] John [The Divine] + Revelation 1--The Message For This Day + Revelation 2--St. Paul, St. John, Arius And Waldo + Revelation 3--Wycliffe, Luther And Russell + Revelation 4--The Author Of The Plan + Revelation 5--The Executor Of The Plan + Revelation 6--Six Seals And The Papacy + Revelation 7--Seventh Seal And Great Company + Revelation 8--Four Preliminary Reformations + Revelation 9--Two Ineffective Reformation Woes + Revelation 10--The True Reformation Woe + Revelation 11--The Time Of The End + Revelation 12--The Birth Of Antichrist + Revelation 13--The Papal And Protestant Beasts + Revelation 14--The Five Harvest Messages + Revelation 15--The Song Of The Saints + Revelation 16--Ecclesiasticism's Seven Plagues + Revelation 17--The Papacy's Last Stand + Revelation 18--The Fall Of Ecclesiasticism + Revelation 19--The Overthrow Of Satan's Empire + Revelation 20--The Thousand Years' Reign + Revelation 21--The Descending Kingdom + Revelation 22--The River Of Grace And Truth +The Song Of Solomon + The Bridal Anthem + The Heavenly Bridegroom +The Book Of The Prophet Ezekiel + Ezekiel 1--God's Character And Plan + Ezekiel 2--The Rebellious House And The Book + Ezekiel 3--Pastor Russell's Divine Ordination + Ezekiel 4--The Papal And Protestant Sieges + Ezekiel 5--The Severed Hair Calamities + Ezekiel 6--Sword--Famine--Pestilence + Ezekiel 7--Dawn Of The Evil Day + Ezekiel 8--Molech, The Torment Deity + Ezekiel 9--The Man With The Inkhorn + Ezekiel 10--Scattering Coals Of Fire + Ezekiel 11--The Wicked Counsel + Ezekiel 12--Christendom's Blind Flight + Ezekiel 13--The Gaps In The Wall + Ezekiel 14--Insincere Inquirers + Ezekiel 15--Fit For Fuel Only + Ezekiel 16--Unfaithfulness Of God's People + Ezekiel 17--Parable Of The Eagles + Ezekiel 18--"The Soul That Sinneth" + Ezekiel 19--The Lion's Whelps + Ezekiel 20--The Hypocritical Ecclesiastics + Ezekiel 21--The Thrice-Doubled Sword + Ezekiel 22--The Melting Pot Of War + Ezekiel 23--Two Apostate Church Systems + Ezekiel 24--The Boiling Caldron + Ezekiel 25--Recompense Upon The Tares + Ezekiel 26--Downfall Of Philosophy + Ezekiel 27--Philosophy's Utter Ruin + Ezekiel 28--Destruction Of The Devil + Ezekiel 29--The Egyptians A Type + Ezekiel 30--Pharaoh's Two Arms Broken + Ezekiel 31--Christendom Not To Endure + Ezekiel 32--Christendom's Utter Downfall + Ezekiel 33--Why Ecclesiasticism Must Perish + Ezekiel 34--The Unfaithful Shepherds + Ezekiel 35--Edom A Type + Ezekiel 36--Christendom's Early Restoration + Ezekiel 37--The Valley Of Dry Bones + Ezekiel 38--Final Overthrow Of Pride + Ezekiel 39--Death Of Pride's Multitude + Ezekiel 40-48--God's Temple And River Of Truth +Advertisements + "Go Ye Also Into The Vineyard" + "Both the Houses of Israel" + The Watch Tower And Herald Of Christ's Presence + What Say The Scriptures About Hell? + What Say The Scriptures About Spiritism? + Miscellaneous Advertisements +Footnotes + + + + + + + [Cover Art] + +[Transcriber's Note: The above cover image was produced by the submitter +at Distributed Proofreaders, and is being placed into the public domain.] + + + + + +TO THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS THIS WORK IS DEDICATED + +In the Interest of +HIS CONSECRATED SAINTS +Waiting for the Adoption +And of +"ALL THAT IN EVERY PLACE CALL UPON THE LORD" +"THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH" +And Of +The Groaning Creation; Travailing And +Waiting for the Manifestation of +THE SONS OF GOD + +POSTHUMOUS WORK OF PASTOR RUSSELL + +His Last Legacy to the Dear Israel of God (Matt 20:9) + +"To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the +beginning of the world hath been hid in God." "Wherein He hath abounded +toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the +mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed +in Himself; that in the dispensation of the fulness of the times He might +gather together in one all things, under Christ." + +Eph. 3:4, 5, 9; 1:8-10 + + + + + +PUBLISHER'S PREFACE + + +Since the days of the Apostles, Christian people have been looking for the +coming of our Lord Jesus in great power and glory; for He said that He +would come again and receive His Church unto Himself. He further pointed +out that for some time prior to the completion of the Church He would be +present, gathering out from Babylon and from the world the truly +consecrated, and that during His presence "the Mystery of God" would be +finished. + +Through St. John the Lord Jesus revealed the fact that the Church would be +developed during seven distinct periods, or epochs; and that for each of +these epochs He would have a special angel, or messenger, to serve the +other members of the Body. It follows, then, that the messenger to the +last, or Laodicean, epoch would declare the Presence of the Lord and the +time of the Harvest of the Gospel Age. The great Master laid special +emphasis on the importance of the messenger to the seventh, or Laodicean, +period of the Church, saying that such an one would be "a faithful and +wise servant, whom his Lord would make ruler over all His Household, to +give them meat in due season." + +Those consecrated Christians who have read and fully appreciated the Truth +as contained in the preceding six volumes of STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES +readily see and agree that Charles Taze Russell was the messenger of the +Church of Laodicea. In the mind of every one who believes the Bible the +evidence set forth in this volume will establish that fact beyond the +question of a doubt. + +In the light of Divine Prophecy, now being daily fulfilled and made clear +to "the watchers," the following from the pen of Pastor Russell is further +proof that he was sent of God to this generation. Long years before the +beginning of the trouble now upon the nations he wrote: + + + "The four exhibitions of the Lord, given to Elijah, represent, we + believe, four manifestations in which the Lord is about to reveal + Himself to mankind, the first three of which will prepare men for + the final one, in which will come the desired blessing to all the + families of the earth. These are: + + "(1) _The mighty winds_ rending the very rocks. Blowing winds seem + to be used in Scripture for wars. The wars, whose dark clouds have + threatened the civilized world so ominously for the past thirty + years, have been miraculously hindered to give opportunity for + 'sealing' the Lord's consecrated people in their foreheads + (intellectually) with the Present Truth. We are therefore to + expect that when these winds of war shall be let loose, it will + mean a cataclysm of warfare which shall divide kingdoms + (mountains)--prefigured by the mighty wind shown to Elijah (1 Kings + 19:11), which rent the rocks. But God's Kingdom will not follow + the epoch of war; the world will not thus be made ready for the + Reign of Immanuel. No; a further lesson will be needed and will be + given. It is represented in + + "(2) An _earthquake_. Throughout the Scriptures an earthquake + seems always to represent revolution; and it is not unreasonable + to expect that an era of general warfare would so arouse the lower + classes of Europe and so discontent them with their lot (and + especially with the conditions which would follow such a war) that + revolution would be the next thing in order. (Rev. 16:18.) But, + severe though those revolutionary experiences will be to the + world, they are not sufficient to prepare men to hear the voice of + God. It will require + + "(3) The _fire from heaven_--an epoch of Divine judgments and + chastisements upon a maddened but unconverted world, wild in + anarchy, as other Scriptures show us. The results of their wars, + revolutions and anarchy, in the failure of their schemes, will + have a humbling effect, and will prepare mankind for God's + revelation of Himself in + + "(4) The _still small voice_. Yes; He who spoke to the winds and + the waves of the Sea of Galilee will, in due time, 'speak peace to + the peoples.' He will speak with authority, commanding the + observance of His long neglected Law of Love. 'And whosoever will + not hear that Prophet shall be cut off from among His people.' + (Acts 3:23.)"--THE WATCH TOWER, July 1, 1898, p. 308. + + "Looking back to the prophetic testimony respecting the _Times of + the Gentiles_, we perceive that our Lord's words, 'Jerusalem shall + be trodden down of the Gentiles until the Times of the Gentiles be + filled full,' give the intimation that the determined times, or + years, in which the empire of earth would be in the hands of + Gentile governments was a fixed one from the Divine standpoint. + And if, as we believe the Scriptures to teach, Gentile domination + was provided for up to October, 1914, it would seem but a + reasonable interpretation that Divine power would not be exercised + to their dethronement until _after_ the time allotted for their + reign had ended--October, 1914."--THE WATCH TOWER, July 1, 1904. p. + 198. + + +In 1879 Charles Taze Russell began the publication of THE WATCH TOWER, of +which he was the sole editor as long as he remained on earth. THE WATCH +TOWER was, and is, the first and only journal declaring the _presence_ of +the Lord Jesus. Pastor Russell being the messenger to the Laodicean +Church, and occupying the position of the Lord's special servant to give +the Household of Faith meat in due season, it was to be expected that he +would bring forth from the Lord's great "Storehouse" the needed spiritual +food for the Church, in harmony with God's will. By the Lord's grace he +wrote the six volumes of STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, which writings, aside +from the Bible, have gladdened more hearts and thrilled Christians with +greater hope and joyful expectation than have any other writings extant. +These books have been properly designated "Keys to the Divine Plan of the +Ages." These "keys" have been placed in the hands of thousands of +Christian people throughout the world, and have enabled them to unlock the +Lord's Treasure-house, the Bible, and there to see some of the "treasures +of wisdom" and knowledge of God! Some have been able to use these "keys" +more effectually than have others. "God hath set the members in the Body +as it hath pleased Him." + +Time and again Pastor Russell said that the Seventh Volume of STUDIES IN +THE SCRIPTURES would be written; and it was expected that he would write +it. The Scriptures show that the Seventh Volume must be published. Pastor +Russell passed from the earth, and the Seventh Volume remained +unpublished. In his last moments he said, "Some one else can write the +Seventh Volume." For any one to arrogate to himself the authority to write +and publish the Seventh Volume would, we believe, seem presumptuous before +the Lord. Whom, then, would the Lord have to write it? + +Pastor Russell was a man of unusual modesty. Great men usually are modest. +The examination of the contents of this book will disclose the fact that +it deals with Revelation and Ezekiel; that the Lord long ago caused to be +recorded therein, in symbolic language, a history of the Church, +particularly the closing earthly experiences thereof; that therein He set +forth that He would uncover the frauds, deceptions and blasphemous +teachings and practices of the church nominal--both Catholic and +Protestant; that in the last days He would then make bare the unholy +alliance between the unrighteous ecclesiastical systems and the corrupt +political elements of the earth, which religious systems have prospered +and grown fat in the name of Christ; that the Lord pronounces His +indignation and wrath against all such Babylonish systems and marks their +utter destruction in a Time of Trouble such as the world has never known +and will never again know; and that the earthly creature made prominent +therein above all others is the messenger of the Laodicean Church--"that +wise and faithful servant" of the Lord--CHARLES TAZE RUSSELL. In view of +the facts stated, is it at all surprising that the Lord spared him the +publication of the Seventh Volume? + +But the fact is, _he did write it_. This book may properly be said to be a +posthumous publication of Pastor Russell. Why? Because to him the Lord +gave the "key"; to him was given the privilege of making clear to the +Church in its last years the "Mystery of God"; to him was granted the +privilege of hearing from the hands of the Lord to the Household of Faith +"meat in due season" for the special development and sustenance of God's +dear little ones. This service he has faithfully performed. This book is +chiefly a compilation of things which he wrote and which have been brought +together in harmonious style by properly applying the symbols which he +explained to the Church. + +By his last Will and Testament Pastor Russell designated George H. Fisher, +of Scranton, Pa., as one whom he would approve as a member of the +Editorial Staff of THE WATCH TOWER--the most important journal published on +earth. For many years Brother Fisher has been consecrated to the Lord, a +careful student of the Bible in the light of the Message brought from the +Lord by the messenger to the Laodicean Church; and for some time he has +made a careful and prayerful study of the Book of Ezekiel. + +When Pastor Russell was with us he gave direction that the BIBLE STUDENTS +MANUAL should be prepared by Clayton J. Woodworth, also of Scranton, Pa. +This Manual was published by this Society, and has proven a great blessing +to the Household of Faith. The preparation of that Manual required a +critical examination of everything Pastor Russell had written; and thus +Brother Woodworth was enabled to become more familiar, probably, than any +one else with the explanation of the Scriptures which had been given by +Brother Russell. In this manner the Lord seemed to have qualified him for +some special work. With the "key" which Brother Russell, as the Lord's +servant, had placed in his hands, Brother Woodworth, by the Lord's grace, +has been enabled to bring together everything that Brother Russell wrote +on Revelation, and to explain and harmonize the other parts of that book +with the Divine Plan; also, to treat similarly, the Song of Solomon. + +It seemed pleasing to the Lord that Brothers C. J. Woodworth and George H. +Fisher should prepare the Seventh Volume, under the direction of the WATCH +TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY. While both residing in the same city, they +have worked separate and apart from each other, not even comparing notes. +The reader will be able to judge how fully the work of each harmonizes +with that of the other and with the Divine Plan, thus giving further +evidence of the Lord's direction in this matter. + +Pastor Russell long ago said, in substance, that the Seventh Volume would +not be for the development of the Church; that the preceding _six_ volumes +of STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES contain the necessary spiritual food for that +purpose. Asked why, then, it would be written, he replied, "_It will +probably be given to the Church in a time of direst need, for her comfort +and encouragement_." + +Who amongst the consecrated this side the veil does not realize that the +Church is now in that time of "dire need of comfort and encouragement"? +The hour of fiery trial and great testings is upon God's people, and there +is need for their comfort and encouragement. The Lord has promised "grace +sufficient" and help for every time of need for those who love Him and +come confidently unto Him. We believe that as the Lord's dear children +throughout the earth read the contents of this book and see how +wonderfully He has shielded them from the storms of human passion and from +the snares of the great Adversary; and that when they see that the +unrighteous, wicked systems of Babylon are now crumbling under the mighty +hand of God--which bespeaks the early deliverance of the last members of +the Body from this vale of tears into the glorious light and liberty of +the saints--that then they will be greatly comforted; that then they will +take new courage and "gird up the loins of their mind, be sober and hope +to the end for the grace that is to come unto them quickly;" that with +exceeding joy they will lift up their heads, because the hour of +deliverance is at hand! To all the truly consecrated who read and +appreciate this book we believe that the words of the Master, "THE KINGDOM +OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!" will sound in their ears like clarion notes upon +the clear morning air, giving courage and strength to those who are +growing weak in faith, and more courage to the stronger ones. We believe +that every one who appreciates this volume will have a burning desire to +grasp his weapon and go forth to the smiting of the Jordan, giving praise +to the Lord for the privilege. + +Some will murmur and find fault with this book; some will grow angry, and +some will join the persecutors. But, we believe, every saint whose heart +is filled with love for God and for His people will rejoice and give +praise to the Lord for this further evidence of His blessed favor. + +The publisher takes pleasure in presenting this, the Seventh Volume, to +the remaining members of the Church, and to all who may read with profit +to themselves and to the glory of the Lord Jesus and our Father. As the +Lord has sent forth the other six volumes, His blessing has accompanied +each. That His blessing may be upon this volume, to the comfort and +encouragement of the dear saints in the hour of direst need, is our +prayer! + +WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY. + + + + + +EXPLANATORY NOTE + + +This posthumous work of Pastor Russell (arranged for use as a textbook) is +much condensed, including the extracts from the Pastor's pen, all of which +are referred back to his works. The abbreviations used are: + +A, B, C, D, E, F. The six preceding volumes of "STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES" +(Citations to E in italic figures refer to old editions, figures in + ordinary type to later editions.) +B. S. M. ... "THE BIBLE STUDENTS MONTHLY." +H. ... "What Say the Scriptures ABOUT HELL?" +P-D. ... "PHOTO-DRAMA OF CREATION" Scenario. +T. ... "TABERNACLE SHADOWS." +S. ... "SPIRITISM" Pamphlet. +Z. ... "ZION'S WATCH TOWER," followed by year and page. + +The citations to REVELATION and EZEKIEL refer to the comments herein, as +well as to the Bible text. + +Other abbreviations used are: + +Barnes ... Barnes' "Revelation." +Brit. ... "Encyclopedia Britannica." +Buck ... Buck's "Theological Dictionary." +Coffin ... Coffin's "Story of Liberty." +Cook ... Cook's "Revelation;" a compendium of the presentations of + seventy-two leading commentators on Revelation, in all + languages and all ages of the church. +Edgar ... Edgar's "Pyramid Passages." Vol. II. +McC. ... McClintock and Strong's Encyclopedia. +Mosheim ... Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History. +S. B. D. ... Smith's Bible Dictionary. +Smith ... Smith's "Thoughts on Daniel and Revelation." +Weym ... Weymouth's New Testament In Modern Speech. + + + + + +THE REVELATION OF [ST.] JOHN [THE DIVINE](1) + + + + +Revelation 1--The Message For This Day + + +The Revelation of Jesus Christ.--John the Revelator and the Prophet +Habakkuk have foretold that the understanding of this revelation, given in +96 A. D., is set for an appointed time, the end of the age; and that, at +this time, now, when the predicted "Faithful and wise servant" would be +present with God's people, the vision would be made plain.--Rev. 1:10; +Matt. 24:45; Hab. 2:1-3; 1 Pet 1:13. + +Which God gave unto Him.--"The declaration that 'the Son can do nothing of +Himself,' if it were not backed up as it is by a score of other +testimonies from the same interested and inspired Teacher, is a +contradiction to the common thought of Trinitarians, that the Son is the +Father."--Z. '99-45; John 5:20; 12:49; 17:7,8. + +To shew unto His [servants] SAINTS.(2)--"Our Lord Jesus has promised us +that, as the Elder Brother (of the Gospel House of Sons), whatsoever the +Father shall make known to Him He in turn will make known to us."--Z. +'99-45. + +The things.--The shifting scenes of Church and State, the history of the +Gospel and Millennial Ages. + +Which must shortly come to pass.--Which began at once, in St. John's day, +and will continue until the completion of all that he foresaw. + +And He sent.--He did not come Himself, but acted with the dignity becoming +Him who is now the express Image of the Father's person. "Dwelling in the +light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can +see."--Heb. 1:3; 1 Tim. 6:16. + +And signified It--"Our Lord's revelation, which God gave Him after He had +passed into glory, He sent and signified [_sign_ified, told in signs, +symbols, etc.] to His Church."--B. 203. + +By His angel.--The "angel" of Rev. 3:14 represented this messenger who +appeared to St. John. Our Lord's promise in Luke 12:44 is not limited to +activities on this side the veil. + +Unto His servant John.--"This simplicity, common to all the Apostles, +commends them to us as men of humble mind--the very kind we should expect +our Lord to use as special messengers to His people."--Z. '16-343; Rev. +19:10. + +1:2. Who bare record.--Previously, In the Fourth Gospel, and in the three +epistles bearing his name. + +Of the Word of God.--The Logos. St. John has had more to say of the Logos +than had any other Apostle. "In olden times certain kings made addresses +to their subjects by proxy, the king sitting behind a screen, while his +word, or spokesman, stood before the screen, and addressed the people +aloud on subjects whispered to him by the king, who was not seen, and such +a speaker was termed the King's _logos_."--E. 94-85. + +And of the testimony.--The daily words and deeds, during the three and a +half years of His ministry. + +Of Jesus Christ.--"The Faithful and True Witness."--Rev. 3:14. + +[And of all] WHAT things [that] SOEVER he saw.--St. John's powers of +observation were acute. His Gospel contains records of twenty-two events +or teachings not mentioned by the other Evangelists. + +1:3. Blessed is he.--Singular. + +That readeth.--Correctly interprets the symbolisms. + +And they.--Plural. + +That hear the [words] WORD of this prophecy.--"All who have read and +understood even a part of the teachings of the book were blessed as +promised. It was an important aid to Luther in deciding that the Papacy, +of which he was a conscientious minister, was 'Antichrist' "--A. 27. + +And keep.--Keep the eyes upon, observe (so the Greek Indicates).--Rev. 22:7. + +Those things which are written therein.--"There is a blessing upon those +who read this revelation, even though they do not understand, and a +special blessing upon those who hear and understand the words of this +prophecy, and who conform their lives to the things therein written."--Z. +'16-343. + +For the time is at hand.--The fulfilments began at once, in St. John's own +day. + +1:4. John to the seven churches.--Not merely the seven literal +congregations mentioned in Verse 11 and elsewhere, but to the epochs of +the Church as a whole, from Apostolic days until now. + +Which are in Asia.--In the Orient, the East, the early path of the sun. +Before the Sun of Righteousness can illuminate the world of mankind, its +rays must first have passed through the Church, the first to greet and +welcome the New Day. + +Grace be unto you.--May favor, unmerited, be your happy portion. + +And peace.--The Lord's special legacy to His Church.--John 14:27. + +From Him.--Our glorified Lord and Head.--Rev. 1:8. + +Which is.--Now self-existent, like the Father.--John 5:26. + +And which was.--The Logos, the Father's Agent in the creation of all things +(John 1:3), and subsequently, as man's Redeemer, "made a little lower than +the angels for the suffering of death."--Heb. 2:9. + +And which is to come.--In glory and great power at His Second Advent, +"until He shall have set judgment in the earth."--Isa. 42:4. + +And from the seven spirits.--Lamps of fire, or eyes. (Rev. 4:5; 5:6.) "In +this symbolical picture the eye of the Lord is represented as seven or +complete, all-seeing, everywhere, all-knowing. This is our confidence, +this is our rejoicing."--Z. '05-318; Zech. 3:9, 4:10. + +Which are before His Throne.--Which are "sent forth into all the +earth."--Rev. 4:5. + +1:5. And.--_Kai_, even. For a similar use of the word see the expression, +"God Himself and our Father" (1 Thes. 3:11), which, in the Diaglott, is +rendered, "God Himself, even our Father." + +From Jesus Christ the faithful Witness.--"Who before Pontius Pilate +witnessed a good confession." (1 Tim. 6:13.) Our Lord's admission to +Pilate, "I am a King; to this end was I born, and for this cause came I +into the world" (John 18:37), was the direct cause of His death. The +accusation set up over His head was, "This is Jesus the King of the Jews." +(John 19:19; Matt. 27:37.) Similarly faithful admissions may end the +earthly careers of the feet-members of His Body. + +The First Begotten of the dead.--"The First-Born of the dead ones." +(Diaglott.) (1 Cor. 15:20; Col. 1:18; Acts 26:23.) "This verse clearly +teaches what the creeds of Christendom ignore; namely, that our Lord was +the first to experience a resurrection to perfection and eternal life in +the full sense of the word."--Z. '16-343; Acts 13:33, 34. + +And.--Even. + +The Prince.--The King-Elect, now ruling in their hearts. + +Of the kings of the earth.--His associate kings, "The kings of the East." +(Rev. 16:12.) "All are to be awakened from the Adamic death, as though +from a sleep. They will then be under the care of the Royal Priesthood, +whose experience with sin, and whose victory over sin, well fitted them to +be helpful toward those over whom they will reign, as Kings as well as +Priests. (Rev. 5:10.)"--E. 487, 478. + +Unto Him that [loved] LOVETH us.--Our Lord's love for us is ever-present. + +And [washed] FREED us from our sins [in] BY His own blood.--"That it was +the death of the Man Christ Jesus, His 'blood,' that secured our release +from sin and death is most unequivocally stated in many Scriptures. See 1 +Pet 1:2; Acts 4:12; 20:28; Rev. 5:9; Rom. 5:9; Heb. 13:12."--E. 458, 446; +Matt. 20:28; 1 Tim. 2:6; Rev. 14:4. + +1:6. And hath made us.--And will make us during the Millennial Age. + +[Kings and] A KINGDOM, priests.--The work of a priest is that of +intervention and of instruction in righteousness. It logically implies +subjects and a future work of salvation.--1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 5:10; 20:6; +22:5. + +Unto God and His Father.--"Unto the God and Father of Himself."--Diaglott. +Rom. 15:6; 2 Cor. 1:3; Eph. 1:3. + +To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.--"He shall have +dominion also from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the +earth;... and let the whole earth be filled with His glory; Amen, and +Amen." (Psa. 72:8, 19.) "For ever and ever" is literally "for the ages of +_the_ ages." The Millennium and subsequent ages are the ages of the ages. + +1:7. Behold, He cometh with clouds.--"While the clouds of trouble hang +heavy and dark, when the mountains--kingdoms of this world--are trembling +and falling, when the earth--organized society--is being shaken and +disintegrated, some will begin to realize that Jehovah's Anointed is +taking to Himself His great power and is beginning His work of laying +justice to the line and righteousness to the plummet."--Z. '16-344; Matt +24:30. + +And every eye shall see Him.--"He will not be visible to natural sight, but +to the eyes of understanding, as these shall open to an appreciation of +the punishments and blessings which will flow to mankind from His Reign. +Our King will reveal Himself gradually. Some will discern the new Ruler +sooner than will others. But ultimately 'every eye shall see [Greek, +_horao_, discern] Him.' "--Z. '16-344. + +And they also which pierced Him.--"And I will pour upon the House of David, +and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem [the Jewish people], the spirit of +grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have +pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only +son."--Zech. 12:10. + +And all kindreds of the earth shall [wail because of] BEWAIL Him.--"At the +time of our Lord's Second Advent the world will be far from converted to +God; for 'all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.' Christ +comes before the conversion of the world and for the very purpose of +converting all mankind."--Z. '16-344. + +Even so, Amen.--We cannot stop the clouds of the Time of Trouble, or the +tears of disappointment, and later, of repentance; and we would not if we +could. The trouble and the tears are a necessary preparation for the +blessings which follow. + +1:8. I am THE Alpha and I AM ALSO THE Omega.--Alpha is the first letter, +and Omega the last letter, of the Greek alphabet. + +The Beginning and the Ending.--"Our Lord's great honor is shown in that He +was not only the _first_ of God's creation, but the _last_. From this we +are to understand that the great Jehovah did not directly employ His own +power in creating either men or angels; but that He delegated His power to +His _Only_-begotten Son."--Z. '93-115. + +Saith the Lord GOD.--But not the clergy; they will have none of this +doctrine. + +Which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.--"It is since +His resurrection that the message has gone forth--'All power in Heaven and +in earth _is given_ unto Me.' (Matt 28:18.) Consequently it is only since +then that He could be called the Almighty."--Z. '93-115; Rev. 1:4; 16:5-7. + +1:9. I John, who [also] am your brother.--"Instead of adding titles to his +name, as Reverend, Bishop, Overseer of all the Churches in Asia Minor, we +find John introducing himself as 'your brother.' "--Z. '01-187. + +And companion in tribulation.--"He was sharer with Christ, as a member of +His Body, in His afflictions, in His endurance; and the brother of all +fellow-disciples, sharers of the same sufferings, and prospectively of the +same glory."--Z. '01-187: Matt. 20:23. + +And [In] the kingdom.--Now, while "the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth +violence;" and later, when "the Kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of +the Kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the +saints of the Most High."--Matt 11:12; Dan. 7:27. + +And patience [of] IN Jesus [Christ].--When Saul persecuted the saints, he +persecuted Jesus. When St. Paul suffered as a Christian, it was as part of +the "dying of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 9:5; 2 Cor. 4:10.) What St. John +cheerfully endured was endured by Jesus. + +Was in the isle that is called Patmos.--"At the time of this vision St. +John was a prisoner, exiled to the Isle of Patmos, a penal colony of those +days [a convict quarry]--a rocky, barren island in the AEgean Sea. The crime +for which he suffered this banishment was his faithfulness as the Lord's +mouthpiece. St. John, the beloved disciple, in some measure, or degree, +represented the last living members of the Body of Christ (John +21:20-23)--a class that see with the eyes of their understanding the +visions and revelations which the beloved disciple saw in symbol in a +trance. If, then, St. John's exile in any degree represents ostracism +which the Lord's followers may expect in the close of this Age--a complete +isolation from others and a treatment implying that they are +prisoners--they may take comfort from the thought that our Lord's favor and +revelation to St. John more than offset his persecutions."--Z. '16-343. + +For the Word of God.--"St. John, with remarkable modesty, passes over his +previous service for the Truth (Rev. 1:2), which had brought him his +persecution, and lightly passes over the persecution itself, merely noting +that he was in the island because of his fidelity to the Word of God."--Z. +'01-187. + +And for the testimony of Jesus.--As recorded in the Gospel according to St. +John and the three Johannean epistles. + +1:10. I was in the spirit.--"Visions are not realities, although +symbolically representing them. (Dan. 7:1; Matt. 17:9.) The visions +granted to St. John, recorded in the Revelation, are in no sense to be +understood as realities."--Z. '16-343; Acts 10:10. + +On the Lord's Day.--"According to our understanding of Bible chronology we +today are living in the early dawn of this Day of Christ; and it is here, +properly enough, that we begin to see the wonderful things of the Divine +Character and Plan. But to see and to understand we must be 'in the +spirit.' Only those who have become New Creatures in Christ can be +expected to appreciate spiritual things; and this is the class which the +Apostle John represented."--Z. '16-343. + +And heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.--"The fact that its +location is mentioned implies that it has a _symbolic_ meaning. It +signifies that the beginning of this Message was not in St. John's day, +nor in the future, but that the things revealed had already commenced and +were already to some extent in the past. As some features of the +Revelation show, the voice from behind went back to the time of our Lord's +earthly ministry." (Z. '16-344.) "As John heard a voice behind him and +looked in that direction, so we who now are having the realities find that +the Message is behind us, and turn and look toward the past to see the +fulfilment of the various features of the Divine Plan and to hear and +understand the Message given to His people by the risen Lord."--Z. '05-168. + +1:11. Saying, [I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last: and] What +thou seest, write in a book and send it unto the seven churches which are +in Asia.--"There are many reasons for concluding that while the messages +were given to the seven churches specified and were applicable to them, +they should properly have a still wider application to the whole Church of +Christ, the number seven representing completeness, and the order +representing different epochs in the history of the Church. To think +otherwise would be to attach more importance to those comparatively small +churches of Asia Minor than they would seem to have deserved, and would +have implied an ignoring of other churches more numerous and more +influential; as, for instance, the churches at Jerusalem, Antioch, +Corinth, Colosse, Philippi, Thessalonica, etc. Furthermore, the details of +the messages given to these seven churches apply to and fit historically +the one Church of the living God, over every member and branch of which +the Lord has a care. This thought, that the seven represented +completeness, we find emphasized in the other symbolical +representations--in the seven golden candlesticks, the seven stars, etc." +(Z. '05-168.) Colosse (Col. 1:2), Miletus (Acts 20:17) and Hierapolis +(Col. 4:13) were churches in Asia, not here mentioned. The Asia mentioned +is the westernmost province of Asia Minor. + +Unto Ephesus.--The Apostolic Age of the Church. + +And unto Smyrna.--The Church during the period of persecution by Pagan +Rome. + +And unto Pergamos.--The Church during the period of the rise of Antichrist. + +And unto Thyatira.--The Church during the Dark Ages, the period of +Antichrist's glory, and persecution by Papal Rome. + +And unto Sardis.--The Church in the dawn of the Reformation. + +And unto Philadelphia.--The Church in the period of reformation by sects. + +And unto Laodicea.--The Church in the time of the Lord's Second Presence. + +1:12. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me.--"The Apostles saw +in symbol what the Lord's people may now see with the eye of faith and +understanding. He saw One like a son of man--like a man, like a priest, as +implied by the clothes described--walking amongst seven golden +candlesticks, caring for them, trimming the wicks, seeing to the supply of +oil, etc. Thus our Lord Jesus, our glorified Master, has directed +respecting His people's affairs, inspecting and caring for the Church as a +light-bearer, a candlestick. Alas, how poor the wicks have sometimes been! +How feeble the light that has sometimes shone out! How much trimming has +been necessary!"--Z. '16-344. + +And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks.--"The Golden +Candlestick, or Lamp-stand, which stood opposite the Golden Table, and +gave light to all in the 'Holy,' was of gold--all of one piece hammered +out. (Exod. 25:31-37.) It had seven branches, each of which held a lamp, +making seven lamps in all--a perfect or complete number. This represented +the complete Church, from the Head, Jesus, to and including the last +member of the 'little flock' that He is taking out from among men, to be +partakers of the Divine (gold) nature."--T. 115; Rev. 1:20; Zech. 4:2; +Matt. 5:14-16. + +1:13. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks.--"The union, the +relationship between them, being supplied by our Redeemer, the antitypical +High Priest."--Z. '16-344. + +One like unto the son of man.--"This symbolical picture has precious +lessons for us, more valuable than an attempt to describe to our minds the +appearance of our Lord as a Spirit Being, 'dwelling in light which no man +can approach unto,' and which we cannot appreciate until we shall be +changed to 'be like Him and see Him as He is.'--1 John 3:2; 1 Cor. +15:50-53."--Z. '16-344; Dan. 7:13. + +Clothed with a garment down to the foot.--"The glory of Christ was +manifested in His own person, in His own ministry, and in that of His +Twelve Apostles, His representatives--St. Paul taking the place of Judas; +with their death the body of Truth was almost veiled throughout the +eighteen centuries intervening, until now."--Z. '16-344. + +And girt about the breast.--The support of the garment at the breast, +instead of the neck, left the arms and shoulders uncovered, representing +that the early Church was favored with the light of the true Gospel for a +considerable time after our Lord and Head had completed His earthly +ministry. + +With a golden girdle.--Gold is a symbol of the Divine nature; the girdle a +symbol of service. (Rev. 15:6.) Throughout the Age the Lord has been +serving His Church. "Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He +cometh shall find watching; verily I say unto you that He shall gird +Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve +them." "I am among you as he that serveth."--Luke 12:37; 22:27. + +1:14. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow.--"The +head, with its white hair, is not to teach us that our Lord in glory has +the form of a man, with white hairs, but merely suggestive and symbolic of +knowledge, experience, wisdom."--Z. '01-188; Matt. 17:2. + +And His eyes were as a flame of fire.--"His eyes like a flame of fire tell +us in symbol that our Master is all-seeing, omniscient; that He is not +deceived by outward forms and ceremonies; but that He can, and does, read +every thought and intent of the heart."--Z. '16-344; Rev. 19:12. + +1:15. And His feet like unto fine brass.--"The feet, described as like +furnace-refined copper, seem to say that those who belong to the Body of +Christ, and whom the Lord would use in His service, 'the feet' members of +the Body, must, in their contact and dealings with the world, be refined, +purified, clean--'Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord's +house.' "--Z. '01-188; Ezek. 1:7. + +As if they burned in a furnace.--"In the end of the Age, the feet members +of the Body of Christ will be illuminated by the Truth and will shine +forth--not like the Head, but as polished brass. We have shining upon us +with almost burning brightness the focused rays of Divine inspiration and +revelation from the past 6,000 years. How it should consume in us all the +dross of selfishness! How it should purify us! How humble it should make +us!"--Z. '16-344. + +And His voice as the sound of many waters.--"The many waters signify +peoples, nations and languages, as elsewhere explained in this book. Thus +our Lord, present with His Church, speaks to her and through her by many +tongues, in many languages."--Z. '01-188; Rev. 19:6. + +1:16. And He had in His right hand.--"This One whom we thus know, thus +recognize, as the Instructor and Caretaker of the candlesticks, we are +also to recognize as having in His right hand--in His favor as well as His +power--seven stars, the angels, the messengers, of the seven Churches. That +they are in His right hand seems to teach us that these should be +considered as in some special sense under the Master's guidance, +protection and care in the interest of the Churches which they +represented."--Z. '16-345; Jer. 22:24. + +Seven stars.--"Apparently the stars represent special ministers, or +servants of the Church. In Revelation 12:1 the Church is pictured as a +Woman crowned with twelve stars. These stars evidently represent the +Twelve Apostles as the special lights of the Church. Similarly, in the +picture before us, the seven stars which the Lord holds in His right hand +seem to represent special light-bearers in the Church--in each of its seven +phases, or stages, of development. It will be noticed that the messages to +the various Churches are sent by these stars, messengers, angels, as +though our Lord would have us understand that the appropriate message for +each appropriate epoch in the Church's experience would be sent by the +Lord through a particular star, or messenger, whom He would especially +commission as His representative. Our Lord Himself is represented by the +great light of the sun; and His special messengers in the Church +throughout the entire period of the Gospel Age are consistently enough +represented as stars."--Z. '16-345; Rev. 1:20. + +And out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.--"No part of the +description could more thoroughly convince us that the description of our +Lord given here is symbolic. As a symbolic picture, it speaks to us of the +Word of the Lord, the Sword of the Spirit, 'sharper than any two-edged +sword.' (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12.) It reminds us that our Lord's words are +not one-sided, not directed merely against sin in one class, but that His +Word is sharp, cutting in every direction; that sin is reproved by Him as +much when found in His most earnest followers as when found elsewhere. It +assures us that none need attempt to pluck out the mote from his brother's +eye without first getting rid of the beam in his own eye; and that if we +do not show mercy to those who are our debtors we must not expect mercy +from Him who has purposed to extend His mercy toward us. How heart- +searching is God's Word when we understand it--not merely as a compendium +of rules and regulations, but when we catch the spirit of it! Then we come +to see that its requirement is love out of a pure heart; first, to the +Heavenly Father; secondly, to our Lord and Head; thirdly, to all His +brethren; fourthly, to the world in general, groaning and travailing in +pain, waiting for the blessings of the coming Day of Christ; and fifthly, +toward our enemies also, sympathetically realizing that they are warped, +twisted and blinded through the deceitfulness of sin and through the +machinations of the great Adversary.--2 Cor. 4:4."--Z. '16-345; Rev. 2:12, +16; 19:15, 21; Isa. 11:4. + +And His countenance [was as the sun] shineth AS THE SUN in his +strength.--"And his face was as it were the sun."--Rev. 10:1; Acts 26:13. + +1:17. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.--"So great was the +splendor that St. John fell as dead, just as Daniel did in the presence of +the mighty One whom he saw, and just as Saul of Tarsus did before the +majesty presented to him. (Dan. 10:4-11; Acts 9:3-9.) So it is +symbolically with the Christian, when once he gets a glimpse of the +glories of the Divine Character. When once we get a true view of Him with +whom we have to do, as the great Heart-searcher and Caretaker of His +Church, we fall before Him, humbled to the dust, realizing that we are +imperfect, that we cannot stand before our Master, that we are unworthy of +His blessing."--Z. '16-344; Ezek. 1:28. + +And He laid His right hand upon me.--"As our Lord touched St. John gently, +raising him up, so He has spoken to us comfort, peace and love, assuring +us that we have a High Priest that can be touched with a feeling of our +infirmities, One who is able to sympathize and mercifully to assist."--Z. +'16-345. + +Saying [unto me, Fear not]; I am the First and the Last.--"We must +recognize that our Lord is the One who was the beginning of the creation +of God and the end of it, the One by whom are all things, next to the +Father in everything pertaining to the affairs of the Universe.--Col. 1:15; +Rev. 3:14; John 1:1-3; 1 Cor. 8:6."--Z. '16-345; Rev. 1:11; 2:8. + +1:18. I am He that liveth, and was dead.--"The Lord now liveth, and in +order to appreciate this we understand that He was dead for parts of three +days--not merely apparently dead, but actually _dead_--His soul poured out +unto death, made an offering for sin.--Isa. 53:10-12." (Z. '01-189.) "It +was because Christ's soul (being) was dead that the Apostles could declare +that unless His soul, being, were made alive again by a resurrection there +could be no hope in Him as a Savior and a Life-giver."--Z. '01-122. + +And behold, I am alive for evermore, [Amen].--"Death has no more dominion +over Him. (Rom. 6:9.) Neither sacrifices of the Mass nor death in any +sense or form ever will be needed. His work is perfect. 'It is +finished!' "--Z. '16-345; John 19:30. + +And have the keys of [hell] DEATH.--"He has the key, the power over death, +in order that those who have not yet gone into the tomb, but who are under +the death sentence, may all be ultimately delivered into the full liberty +of the sons of God--righteousness and life everlasting.--Rom. 8:21."--Z. +'16-345. + +And of [death] HELL.--"These words imply that the Lord's people go to +_Hades_, and that the hope when going down to _Hades_, to oblivion, is +that in due time our great Redeemer shall unlock this figurative +prisonhouse of death and bring forth the captives. This is the +significance of the statement that He has the keys--He can open; all power +is given into His hand. In preaching at His First Advent, He declared this +to be the Gospel. (Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:18.) How full of meaning are these +Scriptures when viewed from the proper standpoint; how confusing and +absurd when viewed from any other!"--E. 397, 378. + +1:19. Write THEREFORE the things which thou hast seen.--John was personally +familiar with the first epoch, then already in the past. What he wrote of +that epoch (Rev. 2:1-7) serves as a guide to what follows. + +And the things which are.--John was writing in the second epoch, already in +its persecution era.--Rev. 2:8-11. + +And the things which [shall be] MUST SHORTLY COME TO PASS hereafter.--The +five remaining epochs of the Church, and the Kingdom to follow. + +1:20. The mystery of the seven stars.--Every true reformer must go contrary +to the current of his times; and, in proportion as he has the Master's +spirit, he cannot fail to be, like Him, a man of mystery to his own +generation--"a Stone of Stumbling and a Rock of Offense"--to those who have +not "ears to hear." + +Which thou sawest in My right hand.--Small wonder that these great +reformers seemed almost to have charmed lives! + +And the seven golden candlesticks.--"The Candlestick, or Lampstand, +represents the nominal, rather than the true Church. This is shown by the +fact that in addressing each of these churches the Lord finds fault with +the many and approves the faithful few."--Z. '16-344. + +The seven stars.--"The star-light is the Heavenly light, the spiritual +enlightenment or instruction. The lamp-light is the earthly light, +representing good works, obedience, etc., of those who are exhorted to let +their light so shine that it will glorify their Father in Heaven."--Z. +'16-345. + +Are the angels of the seven churches.--"The title is borrowed from the +Jewish Synagogue, in which the angel, or messenger of the assembly, was +the person who presided over and arranged the meetings for worship." +(Cook.)--Mal. 2:7; Hag. 1:13. + +And the seven candlesticks [which thou sawest] are the seven +churches.--"Alas! The Master evidently found but few good works, little +glorifying light shining out from His earthly representatives in many of +the seven epochs of the history of the Church."--Z. '16-344; Rev. 1:12; +Zech. 4:2. + + + + +Revelation 2--St. Paul, St. John, Arius And Waldo + + +2:1. [Unto] BY the angel.--The special messenger in the Harvest of the +Jewish Age was St. Paul. A Hebrew of the Hebrews (Phil. 3:5), he was a +free-born Roman citizen (Acts 22:25-29), highly educated (Acts 22:3), +spoke Greek (Acts 21:37) and Hebrew (Acts 22:2), and was presumably a +member of the Sanhedrin at the time of St. Stephen's death. (Acts 7:58; +8:1; 26:10.) Chosen before his birth (Gal. 1:15), he was supernaturally +inducted into the Body of Christ (Acts 9:1-22) to take the place of Judas +(Psa. 109:8; Acts 1:20), was privately instructed in the fullness of the +Gospel (Gal. 1:11, 12, 17), was specially commissioned to explain this +Gospel to the brethren at Jerusalem (Gal. 2:1, 2), did not hesitate to +correct the erring Peter (Gal. 2:11), was acknowledged by St. Peter as +filled with Heavenly wisdom (2 Pet. 3:15, 16), wrote over half of the +books of the New Testament, carried the Gospel into Europe (Acts 16:9), +supported himself with his own hands while he preached (Acts 20:32-35), +and suffered almost unbelievable hardships of every description--besides +having "the care of all the churches." (2 Cor. 11:24-28.) What a service +and honor, here and hereafter, Judas missed by his love of money! St. Paul +was beheaded by Nero, A. D. 66. + +Of the church [of] IN Ephesus.--The first age of the Church began at +Pentecost in the spring of A. D. 33, and ended in the spring of A. D. 73. +"It may be proper to mention also what things occurred that show the +benignity of that all-gracious Providence, that had deferred their +destruction for forty years after their crimes against Christ." (Eusebius' +_Ecclesiastical History_.) "On the 15th of Nisan, i. e., of April, in the +year 73 A. D., the first day of the Easter festival, the same day on +which, according to tradition, the God of Israel had led His people out of +Egyptian bondage into freedom, the last bulwark of Israel's liberty had +fallen, and Israel was delivered into bondage." (Cornil's _History of the +People of Israel_.) "Masada attained great importance in the war with the +Romans.... With the fall of Masada the war came to an end, on the 15th of +Nisan, 73." (_The Jewish Encyclopedia_.) "The capture of Masada, a Jewish +fortress on the southwestern shores of the Dead Sea, put a termination to +one of the fiercest struggles recorded in history (73 A. D.)"--Morrison's +_Jews Under Roman Rule_. + +"Judea was not entirely subjugated; for three strong fortresses were still +in arms: Herodium, Machaerus, and Masada.... The heroes agreed to this +proposal (of their leader Eleasar) even with enthusiasm, and on the first +day of the great Feast of the Passover (A. D. 73), after slaying their own +wives and children, they all perished on their own swords." (Graetz's +_History of the Jews_, Vol. 2.) "Eleasar accordingly persuaded all his +people during that night to kill their wives and children and then +themselves, but to burn all their treasures first. The next day the Romans +found only 960 dead bodies, whilst but two women and five children hid +themselves in caverns and were discovered. The Easter of the year 73, just +seven years from the beginning of the great movement and 40 years after +Christ's crucifixion, saw this end of the whole tragedy." (Ewald's +_History of Israel_, Vol. 7, which is entitled "The Apostolic Age," and +which Prof. Ewald makes to end with the year A. D. 73.) Josephus also +relates that Masada fell on the 15th of Nisan, April, A. D. 73; but the +quotation is too lengthy to be inserted here. + +The meaning of the word _Ephesus_ is "permission," which, understood as +"approval," harmonizes well with the tradition that the meaning is +"desirable." Anything that has approval is desirable. + +Write.--St. Paul wrote a third of the New Testament. + +These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand.--"In +the first chapter we have a description of 'One like unto a son of man.' +Some one or more of the features of this description are mentioned in +connection with each of the successive stages of the Church."--Z. '16-346; +Rev. 1:16, 20. + +Who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.--"We could not +doubt the love and care of our glorified Head even if He had given us no +explicit declaration on the subject." (F. 401; Rev. 1:13; Lev. 24:2-4.) + +2:2. I know thy works.--The early Christians "took joyfully the spoiling of +their goods" (Heb. 10:34); in "great trial of affliction" they abounded in +joy, and in "deep poverty" were liberal "beyond their power." (2 Cor. 8:2, +3.) They were living epistles, "known and read of all men."--2 Cor. 8:2, 3. + +And thy labor.--Considered as betrayers of the Jewish faith; living in the +midst of heathen idolatry, without railways, steamships, automobiles, +bicycles, telegraphs, telephones, printing, postal service, electricity, +gas, or kerosene--in the midst of densest ignorance and basest morals--the +early Christians traversed the seas and lands of the known world, braving +floggings, stonings, hunger, thirst, cold, nakedness and martyrdom, that +they might tell the good news of the coming Kingdom.--2 Cor. 11:24-27. + +And thy patience.--_Hupomonee._ "An endurance of wrong or affliction with +contentment, without rebellion of will, with full acquiescence in the +Divine Wisdom and Love."--Z. '01-115. + +And how thou canst not bear them which are evil.--"How much earnestness it +produced in you! what an apology! what indignation! what earnest desire! +what zeal! what a punishment! In everything you proved yourselves to be +pure in this matter." (2 Cor. 7:11, Diaglott.) "Sufficient for such a +person is this punishment, which was inflicted by the majority; so that, +on the other hand, you ought to forgive and comfort him, lest such an one +should be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I entreat you +publicly to confirm your love towards him."--2 Cor. 2:6-8, Diaglott. + +And thou hast tried.--Made experiment of, Greek implies. + +Them which [say they are] CALL THEMSELVES apostles, and are not, and hast +found them liars.--"Giving out that himself was some great one," like the +clergy of other times, Simon Magus sought "also this power, that on +whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit," but learned that +he had "neither part nor lot in this matter" because his heart was "not +right in the sight of God." (Acts 8:9-24.) Also, there were "certain men +which came down from Judea" (Acts 15:1, 2), the "false apostles, deceitful +workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ" in Corinth +(2 Cor. 11:12-15); "Hymenaeus and Alexander" (1 Tim. 1:20); "Philetus" (2 +Tim. 2:17); those who would "pervert the Gospel of Christ" in Galatia +(Gal. 1:7); "Phygellus and Hermogenes."--2 Tim. 1:15; Acts 20:28-30; Rev. +2:6. + +2:3. And [hast borne and] hast patience.--_Hupomonee_, constant, cheerful +endurance. + +And ALL AFFLICTIONS AND HAST BORNE for My name's sake [hast labored].--"And +hast suffered on account of My name." (Diaglott.) "As concerning this +sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against." (Acts 28:22.) The +natural course is, hatred, slander, then murder. (Matt. 5:21, 22.) It is +said that Peter was crucified with head downward (A. D. 70); Andrew was +crucified on a cross decussate (X); James was murdered by Herod (A. D. +44), (Acts 12:2); Bartholomew was first flayed alive and then crucified +with his head downward; Matthew died a martyr (supposedly); Thomas was +impaled on a spear; James the son of Alphaeus was thrown down from the +Temple and was then stoned, and his brains dashed out with a club; Simon +Zelotes was crucified; Paul beheaded. + +And hast not fainted.--"Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due time +we shall reap, if we faint not." (Gal. 6:9.) "Consider Him that endured +such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and +faint in your minds."--Heb. 12:3. + +2:4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee.--The Lord's nominal people +of the Apostolic Age. + +Because thou hast left thy first love.--"I marvel that ye are so soon +removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another +gospel."--Gal. 1:6. + +2:5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen.--"Call to remembrance +the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great +fight of afflictions; partly, whilst ye were made a gazing stock both by +reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of +them that were so used."--Heb. 10:32, 33. + +And repent, and do the first works.--"Cast not away therefore your +confidence, which hath great recompense of reward."--Heb. 10:35. + +Or else I will come unto thee [quickly], and will remove thy candlestick +out of his place, except thou repent.--The nominal church was in grave +danger of being disowned and rejected. "By far the larger proportion were +not consecrated to death, not of the Royal Priesthood, but merely Levites, +doing the service of the Sanctuary, but not _sacrificing_."--T. 118. + +2:6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the +Nicolaitanes.--"Conquerors of the people"--the clergy.--Rev. 2:15. + +Which I also hate.--When the Lord's people hate the idea of a class that +seeks to be "lords over God's heritage" (1 Pet. 5:2, 3), they hate +something that the Lord hates. + +2:7. He that hath an ear.--To receive and understand the voice of God +through His Word.--Matthew 11:15; 13:9, 43; Rev. 13:9. + +Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.--"If they have +persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept [observed, +'heard'] My saying, they will keep yours also."--John 15:20. + +To him that overcometh.--See 1 John 2:13, 14. + +Will I give to eat of the tree of life.--"All the trees in Eden were trees +of life, and the overcomers of the Gospel Age shall have full liberty to +partake of 'the tree of the knowledge of good and evil' when the knowledge +will be of benefit to them, and not bring a curse."--Z. '16-346. + +Which is in the [midst of the] Paradise of God.--"Paradise, the garden of +God, was applicable as a name to the Garden of Eden, in which our first +parents resided while they were still in harmony with God, before their +disobedience; and the same term is Scripturally applied as a name to the +new earth when restitution blessings shall, during our Lord's Second +Presence (the Millennium), have brought it to perfection as the fit abode +of those who, under Divine favor, shall then prove worthy of life +everlasting. It is this same Paradise of the future on this earth that our +Lord referred to when addressing the penitent thief, and that is elsewhere +referred to as 'the third heaven'--'new heavens and a new earth.' (2 Cor. +12:2, 4; 2 Pet. 3:13.)"--Z. '01-198. + +2:8. And [unto] BY the angel.--The mouthpiece of the Lord to the second +epoch of the Church was St. John himself. He was the one whom Jesus +specially loved (John 13:23; 20:2; 21:7, 20); to him Jesus committed His +choicest earthly possession (John 19:26); length of days were implied in +the Lord's statement, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that +to thee?" (John 21:22.) He died at Ephesus at the age of 100, four years +after writing the Apocalypse. Polycarp, Ignatius and Papias, his +disciples, record that he was a tower of strength to the Church when the +Roman Emperors Nero, Domitian and Trajan were endeavoring to destroy the +hated sect. When all his capacity to work was gone, and he had no strength +even to stand, he used to be carried into the Christian assemblies where +he would repeat the exhortation, "Little children, love one another." "The +end of the commandment is love" (1 Tim. 1:5); and it is significant that +the epoch of the Church especially under St. John's faithful and loving +care receive no reproof whatever from the Lord. + +Of the church in Smyrna.--Greek, _myrrh_. The word means "bitter," and, as +applied to the history of the church from A. D. 73 to 325, is peculiarly +appropriate. This era comprised persecutions under Nero, when Christian +women were soaked with tar and burned as torches to light the path of his +chariot; under Domitian, in the year 95, when 40,000 suffered martyrdom; +under Trajan in the year 100; under Antoninus; under Severus in the year +127, when beautiful and amiable young women were stripped naked before +insulting mobs and gored to death by wild cattle; under Maximinus in A. D. +235; under Decius in 250, when all Christians were driven from their +estates; under Valerian in 257; under Aurelian in 274; and under +Diocletian in A. D. 303. + +Write.--St. John wrote more of the New Testament than any other except St. +Paul. + +These things saith the First and the Last.--"In no other sense or way could +He be the First and the Last than as the only direct creation of the +Father, through whom all else was created. Any other view would be in +conflict with the Scriptures. (Rev. 3:14; Col. 1:15; 1 Cor. 8:6; John +1:1-3, Diaglott.)"--Z. '16-346; Rev. 1:11, 17. + +Which was dead, and is alive.--This, in itself, must have been a message of +comfort and hope to the suffering martyrs.--Rev. 1:18. + +2:9. I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty.--"Some of the most +sublime pictures of Christian endurance that the world has ever seen were +enacted during the Smyrna period of the Church."--Z. '16-346. + +But thou art rich.--"The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich."--Prov. +10:22; Luke 12:21; 1 Tim. 6:18; James 2:5. + +And I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are +not.--" 'They are not all Israel which are of Israel.' (Rom. 9:6, 7.) 'He +is not a Jew which is a Jew outwardly, neither is that circumcision which +is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and +circumcision is that of the heart.' "--Z. '99-68. + +But are the synagogue of Satan.--"Sold under sin, by our first parent, +Adam, his family became 'slaves of sin' through the weakness of heredity. +(Rom. 5:12, 21; 6:16-23; 7:14; 8:20, 21.) In this captive condition they +have been blinded by the god (ruler) of the present evil world (condition) +who puts evil before their minds as good, and darkness for light. (2 Cor. +4:4; Eph. 6:12; Isa. 5:20.) He has general control; first of the masses +through ignorance; and secondly, of the more intelligent through pride, +selfishness, etc."--E. 205, 189. + +2:10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer.--Some were covered +with the skins of wild beasts and torn in pieces by devouring dogs; some +were tortured in red-hot iron chairs; the throats of Christian infants +were cut; and edicts were published in all places against the Christians, +who were exposed, without protection, to the common rage.--Matt. 10:22. + +Behold, the Devil.--"It is because there are such beasts as lions, bears +and leopards, with known characteristics, that governments were likened to +them; and so, it is because there is a Devil, with known characteristics, +that the fourth empire is likened to him." (A. 259.) The Devil used the +Roman empire as an instrument. + +Shall cast some of you into prison.--Restrain your liberties and +opportunities for service. + +That ye may be tried.--"Those who have read the history of this period can +understand the depths of these words."--Z. '16-346; Jas. 1:2, 3; 1 Pet. +1:6, 7. + +And ye shall have tribulation ten days.--"The ten symbolic days refer to +the last and most severe persecution under the Roman Emperors--that of the +reign of Diocletian, A. D. 303-313." (Z. '16-346.) "This persecution +continued from February 23, A. D. 303, to June 13, A. D. 313. It began in +Nicomedia, and became universal. Some were impaled alive; some had their +limbs broken, and were left to expire. Some were roasted by slow fires; +some suspended by their feet with their heads downward, and, a fire being +placed under them, were suffocated by the smoke. Some had melted lead +poured down their throats; the flesh of some was torn off with fingers and +toes. Houses filled with Christians were set on fire. Numbers of +Christians were tied together and thrown into the sea. Seventeen thousand +were slain in one month; and during the continuance of this persecution in +Egypt alone 144,000 Christians died by violence, besides 700,000 that died +through the fatigues of banishment or the public works to which they were +condemned. Coins were struck, and inscriptions set up recording the fact +that Christian superstition was now utterly exterminated."--McC. + +Be thou faithful unto death.--"It is required of all consecrators that they +shall 'die daily,' and that the end, with us as with our Lord and Head, +shall be literal death. As it is written: 'I have said, Ye are gods +[_elohim_--mighty ones], all of you sons of the Highest; yet ye shall die +like men, ye shall fall like one of the princes'--not like Prince Adam, +convicts; but like Prince Jesus, participators in His death. (Psa. 82:6, +7.)"--F. 444. + +And I will give thee a Crown of Life.--"The Apostle James speaks of the +same crown and calls it the Crown of Life. (Jas. 1:12.) The Apostle Peter +speaking of the same calls it the Crown of Glory. (1 Pet. 5:4.) The +thought at the bottom of each of these expressions is the same; namely, +the custom in olden times of running races and the giving of a crown to +the successful runner at the end of the course. Our reward will be the +Crown of Life in the sense that we shall get life on the highest plane, +inherent life, immortality. It will be a Crown of Righteousness in the +sense that only those who are approved of God as righteous will thus be +rewarded and glorified--the righteousness of the Lord fulfilled in us who +walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit."--Z. '03-190; Rev. 3:11; 2 +Tim. 2:15; Isa. 62:3; Phil. 3:14. + +2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the +churches; he that overcometh.--The overcomer of this Gospel Age only. + +Shall not be hurt of the Second Death.--His victory is eternal. + +2:12. And [to] BY the angel.--The messenger whose testimony was of special +value to the Church while the Papacy was rising into power was Arius. He +"maintained that the Son of God was totally and essentially distinct from +the Father; that He was the first and noblest of those beings whom God had +created--the instrument by whose subordinate operation He formed the +Universe; and therefore inferior to the Father both in nature and +dignity." (Buck.) "The controversy spread like a flame throughout the +empire. Accordingly the first ecumenical council was held at Nice, A. D. +325, consisting of 318 bishops, most of whom were from the East. The gist +of the question to be settled by the Council of Nice lay in the argument +of Arius: 'The Father is a father; the Son is a son; therefore the Father +must have existed before the Son; therefore once the Son was not; +therefore He was made, like all creatures, of a substance that had not +previously existed.' The creed, as finally adopted, condemned the heresy +of Arius and fixed the doctrine as it has been held in the church to this +day. Of all the bishops only Thomas of Marmarica, and Secundus of +Ptolemais, held out against the threat of banishment by the Emperor. Arius +was excommunicated and banished, and his books burnt."--McC. + +"From the time the Nicene Creed was promulgated and accepted, A. D. 325, +there was practically no more Bible study for over twelve centuries. +During all that time Bible study was considered unnecessary, because the +Apostolic Bishops had formulated the creeds as proper statements of the +Church's faith. To study the Bible would have meant the studying of how to +fight against the Emperor and the bishops." (Z. '15-253.) "As a result of +the failure of these bishops to stand by the Word of the Lord, God's +people for centuries have been confessing a Divine trinity, which is +incomprehensible; and meantime been neglecting the trinity taught by the +Bible, which is more reasonable. If the trinity of the creeds was +questioned, hands were lifted in horror, and the questioner was told that +the subject was a mystery, which he could not possibly understand, but to +doubt which would mean his damnation! The mysterious proposition was +sometimes stated to be 3 x 1 is 1; but others stated it differently, 1 x 3 +is 1. No wonder if some of the more intelligent specimens of our race +declared themselves incapable of understanding such mathematics, and too +honest to confess and profess what they could not believe!" (B. S. M.) The +witness of Arius created a profound impression. "The doctrine was carried, +in the fifth century, into Africa, under the Vandals; and into Asia, under +the Goths. But it sunk almost at once, when the Vandals were driven out of +Africa, and the Goths out of Italy, by the arms of Justinian. However, it +revived again in Italy, under the protection of the Lombards, in the +seventh century, and was not extinguished till about the end of the +eighth. Arianism was revived in the West by Servetus, in 1531, for which +he suffered death."--Buck. + +Of the church in Pergamos.--From _Purgos_, a tower or citadel. "The name +was originally given to a remarkable hill, presenting a conical appearance +when viewed from the plain, and strongly fortified by nature and art." (S. +B. D.) Concerning the literal city of Pergamos, of which the rising Papacy +was the antitype, we read, "The sumptuousness of the princes raised +Pergamos to the rank of the first city of Asia as regards splendor. It was +a sort of union of a pagan cathedral city, a university town, and a royal +residence, embellished during a succession of years by kings who all had a +passion for expenditure and ample means of gratifying it."--McC. + +From the witness by Arius in 325 to the witness by the next special +messenger of the Church was the long period of 835 years; and during all +that time the Papacy was slowly rising, pushing itself higher and higher. +"The first ecumenical council of Nice (325), in its sixth canon, makes +only an incidental mention of the Roman bishop. The first pope, in the +real sense, was Leo I (440-461). The bishops of the African and the +Spanish churches submitted to his demands, and he gained an important +foothold even in the East. In Gaul, however, he met with a most determined +resistance. Gregory I (590-604) saw that the bishops of Rome could not +enjoy the ecclesiastical supremacy at which they aimed until they threw +off their political dependency. The triumph of the Catholic Church over +Arianism in Spain greatly promoted his plans; but he did not as yet +actually possess the power of the mediaeval popes. In the seventh and +eighth centuries a series of important events gave the popes a high and +influential position among the secular governments of the world. The +actual power was, however, for several centuries, not commensurate with +their claims and aspirations. In 1073, Hildebrand (Gregory VII), after +being for about twenty-five years the guide of the Papal policy, boldly +set forth the theory of a theocratic rule of the pope over all the nations +of the world. The period from Gregory VII onward is an almost continuous +conflict between the popes and the secular governments, during which the +former, with an iron firmness, endeavored at first to destroy the direct +influence of the princes upon the church, and secondly, to subject all +secular governments to the church. This conflict was ended by the +Concordat of Worms (1122), by which Emperor Henry V, after the precedence +of the governments of England and France, surrendered 'to God, to St. +Peter and Paul, and to the Catholic Church, all right of investiture.' " +(McC.) The Pergamos ("earthly elevation") era ended in A. D. 1160, as will +be shown. + +Write.--Arius' writings were destroyed by Constantine. + +These things saith He which hath the sharp sword with two edges.--How the +sharp sword, God's Word, wielded by Arius before the Emperor and his +brother elders at the Nicean Council, must have cut some of them to the +heart when they saw the gentle and aged man (Arius was old at the time the +controversy arose) banished into the Balkan mountains, one of the most +inhospitable places in the world!--Isa. 11:4, 49:2; Hos. 6:5; Eph. 6:17; 2 +Thes. 2:8. + +2:13. I know [thy works, and] where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat +is.--"During this period, the true Christians were tested and proved by the +introduction and development of Pagan and Papal ideas. The Pagan priests, +unwilling to lose their positions of honor and influence amongst the +people, while nominally professing Christianity, brought their former +ideas with them into the Christian Church." (Z. '16-346.) The word _seat_ +is rendered _throne_ in Lu. 1:32, and refers to Satan's "hellish parody of +the Heavenly Kingdom."--Cook. + +And thou holdest fast My name, and hast not denied My faith, [even] in +those days wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr.--Throughout all the +western part of Europe the Bishop of Rome finally came to be called the +_papa_, or pope, or Father of the church. "Whoever denounced this attempt +to disobey the direct command of Jesus (Matt. 23:9), received the promised +persecution. (2 Tim. 3:12.) This class in Pergamos is commended by our +Lord under the symbol of 'Anti-pas, My faithful martyr.' In Greek, _anti-_ +means against, and _papas_ signifies father."--Z. '16-347. + +Who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.--We can give but a partial +list of the popes who served from the condemnation of Arius to the end of +the Pergamos epoch; but it will be instructive to those who trust in human +ordination and are in sympathy with the efforts of present-day clergy to +get some of the special spirit that is supposed to be imparted by the +laying on of hands of these "successors of St. Peter," or those to whom +they imparted their "authority." "Saint" Gregory I, pope 590-604 A. D., +was the great-great-grandchild of Pope Felix II. When Phocas murdered +Emperor Maurice and ascended the throne, Gregory wrote, "The Almighty has +chosen you and put you on the throne. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the +earth leap for joy." Phocas was not ungrateful and in return established +the supremacy of the see of Rome over all the other sees. Gregory was the +discoverer of Purgatory, it having been revealed to him by means of +"apparitions" and visions. See middle of page 127. + +Honorius I, 625-638, has been condemned as having taught a heresy _ex +cathedra_ (officially). The interest in this lies in the fact that in 1870 +the Vatican Council declared the infallibility of all the popes in their +_ex cathedra_ utterances. But the pope who declared Honorius a heretic did +it _ex cathedra_ also. Hundreds of "learned" volumes have been written in +the effort to make this pretty snarl clear to the Roman clergy. It is +clear enough to others. "Saint" Agathon, 678-682, claimed to be a miracle +worker. He was the infallible pope who denounced the doctrines taught by +infallible Honorius I. "Saint" Nicholas I, 858-867, "tamed kings and +tyrants, and ruled the world like a sovereign; to the wicked and +unconverted he was a terror." So says a Catholic historian. John VIII, +872-882, must have seriously offended one of the "brethren" at the +Vatican; for that dignitary first tried to poison him, and as the poison +did not work quickly enough, he finished the job by breaking John's head +with a hammer. Stephen VII, 897-898, was offended because his predecessor +had at one time gotten the papal throne away from him. Accordingly, his +first act was to cause the body of Pope Formosus to be exhumed, mutilated +and thrown into the Tiber. Subsequently one of the "brethren" strangled +him. + +Christopher, 900-903, boldly deposed his predecessor, Leo V, declaring him +unfit to reign, which was doubtless true. Leo died "of grief" in prison +less than forty days after he had ascended the throne. He probably had +something given him to help his grief along. Christopher himself was +murdered by _his_ successor. Sergius III, 904-911, having murdered +Christopher, ascended the throne and emulated the kings of earlier days. +His concubine Marosia bore him several children. John X, 915-928, and Leo +VI, 928-929, were both killed by Marosia, to make room for others in whom +she was interested. John XI, 931-936, was the son of Marosia by Pope +Sergius III. One of the "brethren" poisoned him. John XII, 956-964, was +murdered while in the act of committing adultery. He was of licentious +habits, associating with women of every station, and filling the Lateran +with the noisy profanity of a brothel. Among his mistresses was Joan, +popularly known in history as Pope Joan. She was a brilliant woman and +actually exercised the chief influence at Rome during John's pontificate. +Benedict VI, 972-973, was strangled or poisoned by one of the "saints." +Boniface VII, 984-985, was elected just after the tumult caused by the +death of Benedict VI, but had to leave town to escape a similar fate, on +account of licentiousness and cruelty. He remained away eleven years, +returned, put Pope John XIV in prison, starved him to death and ascended +the throne in his place. + +Gregory V, 996-999, was poisoned by one of the "regularly ordained" +clergy. Benedict IX, 1033-1045, the boy pope whose parents bought the +popedom for him when he was twelve years old, was the worst monster that +ever held the papal throne. Some, however, claim that honor for Alexander +VI, 1492-1503, who had seven acknowledged bastards and many mistresses. +Alexander tried to poison nine cardinals at one sitting so that he could +sell their offices for the benefit of his brood; but a stupid servant gave +him the wrong glass and he departed this life ahead of time. Benedict's +vile conduct caused the Romans to expel him from the city. Silvester III +was regularly elected to take his place; but after three months Benedict +came back and resumed control. Shortly afterward he sold the popedom to +Gregory VI, so that he might be free to marry an Italian princess. At one +time there were three popes living in Rome contemporaneously, and the city +was filled with brawls and murders. A fourth, Clement II, was elected, but +after he had served nine months, a friend of Gregory put something into +his food besides the regular seasoning; and he never awoke again. +Thereupon Benedict came back and reigned three years longer. + +2:14. But I have a few things [against thee].--Against the nominal church +of the Pergamos epoch. + +Because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam.--Balaam was +a mouthpiece of the Lord, but unworthy. He desired to curse God's true +people, because of the money there was in it, and finally seduced them by +fornication (symbolical of union of church and state). The name Balaam +means the same as "Nicolaitanes" (conquerors of the people), and refers to +the money-loving, power-loving clergy. We have already noted the efforts +to obtain worldly power (spiritual fornication) which characterized the +Pergamos epoch. Its history also shows that the clergy of that time were +quite as fond of money as ever Balaam was. John XX, 1024-1033, tried to +sell the Roman primacy over the Eastern church for a pecuniary +consideration, but failed to make the sale. "Benedict IX, when a boy of +twelve years (A. D. 1033), was elected pope '_intercedente thesaurorum +pecuniae_' "; i. e., his relatives provided the collateral necessary to +secure the office for him. Gregory VI, who had had great repute for +sanctity as a priest, obtained the papal chair (A. D. 1044) by purchase +from Benedict IX, "who abdicated to marry a girl of noble family." "At a +council at Lyons, the archbishop and forty-five bishops confessed +themselves simoniacal" (guilty of buying and selling church offices). In +the reign of Lucien II, 1144-1145, the people, hoping for some relief from +an intolerable condition, paraded the streets of Rome with a banner, +"Caesar should have the things that are Caesar's and the priest the things +that are the priest's." Lucien thought this was a reflection upon himself, +and went out in person to put down the "revolution." The people stoned him +to death. + +Who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before the children of +Israel.--"Guided by Balaam, King Balac communicated with the leading people +of the Midianites, and urged that their wives and daughters should +apparently fall in love with the Israelites, and introduce them to the +sensuous religious rites practised by Midian. The scheme was successful. +Some of the leading wives and daughters of the Midianites attracted some +of the leading men of Israel to adultery, and to idol worship and orgies." +(Z. '13-297; Num. 24:14; 25:1; 31:16; 2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 11; 1 Cor. 10:8.) +The words "cast a stumbling-block" are properly rendered, in Rotherham's +translation, "throw a snare." + +To eat.--Appropriate to themselves as truths. + +Things sacrificed unto idols.--Doctrines twisted, distorted and mutilated +to make them agree with creed-idols. + +And to commit fornication.--"Papacy perceived its own great power over the +peoples of Europe, all of whom at that time ignorantly and blindly +acknowledged the Roman Catholic faith. While the kings of Europe were +comparatively weak, the suggestion came, 'Now it must be God's time for +setting up the Messianic Kingdom, because now we have the power.' The +answer of others was, 'Not so. The Bible teaches that Jesus will set up +His own Kingdom at His Second Advent in power and great glory, and that +the virgin Church will become His Bride and Joint-heir by the power of the +First Resurrection.' The answer to this was, 'So once we thought. But we +have waited for the coming of Messiah for over 800 years; and now we have +the thought that He probably wishes us to set up His Kingdom for Him, and +in His name to reign over the kings of the earth.' " (Z. '16-53.) "So +these Pagan priests taught the Church to indulge in spiritual fornication, +and thus brought upon her the withering blight of God's wrath."--Z. +'16-346. + +2:15. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, +[which thing I hate] IN LIKE MANNER.--"The 'doctrine of the Nicolaitanes' +(conquerors of the people) seems to be the theory of lordship or headship +in the Church. (1 Pet. 5:3.) At their councils there was a bitter fight +for supremacy. It was settled only by a division of the Church; the +Eastern, or Greek Church, accepting the Patriarch of Constantinople for +its head; and the Western, or Papal Church, acknowledging the Bishop--Pope +or Father--of Rome." (Z. '16-346.) "The sins to which Balaam allured Israel +were a type of the sins to which the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes now +seduce thee."--Cook. + +2:16. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly.--Ere you reach the +earthly heights to which you aspire. + +And will fight against them.--The unfaithful and unrepentant church +nominal. + +With the sword of My mouth.--With the Scriptures, in the hands of a +faithful servant. Such a servant came at that very time, as we shall +see.--2 Thes. 2:8; Heb. 4:12. + +2:17. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the +churches.--Not many have had the "hearing ear." "There's just one here, one +there." + +To him that overcometh will I give [to eat] of the hidden manna.--"Manna +was the bread which came down from heaven as a life-sustainer for Israel. +It represented the living bread, Christ Himself. One peculiarity of the +golden pot of manna 'hidden' in the Tabernacle, marking it as the same and +yet different from that supplied to the Israelites in general, was that it +was _incorruptible_; hence it well illustrates the immortal, incorruptible +condition promised to the Church."--T. 122; Ex. 16:33, 34; Heb. 9:4; John +6:49, 50. + +And [will give him] a white stone.--"In ancient times the Greeks and the +Romans had a custom of noting and perpetuating friendship by means of a +_white stone_. This stone was divided into halves, and each person +inscribed his name on the flat surface, after which the parts of the stone +were exchanged. The production of either half was sufficient to insure +friendly aid. Thus the divided stone became a mark of identification. +There is an individual and personal relationship between the Lord and the +overcomers, who may be said to receive the mark of identification--the +antitypical white stone--_now_, in this life. This mark is the sealing of +the Holy Spirit."--Z. '12-315. + +And in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that +receiveth it.--The new name signifies a new relationship to Jehovah.--Gen. +17:5, 15; 32:28. + +2:18. And [unto] BY the angel.--The messenger to the fourth epoch of the +Church was Peter Waldo. "Peter, an opulent merchant of Lyons, surnamed +Valdensis, or Valdisius, from Vaux, or Waldum, a town in the marquisate of +Lyons, being extremely zealous for the advancement of true piety and +Christian knowledge, employed a certain priest, called Stephanus de Evisa, +about the year 1160, in translating, from Latin into French, the four +Gospels, with other books of Holy Scripture. But no sooner had he perused +these sacred books with a proper degree of attention, than he perceived +that the religion which was now taught in the Roman church differed +totally from that which was originally inculcated by Christ and His +Apostles. Struck with this glaring contradiction between the doctrines of +the pontiffs and the truths of the Gospel, and animated with zeal, he +abandoned his mercantile vocation, distributed his riches among the poor +(whence the Waldenses were called poor men of Lyons), and forming an +association with other pious men who had adopted his sentiments and his +turn of devotion, he began to assume the quality of a public teacher, and +to instruct the multitude in the doctrines and precepts of Christianity. + +"Soon after Peter had assumed the exercise of his ministry, the archbishop +of Lyons, and the other rulers of the church in that province, vigorously +opposed him. However, their opposition was unsuccessful; for the purity +and simplicity of that religion which these good men taught, the spotless +innocence that shone forth in their lives and actions, and the noble +contempt of riches and honors which was conspicuous in the whole of their +conduct and conversation, appeared so engaging to all such as had any +sense of true piety, that the number of their followers daily increased. +They accordingly formed religious assemblies, first in France, and +afterwards in Lombardy; from whence they propagated their sect throughout +the other provinces of Europe with incredible rapidity, and with such +invincible fortitude that neither fire nor sword, nor the most cruel +inventions of merciless persecution, could damp their zeal, or entirely +ruin their cause. All they aimed at was to reduce the form of +ecclesiastical government, and the manners both of the clergy and the +people, to that amiable simplicity and primitive sanctity which +characterized the Apostolic ages, and which appear so strongly recommended +in the precepts and injunctions of the Divine Author of our holy religion. + +"In consequence of this design, they complained that the Roman church had +degenerated from its primitive purity and sanctity. They denied the +supremacy of the Roman pontiff, and maintained that the rulers and +ministers of the Church were obliged, by their vocation, to imitate the +poverty of the Apostles and to procure for themselves a subsistence by the +work of their hands. They considered every Christian as, in a certain +measure, qualified and authorized to instruct, exhort and confirm the +brethren in their Christian course. They at the same time affirmed that +confession made to priests was by no means necessary, since the humble +offender might acknowledge his sins and testify his repentance to any true +believer, and might expect from such the counsel and admonition which his +case demanded. They maintained that the power of delivering sinners from +the guilt and punishment of their offenses belonged to God alone; and that +indulgences in consequence were the criminal invention of sordid avarice. +They looked upon the prayers and other ceremonies that were instituted in +behalf of the dead, as vain, useless, and absurd, and denied the existence +of departed souls in an intermediate state of purification. It is also +said that several of the Waldenses denied the obligation of infant +baptism. They adopted as the model of their moral discipline Christ's +sermon on the mount, which they interpreted and explained in the most +rigorous and literal manner; and consequently prohibited and condemned in +their society all wars, and suits of law, and all attempts toward the +acquisition of wealth."--Buck. + +"Waldo's translation of the four gospels into French was the first +appearance of the Scriptures in any modern language. The possession of +these books soon discovered to Waldo that the Church was never designed to +be dependent on a priesthood, even for the administration of the +sacraments; and he became so obnoxious to the church that he was +anathematized by the pope. No longer safe in Lyons, Waldo and his friends +took refuge in the mountains, and there formed those communities from +which the simple doctrines of Christianity flowed out all over Europe. +Provence, Languedoc, Flanders, Germany, one after another tasted of the +refreshing waters. Waldo traveled in Picardy, teaching his reformation +doctrines, hundreds of years before Luther was born. He finally settled in +Bohemia, where he died in 1179, the same year in which his tenets were +denounced by an ecumenical council. The Waldensian Church was a light on +the mountains during the Dark Ages."--McC. + +Of the church in Thyatira.--"Thyatira seems to mean 'the sweet perfume of +sacrifice.' It was the period of Papal persecution." (Z. '16-347.) From +the time of Peter Waldo's witness in 1160 until the next special messenger +to the Church appeared, 1378, was a period of 218 years. + +Write.--The first translation of the Bible into a modern +language--French--was the work of Waldo. + +These things saith the Son of God, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of +fire.--"To watch over His faithful ones as they wandered through the dark +valleys or hid in the darker caves of earth." (Z. '16-347; Rev. 1:14.) His +eyes search out every secret thought.--Rev. 2:23. + +And His feet are like fine brass.--"To walk by their side as they scaled +the rugged mountains or wandered footsore and weary, seeking a place to +plant the seeds of Truth." (Z. '16-347; Rev. 1:15.) His feet "trample to +fragments everything impure."--Cook. + +2:19. I know thy works.--The Lord remembers that Peter Waldo was the first +to translate His Word into a modern language. + +And charity, [and service,] and faith, and [thy] patience, and thy +works.--The Lord remembers that Peter Waldo literally "sold all that he had +and gave to the [Lord's] poor." + +[And] thy last works to be more than the first.--(Diaglott.) "So general +and widespread became the so-called heresy that Innocent III determined to +crush it out--'exterminate the whole pestilential race' was the language of +which he made use. The commission he gave to the authorities was to burn +the chief of the Vaudois (Waldenses), to scatter the heretics themselves, +confiscating their property, and consigning to perdition every soul who +dared to oppose the pope. Joined with 'His Holiness' in his relentless +persecution of the Waldenses was Dominic, the father of the Inquisition. +Such has been the history of the Waldenses all through the ages--subject to +untold suffering from persecution; then enjoying, in the quiet valleys of +Piedmont, comparative tranquility for a time; then assailed by their ever- +relentless foe, the Roman Catholic Church, which has spared no pains, by +fire and slaughter, and the horrors of the Inquisition, to put an end to +the unfortunate victims of their violence." (McC.) How evident it is that +the followers of Peter Waldo have given a larger witness by their +sufferings (their "last works") than they did by the first works (the +translation of the Gospel into French)! + +2:20. Notwithstanding I have [a few things] MUCH against thee.--The fourth +epoch of the church nominal. + +[Because] THAT thou sufferest that woman Jezebel.--The Roman Catholic +Church, as shown in parallel below: + +"Elijah was persecuted for "The Church was persecuted for +fidelity to truth and fidelity to truth and +righteousness. righteousness. + +"His principal persecutor was "The principal persecutor was +Jezebel, the wicked queen of the apostate Church of Rome, +Israel, who is mentioned by which claims to be a 'queen' +name as the type of the enemy and ruler over Spiritual +of the saints.--Rev. 2:20; 2 Israel.--Rev. 18:7. +Kings 9:7. + +"Jezebel's persecuting power "Papacy's persecuting power +was exercised through her was exercised through the +husband, Ahab, the king.--1 Roman Empire, to which she was +Kings 21:25. joined. + +"Elijah fled from Jezebel and "The true Church fled into the +Ahab into the wilderness, to a symbolic wilderness--or +place prepared of God, where condition of isolation--to her +he was miraculously place, prepared of God, where +nourished.--1 Kings 17:5-9. she was sustained.--Rev. 12:6, + 16. + +"Elijah was 'three years and "The Church was three and a +six months' in the wilderness, half symbolic years (a day for +and during that time there was a year--1260 literal years) in +no rain, and a great famine the wilderness condition, +was in the land.--James 5:17; 1 during which there was a +Kings 17:7; 18:2. spiritual famine because of + the lack of Truth--the living + water.--Rev. 12:6; 11:3; Amos + 8:11. + +"After the three and a half "At the end of the 1260 years +years, 1260 days, when Elijah the power of the Truth and its +returned from the wilderness, witnesses was manifested (A. +the errors of Jezebel's D. 1799); and since then the +priests were manifested, the Truth has flowed at the rate +true God was honored, and of millions of Bibles every +copious rains followed.--1 year, refreshing the world and +Kings 18:41-45. bringing forth fruit."--B. 256. + +Which [calleth herself] SAITH SHE IS a prophetess.--Claims to be an +infallible teacher, but really has no right to teach at all--"I suffer not +a woman [a church] to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man +[Christ]." (1 Tim. 2:12; 1 Cor. 14:34; F. 270.) "False prophecy, +fornication and idolatry are symbolized by the woman Jezebel." (Cook.) +Jezebel was a prophetess of Baal.--1 Ki. 16:31-33; 21:25. + +[To teach and to seduce] AND TEACHETH AND SEDUCETH My servants to commit +fornication.--Union of church and state.--Rev. 2:14; 2 Ki. 9:22; 1 Cor. +14:34. + +And to eat things sacrificed unto idols.--Reverence the creed-idols set up +by the various ecumenical councils.--Rev. 2:14. + +2:21. And I gave her space.--_Chronos_, a "time," 360 years. As noted in +comments on 2:20, the prophetic "time, times and a half a time," or three +and a half times, or three and a half years, or forty and two months, or +1260 days, represent 1260 years. A single _chronos_ or "time," therefore, +represents 360 years. + +To repent [of her fornication].--Of her unfaithfulness to the Lord. During +all this time "the virgin Church was enduring the hardships of the +wilderness; while the apostate Church sat on the throne of her royal +paramour."--Z. '16-347. + +And she [repented not] WILL NOT REPENT OF THIS FORNICATION.--The Lord +foreknew that after 360 years more of living with the kings of earth, and +endeavoring to gain dominion over them, the Roman Catholic Church would be +unrepentant. The 360 years from Waldo's message in 1160 ended in 1520. +Luther's 95 theses were placed on the church doors at Wittenberg October +31, 1517. "These he proposed not as points fully established, but as +subjects of inquiry and disputation. The learned were invited to impugn +them, either in person or by writing; and to the whole he subjoined solemn +protestations of his high respect for the apostolic see, and of his +implicit submission to his authority. No opponent appeared at the time +prefixed; the theses spread over Germany with astonishing rapidity, and +were read with the greatest eagerness." (Buck.) Luther was summoned in +July, 1518, to appear at Rome within sixty days. He wrote a submissive +letter to the pope, requesting a trial in Germany. Meantime the German +Emperor died; and the pope, absorbed in the choice of a new emperor, paid +little heed to the Luther controversy. + +"From the reason just now given, a suspension of proceeding against Luther +took place for eighteen months, though perpetual negotiations were carried +on. The manner in which these were conducted having given our reformer +many opportunities of observing the corruption of the court of Rome, its +obstinacy in adhering to established errors, and its indifference about +truth, he began in 1520 to utter some doubts with regard to the Divine +origin of the papal authority, which he publicly disputed with Eccius, one +of his most learned and formidable antagonists. The papal authority being +once suspected, Luther proceeded to push on his inquiries and attacks from +one doctrine to another, till at last he began to shake the foundations on +which the wealth and power of the church were established. Leo then began +to perceive that there were no hopes of reclaiming such an incorrigible +heretic, and therefore prepared to pronounce the sentence of +excommunication against him. The college of cardinals was often assembled, +in order to prepare the sentence with due deliberation; and the ablest +canonists were consulted how it might be expressed with unexceptionable +formality. At last it was issued, on the 15th of June, 1520. Forty-one +propositions, extracted out of Luther's works, were therein condemned as +heretical, scandalous, and offensive to pious ears; all persons were +forbidden to read his writings, upon pain of excommunication; such as had +any of them in their custody were commanded to commit them to the flames; +he himself, if he did not within sixty days publicly recant his errors, +and burn his books, was pronounced an obstinate heretic, excommunicated, +and delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh; and all secular +princes were required, under pain of incurring the same censure, to seize +his person, that he might be punished as his crimes deserved." (Buck.) +With the excommunication of Luther, "the fat was in the fire"; and it was +useless for the Roman Catholic Church to try to stem the tide of the +Reformation. Her period for repentance ended with the "chronos," 360 +years, June 15, 1520.--See 3d paragraph, page 41. + +2:22. Behold, I will cast her into a bed.--Not a bed of ease, but a bed of +pain. See Diaglott. There where she sinned she shall suffer. + +And them that commit adultery with her.--All the powers that receive her +legates or that maintain representatives at the Vatican. Knowing her +character, they are equally guilty. + +Into great tribulation.--They are getting some now, and will get more soon. + +Except they repent of [their] HER deeds.--This teaches that the present +situation in Europe is the direct result of the teachings of the Roman +Catholic Church. + +2:23. And I will kill her children.--"Both Romanists and Protestants now +freely own the relationship of mother and daughters, the former +continually styling herself the Holy Mother Church, and the latter, with +pleased complacency, endorsing the idea."--D. 28; Isa. 57:3, 4. See p. 111. + +With death.--"They shall be as though they had not been."--Obad. 16. + +And all the churches shall know.--When their secrets are laid bare by the +unfolding of the deep things of God's Word. + +That I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts.--In olden times the mind +was supposed to be located in the reins (kidneys); and the prophecy +assumes the same position. Thus David says, "My reins also instruct me in +the night seasons"; "In the night his song shall be with me." (Psa. 16:7; +42:8.) "My reins within me are consumed with earnest desire for that day." +(Job 19:27, margin.) The metaphor is appropriate to the theme.--Psa. 7:9; +Jer. 11:20; 17:10; 20:12. + +And I will give unto every one of you according to your works.--The light +of Truth blazes most fiercely against the ecclesiastical organizations +whose offenses have been greatest. As for the Papacy, "her sins have +reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."--Rev. 18:5, +6; Matt. 7:16, 20. + +2:24. But unto you I say [and unto] the rest in Thyatira.--Waldenses and +others outside of the Papal system. + +As many as have not this doctrine.--Spiritual fornication, mixture of +church and state, the special subject of the message to Thyatira. + +[And] which have not known.--Comprehended, realized, entered into. + +The depths of Satan.--Rome, pagan and papal. + +As they speak.--"So to say," i. e., "Satan" is a name applicable to Rome, +as describing its characteristics.--Rev. 2:10. + +I will put upon you none other burden.--The Lord only requires of His +people obedience to the light due.--1 John 1:7. + +2:25. But that which ye have already.--The truths described in 2:18. + +Hold fast till I come.--Some of the light which shone upon the Waldensians +has never been entirely extinguished. + +2:26. And he that overcometh.--Effectually resists efforts to entice him +into disloyalty to the Lord. + +And keepeth My works unto the end.--Continues in the faith (John 6:29; 1 +John 3:23), despite the unions of church and state. Christ's works are +opposite to Jezebel's.--Rev. 2:22. + +To him will I give THE power [over] OF the nations.--How like our God! The +sacrificed Christ gets the very prize for which Satan aspired.--Isa. 14:13, +14; 1 Cor. 6:2, 3; Rev. 3:21; 5:10; Psa. 149:5-9. + +2:27. And he shall rule them with a rod of Iron.--"God's Kingdom will not +be established by a vote of the people, nor by the vote of the aristocracy +and rulers. He 'whose right it is,' He who bought it with His own precious +blood, will '_take_ the Kingdom,' will 'take unto Himself His great power +and reign.' " (D. 518). "The nations will be ruled by irresistible +force--'every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess'--and obedience +will be compulsory." (D. 636.) "In His day the humble and righteous, and +they only, shall flourish. (Isa. 28:17; Rom. 14:11; Psa. 92:12, 13."--C. +369.) "The only liberty that will be granted to any will be the true and +glorious liberty of the sons of God--liberty to do good to themselves and +others in any and in every way; but nothing will be allowed to injure or +destroy in all that Holy Kingdom. (Isa. 11:9; Rom. 8:21.) Because of its +firmness and vigor, it is symbolically called an iron rule."--A. 302; Rev. +19:15. + +As the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers.--"The stone cut +out of the mountain without hands, which smites and scatters the Gentile +powers, represents the true Church, the Kingdom of God. Not the people, +but the governments, are symbolized by the image, and these are to be +destroyed that the people may be delivered. Our Lord Jesus came not to +destroy men's lives, but to save them. (John 3:17.) The stone does not +become the mountain until it has smitten the image; and so the Church, in +the full sense, will become the Kingdom when 'the day of the Lord,' the +'day of wrath upon the nations,' will be over." (A. 255.) "This smiting +and breaking properly belongs to the Day of Vengeance, and though the +power and rod will still remain throughout the Millennial Age, their use +will probably be unnecessary."--D. 637; Psa. 2:9; Dan. 7:22. + +Even as I received of My Father.--The Father (Justice) decrees their +unworthiness to continue longer. Their iniquity is come to the full. Four +hundred years from October 31, 1517, end Oct. 31, 1917.--Rev. 2:21; Gen. +15:13-16. + +2:28. And I will give him the Morning Star.--"I am the bright and morning +star."--Rev. 22:16; Matt. 13:43. + +2:29. He that hath an ear.--An ear attuned to the Harp Divine. + +Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.--Not many are able to +appreciate the sweet old "song of Moses and the Lamb" when they hear +it.--Rev. 15:3. + + + + +Revelation 3--Wycliffe, Luther And Russell + + +3:1. And [unto] BY the angel.--The next important messenger to the Church +was John Wycliffe. "It was in 1378 A. D., the year of the 'Great Schism of +the West,' when two popes were elected, one in Rome and the other in +Avignon, that Wycliffe came out as the great Doctrinal Reformer. Workman, +in _Dawn of the Reformation_, writes: 'Wycliffe's spiritual earnestness +was shocked, his theory destroyed by the spectacle of two popes, each +claiming to be the sole head of the Church, each labeling the other as +Antichrist. To Wycliffe, the year of the Schism, 1378, was the crucial +year of his life. He first urged that both popes should be set aside as +having little in common with the Church of the Holy God. From this +position of neutrality he quickly passed into one of antagonism to the +Papacy itself.' In his _Mediaeval Church History_, Archbishop Trench says: +'The year 1378 marked the turning-point in Wycliffe's career. Hitherto he +had concerned himself with matters of mixed ecclesiastical and political +import, but henceforth he devoted himself exclusively to doctrinal matters +and came out as the Reformer. He began in earnest the translation of the +Bible into English, and took the next decisive step by an open attack, +forced upon him by his studies of the Bible, against Transubstantiation.' +Wycliffe thus attacked the very bulwark of Antichrist's stronghold, for +the doctrine of Transubstantiation, or the sacrifice of the Mass, annulled +the true sacrifice of Christ. Because of this, the Papal system became in +God's sight the 'desolating abomination.' (Dan. 11:31.)"--Edgar. + +Of the church in Sardis.--"Sardis is said to mean that which remains, as if +it signified something out of which life or virtue had gone. The nominal +church during this period had a form of godliness without its power. +Sardis was the remains of the true Church, which had been driven into the +wilderness; but when the persecution began to subside, her zeal also +abated."--Z. '16-347. + +Write.--Wycliffe wrote the first translation of the Bible into English. + +These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God.--The seven lamps +of fire (Rev. 4:5), or seven eyes sent forth into all the earth (Rev. +5:6); i. e., perfect knowledge.--Rev. 1:4. + +And the seven stars.--How each of the Lord's messengers was kept! St. Paul +had (supposedly) eight years of liberty after his first imprisonment, +planted the Gospel in Spain and revisited the scenes of earlier labors; +St. John is said to have been thrown into a caldron of boiling oil, but +escaped unharmed and died of old age; Arius died a natural death; as did +Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe, Martin Luther and Charles T. Russell, although +all had reason to expect martyrdom at the hands of ecclesiasticism. The +year that Peter Waldo died, his tenets were condemned by an ecumenical +council. "Wycliffe preached unmolested; but the Council of Constance (May +5, 1415) condemned his doctrines, and in 1428 his remains were dug up and +burned; the ashes were cast into the adjoining Swift, which, as Wordsworth +poetically remarked, conveyed them through the Avon and the Severn into +the sea, and thus disseminated them over the world. His doctrines, carried +into Bohemia, originated the Hussite movement. The New Testament was +published about 1378, and the entire Old Testament was completed shortly +before his death."--McC. + +I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest.--Many who admired +Wycliffe were not real Christians. A man not willing to go to the stake +for his religion has none. + +And art dead.--Spiritually.--Luke 9:60. + +3:2. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that [are] WERE +ready to die.--Many among Wycliffe's admirers lost faith and love, and to +that degree died, while others had some spiritual life. These the Lord +desired to awaken, to strengthen, to encourage.--Eph. 5:14. + +For I have not found thy works perfect before MY God.--Revised Version +reads, "For I have found no works of thine fulfilled before My God." + +3:3. Remember [therefore] how thou hast received.--Received the entire Word +in the English tongue. + +And heard.--Wycliffe was the author of more than 200 works, chiefly tracts, +on the Ransom. + +And hold fast, and reform.--(Diaglott.) Had Wycliffe's labors been properly +appreciated, the Reformation would have been set forward 150 years. + +If therefore thou shalt not [watch] REPENT.--Change your course of conduct. + +I will come on thee as a thief.--"Many today have the Sardis +characteristics. To such this is a warning. Seven times our Lord's Second +Coming is described as being thief-like, stealthy. Those who are asleep +will be awakened only after His work of destruction has progressed. His +presence will be recognized by the sleepers only as the noise of spoiling +the Strong Man's House gradually increases." (Z. '16-347; 1 Thes. 5:2; +Matt. 24:43; 2 Pet. 3:10.) "The stealthiness of the thief, not the +violence of the robber, is implied in the original."--Cook. + +And thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.--"Failing to +realize the fact that spiritual bodies cannot be seen by human eyes +without a miracle, some cannot understand how He can be present while 'all +things continue as they were since the beginning of creation.' (2 Pet. +3:3, 4.) Thus they are unable to understand the signs of the times' +revealing His return."--Z. '16-347. + +3:4. BUT thou hast a few names [even] in Sardis which have not defiled +their garments.--But have given due heed to the Message of the hour, the +Ransom. + +And they shall walk with Me In white.--Fully covered by the robe of +Christ's righteousness. + +For they are worthy.--None who trust in sacrifices of the Mass or in other +sacrifices than that of Calvary, can ever be worthy in God's sight.--Matt. +10:37. + +3:5. He that overcometh, [the same] THUS.--The test, apparently, was on the +question of transubstantiation. + +Shall be clothed in white raiment.--"The pictures given of the Heavenly +Father represent _Him_ as clothed (Psa. 104:2); and the pictures of our +Lord represent _Him_ as clothed. The angels who appeared at the time of +our Lord's resurrection are represented as clothed in white. Our Lord +said: 'Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk +naked, and they see his shame.' (Rev. 16:15.) The glorified Church is +represented, not as taking off the robe of righteousness, but continuing +to walk in white raiment, not as now, in a robe of reckoned righteousness, +but in a robe of actual righteousness."--Z. '14-11; Rev. 19:8. + +And I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life.--"In the book are +written the names of all those who have made with the Lord 'a Covenant by +Sacrifice.' The name of each of these is entered in the Lamb's Book of +Life, when he starts to live the new life. If they are faithful, their +names will not be blotted out; and they will attain all those glorious +things which are promised to those who love Him supremely. (Rev. +3:21.)"--Z. '15-119; Rev. 13:8; Psa. 69:28; Dan. 12:1; Phil. 4:3; Lu. +10:20. + +But I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.--"In +the end, the overcomers will each be so grandly developed that the Lord +will not be ashamed to confess any of them and to say, 'Here is one of My +followers. Here is another. They have walked in My footsteps and have +overcome.' But He will be ashamed of any who are ashamed of Him or of His +words. (Luke 9:26.)"--Z. '15-119; Luke 12:8, 9. + +3:6. He that hath an ear.--A spiritual ear. "My sheep hear My voice."--John +10:27. + +Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.--"Blessed are the +people that know the joyful sound."--Psa. 89:15. + +3:7. And [to] BY the angel.--The next messenger to the Church was Martin +Luther. "There is considerable similarity between the work begun on +Pentecost and that of Luther. The Reformation was, in a sense, the +beginning of a new era, a dawning of light where all had been darkness, a +new start in the way of Truth."--Z. '16-347. + +Of the church in Philadelphia.--"Philadelphia means brotherly love. This +stage of the Church's history began at the Reformation; and there are many +still living who possess the characteristics described." (Z. '16-347.) The +exact point of time at which the Philadelphia epoch of the Church began +was at midday, October 31, 1517. It was at that hour that Luther nailed +his ninety-five theses on the church door at Wittenberg. "Nailing up that +paper was the beginning of a great division in the Church; of thrones +tumbled into the dust and kings with them; of empires rent asunder; of +lands desolated by war; of massacres and horrible outrages against the +lives and liberties of men; of thirty years continuous war in Germany; of +Paris and the vine-clad valleys of Italy drenched in blood; of fires +kindled all over England for the burning of men, women and children; of +men hurled headlong from precipices, roasted over slow fires, starving in +dungeons, subjected to every form of cruelty--but with all this, the +advance of justice, truth and liberty, the beginning of a new era in human +affairs." (Coffin.) "The theses ran through all Germany in fourteen days, +for all the world was complaining about the indulgences; and Luther became +renowned, because at last somebody had come who took hold of the +thing."--McC. + +Write.--Luther wrote the first translation of the Bible into German. + +These things saith He that is [holy] TRUE.--The direct reference is to +Christ (1 John 5:20); but characteristic of Luther was his great love of +truth. When the Papal legate came demanding that he recant, he replied, "I +stand by the truth. I will not take it back." + +He that it [true] HOLY.--See Mark 1:24. Luther's special message was +"Justification by faith"--_real_ holiness. One of the theses on the door +was, "Those who truly repent of their sins have a full remission of guilt +and penalty." + +He that hath the key of David.--"All power in Heaven and earth." (Matt. +28:18; Luke 1:32.) Luther's theses were antagonistic to the system +actually ruling all over the world. When a representative came warning +that his death would surely follow failure to recant, and asking him where +he could go when all had orders not to harbor him, he replied, "I will +abide under the cope of heaven." + +[He] AND that openeth.--See Luke 24:32. + +And no man [shutteth] SHALL SHUT.--"No doubt all the powers of Satan were +exerted to close the door then opened; but 'He that is true' had said, +'which no man can shut.' "--Z. '16-347; Isa. 22:22. + +And shutteth and no man [openeth] SHALL OPEN.--The door of opportunity for +the Roman Catholic Church to repent swung shut the day Luther was +excommunicated. (Rev. 2:21.) "Luther was not in the least disconcerted by +this sentence, which he had for some time expected. He renewed his appeal +to the general council; declared the pope to be that Antichrist or Man of +Sin whose appearance is foretold in the New Testament; declaimed against +his tyranny with greater vehemence than ever; and at last having assembled +the University he cast the canon law, together with the bull of +excommunication, into the flames."--Buck. + +3:8. I know thy works.--A striking feature of Luther's character was his +promptness to do whatever he saw to be the Lord's will. When the great +test came, Luther said to Erasmus: "You desire to walk upon eggs without +crushing them." Erasmus replied: "I will not be unfaithful to the cause of +Christ at least so far as the Age will permit me." "I will go to Worms," +shouted Luther, "though the devils were combined against me as thick as +tiles upon the housetops!" + +Behold I have set before thee an open door.--See 1 Cor. 16:9; Acts 14:27. + +[And] WHICH no man can shut [it].--"While the Roman pontiff thought +everything safe and settled, and all pious and good men were nearly in +despair of the religious reformation, so earnestly desired, a certain +obscure and inconsiderable monk in Saxony, a province of Germany, suddenly +opposed himself single-handed with incredible resolution to the power of +Rome. This was Martin Luther."--Mosheim. + +For thou hast a little strength.--"Compared with the mighty hosts of their +enemies, the little band of Reformers had but 'a little strength;' but +they knew that they had the Truth, and they fully trusted the Giver."--Z. +'16-347. + +And hast kept My Word.--"Whoso keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love +of God perfected."--1 John 2:5. + +And hast not denied My name.--"If we deny Him, He also will deny us."--2 +Tim. 2:12. + +3:9. Behold I [will make] HAVE MADE them of the synagogue of Satan.--The +opponents of the reformers were _already_ of the synagogue of Satan.--Rev. +2:13. + +Which say they are Jews.--Claim to be Israelites indeed, saints.--Rev. 2:9. + +And are not, but do lie.--Papacy is one of the two systems of rulership +(imperial power being the other) congenitally "spotted like a leopard," as +far as the Truth is concerned.--Dan. 11:27; Rev. 13:2. + +Behold I will make them to come.--"All nations whom Thou hast made shall +come."--Psa. 86:9. + +And worship before thy feet.--"The sons also of them that afflicted thee +shall come bending unto thee; and all that despised thee shall bow +themselves down at the soles of thy feet."--Isa. 60:14; 49:23. + +And [to] THOU SHALT know that I have loved thee.--See Eph. 2:7. + +3:10. Because thou hast kept the word of My patience.--My patience- +enjoining word.--Matt. 10:22; Lu. 8:15. + +I also will keep thee.--"As to the Philadelphia stage of the Church, and +their being saved from the hour of temptation, we think possibly the Lord +meant that some of the Church of that epoch would live over into the +present period, and that they would not be subjected to the special trials +of this hour. For instance, we think of a very fine old gentleman, who was +about ninety years of age at the time we are about to mention. He was +pastor of a church. He seemed to receive Present Truth with a great deal +of joy and spoke it forth with much zeal. But he was surrounded with so +much opposition at home, and in the church to which he was attached as a +minister, that he could not seem to trust to his mental judgment. This +Scripture which we are considering has rather comforted our mind with +respect to him and others like him."--Z. '15-200. + +From the hour of temptation.--" 'The hour of temptation' has been the +Harvest time. The majority of professing Christians of the world--probably +more than three-fourths--have lost all faith in the Bible, and fallen into +Evolution, Higher Criticism, Christian Science, Theosophy, Spiritism, New +Thought, etc. They are not able to stand in this 'evil day.' " (Z'15-199.) +Additionally, "so far as we are able to judge, the same conditions prevail +today amongst Bible students which the Apostle pointed out to the Elders +of the Church of Ephesus. (Acts 20:28-32.)"--Z. '16-328. + +Which shall come upon all the world.--"We believe that this temptation to +headiness and strife is spreading gradually in every direction; and the +Master assured us that unless these days would be cut short by the +establishment of His Kingdom in the hands of the Elect, no flesh would +survive."--Z. '16-327; Rev. 7:1-3; 16:14; Matt. 24:21. + +To try them that dwell upon the earth.--"We understand that the spirit of +selfishness and ambition, which is driving the nations insanely to war for +commercial supremacy, will increase more and more, and will involve +everybody."--Z. '16-327; Rev. 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 14. + +3:11. [Behold,] I come quickly.--To Smyrna (73-325 A. D.) and Pergamos +(325-1160 A. D.) nothing was said about Christ's Second Advent; to +Thyatira (1160-1378) the Message was, "Hold fast till I come"; to Sardis +(1378-1518) it was, "If therefore thou shalt not reform, I will come on +thee as a thief"; to Philadelphia (1518-1874) it was, "Behold, I come +_quickly_." How evident that these messages to the Churches are epochs +drawing nearer and nearer to the climax of history, the Fifth Universal +Empire, now come at last! + +Hold that fast which thou hast.--"The Miller movement was a separation, as +between those who kept the Word of God with patience and those who lost +their faith in His Word. The Philadelphia Church, which patiently passed +through so severe a trial of their faith, would not be subjected to the +later test."--Z. '15-199. + +That no man take thy crown.--"Unfaithfulness may lead to the blotting out +of some names and the giving of their crowns to others." (F. 165.) "It is +our expectation that this work of going out and coming in will continue +until the last member of the New Creation shall have been found worthy, +and all the crowns everlastingly apportioned."--F. 95; 1 Sam. 16:1; Rev. +2:10. + +3:12. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar [in] TO the Temple of my +God.--"During the Philadelphia period the faithful have either been obliged +to come out of the nominal temple or have been cast out. The reward +promised such is that each will be a pillar in the eternal Temple--a part +which cannot be removed while the structure exists."--Z. '16-347; Gal. 2:9; +1 Kings 7:21, 22; Jer. 1:18; 1 Cor. 3:17; Eph. 2:19-22. + +And he shall [go no more] NOT GO out.--"During their trial state their +names were cast out as evil; they were not recognized as Christians. All +this is to be reversed. 'The Lord knoweth them that are His.' "--Z. +'16-347. + +And I will write upon him the name of My God.--"And I looked, and, lo, a +Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred and forty and four +thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads +[intellects]."--Rev. 14:1; 22:4. + +And the name of the city of My God.--"And they shall call them, The holy +people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A +city not forsaken."--Isa. 62:12; Ezek. 48:35; Jer. 23:6; 33:16. + +Which is New Jerusalem.--"Glorious City of Peace! whose foundations, laid +in justice, can never be moved, and whose builder and designer is God! It +is in the light which will shine from this glorious City (Kingdom) of God +that the nations (people) will walk on the Highway of Holiness, up to +perfection and to full harmony with God."--Rev. 21:2, 10, 24; A 295. + +Which cometh down out of Heaven from My God.--"A city is a symbol of a +kingdom or dominion, and so God's Kingdom is symbolized by the New +Jerusalem, the new dominion coming from Heaven to earth. At first it will +consist of only the Bride of Christ."--A. 295; Heb. 12:18-22. + +And I will write upon him My new name.--" 'Our Righteousness of Jehovah.' +How appropriate is this name to the work and office of our Lord Jesus! Did +He not stand as the Representative of God's righteousness and suffer the +penalty of Justice as man's Ransom--that God might be just, and yet be the +Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus? Surely no name could be more +appropriate. (Jer. 33:16; 23:6; T. 102.) And that this name will be +appropriate to the glorified Church all can readily see: she not only +shares her Lord's sufferings for righteousness, 'filling up that which is +behind of the afflictions of Christ' (Col. 1:24; 1 Pet. 5:9), but is also +promised a share in all the glories of her Lord, as a wife shares her +husband's honors and _name_."--E. 45, 42; Isa. 9:6; Rev. 2:17; 19:12. + +3:13. He that hath an ear.--"Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear +ye not?"--Mark 8:18. + +Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.--"Let these sayings +sink down into your ears."--Luke 9:44. + +3:14. And [unto] BY the angel.--The special messenger to the last Age of +the Church was Charles T. Russell, born February 16, 1852. He has +privately admitted his belief that he was chosen for his great work from +before his birth. His mother died when he was nine years old; and at the +age of eleven Charles formed a business partnership with his father, +himself writing the articles of agreement under which they transacted +business. When he was but twelve years of age, his father found him in the +store one time at 2 a. m., poring over a concordance, unconscious of the +lapse of time. We give some extracts from his autobiography: + +"We begin the narrative at the year 1868, when the Editor, having been a +consecrated child of God for some years, and a member of the +Congregational Church and of the Y. M. C. A., began to be shaken in faith +regarding many long accepted doctrines. Brought up a Presbyterian, +indoctrinated from the catechism, and being naturally of an inquiring +mind, I fell a ready prey to the logic of infidelity, as soon as I began +to think for myself. But that which at first threatened to be the utter +shipwreck of faith in God and the Bible, was, under God's providence, +overruled for good, and merely wrecked my confidence in human creeds and +systems of Bible interpretations. I was led gradually to see that though +each of the creeds contained some elements of Truth, they were, on the +whole, misleading and contradictory of God's Word. Among other theories, I +stumbled upon Adventism. Seemingly by accident, one evening I dropped into +a dusty, dingy hall in Allegheny, Pa., where I had heard that religious +services were held, to see if the handful who met there had anything more +sensible to offer than the creeds of the great churches. There, for the +first time, I heard something of the views of Second Adventism, by Jonas +Wendell, long since deceased. Thus I confess indebtedness to Adventists as +well as to other Bible students. Though his Scripture exposition was not +entirely clear, and though it was very far from what we now rejoice in, it +was sufficient, under God, to reestablish my wavering faith in the Divine +inspiration of the Bible, and to show that the records of the Apostles and +the Prophets are indissolubly linked. + +"When in 1872 I came to examine the subject of Restitution from the +standpoint of the Ransom-price given by our Lord Jesus for Adam, and +consequently for all lost in Adam, it settled the matter of Restitution +completely, and gave me the fullest assurance that ALL _must come forth_ +from their graves and be brought to a clear knowledge of the Truth and to +a full opportunity to gain everlasting life through Christ. The years +following, to 1876, were years of continued growth in grace and in +knowledge on the part of the handful of Bible students with whom I met in +Allegheny. We progressed from our first crude and indefinite ideas of +Restitution to clearer understanding of the details; but God's due time +for clear light had not yet come. During this time, too, we came to +recognize the difference between our Lord as 'the _Man_ who gave Himself,' +and as the One who would come again, a _Spirit Being_. We saw that spirit +beings can be present and yet invisible to men.... It seems that not long +after their 1874 disappointment, a reader of _The Herald of the Morning_, +who had a copy of the _Emphatic Diaglott_, noticed something in it which +he thought peculiar--that in Matthew 24:27, 37, 39, the Greek word +_parousia_, which in our Common Version is rendered '_coming_,' is in the +_Diaglott_ translated '_presence_'--evidently the correct translation of +the Greek. This was the clue; and following it, they had been led through +prophetic _time_ toward proper views regarding the object and manner of +our Lord's Return, and then to the examination of the time when the things +indicated in God's Word as related to Christ's _parousia_ should take +place. Thus God leads His children often from different starting points of +Truth. But where the heart is earnest and trustful, the results must be to +draw all together. + +"There were no books or other publications setting forth the time +prophecies as then understood. So I paid Mr. Barbour's expenses to come to +see me at Philadelphia (where I had business engagements during the summer +of 1876), to show me fully and Scripturally, if he could, that the +prophecies indicated 1874 as the date at which the Lord's _presence_ and +the Harvest began. He came, and the evidence satisfied me. Being a person +of positive convictions, and fully consecrated to the Lord, I at once saw +that the special times in which we live have an important bearing upon our +duty and work as Christ's disciples; that since we are living in the time +of the Harvest, the Harvest work should be done; and that Present Truth is +the sickle by which the Lord would have us do a reaping work everywhere +among His children. I inquired of Mr. Barbour as to what was being done by +him and _The Herald_. He replied that nothing was being done."--Z. '16-170, +171. + +Pastor Russell took the place of Mr. Barbour who became unfaithful and +upon whom was fulfilled the prophecies of Matt. 24:48-51 and Zech. +11:15-17. + +"In 1877 Pastor Russell called a meeting of all the ministers of Allegheny +and Pittsburgh, showed them the Scriptures which indicated our Lord's +presence and urged them to investigate and proclaim the message. All of +the ministers of the two cities were present; all of the ministers of the +two cities refused to believe. In the same year he determined to give up +secular work and devote his entire time and fortune to the work indicated +in the Scriptures as incident to the close of the Gospel Age and change of +dispensation impending. As a means of determining whether his course was +in harmony with the Scriptures, and also as a means of demonstrating his +own sincerity, he decided to test the Lord's approval as follows: (1) +Devote his life to the cause; (2) Invest his fortune in the promulgation +of the work; (3) Prohibit collections at all meetings; (4) Depend on +unsolicited contributions (wholly voluntary) to continue the work after +his fortune was exhausted. In 1881, 1,400,000 copies of _Food for Thinking +Christians_ were distributed free at the doors of the Protestant churches +in the United States, Canada and Great Britain on three consecutive +Sundays, by A. D. T. messenger boys."--Obituary. + +As to his education we quote his own words: "As respects my education in +Greek and Hebrew: Not only do I not claim very special knowledge of either +language, but I claim that not one minister in a thousand is either a +Hebrew or a Greek scholar. To be able to spell out a few Greek words is of +no earthly value. Nor is it necessary longer to study these languages in +order to have knowledge of the Bible. Our Presbyterian friends have gotten +out at great cost Young's Analytical Hebrew, Chaldaic, Greek and English +Lexicon Concordance, which any one may procure. And our Methodist friends +have issued a similar work--Strong's Analytical Concordance and Lexicon. +And there is a still older one entitled Englishman's Hebrew, Chaldaic, +Greek and English Lexicon and Concordance. Additionally, Liddell and +Scott's Greek Lexicon is a standard authority. The prices of these are not +beyond the reach of the average man. By these works scholarly information +respecting the original text of the Bible is obtainable. I have all four +of these works and have used them faithfully. Very few college professors, +even, would risk to give a critical translation of any text of Scripture +without consulting these very works of reference, which are standard. +Additionally I remind you of the many translations of the Bible now +extant--all of them very good. I have all of these and find them useful in +comparison and study of any text--one sometimes giving a thought which +another may not. The other day, for curiosity's sake, I counted Bibles in +different translations, etc., in my study, and found that I have thirty- +two."--Z. '14-286. + +As to his ordination we quote him again: "There are two ordinations +proper. One is of God; one of men. The ordination of God is the begetting +of the Holy Spirit. If any are preaching without this ordination, they are +doing something that they are not authorized to do. There comes, however, +another special ordination of those who are called ministers of the +Gospel, in which class I count myself. This is ordination by the Church, +and is recognized by all denominations everywhere. By some it is +considered a mere form, by some it is performed with great ceremony, by +others with less ceremony. But to our understanding, each congregation +should have those whom it has chosen ordained in a Scriptural way--by the +stretching forth of hands--by a vote. Whoever has not been ordained in +these two ways is not an ordained minister of the Gospel in the Scriptural +sense. First, the Divine ordination is necessary; second, the earthly +ordination is necessary. By the grace of God I have both of these."--Z. +'15-358. + +As to his doctrines we quote him the third time: "To us the Scriptures +clearly teach that the Church is the 'Temple of the living God'--peculiarly +'His workmanship'; its construction has been in progress throughout the +Gospel Age--ever since Christ became the world's Redeemer and Chief Corner +Stone of His Temple, through which, when finished, God's blessing shall +come 'to all people,' and they find access to Him. (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; Eph. +2:20; Gen. 28:14; Gal. 3:29.) That meantime the chiseling, shaping and +polishing of consecrated believers in Christ's Atonement for sin +progresses; and when the last of these 'living stones,' 'elect and +precious,' shall have been made ready, the great Master Workman will bring +all together in the First Resurrection; and the Temple shall be filled +with His glory, and be the meeting place between God and men throughout +the Millennium. (Rev. 15:6-8; 21:3.) We affirm the pre-existence of Jesus +as the mighty Word (Logos)--Spokesman--'the beginning of the creation of +God,' 'the First-Born of every creature,' the active Agent of the Heavenly +Father, Jehovah, in all the work of creation. 'Without Him was not +anything made that was made.' (Rev. 3:14; Col. 1:15; John 1:3.) We affirm +that the Word (Logos) was made flesh--became the Babe of Bethlehem--thus +becoming the Man Jesus, 'holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from +sinners.' As we affirm the humanity of Jesus, we equally affirm the +Divinity of Christ--'God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name +above every name.' (Heb. 7:26; Phil. 2:9.) + +"We acknowledge that the personality of the Holy Spirit is the Father and +the Son; that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both, and is manifested in all +who receive the begetting of the Holy Spirit and thereby become sons of +God. (John 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:3.) We affirm the resurrection of Christ--that He +was put to death in flesh but quickened in Spirit. We deny that He was +raised in the flesh, and challenge any statement to that effect as being +unscriptural. (1 Pet. 3:18; 2 Cor. 3:17; 1 Cor. 15:8; Acts 26:13-15.) That +the basis of Hope, for the Church and the World, lies in the fact that +'Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man,' 'a Ransom +for all,' and will be 'the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh +into the world,' 'in due time.' (Heb. 2:9; John 1:9; 1 Tim. 2:5, 6.) That +the Hope of the Church is that she may be like her Lord, 'see Him as He +is,' be 'partaker of the Divine nature,' and share His glory as His joint- +heir. (1 John 3:2; John 17:24; Rom. 8:17; 2 Pet. 1:4.) That the present +mission of the Church is the perfecting of the saints for the future work +of service; to develop in herself every grace; to be God's witness to the +world; and to prepare to be kings and priests in the next Age. (Eph. 4:12; +Matt. 24:14; Rev. 1:6; 20:6.) That the Hope for the World lies in the +blessings of knowledge and opportunity to be brought to all by Christ's +Millennial Kingdom--the Restitution of all that was lost in Adam, to all +the willing and obedient, at the hands of their Redeemer and His glorified +Church--when all the wilfully wicked shall be destroyed. (Acts 3:19-23; +Isa. 35.)"--B. S. M. + +The amount of work that Pastor Russell performed _is incredible_, and it +is doubtful whether it was ever equalled by any other human being. When he +was in his twenties he was refused the lease of a property because the +owner thought he would surely die before the lease had expired. For fifty +years he suffered constantly with sick headaches, due to a fall in his +youth, and for twenty-five years had such distressing hemorrhoids that it +was impossible for him to rest in the easiest chair; yet in the past forty +years he traveled a million miles, delivered 30,000 sermons and table +talks--many of them 2-1/2 hours long--wrote over 50,000 pages (of this size) +of advanced Biblical exposition, often dictated 1,000 letters per month, +managed every department of a world-wide evangelistic campaign employing +700 speakers, personally compiled the most wonderful Biblical drama ever +shown; and with all that, he found time in the course of each year to +personally aid thousands with his fatherly counsel. At one time his +writings were subjected to an analysis of 20,511 Scripture expositions. +These were assembled in Biblical order and disclosed but six points of +inquiry, all easily harmonized. No writer, not even excepting the writers +of the Bible, have ever had such critical readers. His works have been +published in 35 languages. During the last eight days of his life he had +appointments in California, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and New York; and +though for several days manifestly dying, with cystitis (caused by +excessive travel and speaking), he declined to cancel any engagements, and +went out of this life October 31, 1916, on a railroad train en route to +his Kansas appointment. At the age of 30 he had accumulated a fortune of +over $300,000, but died penniless, his own fortune, as well as all the +large sums contributed to the cause, having been used up in the Master's +service. He was beloved everywhere by those who "follow the Lamb +whithersoever He goeth."--Rev. 14:4. For further particulars of Pastor +Russell's service of God's people see Memorial Number of _Zions Watch +Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence_. + +Of the church [of the Laodiceans] IN LAODICEA.--It is significant that in +the first epoch of the Church there were Nicolaitanes (_nikon ton laon_), +"vanquishers of the people," a clergy class who succeeded in pulling the +wool over the eyes of the common people; but that the last age of the +Church is Laodicean (_laos dike_), "justice for the people." We find we +get along much better without the clergy than we did with them. The +Laodicean period of the Church extends from the fall of 1874 to the spring +of 1918, three and one-half years of preparation, and forty years of +Harvest. "The parallels affected merely the nominal Jewish House _there_ +and the nominal Christian House _here_. Both were rejected because of +failure to be in the right condition of heart for the truths that were due +to them--both rejected for destruction. The Jewish System was a Church- +State affair, paralleled here by the great Church-State systems of Europe, +whose destruction began in 1914. Let us remember, however, that the three +and a half years of Jesus' ministry were more a time of preparation of the +Apostles to be the instruments for the harvesting and a sharpening +preparation of the Sickle of Truth for the later work, which _began_ at +Pentecost. Prior to Pentecost, there was _no _'garner' into which to +gather the wheat." + +"Jewish And Christian Parallels + +"Jewish-Nominal Church Christian-Nominal Church +A. D. 29-33 A. D. 1874-1878 +"They knew not the time of +their visitation." +"A. D. 33-36 A. D. 1878-1881 +The Most Holy anointed, Divine +favor prolonged for three and +a half years to complete the +70 weeks of favor promised to +Israel, their rejection being +deferred. +"A. D. 36-73 A. D. 1881-1918 +Because of the overspreading +of abominations, He shall make +it desolate, even until the +consummation, or _utter +destruction_--until all that +God has predetermined shall be +accomplished.--Dan. 9:24-27.--Z. +'16-264. See pages 594, 595. + +The foregoing is Pastor Russell's last expression on the subject of +chronology; and we believe that it was designed to be of great value to +the Lord's people at this hour. "The Apostles, the Prophets and the angels +all desired and sought earnestly to know what _time_ the Spirit of God +indicated through the Prophets. And this interest on the part of His +children is ever pleasing to God. He called the inquiring Daniel greatly +beloved, and answered his inquiry so far as was consistent with His Plan. +Such inquiry should not be regarded as an improper prying into the secrets +of God. God would have us quickly discern the Truth as it becomes _due_." +(B. 17.) "Let none, then, of the truly consecrated under-value these +prophetic time-evidences, which were designed to guide our words and deeds +in the early dawn of the Millennial Day. These prophetic time-proofs were +largely God's means of drawing the attention of the writer more carefully +to other features of the Divine Plan."--B. 31. + +Daniel "understood by books" (Jeremiah's prophecy) the length of the great +captivity of the children of Israel. (Dan. 9:2.) At Christ's First Advent +there was but one time-prophecy calling attention to that event (Dan. +9:24-27), yet all the people "were in expectation" of it (Luke 3:15.) In +the year 1190 the good monk Joachim declared that the Papal system was +Antichrist, that the history of mankind is divided into three ages, and +that in the year 1260 the Papacy would give way to a new system in which +the whole world would be "one vast monastery." "In 1260 the Council of +Arles pronounced all followers of Joachim heretics." His application of +the correct principle, "a year for a day," made in the very depths of the +Dark Ages, is one of the most pathetic incidents in the history of +mankind; but his study of time-prophecy brought him peace and joy of +heart. He was an opponent of the prevailing "doctrine of the Trinity." +William Miller, in the year 1829, was privileged to see (approximately) +the correct date for the setting up of the abomination of desolation (539 +A. D.), and for the beginning of the Time of the End (1799 A. D.) Morton +Edgar, author of _Pyramid Passages_, has found foreshown in the Great +Pyramid of Egypt abundant evidence of the accuracy of the Bible chronology +of Pastor Russell and the supplements thereto supplied by Dr. John Edgar, +deceased. These findings are set forth in his work, _Pyramid Passages_, +Vol. II, of which we recommend sections numbered in the following table. +For convenience we give the citations to Pastor Russell's works in which +the same items are discussed. The Pyramid is still there, and the +measurements can be made by anybody. Pastor Russell's chronology was +written before he ever saw the Pyramid. + +Date Foreshown Event Pastor Sections + Russell's of + Works Pyramid + Passages +Fall 4127 B. C. Fall of Adam. Z 04-343 25-30-58 +Fall 3127 B. C. End of Adam's 1000-year Z 04-343 25-28 + day. +Fall 2473 B. C. Flood. B 42 24-30 +Fall 2021 B. C. Birth of Isaac. B 231 45 +Spring 1813 B. C. Death of Jacob. B 218-232 16-17 +Spring 1615 B. C. Exodus and giving of the B 42 11 + Law. +Spring 1575 B. C. Entrance into Canaan. B 42 43-46 +Fall 626 B. C. Last Jubilee. B 185 50 +Fall 607 B. C. Desolation of the Land. B 51 19-46-48 +Fall 455 B. C. Nehemiah's Commission. B 67 51-52-53 +Fall 2 B. C. Birth of Christ. B 54 10-43 +Fall 29 A. D. Baptism of Christ. B 60 10-24-43-58 +Spring 33 A. D. Death of Christ. B 61 10-11-14-32-45 +Fall 36 A. D. Conversion of Cornelius. B 71 51 +Spring 1378 A. D. Wycliffe. Z 05-185 37 +Spring 1521 A. D. Diet of Worms. Z 05-180 38 +Fall 1846 A. D. Evangelical Alliance. C 95-119 14-52 +Fall 1874 A. D. Second Advent of the B 173-247 16-32-50 + Lord. +Spring 1878 A. D. Favor to Jews and C 233 17-28 + sleeping Saints. +Fall 1914 A. D. End of Times of the B 73 19-48 + Gentiles. +Fall 2875 A. D. Restitution completed. Z 04-344 37 +Fall 2914 A. D. Dominion restored to Z 04-343 58 + mankind. + +The chronology as it appears in the STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES is accurate. +The year 1914 brought the end of the Times of the Gentiles, but not the +end of the Harvest work. Have the teachings of the Parallels lost their +value? Not at all. The point not previously noticed is that the Jewish +polity was not to be destroyed in Jerusalem only, but throughout all +Judea. Nor does _Judea_ mean all of Palestine. The actual depopulation of +the whole of Palestine did not occur until the year 135 A. D. +(corresponding to our year 1980), on the ninth day of the month of Ab, the +anniversary of the burning of the Temple under Titus. On that day came to +an end the insurrection of Bar-Cocheba, the false Messiah, who wrought his +own destruction and that of 580,000 of his followers, when he attempted to +regain control of Judea and Jerusalem. The struggle was of five years' +duration having begun in 130 A. D. "It was the effort, under the +leadership of Bar-Cocheba, to regain their independence, that brought +about a repetition of scenes enacted under Titus, and resulted actually in +the depopulation of Palestine. The whole of Judea was turned into a +desert; about 985 towns and villages were laid in ashes; fifty of their +fortresses were razed to the ground; even the name of their capital was +changed to AElia Capitolina, and they were forbidden to approach it on pain +of death; thousands of those who had escaped death were reduced to +slavery, and such as could not be thus disposed of were transported into +Egypt."--McC. + +When the Lord gave His wonderful prophecy in which the destinies of +nominal Fleshly Israel, nominal Spiritual Israel, and the Israel of God, +are set forth, it was in answer to three definite questions: "_When_ shall +these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy Parousia, and of the +_end_ of the Age?" (Matt. 24:3.) The Lord did not ignore their question. +He answered it with a reply that sweeps the history of twenty centuries. +He showed that the _end_ of Fleshly Israel foreshadowed the _end_ of +Spiritual Israel. Fleshly Israel had three ends; the destruction of +Jerusalem in A. D. 70, the complete subjugation of Judea in A. D. 73, and +the actual depopulation of the whole of Palestine in A. D. 135. Which did +He mean should be the end that would be a guide to His followers? Not the +end in A. D. 70, foreshadowing 1915; for the Harvest of the Gospel Age is +still in progress. Not the end in A. D. 135, foreshadowing 1980; for the +_Harvest is the end_. He must have meant the end in Judea, even as He +said, "Then let them which be in _Judea_ flee into the mountains." (Matt. +24:16.) See also Matt. 2:22; 3:5; Mark 1:5; Luke 1:5, 65; 3:1; 7:17; Acts +11:29; Rom. 15:31, and _especially_ John 7:1-3 and 1 Thes. 2:14-16. + +The data presented in comments on Rev. 2:1 _prove_ that the conquest of +Judea was not completed until the day of the Passover, A. D. 73, and in +the light of the foregoing Scriptures, _prove_ that the Spring of 1918 +will bring upon Christendom a spasm of anguish greater even than that +experienced in the Fall of 1914. Reexamine the table of the Parallel +Dispensations in STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, Vol. 2, pages 246 and 247; +change the 37 to 40, 70 to 73 and 1914 to 1918, and we believe it is +correct and will be fulfilled "with great power and glory," (Mark 13:26.) +It was entirely impossible to foresee whether our Lord meant that A. D. 70 +or A. D. 73 should serve as our guide to the time when the Jewish polity +came to an end, until after October, 1915, had passed. Moreover, we have +seen the promised signs, "upon the earth distress of nations, with +perplexity; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after +those things which are coming on the earth," and we have the Lord's words +for it that having seen those things "the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand," +"even at the doors," and our "redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:25-36; +Mark 13:27-30.) It is possible that A. D. 1980 marks the regathering of +all of Fleshly Israel from their captivity in death. It is just 70 years +beyond 1910, the date when Pastor Russell gave his great witness to the +Jewish people in the New York Hippodrome. See page 551 (1). + +But if the time of nominal Zion's travail (Isa. 66:8) is due to occur in +the Spring of 1918, and if we are now but the "one day" (one year) distant +from that event which the Prophet mentions, what should be our expectation +regarding the experience of the "little flock" meantime? "The symbolic +travail, in the above prophecy, is a reference to the great Time of +Trouble--the travail that is to come upon the nominal Gospel church, Great +'Babylon,' from which some are to be counted worthy to escape. (Luke +21:36.) This is indicated by the preceding verse, which locates the time +of this prophecy as synchronous with that wherein is heard 'a voice of +noise [confusion] from the city' [Babylon], and 'a voice [of truth and +warning] from the Temple' [the elect Little Flock of consecrated and +faithful ones], and 'a voice of Jehovah that rendereth recompense to His +enemies'--in the great Time of Trouble. The travail that is coming is to be +upon nominal Zion--'Christendom,' 'Babylon'; and it will be a great and +sore affliction--'a Time of Trouble such as was not since there was a +nation.' + +"But the marvelous thing the Prophet here has to record is that a Man- +child is to be born out of Zion before this travail comes. This is a +striking reference to the fact, elsewhere clearly taught, that the ripe +wheat of the Gospel Church is to be separated from the tares, that they +are to be exalted and glorified before the burning, the consuming trouble, +shall come upon the latter. This Man-child is, therefore, the Little +Flock--the true Zion in God's estimation, the Body of Christ; as it is +written. 'There shall come out of Zion [the nominal Gospel Church] the +Deliverer [The Christ, Head and Body], and shall turn away ungodliness +from Jacob [the Fleshly Israel, or Zion].' (Rom. 11:26.) This is the Man- +child that is to bless all the families of the earth. (Gen. 28:14; Gal. +3:16, 29.) The birth of the Man-child is the First Resurrection. Blessed +and holy are all they that have part in the First Resurrection. Such are +now begotten of God by the Word of Truth, and quickened by the Holy Spirit +(Jas. 1:18; Eph. 2:1; Rom. 8:11), and in due time--before the travail--they +will be born in the glorious likeness of Christ. The birth of this Man- +child began over eighteen hundred years ago with the resurrection of +Christ Jesus. There the Head of this Body of Christ came forth; and as +surely as the Head has been born, so surely shall the Body come forth. +'Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: +shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb? saith thy God.' (Isa. +66:9.) Ah, no! 'the Man-child, The Christ complete, the Great Deliverer, +shall come forth.' "--Z. '94-135. + +"But," says one, "where is the fiery chariot that is to accomplish a +cleavage between the Elijah and Elisha classes?" We offer the suggestion +that the fiery horses are lurid prophecies; the horsemen are Ezekiel and +John, and the chariot is the vehicle in which their Message is brought to +the Elijah class. And do the Elijah class take to that vehicle? They _do_. +And why? Because "the sheep follow Him; for they know His voice." (John +10:4.) The separation between the Elijah and Elisha classes will be +brought about in a perfectly natural way, by some using the chariot which +the Lord provides, and others recognizing it, but not attempting to use it +to mount to the skies. And what should we expect such a fiery chariot +would do when caught up into the heavens? The answer is prophetic, "The +heavens being on fire shall be dissolved;" "The heavens shall pass away +with a great noise;" "And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and +the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall +fall down, as the leaf falleth from the vine, and as a falling fig from +the fig-tree." (2 Pet. 3:12, 10; Isa. 34:4.) Evidently the circulation of +the penny will have something to do with the burning of the tares!--Matt. +13:40-43; Isa. 21:9. + +Forty days after Christ's resurrection His ascension occurred. This +confirms the hope of the Church's glorification forty years (a year for a +day) after the awakening of the sleeping saints in the Spring of 1878. The +seven days before the Deluge may represent seven years, from 1914 to 1921, +in the midst of which "week of years" the last members of the Messiah pass +beyond the veil. The Great Company class shall be cut off at its end--the +fact that we see the first half of this week so distinctly marked would +lead us to expect three and one-half years more of witnessing by the Great +Company class; for it seems to be the Heavenly Father's way to accomplish +His work by weeks and half weeks, from the very beginning of creation +until now. The covenant with Abraham, 2045 B. C., was half way (2081 years +each way) between the fall of Adam, 4127 B. C., and the conversion of +Cornelius, A. D. 36. The last observance of a typical jubilee by Israel, +626 B. C., was half way (2500 years each way) from the end of Adam's Day, +3127 B. C., and the beginning of the Times of Restitution, A. D. 1874. The +captivity, 606 B. C., marks the beginning of the Times of the Gentiles, +half way (2520 years each way) between the end of Adam's 1000-year day, +3127 B. C., and the end of Gentile Times, A. D. 1914. The captivity, 606 +B. C., marks a point half way (3520 years each way) between the fall of +man, 4127 B. C., and his full restoration to Divine favor, A. D. 2914. +Christ's death, A. D. 33, marks a point half way (1845 years each way) +between the death of Jacob, 1813 B. C., and the restoration of favor to +Israel in 1878 A. D. The death of Christ, A. D. 33, was half way (three +and one-half years each way) between His baptism, A. D. 29, and the +conversion of Cornelius, A. D. 36. + + [Chronological Chart of Revelation] + +The awakening of the sleeping saints, A. D. 1878, was just half way (three +and one-half years each way) between the beginning of the Times of +Restitution in 1874 and the close of the High Calling in 1881. Our +proposition is that the glorification of the little Flock in the Spring of +1918 A. D. will be half way (three and one-half years each way) between +the close of the Gentile Times and the close of the Heavenly Way, A. D. +1921. The three days' (three years--1918-1921) fruitless search for Elijah +(2 Kings 2:17-18) is a confirmation of this view. We shall wait to see; +but we shall not be indifferent while we wait, lest peradventure another, +more zealous, take the crown we have. The time is not long: but if we have +to go on for fifty years, why should we care? We are the Lord's. Let Him +do as He will with His own. + + [Illustration] + + The Seven Messengers To The Church + + +Write.--Pastor Russell was the most prolific writer of Biblical truth that +ever lived.--Ezek. 9:2, 3. + +These things saith the Amen.--The same word translated "verily" in the +Gospels and so often used by our Lord as a solemn prefix to some important +announcement. + +AND the faithful and true Witness.--Trinitarians witness that Christ and +the Father are one in person. Christ Himself witnesses, "It is also +written in your Law that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that +bear witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of +Me." (John 8:17, 18.) Christ was one, and the Father was one; and one plus +one are two. (This lesson in mathematics is for Doctors of Divinity; +school children will not need it.)--Rev. 1:5; 19:11. + +AND the Beginning of the [creation] CHURCH of God.--Either reading is +correct. Our Lord was the Beginning of the New Creation, but, more than +that, He was the Beginning of _all_ creation. "He is the Image of the +invisible God--_First-born of all creation_; because by Him were all things +created, those in the heavens and those on the earth, visible and +invisible--whether thrones, or lordships, or governments, or authorities: +all things were created by Him and for Him, and He precedes all things, +and in Him all things have been permanently placed. (Col. 1:15-18.) Hear +also the word of prophecy concerning the Only-Begotten, not only declaring +His coming exaltation as King of earthly kings, but describing Him as +already being Jehovah's _First-born_, saying, 'I will make Him, My First- +born, higher than the kings of the earth.' (Psa. 89:27.)"--E. _95_, 86. + +3:15. I know thy works.--"The Laodicean Church has much zeal, but not +according to knowledge. She claims that her principal object is to convert +sinners, to bring forth spiritual children. The Prophet puts these words +into the mouth of nominal Christians when they awake to a knowledge of the +situation: 'We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it +were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; +neither have the inhabitants of the earth fallen (become converted).' +(Isa. 26:16-18.)" (Z. '16-347.) The literal city of Laodicea was +distinguished for the raven blackness of the fleeces (black sheep) there +to be had. + +That thou are neither cold.--Making no pretense whatever to be exponents of +God's Truth.--Luke 7:36-50. + +Nor hot.--Full of warm, loving devotion to Christ.--2 Tim. 3:5; Ezek. 5:6. + +I would thou wert cold or hot.--"Ephraim is a cake not turned."--Hos. 7:8. + +3:16. So then.--"The Spring of 1878, corresponding to the date at which our +Lord assumed the office of King, rode on the ass, cleansed the Temple of +its money-changers, and wept over and gave up to desolation that nominal +church or kingdom, marks the date from which the nominal church systems +are not the mouth-pieces of God, nor in any degree recognized by Him."--B. +235. + +Because thou art THUS lukewarm and ART neither [cold nor hot] HOT NOR +COLD.--"Retaining the forms of worship and faith in a Creator and in a +future life, but viewing these chiefly through their own or other men's +philosophies and theories, and ignoring the Bible as an infallible teacher +of the Divine purposes. These, while retaining the Bible, disbelieve its +narratives, especially that of Eden and the fall. Retaining the name of +Jesus, and calling Him the Christ and the Savior, they regard Him merely +as an excellent though not infallible Exemplar, and reject entirely His +Ransom-sacrifice--His cross. Claiming the Fatherhood of God to extend to +sinners, they repudiate both the curse and the Mediator."--C. 167. + +[I will spue thee out of My] REFRAIN THY mouth.--She is bidden to hold her +peace. She needs to _study_, not to teach; and so the following verses +indicate.--Hos. 5:6; 9:12. + +3:17. Because thou sayest I am rich.--I have all the spiritual light that +exists in the world. "I have much goods laid up for many years." (Luke +12:19.) "I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow."--Rev. +18:7; Hos. 12:8; 1 Cor. 4:8. + +And Increased with goods.--"Laodiceans count their numbers and their +donations by millions, and say, 'We are rich as never before.' Alas, that +they do not realize that these are earthly riches of the kind which our +Lord declares are no evidence of His favor during this Gospel Age, but +rather to the contrary! And they see not the true riches which the Lord +admires, and which are the foretaste of His favor and the coming Kingdom +wealth."--Z. '01-56. + +And have need of nothing.--"They will not own that they have departed from +the right ways of the Lord: in their own estimation they are rich and +increased with goods, spiritual as well as temporal, and have need of +nothing."--Mal. 3:7; Z. '92-261. + +And knowest not that thou.--Of all others, so the Greek indicates. + +Art wretched.--"To our eternal disgrace, the United States leads all +civilized countries in homicides--over 8,000 yearly. There are twelve +murders in New England to one in London; in California seventy-five to +one; in Nevada 245 to one." (Z. '08-83.) "Each nation feels that theirs is +the greatest talent, theirs are the finest guns, theirs the best +everything; and it is this feeling of self-sufficiency that led the +nations into the present conflict. They think that they are so good and so +great that God could not help giving them the victory."--Z. '15-174. + +And miserable.--"How blind we all have been not to have noticed: (1) That +the numbers of the heathen in proportion even to the nominally Christian +doubled last century; (2) That if we could bring all the heathen up to the +standard of our most civilized nation it would mean that God's will would +be less done the world over than it is now."--Z. '08-83. + +And poor.--"The Laodicean Church is poor in that she has so little of the +Master's Spirit, so little of the Truth and of the Spirit of the +Truth."--Z. '01-56. + +And blind.--"She cannot see afar off, cannot see either the High Calling of +the Church or the blessed provisions of Restitution for the world in +general."--Z. '98-128. + +And naked.--"The clergy, under the name of Higher Criticism and Evolution, +are rapidly denuding her, making her naked, taking from her the robe of +Christ's righteousness, and leading her to trust, not in the precious +blood of the Redeemer, but in an evolutionary process which needs no +Savior, which denies that there is, or has been, any sin to make atonement +for."--Z. '01-56. + +3:18. I counsel thee.--"Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel and afterward +receive me into glory."--Psa. 73:24. + +To buy of Me.--"Not until we lay hold by faith upon the _exceeding great +and precious_ promises is there any of the 'gold' of the 'Divine nature' +in us. This treasure can be _purchased_ only at the cost of entire +consecration, or sacrifice of all that we have, to Christ"--Z. '96-44; +Prov. 23:23; Matt. 13:44. + +Gold tried in the fire.--"If we would purchase the 'gold _tried in the +fire_,' it must be at the cost of faithful and constant submission to the +discipline of the Lord in fiery trials. How otherwise can the dross be +eliminated? There is no other way. Wherefore, think it not strange; let +the fire burn; let the dross be consumed; and see to it, beloved, that in +the heat of the flame you remove not the 'living sacrifice.' "--Z. '96-44; +1 Pet. 4:12. + +That thou mayest be rich.--"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, +that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye +through His poverty might be rich."--2 Cor. 8:9; Prov. 10:22; Lu. 12:21; 1 +Tim. 6:18; Jas. 2:5; Rev. 2:9. + +And white raiment.--"The robe of Christ's imputed righteousness, which so +many are now discarding, to appear before God in their own +unrighteousness."--D. 42; Rev. 19:8. + +That thou mayest be clothed.--"A glorious church, not having spot, or +wrinkle, or any such thing."--Eph. 5:27. + +And that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.--"Behold I come as a +thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk +naked and they see his shame."--Rev. 16:15; Matt. 22:11-13; Isa. 47:3. + +And anoint thine eyes with eyesalve.--From the Great Physician. (Mark +2:17.) "Complete consecration and submission to the Divine will as +expressed in the Scriptures."--D. 42. + +That thou mayest see.--"The 'master of the house' or 'householder' of the +present dispensation is not _our_ Lord, but _our_ Adversary, the +Devil--'the god of this world,' 'the prince of the power of the air,' 'the +prince of this world,' who now ruleth in the children of disobedience, +_blinding_ the minds of all that believe not."--D. 611; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. +2:2; Psa. 13:3; 19:8; John 9:6, 41. + +3:19. As many as I love.--"As many as are honest and at heart loyal to +God."--Z. '92-59. + +I rebuke and chasten.--" 'My son, despise not thou the chastening of the +Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him; for whom the Lord loveth He +chasteneth.'--Prov. 3:11, 12; Heb. 12:5-8."--Z. '96-44; Job 5:17; Jas. 1:12. + +Be zealous, therefore, and repent.--"The lawyer who makes legality his test +instead of justice; the merchant who is satisfied simply to conform to the +code of his trade, whose excuse for any dishonesty is, 'They all do it'; +the 'gentleman' or 'lady' who puts good form and manners in the place of +sincerity and kindliness of heart, and politeness in place of courtesy--all +are alike animated by the ecclesiastical conscience. It was this +ecclesiastical mind and this ecclesiastical conscience which crucified +Jesus Christ (Rt. Rev. Chas. D. Williams, Protestant Episcopal Bishop of +Michigan.)"--Z. '15-339. + +3:20. Behold, I stand at the door.--Some of the Scriptures, which, when +understood in their connections and significance, prove that the Lord's +Second Advent occurred in the fall of 1874 are as follows: "Speak ye +comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is +accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of the +Lord's hand _double_ for all her sins." (Isa. 40:2; B. 227.) "And first I +will recompense their iniquity and their sin _double_." (Jer. 16:18; B. +218.) "Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even _today_ do +I declare that I will render _double_ unto thee." (Zech. 9:12; B. 224.) +"The _fourteenth_ day of the second month, at even, they shall keep it." +(Num. 9:11; Z. '98-68.) "And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, +behold, there were _twins_." (Gen. 25:24; Z. '94-63.) "And when he was +full _forty_ years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren. And +when _forty_ years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness +of Mount Sinai an angel of the Lord." "Wonders and signs in the land of +Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the Wilderness _forty_ years."--Acts +7:23, 30, 36; Z. '11-215. + +"Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and +five and thirty days." (Dan. 12:12; C. 83.) "Then shalt thou cause the +trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in +the day of atonement." (Lev. 25:9; B. 187.) "As long as she lay desolate +she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years." (2 Chron. 36:21; B. +195.) "In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the +land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord. And it +shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land +of Egypt." (Isa. 19:19, 20; C. 315.) "The like figure whereunto even +baptism doth also now save us." (1 Pet. 3:21; Z. '05-181, Diagram.) "In +the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, he made a proclamation." (Ezra +1:1; Z. '05-185.) "This house was finished on the third day of the month +Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king." (Ezra +6:15; Z. '05-185.) "This Ezra went up from Babylon.... And he came to +Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king." +(Ezra 7:6-8; Z. '05-185.) "In the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the +king."--Neh. 2:1; Z. '05-185. + +Besides the above Scriptures, time-proofs of the Lord's Return, are the +fulfilments of the promised signs: The Gospel has been preached in all the +world for a witness: (Matt. 24:14; A. 91); the abomination has been _seen_ +in the holy place (Matt. 24:15; D. 572); the flight of the saints from the +antitypical "Judea" has occurred (Matt. 24:16; D. 573); the great +tribulation has commenced (Matt. 24:21; D. 540); the false Christs are +with us (Matt. 24:23; D. 580); the eagles have gathered to the carcase +(Matt. 24:28; D. 610); the sun and moon have been darkened (Matt. 24:29; +D. 590); the Man of Sin has been revealed (2 Thes. 2:8; T. 86; B. 271); +the Elias has come (Mal. 4:5; B. 251); the regathering of the Jews has +begun (Jer. 31:8; Z. '06-84); the refining of the sons of Levi progresses +(Mal. 3:1-3; Z. '05-378); the true faith was nearly extinct in the earth +(Luke 18:8; Z. '06-265); the doctrines of devils are rampant (1 Tim. 4:1; +F. 621); the perilous times and all associated evils are here (2 Tim. +3:1-7; Z. '99-99); the Lord God has given the sinners water of gall to +drink (Jer. 8:14; C. 158); the mighty angel has roared, "Come out of her" +(Rev. 18:4; C. 155); the running to and fro is in evidence (Dan. 12:4; C. +63); the antitypical Josiah has kept the great Passover (2 Chron. 35:19; +Z. '05-180); the land shadowed with wings has played its part (Isa. 18:1; +Z. '04-230); the watchman has stood upon his tower (Hab. 2:1; C. 89); the +wheels within wheels are made clear (Ezek. 1:15); the Prophet has come to +the rebellious house (Ezek. 2:3); he has eaten the book of her fate (Ezek. +2:9); the seven years of astonishment are finished (Ezek. 3:15); the +sieges of 390 years and 40 years are at an end (Ezek. 4:5, 6); the image +of jealousy has been disclosed (Ezek. 8:3); the man with the writer's +inkhorn has performed his task (Ezek. 9:2); the removing is at an end +(Ezek. 14:21); the sword has been doubled the third time (Ezek. 21:15); +the point of the sword has been made bright (Ezek. 21:15); ecclesiasticism +has been delivered unto brutish persons (Ezek. 21:31); the desire of the +faithful servant's eyes has failed (Ezek. 24:16); the stilled voice is +speaking again.--Ezek. 33:22. + +The seven thunders have uttered their voices (Rev. 10:3); the seven last +plagues have been poured out (Rev. 15:6); the voices of the three signs +have been uttered (Exod. 4:3-9; Z. '07-276); the ribband of blue (the Vow) +has done its work (Num. 15:38); the tares and wheat have been separated +(Matt. 13:30; C. 139); the net has been drawn to the shore and the fish +sorted (Matt. 13:48; C. 214); the ambassadors of peace have wept bitterly +(Isa. 33:7); the foolish virgins have had their sound sleep (Matt. 25:5; +C. 92); the seven seals have been opened (Rev. 8:1); the seven angels have +sounded (Rev. 10:7; B. 149); the nations are angry (Rev. 11:18); the +winepress of God's wrath has been trodden (Rev. 14:20); the horses and +chariot of fire have come for Elijah (2 Kings 2:11); the chariots are +running like lightning (Nah. 2:4; C. 272); the mighty angel has flown in +the midst of heaven (Rev. 14:6); the false worshippers have been tormented +with fire and brimstone (Rev. 14:10); Behemoth and Leviathan have been +beheld doing their work (Job 40:15-23; 41:1-34); the secret of the Lord +has been shown (Psa. 25:14; Z. '97-255); the Lord is judging His people +and gathering His saints (Psa. 50:4, 5; D. 75; B. 164); the lightnings +have enlightened the world (Psa. 97:4; A. 171); the hills have melted like +wax (Psa. 97:5; D. 551); the banner has been lifted on the high mount +(Isa. 13:2; D. 40); the tables are full of vomit (Isa. 28:8; Z. '07-91); +the dumb dogs have failed to bark (Isa. 56:10; F. 287); the silver has +been cast into the streets (Ezek. 7:19); the nations have all been shaken +(Hag. 2:7; D. 528); the rain, floods and winds have come on Christendom +(Matt. 7:27; Z. '06-95); the King has come in to see the guests (Matt. +22:11; C. 197); the speechless one has been bound hand and foot and cast +out (Matt. 22:13; C. 201); the Master is reckoning with His servants +(Matt. 25:19; F. 419); the seas and the waves are roaring (Luke 21:25; D. +551); the 144,000 are standing on the sea of glass singing (Rev. 15:3; C. +237); the Devil has risen up against himself (Mark 3:26; F. 641); the +blood, fire and vapor of smoke are here (Acts 2:19; D. 592); the brethren +are not in darkness and all others are (1 Thes. 5:4; B. 121); the teachers +having itching ears have turned unto fables (2 Tim. 4:3; 4; F. 287; Z. +'07-308); the twenty-four elders have cast their crowns before the throne +(Rev. 4:10); the predicted scoffing has taken place (2 Pet. 3:3; B. 167); +the laborers have received their penny (Matt. 20:8); and these are but 88 +of the proofs hastily collected. + +And knock.--"The knock, or proclamation of the Lord's Presence, as +indicated by the Old Testament prophecies, has been given since 1875 and +is still being given."--Z. '04-124; Lu. 12:36; Cant. 5:2-6. + +If any man hear My voice.--"The knock is to be the evidence of the +Presence; and the servants are not to know in advance, but are to know at +the time of the arrival and that without seeing."--Z. '04-123. + +[And] I WILL BOTH open the door.--When once we give the Lord a welcome to +our hearts, how He does open the doors to joys we ne'er before knew! + +[I will] AND come in to him.--"If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and +My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode +with him."--John 14:23. + +And will sup.--Take the evening meal.--Lu. 12:37. + +With him.--The Master Himself is feasting on the same joys of the Father's +Plan that delight our own hearts. + +And he with Me.--"This serving of the servants by the Master should be +understood to be an individual work, and not merely a collective service +and feast."--Z. '04-124. + +3:21. To him that overcometh.--"Let us not avoid the Gethsemane moment if +it come to us in the Lord's providence, but let us also with strong +cryings and tears look up to Him who is able to save us out of death by +the glorious First Resurrection; and let us remember that if we abide in +His love, He is able and willing to bring us off conquerors, yea, more +than conquerors through His own merit."--Z. '06-348. + +Will I grant.--If they prove faithful unto death. + +To sit with Me.--"With the early Church, the promises of Kingdom honor and +joint-heirship with the Master were strong incentives to faithfulness +under present trials and persecutions, which they had been forewarned to +expect."--A. 285. + +In My Throne.--"God's appointed means of blessing the world and causing the +knowledge of the Lord to come to every creature."--A. 91; 1 Cor. 6:2; 2 +Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:26, 27; 22:1. + +Even as I also overcame.--"God sent an angel to comfort and minister unto +Him; to assure Him still of the Divine favor, and thus to give Him fresh +courage, strength of mind and steadiness of nerve to endure all that was +before Him, even unto death. The bitterness of the mental conflict was now +over, and the light of Heaven shining into His soul chased away the deep +gloom that had hung over Him like a funeral pall."--Z. '06-348. + +And am set down with My Father in His Throne.--"The thousand years of the +Millennial Reign will constitute but a beginning of the exercise of the +glory, honor and immortality of these New Creatures. At its close when the +Kingdom shall be delivered up to 'God, even the Father,' and to mankind as +the glorified agents of the Father to rule the earth, a still larger +sphere for the exercise of their glory, honor and immortality will open +before the New Creation."--F. 69; 1 Cor. 15:24-28. + +3:22. He that hath an ear.--"Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your +ears, for they hear."--Matt. 13:16. + +Let him hear.--"For verily I say unto you, That many Prophets and righteous +men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; +and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."--Matt. +13:17. + +What the Spirit saith unto the churches.--Unto the seven epochs, ending, +respectively, in A. D. 73, 325, 1160, 1378, 1518, 1874 and 1918. + + + + +Revelation 4--The Author Of The Plan + + +4:1. After this.--After this first panorama of the seven stages of the +Church had passed. + +I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in Heaven.--It is only as the +Lord, who holds the key, opens the door to the understanding of Heavenly +things, that we are able to comprehend them.--Matt. 3:16; Ezek. 1:1; Rev. +19:11. + +And BEHOLD the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet +talking with me.--See comments on Rev. 1:1; 7:2. + +Which said, Come up hither.--Not that St. John went to Heaven at that time; +he was merely given a vision of Heavenly things. (Rev. 11:12.) "The seer +now obtains a higher spiritual standpoint."--Cook. + +And I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.--The Divine Plan for +the permission of evil. + +4:2. [And] immediately I was in the spirit.--In a trance condition.--Acts +10:10; Rev. 1:10. + +And, behold, a Throne.--The Throne of the Heavenly Father.--Isa. 6:1; Ezek. +1:26-28. + +Was set.--Permanently established. The same word as in, "This Child is +_set_ for the fall and rising again of many in Israel." (Luke 2:34.) "I am +_set_ for the defence of the Gospel."--Phil. 1:17. + +In Heaven.--"Whither the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus."--Heb. +6:20. + +And One.--Jehovah, "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. +1:3), the Author of the Divine Plan for the permission of evil, in the +recreation of a perfect human race, and in the creation of a race of gods, +sons of Himself. "God designed to _permit evil_, because, having the +remedy provided for man's release from its consequences, He saw that the +result would be to lead him the more to love and honor his Creator, who is +the source and fountain of all goodness, and forever to shun that which +brought so much woe and misery." (A. 124.) "Not only are men benefited to +all eternity by the experience gained, and angels by their observation of +man's experiences, but all are further advantaged by a fuller acquaintance +with God's Character as manifested in His Plan. Had sin not been +permitted, the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus and of His Church, the reward +of which is the Divine nature, would have been impossible."--A. 135. + +Sat on the Throne.--Of the Universe. "All can see the propriety of the +Almighty's decision that He shall be recognized as the Center of +authority, wisdom, justice, love and power; for this is the _truth_, and +anything else would be untruth and to that extent evil, injurious."--E. +_57_, 52; Rev. 7:10; Dan. 7:9. + +4:3. And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper.--"And the building of +the wall of it was of _jasper_: and the city was pure gold, like unto +clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished +with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was _jasper_." +(Rev. 21:18, 19.) "A precious stone, variegated with divers colors, and of +a very hard quality; some have been found of a sea-green color." (Diaglott +note.) "The ancient _jasper_ thus appears to have been frequently +translucent, but the modern is opaque." (McC.) The jasper, therefore, is +supposed to refer to the modern rare and beautiful green-tinted diamond. +The diamond is the hardest substance known, excelling in brilliancy and +beautiful play of prismatic colors. The crystals of which it is composed +are bounded by _eight_ equal equilateral triangles; _twenty-four_ angles +in all, constituting a perfect double pyramid, set base to base. How +adorable, how sublime, how perfect is our God! How impossible to describe +Him! To know Him aright will require eternity. The jasper seems especially +to illustrate His glory, perfection and _prescience_. (He uses twenty-four +elders--prophecies.) + +And a sardine stone.--"The sard, which is a superior variety of agate, has +long been a favorite stone for the engraver's art. On this stone all the +finest works of the most celebrated artists are to be found; and this not +without good cause, such is its toughness, facility of working, beauty of +color, and the high polish of which it is susceptible, and which it +retains longer than any other gem. The sardius is the stone now called the +carnelian, from its color, which resembles that of raw flesh. It is +supposed to stop hemorrhage when laid on a fresh wound." (McC.) The +sardius seems especially to illustrate God's love, His memory of His +creatures, and His purpose of a resurrection for all smitten in Adam and +redeemed in Christ. Will God forget to raise any of His blood-bought? "Can +a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on +the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. +Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands."--Isa. 49:15, 16. + +And there was a rainbow.--"The rainbow has always been an emblem of +_peace_. It appears on the cloud as the storm passes away. It contrasts +beautifully with the tempest that has just been raging. It is seen as the +rays of the sun again appear clothing all things with beauty--the more +beautiful from the fact that the storm has come. It is a pledge that the +war of the elements has ceased, and that God smiles again upon the earth. +The appearance of the rainbow around the Throne was a beautiful emblem of +the mercy of God, and of the peace that was to pervade the world as the +result of the events that were to be disclosed to the vision of John." +(Barnes.) The rainbow is characterized by seven colors--perfection. (Ezek. +1:28.) It represents not only the bow of promise for mankind, but the +_peace_ of God. It is His _Plan_. "From His own vast inherent resources of +power and wisdom, springs the peace of God. But not from this source alone +is the Divine peace; for peace is the certain concomitant of inherent +goodness. God is the impersonation of every virtue and every grace; +consequently He has the blessed satisfaction and peace of conscious moral +perfection as well as inherent wisdom and power." (Z. '95-153.) "During +the seventh millennium, according to the Divine purpose, it will be the +joyful privilege of our Lord Jesus to fully manifest to all creatures in +Heaven and in earth the Father's glorious character. Then will the Father +rejoice in the grandeur of His finished work and in the everlasting peace +and happiness of His family in Heaven and in earth, 'reunited under one +head.' (Eph. 1:10, _Diaglott_.)"--Z. '95-155. + +Round about the Throne.--Justice is "the habitation of Thy Throne." (Psa. +89:14.) "God's law is stern Justice, with no allowances, ready to consume +as a fire everything blemished. Who cannot see that if God could deal with +sinners, and condoning their sins, accept their best endeavors, though +imperfect, there would have been no necessity for a Redeemer? And thus, to +all eternity, there might be danger of sin on the part of those who had +not already dabbled in it. Seeing this, it does not surprise us that God, +in the interest of all His holy creatures, as well as for His own +pleasure, decides that He will recognize nothing short of perfection in +any creature, and makes _Justice_ the foundation of His Throne."--E. _481_, +472. + +In sight like unto an emerald.--"The same with the ancient _smaragdus_; one +of the most beautiful of gems, of a bright green color, without any +mixture."--_Diaglott._ "The _emerald_, of bright green color, 'was the most +precious gem in the Roman jeweller's list.... The Romans were plentifully +supplied with the true emerald. The _smaragdus_ of Nero's age must be +restricted to the true emerald, perhaps including the green ruby.' +(King.)"--_Nat. Hist. of Precious Stones._ The color of the emerald, green, +signifies everlastingness. "From everlasting to everlasting thou art +God."--Psa. 90:2; Ezek. 1:28. + +4:4. And round about the Throne.--Encompassing it on all sides--always in +mind--never out of sight. + +[Were] SAW I four and twenty seats.--_Thronoi_, thrones, places of highest +exaltation--the twenty-four angles (viewpoints) of the diamond.--Rev. +4:3,10. + +And upon the seats [I saw four and twenty] elders +sitting.--_Personifications_ of the testimonies of twenty-four Prophets +(Heb. 11:2), who foretold things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. Not the +Prophets themselves are here referred to. They are not in Heaven. "David +is not ascended into the Heavens." (Acts 2:34.) Daniel still "sleeps in +the dust of the earth." (Dan. 12:2, 13.) None of the Prophets are in +Heaven: "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without +us should not be made perfect." (Heb. 11:40.) But from the time that "holy +men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1:21), the +utterances of Enoch, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, Job, David, Solomon, Isaiah, +Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, +Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi and John the +Baptist, have been witnesses before God that there shall be "Times of +Refreshing"--"Times of Restitution."--Acts 3:19-21. + +Clothed in white raiment.--All of these men considered themselves unworthy +to be God's mouthpieces. Jacob said, "I am not worthy of the least of all +Thy mercies, and of all the truth which Thou hast shewed unto Thy +servant." (Gen. 32:10.) Moses said, "Who am I that I should go unto +Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of +Egypt?" (Exod. 3:11.) David said, "Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my +house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?" (2 Sam. 7:18.) Solomon said, +"I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in." (1 Kings +3:7.) Isaiah said, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of +unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." (Isa. +6:5.) Jeremiah said, "Ah, Lord God! behold I cannot speak: for I am a +child." (Jer. 1:6.) Daniel said, "This secret is not revealed to me for +any wisdom that I have." (Dan. 2:30.) And John the Baptist said, "I have +need to be baptised of Thee, and comest Thou to me?" (Matt. 3:14.) But the +Lord knoweth them that are His (2 Tim. 2:19); and whatever they may think +of themselves, if they are God's mouthpieces, they are clean. Isaiah's +utterances are spotless in the sight of God--clothed in white raiment.--Isa. +6:6, 7. + +And [they] had on their heads crowns of gold.--The glory of God--Love, God's +highest attribute. If there are any prophets that do not have something to +say about God's loving arrangement for Times of Restitution, then they are +not holy. Judged by this standard, how many of the clergy of our day are +holy?--Acts 3:19-21. + +4:5. And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings.--"How apt is this figure! +Truly like lightning flashes in the midst of the gloom and perplexity of +this cloudy day, come to men remarkable glimpses of the great principles +of Truth and Righteousness. A flash of lightning from the obscured Throne +discloses here one error, and there another, and another. It is remarkable +that these lightning flashes are continually calling attention to the Word +of God, to the Golden Rule. It seems remarkable, too, how often in these +days of war and stress _worldly_ men are drawing attention to the +prophecies of the Scriptures."--Z. '16-339; Rev. 8:5; 16:18. + +AND VOICES.--"As a result of God's lightning flashes which are enlightening +the world, there are ominous mutterings of dissatisfaction, unrest. The +lightning flashes are revealing the corruption in the world, the +dishonesty in high places; with conflicting ideas, voices, theories and +threats, 'the nations are angry,' 'the heathen [Gentiles, peoples] rage,' +and the whole earth trembles from the din of a wordy conflict and from the +blows which even now are beginning to arouse the world."--Z. '16-340. + +And thunderings [and voices.]--"We hear the thunder tones of judgment that +'call the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof' +(Psa. 50:1); we see the whole earth now in the shaking process which will +eventuate in the complete overthrow of all existing institutions, systems +and governments. Present events indeed speak in trumpet tones."--Z. +'16-340; Ex. 19:16; Rev. 8:5; 11:19; 16:18. + +And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the Throne, which are +the seven Spirits of God.--Perfect knowledge.--Rev. 1:4; 3:1. + +4:6. And before the Throne.--In the earth, and everywhere throughout the +Universe.--Rev. 5:6. + +There was AS a sea of glass.--"The troubled surface which Daniel and Isaiah +beheld (Dan. 7:2, 3; Isa. 57:20) became when seen before the Throne of +God, calm and clear; reflecting as from a mirror, every fulfilment of the +Divine purposes." (Cook.) (Rev. 21:18, 21; Ex. 24:10.) The sea (godless +conditions about them) has been a means of purifying earth's future +priests.--1 Ki. 7:23-26, 38, 39. + +Like unto crystal.--Indicating that nothing escapes God's notice; all is +transparent. "For centuries skeptics have been disposed to smile +incredulously at the words of our Lord, 'Enter into thy closet; and when +thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy +Father which _seeth in secret_ shall reward thee openly.' (Matt. 6:6.) Now +that an electric ray can be passed through opaque substances, such as +paper, wood, cloth, leather, aluminium, animal flesh, etc., can these +scientists any longer mock at Christians for 'credulity,' because we +believe that 'All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with +whom we have to do'? (Heb. 4:13.) 'He that formed the ear shall He not +hear? He that formed the eye shall He not see?' Now we begin to see how it +is that 'There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; and hid, +that shall not be known.' "--Z. '96-27; Ezek. 1:22. + +And in the midst of the Throne.--Woven into its very fabric. + +And round about the Throne.--Completely encircling and enveloping it. + +Were four beasts.--"Living ones" (_Diaglott_.); the four immortal +attributes of Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom.--Ezek. 1:5, 6. + +Full of eyes before and behind.--Seeing clearly everything that will ever +occur in the future, and everything that has ever transpired in the +past.--Ezek. 10:4, 12. + +4:7. And the first beast.--Justice was the attribute first manifested +toward our sinful race. "God has found it necessary to perform the +unpleasant duties of discipline; and though all the while His fatherly +love was preparing to bless the deceived and fallen ones when the purposes +of redemption should restore the repentant to His favor, Love must be +veiled while only stern, relentless Justice could be manifested. This has +been no happifying duty."--Z. '95-154. + +Was like a lion.--The characteristics of the lion illustrate this +attribute: The teeth are of the highest carnivorous type, adapted to +seizing and holding firmly. Although occasionally seen abroad during the +day, especially in wild and desolate regions, the _night_ (Psa. 30:5) is +the period of its greatest activity. The usual pace of a lion is a walk; +and, though apparently rather slow, yet he is able to get over a good deal +of ground in a short time. As a rule, he kills only when hungry or +attacked, and not for the mere pleasure of killing.--Ezek. 1:10; 10:14. + +And the second beast.--Power, exhibited in the Flood, was the second of +God's attributes manifested to man. "God, the Creator of all things, is +also the competent Sustainer of all things. In silent grandeur, from age +to age, the whole physical Universe fulfils His will, without a suspicion +of disorder or mishap; and the same Power is pledged for its sustenance +throughout the eternal future."--Z. '95-153; Ezek. 1:10. + +Like a calf.--With the Hebrews the calf (young ox) was the emblem of Power, +the attribute of God with which they were principally acquainted. As an +agricultural people, they were brought in frequent contact with it, the +strongest of all the domestic animals. They were brought out of Egypt by a +"mighty power and a stretched out arm" (Deut. 9:29); and when they sought +to make a representation of it, the form selected was a golden calf.--Deut. +9:16-21. + +And the third beast.--Love, exhibited in the Father sending His Only- +Begotten Son to die that we might live, was the third of God's attributes +manifested to man. "Our recovery cost the sacrifice of the dearest +treasure of His heart, and the subjection of this Beloved One to the most +abject humiliation, ignominy, suffering and death. Ah, did the Father let +Him go on that errand of mercy without the slightest sensation of +sorrowful emotion? had He no appreciation of the pangs of a father's love +when the arrows of death pierced the heart of His beloved Son? When our +dear Lord said, 'My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death,' and +again, 'Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: +nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt,' did it touch no +sympathetic chord in the heart of the Eternal? Yea, verily."--Z. '95-154. + +Had a face [as] LIKE a man.--The embodiment of love. (A. 174.) "Close your +eyes for a moment to the scenes of misery and woe, degradation and sorrow +that yet prevail on account of sin, and picture before your mental vision +the glory of the perfect earth. Not a stain of sin mars the harmony and +peace of a perfect society; not a bitter thought, not an unkind look or +word; love, welling up from every heart, meets a kindred response in every +other heart, and benevolence marks every act. Think of all the pictures of +comparative health and beauty of human form and feature that you have ever +seen, and know that perfect humanity will be of still surpassing +loveliness. The inward purity and mental and moral perfection will stamp +and glorify every radiant countenance."--A. 191; Ezek. 1:5. + +And the fourth beast.--Wisdom, as exhibited in the Father's Plan, now +unfolded before our delighted gaze, is the fourth, and complete, +manifestation of God to man. "He is never confused, bewildered, perplexed, +anxious or careworn, or in the least fearful that His plans will miscarry +or His purposes fail; because all power and wisdom inhere in Him. The +scope of His mighty intellect reaches to the utmost bounds of possibility, +comprehends all causes and discerns with precision all effects; +consequently He knows the end from the beginning, and that, not only upon +philosophical principles, but also by intuition. As the Creator of all +things and the Originator of all law, He is thoroughly acquainted with all +the intricate subtleties of physical, moral and intellectual law, so that +no problem could arise, the results of which are not manifest to His mind. +'God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.' (1 John 1:5.)"--Z. +'95-153. + +Was like a flying eagle.--Of all known birds, the eagle flies the highest +and with the greatest rapidity. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, +so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." +(Isa. 55:9.) The ones attracted to Present Truth are the eagles, the far- +sighted ones that "behold the land that is very far off." (Matt. 24:28; 2 +Pet. 1:9; Isa. 33:16, 17; Psa. 103:5.) In the training of its young the +eagle manifests wisdom of high order: " 'As an eagle stirreth up her nest' +(she mixes the thorny outside with the downy inside, so that the eaglets +will leave it and learn to fly), so God, by His testing providences makes +the place of rest one of unrest to us, and thus lures us out to trust +ourselves to His care and guidance over untried ways."--Z. '04-116. + +4:8. And the four beasts.--Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom. + +Had each of them six wings about him.--"Above it stood the seraphims +(Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom): each one had six wings, and with twain +he did fly. And one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the +Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory." (Isa. 6:2, 3.) "The +vision of Isaiah is a prophecy of the future, when the 'glory of the Lord +shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together' in the +establishment of the Kingdom of God during the Millennium. (Isa. 40:5.) +Only from this prophetic standpoint would the words of the seraphim be +true; for the whole earth has never yet been filled with the Lord's glory; +but on the contrary, the earth is full of sin and violence, and every evil +work." (Z. '98-305.) Six is a symbol of imperfection, and in the light of +the foregoing seems to refer to the six thousand years of the permission +of evil, the theme of the entire Book of Revelation. For the first two +thousand years, from the fall to the covenant with Abraham, God's face was +almost entirely hidden from man. For the next two thousand years, until +the death of Christ, it was not apparent how the place of God's feet, His +footstool, should ever be made glorious. (Isa. 60:13; 66:1.) But since +then, for two thousand years, God's Love has been manifest to all, and +"the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of +the sons of God" (Rom. 8:19), to set up the Kingdom, the Golden Age, for +which we all so long have prayed. (Matt. 6:10.) The wings operate in +pairs. + +And they were full of eyes within.--Nothing has transpired, or will ever +transpire, without God's knowledge. In the past six thousand years, +whether hidden or partially revealed, God's Justice, Power, Love and +Wisdom, have been in touch with all of earth's affairs.--Ezek. 10:12. + +And they HAVE NO rest [not] day and night.--Not eternal idleness, but +eternal work in the interest of others will be our reward. "My Father +worketh until now, and I work." (John 5:17.) "I must work the works of Him +that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work." +(John 9:4.) "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good +works." (Eph. 2:10.) "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to +do." (Phil. 2:13.) "We are laborers together with God." (1 Cor. 3:9.) +"Workers together with Him." (2 Cor. 6:1.) "Who shall change the Body of +our humiliation, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious Body, +according to the working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto +Himself."--Phil. 3:21. + +Saying, Holy, holy, holy, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY.--The Sinaitic MS. +repeats the word "holy" eight times. (See Rev. 4:3.) In the seventh +thousand-year Day God will bring all things to perfection through The +Christ, yet it is the eighth Day that marks the complete separation from +the old order of things. The Jewish child was circumcised on the eighth +day (Luke 1:59; Phil. 3:5); seven days a sheep was to be with its dam, and +on the eighth given to the Lord (Exod. 22:30); the eighth day of the Feast +of Tabernacles was to be a holy convocation unto the Lord. (Lev. 23:36, +39.) In the eighth thousand-year Day of mankind's history on the earth, +circumcision of the heart will be complete in all, all the sheep will have +been turned over to the Father, and the holy convocation of eternity will +have begun, "the grand epoch when there shall be no more sighing, no more +crying, no more pain and no more dying, because God's work of creation +shall then have been completed so far as this earth is concerned."--F. 51. + +Lord God Almighty.--Jehovah. This scene is located in Heaven, where even +the Son Himself is subject unto the Father.--1 Cor. 15:28. + +Which was.--The great First Cause. + +And is.--The great "I AM." + +And is to come.--And evermore shall be. + +4:9. And when those beasts.--Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom. + +Give.--Shall eternally continue to give, so the Greek indicates. + +Glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the Throne.--Their united +testimony to the perfection of His character in all its attributes, as +they are now doing, since His Wisdom has been unveiled. + +Who liveth for ever and ever, AMEN.--And will forever use those attributes +in the blessing of all the willing and obedient throughout the Universe. + +4:10. The four and twenty elders.--The personifications of the messages of +the twenty-four Prophets who foretold the coming Kingdom of God. + +Fall down before Him that sat on the Throne.--Unitedly bear witness to His +perfect ability to foretell the future. + +And worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, AMEN.--Magnify His perfect +Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom. + +And cast.--Shall eternally continue to cast, so the Greek indicates. + +Their crowns before the Throne, saying.--(1) _Enoch_ was the first of the +holy Prophets; and according to the Apostle Jude he prophesied of the +coming reign of Christ and His glorious Bride, to judge the world, saying: +"The Lord cometh with a myriad of His saints, to execute judgment." (Jude +14, 15.) That there shall be such a glorious and blessed Judgment Day, +full of hope and joy for all the world, the Apostle Paul says is +definitely decreed in the counsels of God, "whereof He hath given +assurance," grounds for confident, joyful anticipation, "unto all men." +(Acts 17:31.) When that happy time comes, "the inhabitants of the world +will learn righteousness" (Isa. 26:9), and "the poor of the people will be +lifted up" (Psa. 72:2-4, 12-14.) It will be the long-promised poor man's +chance. + +(2) _Jacob_ was one of the holy Prophets; and in Gen. 49:10 he says, "The +sceptre shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet, +until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be." The +sceptre means the right to rule, the title to power; and Shiloh means +peacemaker. So this prophecy is merely another way of saying that Judah +would be the ancestor of the great Lawgiver, the great "Prince of Peace" +into whose hands God, in due time, will "give the heathen for an +inheritance," "that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve +Him with one consent."--Psa. 2:8; Zeph. 3:9. + +(3) _Moses_, as a historian, recorded God's original purpose to give man +dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:28); His declaration to the serpent that +the Seed of the woman should bruise its head (Gen. 3:15); the promise to +Abraham that in him all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Gen. +12:3); that Abraham's inheritance should be an earthly one (Gen. 13:15); +and an everlasting one (Gen. 17:8); that all the nations of the earth +shall be blessed in him (Gen. 18:18); that in his Seed shall all the +nations of the earth be blessed (Gen. 22:18); to Isaac, that in his Seed +shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Gen. 26:4); to Jacob, that +in his Seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed (Gen. 28:14); +to Jacob again, that he should be a joint-heir with Abraham and Isaac of +the land of Canaan (Gen. 35:12); by the sacrifices after the day of +atonement was typically shown the perfection of mankind in the Millennium +(Lev. 1:5); by the glory appearing unto all the people was foretold their +future release from sin and death (Lev. 9:23); by the acceptance of a goat +as a sin-offering for the people we see blessings of life for the world +after the Church's career is finished (Lev. 16:15); and by the sounding of +the jubilee trumpet, the proclamation of liberty to the captives and the +return of every man to his possession, we see the world's restoration to +the image and likeness of God. (Lev. 25:10.) As a Prophet, his +declarations show that throughout the Gospel Age God would raise up a +great Prophet and Deliverer like unto himself (The Christ), to whom shall +all the people give heed in the Millennial Age (Deut. 18:15, 19); and that +this great Deliverer then would set before them life, if obedient, and +death, if disobedient.--Deut. 30:15. + +(4) _Samuel_, as a historian, recorded Hannah's prophecy, "The Lord +killeth and maketh alive; He bringeth down to hell and bringeth up." (1 +Sam. 2:6.) This is one of the first places in the Bible where we are shown +that what goes into hell does not necessarily stay there. Another +instance, in which Samuel foretold pictorially the coming of the better +King, was in the case of the coronation of King Saul. Saul had been +selected king, but had an attack of bashfulness; and when they had +searched, they found him behind the baggage. The record is, "They ran, and +fetched him thence; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than +any of the people from his shoulders and upward. And Samuel said, See ye +him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among the +people? And all the people shouted and said, God save the king." (1 Sam. +10:17-24.) Saul was God's choice for king; his name means "desired," and +in this he typified Christ, the "desire of all nations." This incident +looks forward to the time when all the people of the world will say of +Christ, "Oh! who is like unto our God? Lo! This is our God; this is our +King; this is the One we have waited for; He is head and shoulders, as a +ruler, above all kings and rulers we have had." + +(5) _Job_, after the Sabeans had made off with his oxen and asses, after a +bolt of lightning had burned up his sheep, after the Chaldeans had stolen +his camels and murdered his servants, after a whirlwind had blown down his +house and killed all his children, after he was covered with boils from +head to foot, after his wife had gone back on him, and after his three +remaining friends tried to prove to him that he was a hypocrite, prayed +that he might go to hell and stay there until God's wrath should be past, +and that then God would remember him in resurrection. (Job 14:13-15.) Job +records Elihu's prophetic statement that when the Messenger of the +Covenant has returned, death will cease and men not need to go into the +tomb. (Job 33:19-30.) Job also describes the steam engine--stationary, +railway and marine. + +The following is a corrected translation of Job 40:15 to 41:34, with +comments thereon from the pen of one of Pastor Russell's followers: +"Behold now one with great heat [the stationary steam engine], which I +have made to be with thee; he will consume fodder [peat, wood, coal] as do +cattle. Behold now his strength is in his loins [boiler plates], and his +power is within the parts bent in a circle [boiler shell] of his belly. +His tail [smoke stack--opposite the feeding end] will set upright like a +cedar; the couplings of his leaping parts [connecting rods, pitmans] will +be clamped together. His bones are tubes of copper; his solid bones [grate +bars] are as hammered-out bars of iron. He is the greatest of the ways of +power. He that made him [the Lord] can make His sword [Word] to approach +unto [reveal] him. [Isa. 27:1, 2.] He shall rest under thin shelter [steam +jackets] within a covering of fibrous reeds [jute] and clay [mortar]. The +willows of the valley [the trees overhead] will enclose him around about +Behold [as a pumping engine] he will drink up an overflowing river without +much exertion; he will cause the people to trust [that their cellars will +keep dry], though a Jordan should rush forth over its border. He will +gather it up in his fountains by means of traps and with a perforated +nozzle. + +"Thou wilt lengthen out leviathan [the locomotive] with a hook [automatic +coupler] or with a snare [coupling-pin] which thou wilt cause his tongue +[coupling-link] to drop down. Wilt thou not place a ring [piston] in his +nostrils [cylinders] or pierce through his cheeks [piston-ends] with a +staff [piston-rod]? Will he make repeated supplication unto thee [to get +off the track]? Or will he utter soft tones unto thee [when he screeches +with the whistle]? Will he make a covenant with thee, that thou mayest +take him for a servant forever [without repairs]? Wilt thou play with him +as with a bird [make him whistle at will]? Or wilt thou bind [enslave] him +for thy maidens [so that you can take them to a picnic or convention]? +Companies [of stockholders] will feast upon him [his earnings]; they will +share him among speculators. [Psa. 74:14.] Thou wilt fill his skin with +pointed irons [bolts], and his head with a cabin of fishermen [a cab +similar to the cabins on fishing vessels]. Place thy hand upon him, be +mindful of the conflict [raging within the boiler] and thou wilt add no +further questions. Behold, his confidence [boiler] being deceived [not +properly supplied with water], shall not at once his mighty form be spread +asunder [by an explosion]? There is none so bold that he will stir him up +[to run at his very highest possible speed], and none who will then place +himself before him [to be run over]. Who will compete with this one and +endure [pass him on the track]? Under the whole heaven, none, unless [one +like] himself. + +"I will not pass in silence his members, nor the cause of his mighty +forces, nor the beauty of his equipment. Who can strip off the facings of +his jacket? Who can penetrate between the double lap of his shield [the +overlapping sections of the boiler plates]? Who can force open the doors +of his shield [the boiler ends]? The circuits of his teeth [rows of +rivets] are formidable. His strength depends on courses of shields +[sections of plates] closed up tightly with a seal [calked]. They shall +join one upon another so that a hiss of air [steam] shall not escape from +between them. One to the other shall adhere. They will be welded together +that they cannot be sundered. In his sneezing [when he puffs from the +cylinders] light will shine, a flood of light pervading the mass of +vapors: and his eyes [headlights] will be as the eyelashes of the morning +[as rays of light from the rising sun]. Out of his mouth [fire-door] will +leap forth flaming torches, and [from the smoke stack] glowing sparks will +slip themselves away. From his nostrils [cylinders] will issue forth vapor +as from a boiling pot or caldron. His inhaling [forced draft] will vivify +burning coals, and a flame will leap forth from his mouth. Within his neck +abideth strength, and a desolation will dance with joy [become a +prosperous community] at his presence. The separable parts of his body are +connected together; all will be made fast upon him; nothing will be shaky. +His heart will be indurated similar to a stone, and will be firm as a +piece of the lower [rocks]. When at his full speed the most courageous +will fear [lest], from accidents, they lose themselves. When dryness +exalteth him [or renders him furious], he will not have power to withhold; +the curved vault [fire box] being caused to tear away, and also the armor. +He will esteem iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. The archer cannot +make him flee; missiles [of war] will be turned unto him as chaff. The +[strokes of a] hammer will be esteemed as chaff; he will rejoice at the +poking of the fireman. Hewed [or notched] timbers of the craftsman [ties] +are under him; he will spread an embankment [or trench] upon the mire. He +will [as a marine engine] cause deep [places] to become as a boiling pot +[about his propellers]; he will make the sea to appear like boiling +ointment. He will make a path to shine after him; one will think the deep +to be growing gray. [Psa. 104:26; Isa. 27:1.] Upon the earth there is not +his like--he that is [so] constructed that he can fear nothing. He can +oversee [control by his work] all that which is great; he is indeed king +over all conceptions of power." + +(6) _David_ foresaw a time when all the ends of the world shall remember +and turn unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship +before Him (Psa. 22:27); that after this dark night of weeping will come a +morning of joy (Psa. 30:5); that the meek shall inherit the earth (Psa. +37:11); that those who are now the King's enemies shall be converted and +praise Him for ever and ever (Psa. 45:5, 17); that wars shall cease to the +ends of the earth and the Lord alone be exalted (Psa. 46:10); that the +ignominious shall come forth from the grave and the upright shall have +dominion over them in the morning (Psa. 49:14); that the Lord will be the +confidence of all the ends of the earth (Psa. 65:5); that His saving +health will be made known among all nations, that all the nations shall +praise Him, and that He will judge and govern them righteously at the time +the earth shall yield her increase (Psa. 67:1-7); that the people shall be +scattered that delight in war (Psa. 68:30); that peace shall come to the +people, that the poor shall be delivered from the oppressor, that the +flesh, which, as dried grass is ready to die, shall be given new life and +that the fruits of the earth shall shake like a forest (Psa. 72:3, 4, 6, +16); that the poor and needy will be delivered out of the hand of the +wicked (Psa. 82:4); that mercy and truth will meet, righteousness and +peace kiss each other and truth spring out of the earth when righteousness +looks down from Heaven (Psa. 85:10, 11); that all nations the Lord has +made shall come and worship before Him and glorify His name (Psa. 86:9); +that He will say, Return, to the men He has turned into destruction (Psa. +90:3); that the world shall be established so that it shall not be moved +(Psa. 93:1); that the heavens, earth, seas, fields and trees of the wood +shall rejoice because the Lord is coming to judge the earth with +righteousness and the people with His truth (Psa. 96:11-13); that all the +earth shall join in a joyful noise to the Lord, songs of praise, harps, +psalms, trumpets and cornets, while the seas, floods and hills clap their +hands because He comes to judge the earth (Psa. 98:4-9); and that the +foundations of the earth have been laid so that it shall not be removed, +but be forever the home of a perfect, happy human race.--Psa. 104:5. + +(7) _Solomon_ declared that the upright shall dwell in the land and the +perfect shall remain in it (Prov. 2:21); that the righteous shall be +recompensed in the earth (Prov. 11:31); and that the earth abideth +forever.--Ecclesiastes 1:4. + +(8) _Isaiah_ prophesied that in the last days the Lord's Kingdom will be +established on the ruins of all earthly kingdoms, and all nations will +flow into it to learn His ways, at which time they will beat their swords +into plowshares and spears into pruninghooks and learn war no more (Isa. +2:2-4); that of the increase of that new Government and of peace there +shall be no end (Isa. 9:7); that nothing in the Kingdom will be permitted +to hurt or destroy, all evil dispositions of men and animals being done +away with, the poor and meek being lifted up and the earth being filled as +full with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isa. +11:4-9); that Christ will become the standard-bearer of the people, that +His rest will be glorious and a highway there provided for the remnant of +the people (Isa. 11:10-16); that the whole earth shall be at rest and +quiet and break forth into singing (Isa. 14:7); that at the time the +pillar to the Lord Is recognized in the world, the world will return to +the Lord and He will be entreated of them and heal them (Isa. 19:22); that +the Lord will make to all people a feast of fat things, doctrines of joy, +well refined, will destroy ignorance and superstition, swallow up death in +victory and wipe away tears from off all faces; it will cease to be a +rebuke to a person to admit that he belongs to the Lord, and all the +people will say, Lo, this Is our God; we have waited for Him and He will +save us, and all the high fortresses will crumble into dust (Isa. +25:6-12); that when the Lord's judgments are in the earth the inhabitants +of the world will learn righteousness; that then the trusts shall perish +utterly and the dead shall live (Isa. 26:9, 13, 14, 19); that judgment +will be laid to the line, the truth sweep away the refuge of lies and the +agreement of the preachers on the hell question will be disannulled (Isa. +28:17, 18); that the spiritually deaf shall get their ears open to +understand the harmonies of God's Word and the eyes of the blind see out +of obscurity and out of darkness, and the crops in the field be so large +they will look like a forest (Isa. 29:17, 18); that the eyes of them that +see shall not be dim, the ears of them that hear shall hearken and the +tongue of the stammerers be ready to speak plainly; that the skyscrapers +will be turned over to wild asses, along with the forts; that the people +shall dwell in righteousness, quietness and assurance forever (Isa. 32:3, +4, 14, 17, 18); that the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick, because the +people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.--Isa. 33:24. + +Furthermore, he declared that the wilderness and solitary place shall +blossom as the rose, the weak hands and feeble knees be strengthened, the +fearful be encouraged, the blind have their eyes opened, the deaf have +their ears unstopped, the lame made to leap as an hart, the tongue of the +dumb made to sing; in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in +the desert; an highway shall be there by which the unclean may be cleansed +of all their sins amid joy and gladness everlasting (Isa. 35:1-10); that +all the crooked and rough places will be straightened out (Isa. 40:4); +that rivers will open in unexpected places and the deserts become a forest +of useful trees (Isa. 41:18, 19); that all the prisoners in the great +prison-house of death shall be brought forth (Isa. 42:7); that the new +spiritual powers shall pour down righteousness and the world of mankind +eagerly take it in, to their salvation and everlasting joy of heart (Isa. +45:8); that God created the earth not in vain but formed it to be +inhabited (Isa. 45:18); that the Lord will establish the earth and cause +the people to inherit the once desolate heritages, with the result that +they shall be joyful and break forth into singing (Isa. 49:8, 13); that +the redeemed of the Lord (all mankind) shall return from the tomb and gain +salvation with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads and sorrow and +mourning shall flee away (Isa. 51:11); that the feet are beautiful which +proclaim good tidings of good and publish salvation because the King has +come to reign (Isa. 52:7); that the mountains, hills and trees shall +rejoice with verdure, and instead of thorns and briers shall come up fir +and myrtles (Isa. 55:12, 13); that the Lord will make this earth (His +footstool) glorious; violence, wasting and destruction shall cease, and +the people shall all be righteous and dwell in the land forever (Isa. +60:13, 18, 21); that the stumbling stones shall be gathered out of the +way, and the standard of Truth be lifted up for the people (Isa. 62:10); +that one who dies at a hundred years shall be considered but an infant; +that the people who build houses shall build them for themselves and live +in them forever among their own vineyards and other works of their hands +(Isa. 65:20-22); and that all nations and tongues shall be gathered to see +God's glorious character in its true light.--Isa. 66:18. + +(9) _Jeremiah_ foretold that in the good times coming mankind should no +more walk after the imagination of an evil heart (Jer. 3:17); that the +nations of all the earth shall come to the new order of things and +cheerfully admit that the teachings of the clergy were chiefly lies and +vanity (Jer. 16:19); that the new Shepherds will really feed the Lord's +sheep, and they shall no more be dismayed or lacking (Jer. 23:4); that the +Lord will give the people a heart to know Him, and they shall return to +Him with their whole heart (Jer. 24:7); that the children shall come again +from the land of the enemy; that the children shall no longer suffer for +the sins of the parents, and they shall teach no more every man his +neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall +all know Him from the least even unto the greatest (Jer. 31:16, 29, 34); +that the Lord will give the people one heart and one way and make an +everlasting covenant with them, and not turn away from them to do them +good; and they shall not depart from Him (Jer. 32:39, 40); that mankind +will fear and tremble at all the goodness and prosperity Jehovah shall +bring to them when He has pardoned all their Iniquities and transgressions +(Jer. 33:8, 9); that they shall be at rest and at ease with none to make +them afraid (Jer. 46:27); that the Moabites and Elamites shall return to +their former estate (Jer. 48:47; 49:39); and that in those days the +penitent, together, going and weeping, shall seek the Lord their God and +ask the way to Zion, saying, Let us join ourselves to the Lord in a +perpetual covenant that shall never be forgotten.--Jer. 50:4, 5. + +(10) _Ezekiel_ foretold a coming time when the Lord will take away the +stony heart out of the people and give them hearts that are warm and +tender (Ezek. 11:19); that the Sodomites, the Samaritans and the Jews--who +were twice as bad as either of the others--shall all return to their former +estate, and the Lord will establish His covenant with them and be pacified +towards them (Ezek. 16:55, 61-63); that it will no more be true that the +children suffer for the sins of their parents (Ezek. 18:2); that it will +not be necessary then for anybody to die (Ezek. 18:31, 32); that the +people shall dwell safely and build houses and plant vineyards with +confidence (Ezek. 28:26); that the Lord will cause the evil beasts to +cease out of the land; and that the people shall dwell safely in the +wilderness and sleep in the woods, the shower will come down in its +season, there shall be showers of blessing, the trees shall yield their +fruit and the earth shall yield its increase and the people shall dwell +safely and none shall make them afraid (Ezek. 34:25-28); that the Lord +will put His Spirit into the people and cause them to walk in His ways, +will increase the corn, multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of +the field, and the land that was desolate shall become like the garden of +Eden (Ezek. 36:26, 27, 29, 30, 35); that the people shall have one +Shepherd and walk in His statutes and do them (Ezek. 37:24); and the Lord +will not hide His face from them any more when He has poured out His +Spirit upon them.--Ezek. 39:29. + +(11) _Daniel_ foretold that the God of Heaven shall set up a Kingdom which +shall never be destroyed, but which shall break in pieces and consume all +other kingdoms, and which shall stand forever (Dan. 2:44); and the Kingdom +and dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom _under_ the whole heaven +shall be given to the saints of the Most High as an everlasting +dominion.--Dan. 7:27. + +(12) _Hosea_ prophesied food in abundance for the beasts of the field and +the fowls of heaven with the creeping things of the ground; and that the +Lord will break the bow and sword and the battle out of the earth, and +make all to lie down safely; and that it shall come to pass in that Day +that Jehovah will hear the new powers of spiritual control and they shall +hear the cries of men (Hos. 2:18, 21); that the people shall fear the +goodness of the Lord in the latter days (Hos. 3:5); that after the fifth +and sixth thousand-year Days are past the people will be raised up and +live in the Lord's sight (Hos. 6:2); and He will ransom them from hell and +redeem them from death, and destroy hell altogether.--Hos. 13:14. + +(13) _Joel_ prophesied that the Lord will cause the pastures to spring, +the tree to bear her fruit and the fig tree and the vine to yield their +strength, and whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be +delivered.--Joel 2:22, 32. + +(14) _Amos_ was the next one of the holy Prophets; and we have an inspired +comment on one of his prophecies by the Apostle James in Acts 15:14-18. +James says, "Simeon [St Peter] hath declared how God at the first [in the +conversion of Cornelius] did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a +people for His name [the Bride of Christ]. And to this agree the words of +the Prophets [Amos 9:11, 12]; as it is written, After this [after the +Bride of Christ has been selected], I will return and will build again the +tabernacle [the house, royalty or dominion] of David, which is fallen +down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up [re- +establish the Kingdom of God on earth]; that the residue of men [all the +rest of the world of mankind] might seek after the Lord, and all the +Gentiles, upon whom My name is called, saith the Lord who doeth all these +things. Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world." + +(15) _Obadiah_ was the next one of the holy Prophets; and in the last +verse of his short prophecy he says, "And saviors [it is in the plural and +refers not only to Jesus the Head, but to the Church, the members of His +Body] shall come up on Mount Zion [come up into the Heavenly phase of the +Kingdom], and shall judge the mount of Esau" [judge the world]. "Know ye +not that the saints shall judge the world?" + +(16) _Jonah_ was the next one of the holy Prophets; and in the fourth +chapter we have an interesting picture of events now transpiring before +our eyes. Jonah walked into the city of Nineveh and said, "Yet forty days +and Nineveh shall be overthrown." The prophecy was fulfilled in forty +literal years. But when Jonah saw that things were not coming out as he +expected, he was very angry and said to the Lord, "That is just what I +might have expected; for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and +merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and I said so before I +left my own country." Jonah went out, sat in the hot sun on the outside of +the city, and began to sulk. The Lord took pity on him and caused a gourd +to grow up over him, to shelter him from the hot rays of the sun. And +Jonah was exceeding glad because of the gourd. Then the Lord prepared a +worm to smite the gourd; and a strong east wind blew up and the gourd +withered. Jonah's shade was gone, and he was angrier than ever. The Lord +said, "Doest thou well to be angry?" and he said, "Yes, I do well to be +angry, even unto death." Then the Lord said, "Jonah, thou hast had pity on +the gourd that sprung up in a night and perished in a night; and should +not I spare Nineveh, that great city wherein are more than six score +thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their +left hand?" + +We live in a day when a class have been preaching that the world is to be +destroyed; and, like Jonah, they have not properly understood their +message. The kind of world that is to be destroyed is Satan's world, +Satan's empire, arrangement, or order of things--not our literal earth. The +word world does not always refer to our literal earth. For instance, when +the Apostle James says, "The tongue is a world of iniquity," he does not +mean that we have inside our jaws a little planet that turns over every +twenty-four hours, that has spring, summer, fall, winter, snowstorms, +rainstorms, and a moon revolving about it, with once in a while a comet +and a shower of meteors thrown in for good measure. When they think about +the Panama Canal, and the wonderful works of irrigation which are causing +the desert to rejoice and blossom as the rose, and all the other wonderful +achievements of our day, these people are beginning to see that they have +made a mistake and are now about where Jonah was when he said, "That is +what I might have expected, for I know that Thou art a just God, slow to +anger, and plenteous in mercy." They are now outside the city, and the +scorching light of Present Truth is pretty hot. Meantime the church trust +is growing up to keep off the heat. We are not to have anything to do with +this church federation. "Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom +this people shall say, A confederacy." "Take counsel together, and it +shall come to naught; speak the word and it shall not stand; for God is +with us." (Isa. 8:10, 12.) Pretty soon something will happen to the church +trust, and their shade will be gone. Then the Lord will say to them, "Oh, +you need not feel so badly! You are not the first people that ever made a +mistake. You have made lots of them, to be sure. You have had pity on the +church trust which grew up in one year and blew up in another year; and +should not I spare the poor world, that as far as their knowledge of right +and wrong is concerned do not know the difference between their right hand +and their left hand?" + +(17) _Micah_ has written of the coming of the Kingdom of God in the earth, +accompanied by the rebuking of strong nations afar off; that then they +shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into +pruninghooks; that nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither +shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine +and under his fig tree [not the landlord's]; and none [be they doctors, +landlords, employers, sheriffs, or undertakers] shall make them afraid; +that all people will walk in the name of our God, and that the first +dominion [lost by Adam in Eden] will be restored to Christ, the Tower of +the Flock.--Micah 4:1-5, 8. + +(18) _Nahum_ was the next one of the holy Prophets; and after prophesying +in the last verse of the preceding chapter about the coming of the King +with His good tidings of peace to the sin-burdened earth, he next tells +(Nahum 2:3-6) of an interesting thing that will be a matter of common +everyday experience at the time the Kingdom is established. He describes a +railway train in motion [not an automobile, as some think], and if we will +be at the trouble to put ourselves in the Prophet's place we can see just +what he saw in his vision and what he has so interestingly described. +First, the Prophet stands looking at the engine coming toward him, and +then says, "The shield [the thing ahead of this great warrior--the +headlight] is made red [shines brilliantly], the valiant men [the engineer +and the fireman] are dyed scarlet [when the flames from the firebox +illuminate the interior of the cab at night, as the fireman opens the +firedoor to throw in the coal]. The chariots [the railway coaches] shall +be with [shall be preceded by locomotives that, at night, have the +appearance of] flaming torches, in the Day of Preparation." + +Next the Prophet takes his place in the train and looks out of the window, +and, seemingly, "The fir trees shall be terribly shaken [the telegraph +poles alongside the track seem to be fairly dancing]. The chariots shall +rage in the streets [a railway is merely an elaborate, scientifically +constructed street, or highway], they shall jostle one against another in +the broad ways [the clanking and bumping of the cars together is one of +the significant items of railway travel]. They shall seem like torches [a +railway train at night, rushing through a distant field, looks like +nothing so much as a vast torch, going at flying speed], they shall run +like the lightnings." Next the Prophet sees the conductor coming for his +ticket and says, "He shall recount his worthies [the conductor spends his +entire time, almost, counting and recounting his passengers, keeping them +checked up, etc.]; they shall stumble in their walk [try walking on a +rapidly moving train]; they shall make haste to the wall thereof [to the +next city or town] and the coverer [the train shed, the station] shall be +prepared [the baggageman, expressman, mail wagon, hotel bus, intending +passengers, and friends to meet incoming passengers, will all be there +waiting for the train to come]. The gates of the rivers shall be opened +[the doors of the cars will be opened and the people will flow out] and +the palace [car] shall be dissolved [emptied]." + +(19) _Habakkuk_ was the next one of the holy Prophets, and in Hab. 2:14 he +says, "The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the +Lord as the waters cover the sea." In places, the water in the Pacific +Ocean is seven miles deep. Imagine a condition in which the knowledge of +the glory of God is like that in the earth! It will be as impossible for a +man not to know about God as it would be for one to be down at the bottom +of the ocean without getting wet. + +(20) _Zephaniah_ foretold that the Lord will starve all the false gods to +death; for all men will worship the one only and true God, even including +the heathen we have worried so much about (Zeph. 2:11); that after the +present inequitable condition of society has passed away--been devoured, +not with literal fire but with the fire of the Lord's jealousy--there will +be no more sectarianism, but all the people will be taught the pure Truth +and worship the Lord with _one_ consent; the liar and deceiver will no +longer be abroad in the land and the people will eat and rest without fear +of disaster, dispossession or death.--Zeph. 3:9, 13. + +(21) _Haggai_ was the next one of the holy Prophets, and he says in Hag. +2:7, "The desire of all nations shall come." In Rom. 8:19-22, the Apostle +tells us what is the desire of all nations. He says, "The whole creation +groaneth and travaileth in pain, waiting for the manifestation [showing +forth] of the sons of God." It is in the plural, and means not Jesus only, +but all of the Little Flock. The groaning will not be in vain; for in the +same passage the Apostle says the outcome will be that the groaning +creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into a glorious +liberty from sin and every evil thing. + +(22) _Zechariah_ prophesied that many nations shall be joined to the Lord +in that Day and be His people and He will dwell in the midst of them +(Zech. 2:11); that when every man dwells under his own vine and fig tree +every man will love his neighbor and his brother (Zech. 3:10); that the +coming Kingdom will be a Kingdom of Truth, the people will be God's people +and He will be their God in truth and righteousness; the ground shall give +its increase and the heaven its dews and the Lord will do well to the +people and remove their fears (Zech. 8:3, 8, 12, 15); that the inhabitants +of one city will go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before +the Lord, and to seek the Lord of Hosts; I will go also. Yea, many people +and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts and to pray before +the Lord (Zech. 8:21; 22); that the battle bow shall be cut off, that the +Lord shall speak peace to the people; corn shall make the young men speak, +and new wine (better doctrines) the maids (Zech. 9:10, 17); that the Lord +shall be King over all the earth and men shall dwell in it, and there +shall be no more utter destruction, but all shall be holiness unto the +Lord.--Zech. 14:9, 11, 20. + +(23) _Malachi_ foretold that from the rising of the sun even unto the +going down of the same the Lord's name shall be great among all peoples; +and in every place heart adoration shall be offered to His name (Mal. +1:11); that the devourer will be rebuked and not be permitted longer to +destroy the fruits of the ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit +before the time in the field; injurious parasites, germs and microbes will +be a thing of the past. Crops will be abundant everywhere (Mal. 3:11); and +The Christ, Head and Body, will arise with healing in their beams, +nourishing and bringing the willing to perfection with the same care as is +given to stall-fed cattle--now receiving more attention than human +beings.--Mal. 4:2. + +(24) _John the Baptist_ was the next and last of the holy Prophets, for +Jesus said, "The Law and the Prophets were until John." And John, we are +told, turned and looked at Jesus, and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, that +taketh away the sin of the world."--John 1:29; Matt. 11:9, 11. + +4:11. Thou art worthy, O Lord OUR LORD AND GOD.--"The proper view of the +matter shows us the Heavenly Father perfect in all the attributes of +nobility of character; perfect in Justice, so that the just sentence of +His righteous Law cannot be infracted, even by Himself; perfect in wisdom, +so that His plan and arrangement, not only with respect to man's creation, +but also with respect to man's salvation, the Atonement, etc., were all so +complete that no contingency or failure could arise, nor any necessity for +change of the Divine Plan; as it is written, 'I am the same, I change not, +saith the Lord,' and 'Known unto the Lord are all His works, from the +foundation of the world'; perfect also in His Love, than which there could +be no greater love possible, and yet that Love is in full balance and +accord with the other Divine attributes, so that it could spare the sinner +only in harmony with the just program marked out by Divine Wisdom; perfect +also in Power, so that all His good purposes, good intentions, just +program and loving designs, fully co-ordinated, shall be executed, and +bring the originally designed result; as it is written, 'My Word that +goeth forth out of My mouth shall not return to Me void; it shall +accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto +I sent it.' (Isa. 55:11; Mal. 3:6; Acts 15:18.)"--E. _37_, 34. + +To receive glory.--All the glory, Greek. + +And honor and power.--"Could this Scripture ever be fulfilled, could the +Divine character ever be appreciated by intelligent, honest, just and +loving hearts, if in any corner of the Universe there were such orgies and +tortures of His creatures as the creeds of the Darker Ages have set forth? +Surely not!"--B. S. M. + +For Thou has created all things.--The all things, the Universe, Greek. +"Across the vista of ages He saw in His purpose the glory of an +intelligent creation in His own likeness, established in righteousness and +worthy of His gift of eternal life. He therein foresaw the mutual pleasure +of the Creator and the creature, and with a peaceful patience He resolved +to wait for the glorious consummation."--Z. '95-154. + +And for Thy pleasure they [are and] were created.--"He desired that love +should respond to love, admiration to admiration, virtue to virtue, and +grace to grace, in the Creator and the creature, as face answers to face +in a glass. In this natural attitude of the Creator and the creature +generous benevolence and filial gratitude combine in mutual happiness. God +is happy in the realization and in the exercise of all the noble traits of +His glorious character, which happiness is enhanced by appreciation of the +same on the part of His creatures, and by manifestation in them of the +same qualities and dispositions of mind and heart. And likewise man must +both realize and exercise the noble endowments of his nature and form a +character modeled after that of his Heavenly Father and meeting His +approval, if he would find that true happiness which consists in the +approval of his own conscience and of his Creator and Judge, in whose +favor is life, and at whose right hand there are pleasures +forevermore.'--Psa. 16:11."--Z. '95-167. + + + "Sun of my soul, my Father dear, + I know no night when Thou are near. + O! may no earth-born cloud arise + To hide Thee from thy servant's eyes. + + Shield of my soul, though tempests rage, + And 'gainst me hosts of foes engage, + My refuge and my fortress Thou, + Before Thee every foe must bow. + + Thy grace and glory Thou dost give + To those who near Thee ever live; + And no good thing dost Thou withhold + From sheep which stray not from Thy fold." + + + [Illustration] + + Hindrances To Christian Progress + + + [Illustration] + + The Thinking Public Declines To Endorse The Modern Political Preaching + + + + +Revelation 5--The Executor Of The Plan + + +5:1. And I saw in the right hand.--"The Divine Plan, known only to the +Father, Jehovah Himself, was kept in His own power--in His own hand--until +some one should be _proved_ worthy to know it, and become its executor as +Jehovah's honored Agent and Representative."--E. _39_, 36. + +Of Him that sat on the Throne.--"He that sits upon the Throne is Jehovah. +The scroll in His right hand is His Plan for human redemption, sealed from +all until One should be found and proved 'worthy.' "--Z. '97-150. + +A book.--"Not the Bible, but the Divine Plan, with its times and seasons." +(Z. '16-252.) "This was the _Mystery_, the _Secret_ of the Lord, unknown +to any one but Himself--His plan for the salvation of the world."--Z. +'97-256. + +Written [within] IN FRONT.--The writing in front is the fulfilment of +everything prophesied on the outside. Every word of every prophecy of +God's Word is sure of fulfilment. "Seek ye out the book of the Lord, and +read; no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate; for My mouth +it hath commanded, and His Spirit it hath gathered them." (Isa. 34:16.) +"That scroll contains a record of everything that is happening now, and +all that will occur throughout the Millennial Age, down to its very +close--down to the time when every creature in Heaven and in earth and +those in the sea, shall ascribe praise, honor, glory and dominion to Him +that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb forever.--Rev. 5:13." (Z. +'09-243.) "Among the Orientals the lines began from the right hand and ran +to the left hand; with the Northern and Western nations, from the left to +the right hand; but the Greeks sometimes followed both directions +alternately." (McC.) + +The Word is plainly written on the outside, where all may read the words, +but cannot understand their significance without Divine aid. Meantime, +from age to age, the events foretold occur in the manner predicted. The +manner of the writing, some of it from left to right and some from right +to left, enables the fulfilments to follow the prophecies exactly, item by +item, to the last jot and tittle. Write a word on a sheet of paper and +then turn the paper over and look at it, holding it in front of a good +light. Thus it is with the Word of God. The prophecies look strange until +the due time has come for holding them up to the light, and then they +become clear. What could be only imperfectly deciphered until the +hindering seal is broken is no mystery after the seal is broken, because +the book or scroll or chart can be turned about and held to the light. The +fulfilments are seen to fit the prophecies. If the lines are not clear, +then for some reason we are looking upon that much of the record from the +outside and not from the inside. + +And on the backside.--"Excepting the bare promise (written on the outside +of the scroll) of salvation through the Seed of the woman, nothing could +be known of the wonderful scheme for human restitution until the Son of +God, having left the glory of the spiritual nature, took our nature and by +the sacrifice of Himself redeemed us from death. Then, having His +righteousness imputed to us by faith, we are counted worthy to look upon +the scroll as He opens the seals one after another."--Z. '02-332; Ezek. +2:9, 10. + +Sealed with seven seals.--"The things that were sealed were not proper to +be understood by our Redeemer until He had received the all-power, after +His resurrection. The execution of God's Plan was then given into His +hands."--Z. '16-253. + +5:2. And I saw a strong angel.--Personification of the Law. + +Proclaiming.--In types and shadows, pictures, figures and symbols. + +With a loud voice.--From the fall of Adam onward. + +Who is worthy.--"The inquiry compassed the period from before Jesus came +into the world up to His resurrection from the grave. God had given the +most honorable One of all the host of Heaven the first opportunity to +prove His worthiness to loose the Scroll of God's great Plan, and to +fulfill its provisions. And He did not allow the privilege to go by. He +accepted it."--Z. '16-252. + +To open the book.--"The inquiry, 'Who is worthy to open the book [scroll] +and to loose the seals thereof?' had long been made: for four thousand +years, from the giving of the promise that the Seed of the woman should +bruise the serpent's head, it had been the query--Who shall be esteemed, by +Jehovah God, to be worthy to perform His gracious purposes, and thus be +honored above all others as Servant (Messenger) of the Covenant of +Grace?"--Z. '97-150. + +And to loose the seals thereof.--"John in the symbol hears the +proclamation, 'Who is worthy to open the Book and to loose the seals?'--who +is worthy to have committed to his care _the execution_ of the great +Divine Plan, wonderful for its wisdom and love, and its lengths and +breadths and depths and heights past human comprehension--that he may open +it and execute it?"--Z. '97-256. + +5:3. And no man in Heaven.--No angel had been proven worthy. "Which things +the angels desire to look into."--1 Pet. 1:12. + +Nor in earth, [neither under the earth].--No man on earth was worthy. +"There is none righteous; no, not one; for all have sinned and come short +of the glory of God."--Rom. 3:10, 23. + +Was able to open the book.--"In the picture John looked to see who the +worthy one might be, but none was found worthy."--Z. '09-243. + +Neither to look thereon.--In the light of this Scripture, who can dare, in +his own strength, wisdom or righteousness to interpret the Word of God or +take any part in the execution of the Plan?--Heb. 12:18-29. + +5:4. And I wept much.--"It seemed to John too bad that God should have some +great, wonderful purposes which might come to naught because no one was +worthy to be the Divine executor."--Z. '09-243. + +Because no man.--No being in the Universe. + +Was found worthy to open and to read the book.--"When silence prevailed, +and none was found worthy either in Heaven or on earth (representing the +condition of things prior to the First Advent), John began saying to +himself: Alas! we may never know God's gracious and wise plans for the +welfare of His creatures, because none is found worthy to know or execute +them."--Z. '97-150; John 1:27; Matt. 8:8. + +Neither to look thereon.--"So it was that, even our Lord Jesus, prior to +the finishing of His sacrifice, as He then declared, did not know all +about the Father's plans, times and seasons (Mark 13:32.)"--Z. '97-150. + +5:5. And one of the elders.--The deathbed prophecy of Jacob. It is the +identification of this elder that enables us to recognize the other +twenty-three.--Rev. 4:10. + +Saith unto me.--"Judah is a lion's whelp. The sceptre shall not depart from +Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come; and unto +Him shall the gathering of the people be."--Gen. 49:9, 10. + +Weep not: behold, the Lion.--"The Holy One, and the Just."--Acts 3:14; +22:14. + +Of the tribe of Juda.--"The great prize, for which Israel had been longing +for centuries, was won by the Lion of the tribe of Judah. (Heb. 7:14.)"--B. +85. + +"For an illustration of latter time assumptions, note the fact that a late +pope, upon ascending the throne, took the title of Leo XIII, and shortly +after subscribed himself 'Leo de tribus Juda,' i. e., 'The Lion of the +tribe of Judah.' "--B. 316. + +The Root of David.--"It was not the pre-human Logos, nor yet the man Jesus, +that was David's Lord and David's Root; but the resurrected Messiah."--E. +_151_, 136; Isa. 11:1; Rom. 15:12; Rev. 22:16. + +Hath prevailed to open the book.--"When our Lord Jesus had proven His +loyalty to the Heavenly Father by His obedience, 'even unto the +[ignominious] death of the cross,' then and thereby He did prove Himself +worthy of every confidence and trust."--E. _39_, 37. + +And to loose the seven seals thereof.--"Great was the favor bestowed upon +the Just One of the tribe of Judah, in being permitted to open the seals; +and great is the privilege of those who are permitted to look thereon as +the seals are opened."--Z. '02-332; Rev. 5:2; 6:1. + +5:6. And I beheld, [and lo,] in the midst of the Throne.--"In the bosom of +the Father."--John 1:18. + +And of the four beasts.--"The express image of His person."--Heb. 1:3. + +And in the midst of the elders.--The central theme of all their +prophesies.--Rev. 4:10. + +Stood a Lamb as it had been slain.--"It was not possible for Him to know +the completeness of the Divine Plan until after He had demonstrated His +worthiness by His obedience unto death, even the death of the cross."--Z. +'06-39; Isa. 53:7; John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32; 1 Pet. 1:19. + +Having seven horns.--Perfect power. "All power is given unto Me in Heaven +and in earth."--Matt. 28:18; 1 Sam. 2:1, 10; Deut. 33:17; 1 Ki. 22:11. + +And seven eyes.--Perfect wisdom. "In whom are hid all the treasures of +wisdom and knowledge."--Col. 2:3; Zech. 3:9; 4:10; Rev. 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 2 +Chron. 16:9. + +Which are the seven Spirits of God.--Or lamps of fire.--Rev. 4:5. + +Sent forth into all the earth.--See Rev. 1:4. + +5:7. And He came and took the book.--"To Him was the scroll or book +entrusted, that in due time all the wonderful provisions of the Divine +Plan might be fully executed in the glorification of the Church and the +blessing of all the families of the earth."--Z. '06-39. + +Out of the right hand.--See Rev. 5:1. + +Of Him that sat upon the Throne.--Jehovah. If Jesus and His Father are a +Trinity, "One in person, equal in glory and power," how is it that one has +to come to the other for something, or how can He come to Himself and take +something He already has and give it to Himself? + +5:8. And when He had taken the book.--His worthiness to do so having been +proven by His resurrection to the Divine nature. + +The four beasts.--Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom.--Rev. 4:6, 7. + +And four and twenty elders.--Messages of the four and twenty Prophets.--Rev. +4:10. + +Fell down before the Lamb.--Gave their joint homage and adoration to the +Conqueror of sin and death. + +Each having [every one of them harps] A HARP.--Yielding the most exquisite +harmony that ever fell on mortal ears.--Rev. 15:1-4; 4:10. + +And golden vials.--Incense cups, "spoons," similar to those used at the +Golden Altar.--Ex. 25:29; 30:1-9. + +Full of odors.--The sweet fragrance of patient hearts, precious in the +Father's memory, pleading for love and wisdom Divine.--Psa. 141:2; Ex. +30:34-38; Lev. 16:12, 13; Lu. 1:9, 10; Acts 10:4. + +Which are the prayers of saints.--Every one of which, by the Father's +arrangement, has been made in the name of the One here honored.--John +16:23; Eph. 2:19. + +5:9. And they sung a new song.--"This means that the Divine Plan as a whole +was here made known to Him--for He already had knowledge of much of +this--but all things were now given Him."--Z. '16-253; Psa. 40:3; Rev. 14:3. + +Saying, Thou art worthy to take the book.--Worthy of "a name which is above +every name."--Phil. 2:9. + +And to open the seals thereof.--Disclose the wonderful method by which the +Father will develop the _saviors_ of the world.--Obad. 21. + +For thou wast slain.--He had sacrificed His will, but this was not +sufficient. "God wished Him to sacrifice not only His will, but actually +to lay down His human life. When all His testings were completed at His +death on the Cross, God gave Him a name to which all should bow, both in +Heaven and in earth."--Z. '16-252. + +And hast redeemed.--"_Agorazo._ This word signifies to purchase in the open +market."--E. _443_, 429; 1 Cor. 6:20; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; 1 +Pet. 1:18, 19. + +[Us].--Oldest MS., with evident propriety, omits _us_, since the Divine +attributes and prophecies were not redeemed.--Z. '97-151. + +To God.--"What say the Scriptures respecting the sacrifice of Christ, the +offering which He made? Do they say that it was made to Satan or to +Jehovah God? We answer that in all the types of the Jewish dispensation, +which foreshadowed this better sacrifice, which does take away the sins of +the world, the offerings were presented to God, at the hands of the +priest, who typified our Lord Jesus."--E. _461_, 449. + +By Thy blood.--"If the blood of bulls and of goats ... sanctifieth to the +purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who, +through the eternal spirit, offered Himself without spot to God."--Heb. +9:13-15. + +Out of every kindred.--"In thy Seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be +blessed."--Acts 3:25. + +And tongue.--"Every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."--Isa. 45:23. + +And people.--"The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see +His glory."--Psa. 97:6. + +And nation.--"And in thy Seed shall all the nations of the earth be +blessed."--Gen. 26:4, 22:18; Rev. 14:6. + +5:10. And hast made [us] THEM unto our God [Kings] A KINGDOM.--"It will be +the Kingdom of the saints, in that they shall reign and judge and bless +the world in conjunction with their Lord, Jesus. (Rom. 8:17, 18.) The +Kingdom class proper will consist only of our Lord and His 'elect' Little +Flock."--D. 618. + +And [priests] PRIESTHOOD.--"The Divine provision for a 'Royal Priesthood' +implies weakness, imperfection, on the part of some whom the priests are +to help, and instruct, and from whom they are to accept sacrifice and +offerings for sin, and to whom they are to extend mercy and +forgiveness."--E. _486_, 476; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6; 20:6. + +And [we] THEY shall reign.--"But before the Royal Priesthood begin their +reign, they must 'suffer with Him,' sharing in the antitypical sacrifices. +(2 Tim. 2:12.)"--T. 26. + +On.--_Epi_, over.--Rev. 6:16. + +The earth.--"The Kingdom and dominion, even the majesty of the Kingdom +_under_ the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the +Most High, whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all rulers shall +serve and obey Him. (Dan 7:27.)"--D. 618. + +5:11. And I beheld.--John beheld this in vision and will behold it in +reality. + +And I heard.--John heard in the vision, and will hear in the reality. + +As it were the voice of many angels.--Besides the angels, the Great Company +are in this happy throng. The events to the end of the chapter have their +fulfilment in the future. + +Round about the Throne.--"In the circuit of Heaven" (Job 22:14), the circle +of the Universe. + +And the beasts.--Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom.--Rev. 4:6, 7. + +And the elders.--The prophecies.--Rev. 4:10. + +And the number of them.--"Whose number no man knoweth."--Rev. 7:9. + +Was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.--The +number of the Great Company will apparently exceed one hundred millions. +Num. 4:46-48 and Ex. 28:1 indicate but one priest to each 2,860 Levites, +which would make the number of the Great Company approximate +411,840,000.--T. 118, 119; Dan. 7:10. + +5:12. Saying with a loud voice.--The Great Company will be very +enthusiastic workers on the other side of the veil, for they really love +the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30), and +need only to be liberated to give full expression to that love. + +Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.--"Our Lord Jesus demonstrated before the +Father, before angels, and before His 'brethren,' His fidelity to the +Father and to the Father's Law, demonstrating that it was not beyond the +ability of a perfect being, even under the most adverse conditions."--E. +_134_, 120. + +To receive power.--The Great Company class humbly realize that their +faithfulness and zeal was not sufficient to warrant their own exaltation +to power. + +And riches.--They realize they did not lay up all the Heavenly treasures +they might have done, but hid their talents in earthly pursuits. + +And wisdom.--They realize their own unwisdom in seeking the praise of men +and that the Christ Company, though apparently fools for Christ's sake, +were really the wisest of the wise. + +And strength.--They know that they used their own strength for the support +and maintenance of institutions which really hindered rather than helped +the Bride to make herself ready. + +And honor.--They know that, as a class, they sought and obtained the honor +that cometh from men, but failed to properly seek the honor that cometh +from God only. + +And glory.--They know that they failed to meet the high conditions of self- +sacrifice, and were therefore unworthy of the high reward. + +And blessing.--They feel that the blessings which the Lord gave to them +were thoughtlessly appropriated to themselves and their families, with +hardly a serious thought about the needs of the Lord's dear family; and +that appropriately, the chiefest of all blessings, the privilege of +extending God's blessings to the needy world, should go to those who most +earnestly "by patient perseverance in well doing (did) seek for glory, +honor and immortality." (Rom. 2:7.) Thus they reverence the Lamb, and His +Bride, for they are one.--Rev. 19:7. + +5:13. And every creature.--After the destruction of the incorrigible at the +end of the Millennial Age (and this, in itself, is a blessing to those who +refuse to make a right use of life). + +Which is in Heaven.--"Let all the angels of God worship Him." (Heb. 1:6.) +"Worship Him, all ye gods."--Psa. 97:7. + +And on the earth, [and under the earth,].--All mankind.--1 Cor. 15:25. + +And such [as are] in the sea.--The class that continues to be "in the sea," +i. e., not under religious restraint, will cease to exist. They no longer +_are_, but even their terminated existence will be to the praise of the +One who died for them on Calvary; for they will have had a perfect chance. + +And all that are in them.--"That at the name of Jesus every knee should +bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth."--Phil. 2:10; Eph. 1:10; +Col. 1:20. + +[Heard I] AND I HEARD THEM saying, THE Blessing.--The myriads of happy +beings, on all created planes of intelligence, from the highest to the +lowest, in Heaven and earth, acknowledge with joy the source of all their +blessings.--Rom. 9:5. + +And honor.--By that time all will have come to see what a great honor has +been conferred on any creature to receive the unspeakable boon of life on +any plane, and will gladly own its fountain.--1 Tim. 6:16. + +And glory [and power] OF THE ALMIGHTY.--Each will have come to know the +glory of life on his own plane. "There are celestial bodies, and bodies +terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the +terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory +of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from +another star in glory."--1 Cor. 15:40, 41; Rom. 16:27; 1 Pet. 4:11; 5:11. + +Be.--Be ascribed to. + +Him that sitteth upon the Throne.--Our Father and Friend.--1 Chron. 29:11. + +And unto the Lamb.--Our Redeemer and Brother. + +For ever and ever.--"For the Ages of the Ages," Greek. + +5:14. And the four beasts said Amen.--Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom +unitedly declare this to be the happy outcome. + +And the [four and twenty] elders fell down and worshipped [Him that liveth +for ever and ever].--The prophecies plainly declare that neither men nor +devils can in any wise thwart this perfect ending of the Plan which began +so strangely and still progresses--the perfection, through suffering, of +the Little Flock, the Great Company and, indeed, the world of mankind +itself.--Rev. 4:10. + + + + +Revelation 6--Six Seals And The Papacy + + +6:1. And I saw.--"God does not display His plans to satisfy mere idle +curiosity. If we would comprehend what is revealed within the scroll we +must be sincerely desirous of knowing the details of God's Plan in order +to an earnest co-operation with it. Such, and such only, are worthy to +know, and such only ever come to see, in the sense of understanding and +appreciating, the deep things of God written within the scroll. Such are +the righteous for whom the light (Truth) is sown. This worthiness is +inquired for not only at the beginning, but all along the path of light. +If we are not found worthy by the various tests applied from time to time, +we cannot proceed in the path of light; and unless the unfaithful ones +arouse themselves to greater diligence and watchfulness, the light that +already is in them will become darkness. And how great, how intense must +be the darkness of one cast out of light! (Matt. 6:23.)"--Z. '02-332. + +When the Lamb opened.--"The opening of the seals has progressed during all +the Gospel Age. It has required all of the present Age and will require +all of the next Age to complete the Plan. We may suppose that the Lord +Jesus was made aware of all its features after His ascension to the +presence of Jehovah. The Master declared that as the Father revealed them +unto Him, so would He reveal them unto us."--Z. '16-253; Rev. 5:5-9. + +One of the SEVEN seals.--"Each seal as it was loosed permitted the scroll +as a whole to open a little wider, and a little wider, thus permitting +'the mystery of God' to be a little more clearly discerned."--Z. '97-257. + +And I heard [as it were the noise of thunder].--The roar of a Lion. + +One of the four beasts.--Justice, typified by the Lion.--Rev. 4:7. + +Saying, AS IT WERE THE NOISE OF THUNDER, Come and see.--Come and see +Infinite Justice permitting one of the greatest acts of injustice ever +perpetrated. + +6:2. And I saw.--John beheld in vision the first strange and wonderful +feature of the Divine Plan for the permission of evil as it related to +epochs of the Church beyond his own epoch--that of Smyrna. + +And behold a white horse.--The doctrines, teachings of the Lord and the +Apostles recognized as the one and only rule of faith and practice of +God's Church. + +And he that sat on him.--The Bishop of Rome, the embryo Pope, the personal +representative of Satan. + +Had a bow.--"They bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are +not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to +evil, and they know not Me, saith the Lord."--Jer. 9:3. + +And a crown.--Great honor and authority in the Church. + +Was given unto him.--"Under the reign of Constantine (who murdered his own +son in the same year in which he convened the Council of Nice) the +opposition of the empire to Christianity gave way to favor, and the +Imperial Pontifex Maximus became the patron of the professed but really +apostate Church of Christ; and, taking her by the hand, he assisted her to +a place of popularity and splendor from which she was able afterward, as +the imperial power grew weak, to put her own representatives upon the +religious throne of the world as Chief Religious Ruler--Pontifex +Maximus."--B. 290. + +And he went forth conquering, [and to conquer] AND HE CONQUERED.--Thus we +see the apparent defeat of Infinite Justice in this first epoch. +Apparently, God forsook His Church, having jeopardized all its interests +by placing the power in the hands of a self-seeking ecclesiastical system. +But worse things are coming! + +6:3. And when He had opened the second seal.--Revealing the second period +of the history of the Antichrist. + +I heard the second beast.--Infinite Power. See Rev. 4:7. + +Say, Come and see.--Come and see Infinite Power consenting to a thing +apparently in victorious opposition to it. + +6:4. And I beheld and lo there went out another horse.--A creed-horse, +quite different from the Scriptures which it misrepresented. + +That was red.--The color of sin--imperfection. "Though your sins be as +scarlet."--Isa. 1:18. + +And power was given to him that sat thereon.--The same rider, the +Antichrist. + +To take peace from the earth.--To embroil in controversy those who were +under religious restraint--in other words, the entire professed church of +God. + +And that they should kill one another.--Depose and destroy one another as +teachers, by inveighing the Roman power against all offenders. + +And there was given unto him a great sword.--As the Lord has a great and +powerful sword, the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. +6:17), and as it is represented as coming out of His mouth, so the Papacy +has a great and powerful sword, in opposition to the Sword of the Spirit, +and it, too, comes out of Papacy's mouth. [The word here is different from +Rev. 1:16 and refers to the butcher knife--Gen. 22:6, 10.] "The pope (each +pope in his turn) is the head of the false church, which is his body, even +as Christ Jesus is the Head of the true Church, which is His Body. Since +the head is the representative of the body, and its _mouth_ speaks for the +body, we find, as we should expect, this feature of Antichrist prominently +referred to in the Scriptures. In Daniel 7:8, 11, 25, and Rev. 13:5, 6, +the mouth of Antichrist is brought specially to our notice as a leading +characteristic."--B. 304. + +This period, beginning with the year 325 A. D. and extending to the year +539, was the period of formation of creeds. "Come near, put your feet upon +the necks of these kings." (Josh. 10:24.) Once they were very powerful, +but they are quite harmless now. The Lord (Joshua-Savior) has humbled them +all by His own Sword of the Spirit in the hands of Pastor Russell. + +"Neither Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, nor any ecclesiastical writer +before the fifth century, makes mention of an assembly of the Apostles for +the purpose of forming a creed. Had the Apostles composed it, it would +have been the same in all churches and ages. But it is quite otherwise." +(McC.) So much for the well-known "Apostle's Creed," which, it is alleged, +"comprehends the leading articles of the faith in the triune God." + +But this was not triune enough, so the Nicene Creed improved the matter, +A. D. 325: + + + "We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of all things + visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of + God, begotten of the Father, Only-begotten, that is of the + substance of the Father; God of God; Light of Light; very God of + very God; begotten, not made; of the same substance with the + Father; by whom all things were made, both things in Heaven and + things in earth; who for us men and our salvation became flesh, + was made man, suffered, and rose again the third day. He ascended + into Heaven; He cometh to judge the quick and dead. And in the + Holy Ghost. But those that say there was a time when He was not; + or that He was not before He was begotten; or that He was made + from that which had no being; or who affirm the Son of God to be + of any other substance or essence, or created, or variable, or + mutable, such persons doth the Catholic and Apostolic Church + anathematize." + + +Fifty-six years later, at the second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, +A. D. 381, the Nicaeno-Constantinopolitan Creed was put on the market: + + + "I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and + earth, and of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord + Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father + before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very + God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; + by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation + came down from Heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the + Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under + Pontius Pilate, He suffered and was buried; and the third day He + rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into Heaven, + and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And He shall come + again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose + Kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost the + Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the + Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and + glorified, who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in the one + catholic and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the + remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, + and the life of the world to come." + + +This did very well until the fourth Ecumenical Council, A. D. 451, when +the Chalcedon Creed was worked up. But very little is said about this +creed nowadays; for "the two parties in the council were roused to the +highest pitch of passion, the proceedings, especially during the early +sessions, were very tumultuous, until the lay commissioners and the +senators had to urge the bishops to keep order, saying that such vulgar +outcries were disgraceful." However, we give it for what it is worth: + + + "We confess and with one accord teach one and the same Son, our + Lord Jesus Christ, perfect in the divinity, perfect in the + humanity, truly God and truly man, consisting of a reasonable soul + and body; consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead, + and consubstantial with us according to the manhood; in all things + like unto us, sin only excepted; who was begotten of the Father + before all ages, according to the Godhead; and in the last days + the same was born, according to the manhood, of Mary the Virgin, + Mother of God, for us and for our salvation; who is to be + acknowledged one and the same Christ, the Son, the Lord, the Only + Begotten in two natures, without mixture, change, division or + separation; the difference of natures not being removed by their + union, but rather the propriety of each nature being preserved and + concurring in one person and in one _hypostasis_, so that He is + not divided into two persons, but the only Son, the Word, our Lord + Jesus Christ, and one and the same person." + + +A merciful oblivion has hidden the name and the date of authorship of the +next creed, the Athanasian, the cream of all the creeds; but it was +probably manufactured by Satan for use about 539 A. D. By 570 A. D. it had +become very famous. "The creed is received in the Greek, Roman and English +churches, but is left out of the service of the Protestant Episcopal +Church in America." The nature of this creed may be judged by the +following extract from an 1855 issue of the Church of England Quarterly: + + + "The Athanasian Creed finds few real lovers as a portion of a + public service. No one supposes that it was the work of + Athanasius. [Athanasius originated the monastery-convent system. + He was the Bishop of Alexandria and friend of the Emperor + Constantine who caused the banishment of Arius.] No one is now, at + least among us, in any danger from the errors it denounces; for no + one believes that all the members of the Greek Church are + necessarily consigned to everlasting damnation; and thus, every + time the creed is read, the officiating minister has solemnly to + enunciate what neither he nor any of his hearers believes. It is + true that by distinguishing between the creed itself and the + damnatory clauses he may save himself, mentally, from declaring a + falsehood; but surely this is reason enough for the removal of the + creed from our Liturgy. We have had too much in our Church of + mental reservations. So far as the doctrine of the Trinity is + concerned, it is abundantly insisted on in the Apostles' and + Nicene Creeds." + + +It seems almost incredible that any one seriously believed the following +amazing statements: + + + "Whoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he + hold the Catholic faith, which faith, except every one do keep + whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. + And the Catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in + Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the persons nor + dividing the substance. For there is one person of the Father, + another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead + of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is all one; the + glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such + is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the + Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father + incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost + incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the + Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals, but one + eternal. As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three + uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible. So + likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy + Ghost almighty. And yet there are not three almighties, but one + almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Ghost + is God. And yet there are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise + the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord and the Holy Ghost Lord. And + yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by + the Christian verity to acknowledge every person by Himself to be + God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to say + there be three Gods and three Lords. The Father is made of none, + neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not + made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father + and the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but + proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, + not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this + Trinity none is afore or after other; none is greater or less than + another. But the whole three persons are co-eternal together, and + co-equal. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in + Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. + + "He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity. + Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also + believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the + right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus + Christ, the Son of God, is God and man. God of the substance of + the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of the substance + of His mother, born in the world. Perfect God and perfect man, or + a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father + as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching + His manhood. Who, although He be God and man, yet He is not two, + but one Christ. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, + but by taking of the manhood into God. One altogether, not by + confusion of substance, but by unity of person. For as the + reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one + Christ. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose + again the third day from the dead. He ascended into Heaven; He + sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty. From whence + He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all + men shall rise again in their bodies, and shall account for their + own works. And they that have done good shall go into life + everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. + This is the Catholic faith which, except a man believe faithfully + he cannot be saved. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to + the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall + be, world without end. Amen." + + +This put an end to the business of creed making, Satan's powers of +concocting gibberish to take the place of the Bible having been +temporarily quite exhausted. But a thousand years later the "Creed of Pope +Pius IV" was issued in the form of a bull in December, 1564. "All bishops, +ecclesiastics, and teachers in the Romish church, as well as all converts +from Protestantism, publicly profess assent to it." It follows: + + + "I, A. B., believe and profess with a firm faith all and every one + of the things which are contained in the symbol of faith which is + used in the Holy Roman Church; namely, I believe in one God the + Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things + visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only- + begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all worlds, God of + God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, + consubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made; who + for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was + incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; + was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was + buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, + and ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, + and will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, + of whose kingdom there will be no end; and in the Holy Ghost, the + Lord and Life-giver, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, + who, together with the Father and the Son, is adored and + glorified, who spake by the holy prophets; and one holy catholic + and apostolic church. I confess one baptism for the remission of + sins; and I expect the resurrection of the dead, and the life of + the world to come. Amen. I most firmly admit and embrace + apostolical and ecclesiastical traditions, and all other + constitutions and observances of the same church. I also admit the + sacred Scriptures according to the sense which the holy mother + church has held and does hold, to whom it belongs to judge of the + true sense and interpretation of the Holy Scriptures; nor will I + ever take or interpret them otherwise than according to the + unanimous consent of the fathers. + + "I profess, also, that there are truly and properly seven + sacraments of the new law, instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord, + and for the salvation of mankind, though all are not necessary for + every one--namely, baptism, confirmation, eucharist, penance, + extreme unction, orders, and matrimony, and that they confer + grace; and of these, baptism, confirmation, and order cannot be + reiterated without sacrilege. I do also receive and admit the + ceremonies of the Catholic Church, received and approved in the + solemn administration of all the above-said sacraments. I receive + and embrace all and every one of the things which have been + defined and declared in the holy Council of Trent concerning sin + and justification. I profess likewise that in the mass is offered + to God a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the living + and the dead; and that in the most holy sacrament of the eucharist + there is truly, really and substantially the body and blood, + together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ; and + that there is made a conversion of the whole substance of the + bread into the body, and of the whole substance of the wine into + the blood, which conversion the Catholic Church calls + Transubstantiation. I confess, also, that under either kind alone, + whole and entire, Christ and a true sacrament is received. I + constantly hold that there is a purgatory, and that the souls + detained therein are helped by the suffrages of the faithful. + Likewise that the saints reigning together with Christ are to be + honored and invocated, that they offer prayers to God for us, and + that their relics are to be venerated. + + "I most firmly assert that the images of Christ, and of the Mother + of God, ever Virgin, and also of the other saints, are to be had + and retained, and that due honor and veneration are to be given to + them. I also affirm that the power of indulgences was left by + Christ in the Church, and that the use of them is most wholesome + to Christian people. I acknowledge the holy catholic and apostolic + Roman Church, _the mother and mistress of all churches_; and I + promise and swear true obedience to the Roman bishop, the + successor of St. Peter, prince of the apostles and vicar of Jesus + Christ. I also profess and undoubtedly receive all other things + delivered, defined, and declared by the sacred canons and general + councils, and particularly by the holy Council of Trent; and + likewise I also condemn, reject, and anathematize all things + contrary thereto, and all heresies whatsoever condemned, rejected, + and anathematized by the Church. This true catholic faith, out of + which none can be saved, which I now freely profess and truly + hold, I, A. B., promise, vow, and swear most constantly to hold, + and profess the same whole and entire, with God's assistance to + the end of my life; and to procure, as far as lies in my power, + that the same shall be held, taught, and preached by all who are + under me, or are intrusted to my care, by virtue of my office. So + help me God, and these holy Gospels of God. Amen." + + +The less Bible, the more Creed, and the thicker and blacker the darkness! +Bible students will not fail to notice the progressive darkness of these +creeds. Incarnation is first mentioned in the third creed, mariolatry in +the fourth, and trinity and purgatory in the fifth. + +In the Millennial Age the creed-formers will feel like adding a postscript +to their work, reading about as follows: + +"P. S.--We have had our eyes opened and now see that Jesus was the Alpha, +the Beginning of the creation of God, and the Omega, the Last of the +Father's direct creation (Rev. 22:13; 1:8); that as the Logos, or +Representative of the Father, He was _a_ God (mighty one) but not _the_ +God, Jehovah (John 1:1); that all things were made by Him (John 1:3); that +Jehovah _sent_ His Son to save mankind (1 John 4:10); that the Logos was +made flesh (John 1:14) and in the days of His flesh (Heb. 5:7) became poor +(2 Cor. 8:9), lower than the angels (Heb. 2:9), a servant (Phil. 2:7), a +man (Phil. 2:8); that while a man He did not have all wisdom (Luke 2:52) +but admitted the Father's greater power (John 14:28) and knowledge (Matt. +24:36); that as the Father had previously said that He would give His own +personal glory to no one (Isa. 42:8), so Jesus admitted He and the Father +were two separate persons (John 8:17, 18); that He admitted He had not the +glory of the Father (John 17:5) and expected the same unity between the +Church and the Father as existed between Himself and the Father (John +17:21-23); that when He died He was really, truly, completely dead, as +dead as though He had never previously existed (1 Cor. 15:3; Rev. 1:18); +that God raised Him from the dead (Acts 2:24; Gal. 1:1); highly exalted +Him (Phil. 2:9) to Divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4); making Him the express +image of Himself (Heb. 1:3); but that even since His resurrection our +Father is still Jesus' Father and our God is still His God (John 20:17); +that a thousand years hence Jesus will still be subject to the Father (1 +Cor. 15:28); that to us there is but one God (1 Cor. 8:6) and that every +doctrine that confesseth that Jesus Christ when He came in the flesh came +as anything more or less than a fleshly being is the spirit of Antichrist +which dictated every one of the creeds aforementioned (1 John 4:3)." + +6:5. And when He had opened the third seal.--Disclosing the third epoch in +the history of Antichrist. + +I heard the third beast.--Infinite Love. + +Say, Come and see.--Come and see the apparently complete triumph of the +powers of darkness and the apparent inaction of Infinite Love in +permitting it. + +And I beheld, and lo, a black horse.--Complete disregard of the Scriptures +by clergy and people alike, and in their place the ugly creeds and bulls +of popes and councils. + +And he that sat on him.--The same rider, the Antichrist. + +Had a pair of balances in his hand.--"Balance joined with symbols denoting +the sale of corn and fruits by weight, becomes the symbol of scarcity; +bread by weight being a curse in Lev. 26:26 and in Ezek. 4:16, 17." (McC.) +During this period the common people could have in their own tongue only a +few words or verses of the Scriptures; and for these they were obliged to +pay large sums to the clergy, who alone had the ability to translate from +the dead languages, or even to read at all. As the services were in Latin +the people were starved spiritually. + +6:6. And I heard AS IT WERE a voice.--The voice of the Lord Jesus, the +Guardian and Caretaker of the true Church.--Matt. 28:20. + +In the midst of the four beasts.--"In the midst of the Throne and of the +four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb."--Rev. 5:6. + +Say, A measure.--"The word _chenix_ denotes a measure containing one wine +quart and a twelfth part of a quart."--Diaglott. + +Of wheat.--The true children of the Kingdom.--C. 137. + +For a penny.--"A _denarius_ was the day-wages of a laborer in Palestine +(Matt. 20:2, 9)." (Diaglott.) These wages, a little more than a quart of +wheat for a day's work, show how great was the effort, in those dark and +terrible days, to find some "grains of wheat."--Amos 8:11. + +And three measures.--Three _chenices_, three quarts. + +Of barley.--Spiritual adulterers and adulteresses, courting the friendship +of the world. (Jas. 4:4.) Barley is the symbol of the adulteress as wheat +is the symbol of the virgin.--Num. 5:15; Hos. 3:1, 2. + +For a penny.--For a _denarius_. It was three times as easy to find the +faithless as the faithful. + +And see thou hurt not the oil.--The supply of the oil, the Holy Spirit of +full submission to the will of God was low; the light of the true Church +was feeble indeed. + +And the wine.--Wine is a symbol of doctrine, true or false, and its +accompanying joys. In this case it refers to the true doctrines of the +Kingdom. But little knowledge of the coming Kingdom was prevalent then, +and the joys of the Church were proportionately small. (See comments on +Rev. 2:12-17, synchronous with events of second and third seals.) + +Lest it be supposed that the Roman Catholic church is now different from +what it once was, and that at present it is holding to the Scriptures, we +quote the following from _Strength of Will_ by E. Boyd Barrett, of the +Society of the Jesuits, approved by the Roman Catholic censor, Remy +Lafort, and approved by John, Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York, +November 24th, 1915: + +"Catholic ascetics teach us, in this matter, first of all to have a clear +and definite view of the object we propose to ourselves--let us suppose +that it is to overcome the passion of anger. Now the resolution, 'not to +give way to anger' would be far too broad and too great. Applying the +principle, '_divide et impera_,' we content ourselves with resolving 'not +to give way to external manifestations of anger.' But here again, our +resolution is too broad and too great. We again apply the principle, +'_divide et impera_,' and resolve 'not to give way to angry retorts.' This +resolution is pointed, definite and intelligible--it means that cross and +peevish remarks must not occur. A time limit may now be added in order to +make the resolution still more well-defined: 'Until the last day of this +month I will not make an angry retort.' Possibly, it might be advisable to +limit this resolution still more, by conditions of place or circumstance, +adding 'in such a place or to such a person, or during such a ceremony.' " +Simple! All you have to do is to keep dividing. + +6:7. And when He had opened the fourth seal.--Disclosing the history of the +Papacy in its fourth stage, the period synchronizing with the Thyatira and +Sardis epochs. See Rev. 2:18-29; 3:1-6. + +I heard the voice of the fourth beast.--Infinite Wisdom. + +Say, Come and see.--Come and see what would seem to be the most unwise +thing the Lord could possibly permit to happen to His Church. + +6:8. And I looked, and behold a pale horse.--The ghastly and horrible +teachings that God's true people must be "exterminated." "The ghastly +green of terror and of death. The word is used of grass in Rev. 8:7; 9:4; +Mark 6:39."--Cook. + +And his name that sat on him was Death.--Still the same rider, the Papacy; +and an apt description of its chief claim to recognition during the pre- +Reformation period. + +"Pope Innocent III. first sent missionaries to the districts in which the +doctrines had gained foothold, to preach Romanism, work miracles, etc.; +but, finding these efforts unavailing, he proclaimed a crusade against +them and offered to all who would engage in it the pardon of all sins and +an immediate passport to Heaven without passing through purgatory. With +full faith in the pope's power to bestow the promised rewards, half a +million men--French, German and Italian--rallied around the standard of the +cross, for the defence of Catholicism and the extinction of heresy. Then +followed a series of battles and sieges covering a space of twenty years. +The city of Beziers was stormed and taken in 1209, and the citizens, +without regard for age or sex, perished by the sword to the number of +sixty thousand, as reported by several historians. The blood of those who +fled to churches, and were murdered there by the holy crusaders, drenched +the altars and flowed through the streets. It is estimated that one +hundred thousand Albigenses fell in one day; and their bodies were heaped +together and burned. The clergy thanked God for the work of destruction, +and a hymn of praise to God for the glorious victory was composed and +sung."--B. 335. + +And Hell followed with him.--All the people killed by the pope went to +hell, and he himself went there also; but none of them went to the kind of +hell to which the pope thought he was sending them. They went to the Bible +hell, which is a place quite different from what is supposed. The average +man believes in hell, but thinks few people go there and that nobody knows +much about it. The Bible is the only authority on the subject, and no one +can know anything about it, aside from the Bible. When we consider +Christ's statement that unless a man loves Him more than "father, and +mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his +own life also, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26), and reflect that +probably not one professed Christian in a hundred has reached either this +standard or the other one which He set in the same chapter, that +"Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be +My disciple" (Luke 14:33), it should make us willing to consider carefully +what is to become of the 9,999 out of every 10,000 of earth's population +that do not meet these conditions. + +We all know that "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the +nations that forget God" (Psa. 9:17); but how many of us know that they +will be re-turned there; that the passage, correctly translated, reads, +"The wicked shall be returned into hell, all the nations that forget +God"--showing that there are nations which go into hell once, come out of +hell, learn of God, forget Him and are returned there? We may all know +(Jude 11) that Korah, or Core, went to hell; but how many of us know that +he was accompanied to this place by his house, with all his household +goods, and two other establishments similarly equipped? (_Num._ 16:32, +33.) We may all know that the Sodomites went to hell (Gen. 19), but how +many know that they were accompanied by the city in which they lived and +that there are other cities there? (_Matt._ 11:23.) We may all suppose +that many heathen warriors of long ago went to hell, but how many of us +know that they took with them their weapons of war, and that their swords +are there now, under their heads, with what is left of their bones? (Ezek. +32:27.) We may understand that the wealthy go to hell, but how many know +that in the same place are sheep, gray hairs, worms, dust, trees and +water?--Psa. 49:14; Gen. 44:31; Job 17:13-16; Ezek. 31:16. + +We may all know that bad men go to hell, but how many of us know that the +Ancient Worthies, Jacob and Hezekiah, fully expected to go there, and that +faithful Job prayed to go there? (Gen. 37:35; Job 14:13.) We may all wish +to keep out of hell, but how many of us know that David said there is not +a man that liveth that shall deliver his soul from its power, and that +Solomon says, thou goest there, whosoever thou art? (Psa. 89:48; Eccl. +9:10.) We may think that those who go to hell go there to stay forever, +but how many of us know that Samuel said, "The Lord killeth and maketh +alive; He bringeth down to hell and bringeth up" out of hell, and that +David said, God has the same power to aid those in hell that He has to +bless those in Heaven? (1 Sam. 2:6; Psa. 139:8.) We may think that those +who go into hell never come out, and that there is no record that any have +come out, yet there are at least two persons in history who have been in +hell and come out of hell. One is Jonah, who prayed in hell and was +delivered from hell (Jonah 2:2), and the other is Christ, whose soul went +to hell, but "His soul was not left in hell," for God raised Him up out of +it. (Acts 2:31.) And when Christ came out of hell He brought with Him "The +keys of hell" and now has the power and the right to set all its captives +free. (Rev. 1:18.) We may suppose that hell is to last forever, but the +Prophet speaks of its coming destruction, and John the Revelator says that +it is to be made to "deliver up the dead" which are in it, and it, itself, +is to be destroyed. (Hosea 13:14; Rev. 20:13.) The last passage cited +affords the explanation of the whole subject, for in the margin opposite +Rev. 20:13 the translators have explained that the word "hell" means +"grave." Reversely, in the margin opposite 1 Cor. 15:55, the translators +have explained that "grave" means "hell." The terms are interchangeable +and the meaning is the same. In every place foregoing in which the +citations appear in italic type, the translators have rendered Sheol or +Hades by "grave" or "pit" instead of "hell." In the margins of the old +family Bibles, printed before Pastor Russell was born, we are told in +seven places, and in both ways, in both the Old Testament and the New, +that hell means the grave, and the grave means hell.--Psa. 49:15; 55:15; +86:13; Isa. 14:9; Jonah 2:2; 1 Cor. 15:55; Rev. 20:13. + +And power was given unto them.--To his Holiness, the Pope, and all the +cardinals, bishops, archbishops, priests, inquisitors, kings and rulers. + +Over the fourth part of the earth.--Over Europe, but not over Asia, Africa +or America. + +To kill with sword, and [with hunger] FAMINE and [with] death.--The +destruction of New Creatures by wresting of the Scriptures and their +spiritual starvation are here in evidence; but there was also a literal +fulfilment. "Human and Satanic ingenuity were taxed to their utmost to +invent new and horrible tortures, for both the political and religious +opponents of Antichrist; the latter--heretics--being pursued with tenfold +fury. Besides the common forms of persecution and death, such as racking, +burning, drowning, stabbing, starving and shooting with arrows and guns, +fiendish hearts meditated how the most delicate and sensitive parts of the +body, capable of the most excruciating pain, could be affected; molten +lead was poured into the ears; tongues were cut out and lead poured into +the mouths; wheels were arranged with knife blades attached so that the +victim could be slowly chopped to pieces; claws and pincers were made red +hot and used upon sensitive parts of the body; eyes were gouged out; +finger nails were pulled off with red hot irons; holes, by which the +victim was tied up, were bored through the heels; some were forced to jump +from eminences onto long spikes fixed below, where, quivering with pain, +they slowly died. The mouths of some were filled with gunpowder, which, +when fired, blew their heads to pieces; others were hammered to pieces on +anvils; others, attached to bellows, had air pumped into them until they +burst; others were choked to death with mangled pieces of their own +bodies; others with urine, excrement, etc., etc."--B. 346. + +And with the beasts of the earth.--The evil governments. "Kings and princes +who trembled for the security of their crowns, if they to any extent +incurred the pope's displeasure, were sworn to exterminate heresy, and +those barons who neglected to aid in the work of persecution forfeited +their estates. Kings and princes, therefore, were prompt to comply with +the mandates of the Papacy, and the barons and their retainers were at +their service, to aid in the work of destruction."--B. 333. + +6:9. And when He had opened the fifth seal.--Disclosing the Reformation in +the days of Luther. See Rev. 3:7-13. + +I saw under the altar.--Altars were originally made of earth. (Ex. 20:24.) +To see under the altar is to see underground, in the tomb, the grave. At +the bottom of the brazen altar all the blood of the victim was +poured.--Lev. 4:7; 8:15; Heb. 8:5; 13:10; Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6. + +The souls.--The beings of those who had died. These souls were not in +Heaven. + +Of [them] MEN that were slain.--Spiritually beheaded (some of them +literally, also).--Rev. 20:4. + +For.--_Dia_, "through" or "by means of." + +The Word of God.--"Of His own will begat He us with the Word of Truth." +(James 1:18.) It is this Sword of the Spirit that cuts us off from the +world.--Heb. 4:12. + +And for the testimony.--"And _through_ the testimony"; through the Word of +God. The word _dia_ is here used again. It is the Word that does the +beheading. + +Which they held.--As witnesses in their hearts (Rom. 8:16) and to which +they adhered at any cost. + +6:10. And they cried with a loud voice.--Not actually, but in the same way +that the voice of Abel's blood cried from the ground.--Gen. 4:10. + +Saying, How long, O Lord.--How long will it be from this particular time, +the Spring of 1518?--Rev. 3:7. + +Holy and true.--See Rev. 3:7; 1 John 5:20; Mark 1:24. + +[Dost] WILT Thou not judge.--Deliver us from the tomb. The judges of old +were _deliverers_.--Judges 3:9-11. + +And avenge our blood.--Cast off from all favor a system of nominal +Christianity which is not Christianity at all. + +On them that dwell on the earth.--On these that are "Of the earth, +earthy."--Rev. 17:5; 3:10; 8:13; 13:8, 14. "The answer is given by the +angel of the waters. See Rev. 16:4-7." (Cook.) Quite true. The answer is +in Vol. III of SCRIPTURE STUDIES. + +6:11. And [white robes were] THERE WAS given unto [every one] EACH of them +a white robe.--"God's grace cannot admit to heavenly perfection those who +have not robes of spotless righteousness. How gracious is the provision of +our God in thus presenting us with the Robe which covers all the repented- +of blemishes of the past as well as the unintentional and unwitting +imperfections of the present!"--Z. '11-342; Rev. 3:4, 5; 19:8. + +And it was said unto them.--Not actually, but by the teachings of the +parallel dispensations, which show that as Christ was raised from the dead +in A. D. 33, the sleeping saints would be raised 1845 years later, in the +Spring of 1878. See Rev. 3:14, 20. + +That they should rest yet for a little season.--Greek _Chronos_, 360 years. +See Rev. 2:21. This is the item which Pastor Russell had in mind in the +following footnote: "When, in a succeeding volume, we examine the +wonderful visions of the Revelator, it will be clearly seen that the time +here pointed out by the word 'henceforth,' as marked by events, +synchronizes closely with 1878, as indicated by the prophecies herein +noted." (C. 241.) Luther nailed the proclamation on the church door at +Wittenberg Oct 31, 1517, which was already one month into the year 1518, +Jewish reckoning. But it took some time for the news to travel to all +parts of Europe. Three hundred and sixty years from the Spring of 1518 +brings us to the Spring of 1878, when we understand that God's promise +made to the sleeping saints was fulfilled. They were raised from the dead, +and Babylon was cast off. + +Until their fellowservants also.--The other members of the Little Flock, +all bond-slaves of Jesus.--Gal. 6:17, Diaglott, footnote. + +And their brethren.--Fellow-believers, the Great Company. + +That should be killed BY THEM as they were.--Similarly make covenants of +consecration to the Lord.--Rev. 6:9. + +Should be fulfilled.--Should be filled full, completed in number. "The +Gospel age is for the very purpose of calling those who shall participate +in the marriage feast. If, therefore, it be true that we are in the end of +this Gospel age, it implies that a sufficient number of worthy guests have +been found, or, to reverse the proposition, if a sufficient number of +worthy guests have now been found, it proves that we are in the close of +this age. It was after the wedding _had been furnished_ with a proper +number of guests, that 'the King came in' and began the inspection of the +guests. This, we have elsewhere shown, marks the date April, 1878."--Z. +'98-137. + +6:12. And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal.--Disclosing the +events leading up to and associated with the Lord's _Parousia_, presence. + +And, [lo,] there was a great earthquake.--_Literally_, the great Lisbon +earthquake, Nov. 1, 1755, which extended over 4,000,000 square miles; +shocked all Africa and Western Europe, including Scandinavia and +Greenland; slew 90,000 persons in Lisbon and many thousands elsewhere; +destroyed every church and convent in the city; caused a tidal wave 60 +feet high; split mountains from top to bottom; sunk an immense area to a +depth of 600 feet and threw sailors to the decks hundreds of miles at sea. +It is believed to be the most severe earthquake shock ever felt on the +earth. _Symbolically_, the American Revolution, 21 years later (the +underlying cause of the French Revolution); the most successful and most +extraordinary movement upward of the lower strata of human society that +had ever been seen in the world up to that time. God has so written +Revelation that those who will not accept the symbolical significance of +what is expressly declared to be a symbolical book (Rev. 1:1) may find +literal fulfillments, and thus lose the light they would otherwise get. + +And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair.--_Literally_ in the dark day +of May 19, 1780, which extended over 320,000 square miles. (D. 587.) +_Symbolically_, the light of the papal heavens (the pope) became darkened +when Napoleon fined the Pope ten million dollars, organized the Papal +territory into a republic and took the Pope a prisoner to France. (C. 41, +55.) _Symbolically_, too, the light of the true heavens, the Gospel light, +the Truth, and thus Christ Jesus, has become hidden from view of many by +the denial of the clergy of our day that we were bought with the precious +blood and by the teaching of the theory of Evolution.--D. 590; Joel 2:10, +31. + +And the WHOLE moon became as blood.--_Literally_ on May 19, 1780. +_Symbolically_, the creeds (the moon of the papal heavens) have become +repugnant, though still hypocritically professed. _Symbolically_, also the +light of the Mosaic Law (the moon of the true heavens) has been made to +appear evil by the claims of the clergy that the typical sacrifices were +bloody and barbaric.--D. 590, 592. + +6:13. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth.--_Literally_, the +meteoric shower of Nov. 13, 1833, covering 11,000,000 square miles. (D. +588.) _Symbolically_, the bishops and the priestly stars of the papacy +fell from their positions of power and influence over the minds and +consciences of the people. _Symbolically_, also, the Protestant pulpit +stars make a great display in coming down from spiritual things to the +Christian-citizenship-politics level.--D. 595. + +Even as a fig tree.--"The fig tree in this prophecy may be understood to +signify the Jewish nation. (Matt. 24:32.) If so, it is being signally +fulfilled; for not only are thousands of Israelites returning to +Palestine, but the Zionist movement, started recently, has assumed such +proportions as to justify a Convention of representatives from all parts +of the world to meet in Switzerland to put in practical shape the proposal +for the reorganization of a Jewish state in Palestine. These buds will +thrive, but will bear no perfect fruit before October, 1914--the full end +of 'Gentile Times.' "--D. 604. + +[Casteth] CASTING her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty +wind.--The immature fruits of the Zionist movement were dashed to the +ground by the great war. Thousands of the Jews already in Palestine were +deported to Egypt at the breaking out of the war. At this writing the +British are besieging Jerusalem and the Turks are driving the Jews into +the desert to perish rather than permit them to remain and come under +British control. Out of this turmoil Zionism will soon start afresh and +the Jews become the actual rulers of their native land. + +6:14. And the heaven departed as a scroll.--"The 'sure word of prophecy' +indicates very clearly that the various Protestant sects will form a +cooeperative union or federacy, and that Catholicism and Protestantism will +affiliate, neither losing its identity. These are the two ends of the +ecclesiastical heavens which, as their confusion increases, shall roll +together _as a scroll_ (Isaiah 34:4) for their self-protection--as distinct +and separate rolls, yet in close proximity to each other."--D. 258; Psa. +102:26. + +When it is rolled together.--"It will be impossible to re-establish the +present order, (1) because it has evidently outlived its usefulness, and +is inequitable under present conditions; (2) because of the general +diffusion of secular knowledge; (3) because the discovery that priestcraft +has long blinded and fettered the masses with error and fear will lead to +a general disrespect for all religious claims and teachings as of a piece +with the discovered frauds; (4) because religious people in general, not +discerning that God's time has come for a change of dispensation, will +ignore reason, logic, justice and Scripture in defending the present order +of things. It will be of little consequence then that the ecclesiastical +heavens (the religious powers, Papal and Protestant) will have rolled +together as a scroll. (See Isaiah 34:4.) The combined religious power of +Christendom will be utterly futile against the rising tide of anarchy when +the dread crisis is reached. Before that great army 'all the host of +heaven [the church nominal] shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be +rolled together as a scroll.' "--D. 551. + +And every mountain.--Kingdom. + +And [island] HILL.--"Little hills" refer to governments less autocratic +than monarchies; but "hills" sometimes refer to the sharpest, highest, +most jagged mountain peaks, and then mean the most autocratic of all +governments. This is evidently what is meant here. + +Were moved out of [their] THE places.--Did not occupy the same position as +before with reference to the people. The places were never "theirs," but +belong "to Him whose right it is." (Z. '05-253.) In recent years Turkey +and Persia have been granted parliaments; China, Russia and Portugal have +become republics; and other countries have become vast socialist +communities.--Rev. 16:20. + +6:15. And the kings of the earth.--The aristocracy. + +And the great men.--The clergy. (Rev. 18:23, comment.) Rendered "lords" in +Mark 6:21. See Job 12:2. + +[And the rich men,] and the chief captains, AND THE RICH MEN.--The high +military officers. Rendered "high captains" in Mark 6:21. The magnates and +financiers. + +And the mighty men.--The labor organizers. + +And every bondman.--Member of a labor organization. + +And every free man.--Other worker (if not a bond-slave of Christ). + +Hid themselves in the dens.--See Isa. 2:19-21. + +And in the rocks of the mountains.--"As the trouble increases, men will +seek, but in vain, for protection in the great rocks and fortresses of +society (Free Masonry, Odd Fellowship, and Trades Unions, Guilds, Trusts, +and all societies secular and ecclesiastical), and in the mountains +(governments) of earth."--B. 139; Jer. 3:23; Hos. 10:8. + +6:16. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us.--"The Greek word +_epi_, here used, is generally translated _on_, but has also the +significance of _over_ (Rev. 5:10) and _about_, and is so translated many +times in the common version. The thought is that of protection, not of +destruction. The common view of this passage, that it teaches that wicked +men will get faith enough to pray for literal mountains to fall, is +absurd. The real fulfilment is already beginning: the great, the rich, and +no less the poor, are seeking to the mountains and rocks and caves for +shelter from the darkening storm of trouble which all see is +gathering."--B. 139; Hos. 10:8. + +And hide us from the face.--Of Justice, now about to demand an accounting +for our stewardship. + +Of Him that sitteth on the Throne.--Jehovah. + +And from the wrath of the Lamb.--Whose followers we have falsely professed +to be. + +6:17. For the great day of [His] THEIR wrath is come.--The wrath of the +Father, the Son, and the glorified saints.--Rev. 2:26, 27; Isa. 13:6-19; +Zeph. 1:14-18. + +And who shall be able to stand.--"The answer through the Prophet is, 'He +that hath clean hands [an honest life] and a pure heart [a conscience void +of offence toward God and man]: he shall ascend into the mountain +[Kingdom] of the Lord and stand in the holy place.'" (Psa. 24:3, 4; D. +582.) "Oh, what sorrow it gives us at times to behold some not standing +well the testing of this hour, some who are developing tendencies of +weakness, disloyalty to the cause, ambition for name and fame or position, +desire to be greatest, tendencies to lord it over God's heritage, and who, +unless recovered, will be surely cut off from membership in the Body, even +though, as the Apostle declares, they may be saved so as by fire, as +members of the 'great company.'--1 Cor. 3:15." (Z. '06-309; Psa. 76:7.) The +only ones who will stand are the twelve tribes named in the next chapter. + + + + +Revelation 7--Seventh Seal And Great Company + + +7:1. And after [these things] THIS.--After the events disclosed by the +opening of the sixth seal had already been amply fulfilled, but not +signifying that further, more elaborate and final fulfilments on an +immense scale will not take place later. + +I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth.--The Little +Flock, commissioned to carry the message of Present Truth to the remotest +outposts of civilization. "They shall gather together His Elect from the +four winds."--Matt. 24:31. + +Holding the four winds of the earth.--"The winds of the earth referred to +here are, of course, symbolic. The thought is that the winds from the four +quarters--North, East, South and West--are being held back, and that when +the restraint is withdrawn they will rush together, and the result will be +a whirlwind. Certain Scriptures tell of a whirlwind that will be raised up +from the coasts of the earth. See Jer. 23:19; 25:32, 33; 30:23, 24. We do +not understand that this will be a physical whirlwind, but this symbolic +expression is used to convey the thought of a severe strife of the powers +of the air. These 'powers of the air,' or 'winds,' are not powers of +natural air, but are the powers referred to by St. Paul when he speaks of +Satan as 'the Prince of the power of the air,' (Eph. 2:2.) Those spirits +who have been under the control of Satan--the fallen angels--were to be +restrained until the Judgment of the Great Day. (Jude 6.) The letting +loose of these winds, or air powers, would seem to show that God will let +go His hand of restraint; that He will have to do with the permission of +the terrible trouble that will come. This outside influence will exercise +a baneful effect upon men, when finally granted the liberty. These fallen +spirits have been under restraint for these many centuries, but they have +exercised their influence to whatever extent they have had permission. If +they had had unlimited power they would have wrecked the world long ago; +but they have been restrained. Apparently God will soon cease to restrain +the fallen angels, and they will then proceed to vent their fury upon +humanity, so that the whole earth will be full of violence, the same as in +the days of Noah. The power manifested by the demons when loosed, will, we +believe, be with a view to the injury of mankind. _We do not know but that +many of our readers will have a share in that injury._ We have every +reason to suppose that, if these fallen angels shall get loose, they will +vent their first anger upon the Lord's people."--Z. '14-166. + +That the wind should not blow.--"As soon as the power that is now +controlling them shall be removed, we shall have a reign of evil all over +the earth. The evil spirits will do all the evil that is in their power, +and this will constitute the trial of all the fallen angels--the lifting of +the restraints to see whether they will go contrary to the Divine will. +All who thus manifest their alliance with evil in any way will become +subjects of the Second Death; while others who show their loyalty to God +will mark themselves as worthy, presumably, of everlasting life. _It may +be something in connection with the saints that will constitute the test +of these angels. This will be the key, the secret connected with the awful +Time of Trouble which the Bible tells us will mark the conclusion of this +Age and which will constitute the forerunner or beginning of the New +Dispensation._" (Z. '11-359.) _THE TEST IS ON._ + +On the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.--"Symbolically, the earth +represents organized society; the sea represents the disorganized masses +(Dan. 7:2; Lu. 21:25; Rev. 10:2, 8), and the trees represent the Household +of Faith. The letting loose suddenly of the fallen angels will account +well for the suddenness of the coming trouble, which everywhere in the +Scriptures is one of its particular features--'in one hour'; 'suddenly as +travail upon a woman'; 'as it was in the days of Noah,' and 'as it was in +the days of Lot' "--Z. '11-157. + +"There is only one way, so far as we can see, in which these fallen angels +can have a trial, their trial consisting in having a fuller opportunity to +sin, if they so desire, or an opportunity to show, if they wish, that they +are sick of sin and desire to return to harmony with God. We cannot think +that God will allow this trial of the angels during the Millennial Reign, +for then, nothing shall hurt; nothing shall destroy; Satan will be bound +and all evil influences will be restrained. No; it cannot be then. And in +order to be tried at all, these fallen angels must have certain liberties +granted, to prove them. Otherwise, where would be their trial? +Consequently, reasoning along this basis (2 Peter 2:4), we reach the +conclusion that the trial of these fallen angels is in the near +future--perhaps to some extent already begun. In what way?" (Z. '11-358.) +He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!--1 Cor. 6:2. + +7:2. And I saw another angel.--The Messenger of the Covenant; our Lord +Jesus at His Second Advent.--Mal. 3:1. + +Ascending from the east.--"This speaks symbolically of the Sun of +Righteousness and its full light of Divine truth and blessing scattering +the shadows of sin, ignorance, superstition and death, and healing and +restoring the willing and obedient of humanity."--D. 653; Luke 1:78; Mal. +4:2. + +Having the seal of the living God.--The seventh seal. + +And He cried with a loud voice.--Pastor Russell was the voice used. +Beautiful voice of the Lord: strong, humble, wise, loving, gentle, just, +merciful, faithful, self-sacrificing; one of the noblest, grandest +characters of all history "I lift my pen, not in defense of any doctrine, +creed or dogma, but in defense of a man, in defense of fairness, justice +and righteousness. Pastor C. T. Russell, of Brooklyn, N. Y., stands out +prominently as a target for the pulpits and religious press of the country +today. I believe there is no one more bitterly persecuted, harshly +condemned, woefully misrepresented and misunderstood than this fearless, +conscientious man of God. No infidel writer, such as Hume, Voltaire or +Ingersoll, ever suffered such ruthless attacks as have been made upon Mr. +Russell. Whether this persecution and misrepresentation is due to +prejudice or ignorance of this man's real character and writing, is not +for me to say, but I believe both are elements that play a part in the +widespread criticism uttered both from the pulpit and the press. +Naturally, men will resent any attack made upon the creed of their +persuasion, for they hold to their religious creed and affiliations with +more tenacity than they realize, until some strong mind, backed by +Scripture proof, begins to uproot their doctrine by showing their +inconsistencies and errors. This is what Mr. Russell proceeds to do. As a +logician and theologian he is doubtless without a peer today. In his +research for Biblical Truth and harmony he is without a parallel in this +Age. Without a blemish in his character, with the loftiest ideals of God, +and the possibilities of man, he towers like a giant, unmatched. His +defects fade into insignificance. He has been too busy spreading Divine +Truth, as he honestly sees it, to waste time in frivolous speculation in +matters not in some way connected with man's future state, as outlined in +'The Plan of the Ages.' Unselfish, liberal and courteous to Christians of +all denominations, but fearlessly condemning, in unmeasured terms, the +errors and inconsistencies in their creeds, as he sees them, he ranks with +immortal benefactors, and is stamping his opinion on the world as no other +man has done since the days of the Reformation. Efforts to throttle the +press to prevent the publication of his sermons have repeatedly been made. +Why this opposition? Why would any one oppose investigation or revelation +and searching the Scriptures? Why? What right has any one to prevent free +thought, free speech, or the freedom of the press? What manner of men are +we? Let men, preachers or what not, beware of blocking the way of such a +man. Jesus said, 'And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that +believe in Me, it is better that a millstone were hanged about his neck, +and he were cast into the sea.' Mark 9:42. Better be like Gamaliel in the +days of the Apostles, when St. Peter and others were on trial. Gamaliel +rose up and said, 'Refrain from these men, and let them alone, for if this +work be of men it will come to naught; but if it be of God, ye cannot +overthrow it, for ye fight against God.' "--Prof. S. A. Ellis. + +To the four angels.--The church in the flesh, the Harvest workers.--Matt. +24:31. + +To whom it was given.--By completing the Harvest work and thus releasing +the restraints on the evil spirits. + +To hurt the earth.--Throw order-loving peoples into desperation. + +And the sea.--So enrage the masses, not under religious restraint, as to +make it impossible to control them. + +7:3. Saying, Hurt not the earth.--Do not complete the Harvest work too +soon, and thus allow the demons to invade the minds of men until the +appointed time. (Many writers claim that this has already happened to the +ex-Czar of Russia, to Kaiser Wilhelm and to the chief of modern +"evangelists.") + +Neither the sea.--I will see to it that the work of Harvest shall hold in +check those not under religious restraint until the work of Harvest is +finished and the demons are released, when, maddened by the obsession of +the evil spirits, there are no lengths to which the godless will not +presume to go. All Bible Students, followers of Pastor Russell, know how +urgently he has warned for forty years that this deluge of evil spirits is +sure to come. + +Nor the trees.--See Rev. 8:7. Have you enjoyed this work thus far? Are you +convinced it is of the Lord--prepared under His guidance? Have you +carefully and prayerfully read the comments on Rev. 7:1? Then brace +yourself for the truth that it is evidently God's purpose soon to allow +the minds of many of His little ones to become an open battle ground, upon +which the fallen angels shall be judged, and the manner in which we meet +the tests will prove our worthiness of crowns at the same time that it +proves these disobedient spirits unworthy of life on any plane. This is +something with which some but not many are yet familiar. Truly, we know +the Apostle in writing of this evil day says, "We wrestle not against +flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the +rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wicked ones in +heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12). Truly, we know the Lord Jesus, at the First +Advent began His ministry with forty days of conflict with the Adversary, +who all that time sought to sway His mind (Matt. 4:1-11). Truly, we have +reason to believe He must have had other terrible battles when He spent +all night in prayer, and especially when He was so depressed in the garden +of Gethsemane. But without actual experience it is quite impossible to +conceive of the intensity of such struggles as Eph. 6:12 suggests. The +base of the brain is seized as in a vise. Interpretations of Scripture, +ingenious, but misleading beyond description, are projected into the mind +as water might be projected through a hose. Visions may be tried, +wonderful illuminations of the mind as by a soft but glorious greenish or +yellowish haze. Seductive suggestions may be made, based on circumstances +of the environment. Offers of inspiration may be made. The privilege of +sleep may be taken away for days at a stretch. All this is with the object +of forcing the unfortunate into at least temporary insanity so as to +destroy his influence and, if possible, his faith in God. Failing in all +other attempts, the mind may be flooded with thoughts that are vile beyond +description. _THEN REMEMBER THE VOW._ + +The fact that Jehovah intends some unique experiences for the antitypical +Isaac may be judged from the fact that between Isaac's conception (Gen. +17:19 and 18:10) and his birth (Gen. 21:1) occurred the destruction of +Sodom (Gen. 18:16 to end of 19th Chap.) and _Abraham's denial of Sarah_ +(Gen. 20). But reading the latter account, the child of God is comforted +with God's care of His little ones (Gen. 20:3) with the assurance that +none of Satan's plans can mature (Gen. 20:18) without the Lord's +permission. Isaac was a type of the complete Christ; and if now The Christ +is complete, as we believe, and ready to be born into the Kingdom, we +should not be surprised at anything that might look like our repudiation +at the Father's hands. If He pours the cup, it will only be because He +knows that we can drink it, and because He wishes to prove to angels and +to men that we are worthy of the honors He is to give us.--Lu. 22:42, 43; 1 +Tim. 1:16. + +Till we.--You "four angels," Harvest workers in the flesh, and Myself, the +Lord of the Harvest. + +Have sealed the servants of our God.--See Rev. 19:20; 14:1. Satan is a +diligent student of time prophecy (Luke 12:39); but not having the Holy +Spirit he is unable to reach accurate conclusions. Seeing a definite Plan, +and a definite time for every important feature of that Plan, his aim has +ever been to thwart the purposes of the Almighty. This attempt to destroy +the Seed began with the death of Abel and still continues. No doubt Satan +_believed_ the Millennial Kingdom was due to be set up in 1915; and no +doubt, also, he knew that seven years prior to the time of the setting up +of that kingdom the restraints upon the evil spirits would be lifted. Be +that as it may, there is evidence that the establishment of the Kingdom in +Palestine will probably be in 1925, ten years later than we once +calculated. The 70 jubilees, reckoned as 50 years each, expire October, +1925. (B. 186.) Gen. 15:1-16:3, read connectedly, indicates that Abraham's +vision as to when he would receive the Kingdom was not granted until ten +years after the Covenant was made, or 2035 B. C. The ages of the animals +offered aggregated eleven years, which, applied prophetically, on the +scale of a year for a day, equal 3960 years, the length of time from the +date of the visions to A. D. 1925 (Z. '07-79). It seems conclusive that +the hour of Nominal Zion's travail is fixed for the Passover of 1918. (See +Rev. 3:14.) That will be 7 years prior to 1925. At that time there is +every reason to believe the fallen angels will invade the minds of many of +the Nominal Church people, driving them to exceedingly unwise conduct and +leading to their destruction at the hands of the enraged masses, who will +later be dragged to the same fate. The great war now raging is most +certainly the work of evil spirits, and the Kaiser is not the only clever +ruler who has been deceived by evil spirits, as history will sometime +show.--Lu. 12:56. + +If our reasoning is correct, we inquire whether there was any indication +of a move on Satan's part 7 years prior to 1915, showing that he expected +the restraints to be removed from the evil spirits at that time; and we +answer that there was something very definite indicated at that time. In +the Vow, advised by Pastor Russell in that year, and in the experiences of +many, for and against it, it is plain that the Enemy _then_ attempted to +come in like a flood, but was held back--restrained until the sealing work +is done. (Matt. 10:25; Luke 22:42-44; Heb. 12:4; Isa. 63:3.) After the +demons have been turned loose on the _swine_ class, we shall see what +happens. (Matt. 7:6; 8:31-34.) Those now fearful that they might learn +something will be terror-stricken then for a different reason. + +In their foreheads.--"The storm is held in check until the faithful +servants of God are 'sealed in their foreheads' (Exod. 13:9; 28:36, 38. +Deut. 6:8; Ezek. 9:4-6; Rev. 14:1), i. e., until such are given an +intellectual appreciation which will not only comfort them, and shield +them, but also be a mark, seal or evidence of their sonship, as indicated +by our Lord when He promised that the Holy Spirit should show to the +faithful 'things to come.' (John 16:13.)" (B. 169.) When the demon test +comes, those who have the mark of sonship (Ezek. 9:2-4) will know it and +will stand the test, while all others will surely fail. A letter from one +of the Bethel workers, written shortly after Pastor Russell's death, says: +"About three months ago I asked several questions at the table, the last +one being as follows, 'Since I now see that the Jewish Time of Trouble did +not end until the year 73 A. D., as I fully proved to myself by consulting +the historians, what then are we to expect in the parallel year 1918?' +Brother Russell put the question to three prominent brethren, all of whom +replied that they did not know, but were willing to wait and see. When he +called upon me I said, 'Since the year 73 A. D. saw the complete overthrow +of nominal Natural Israel in Palestine, so in the parallel year 1918, I +infer we should look for the complete overthrow of nominal Spiritual +Israel; i. e., the fall of Babylon. (Rev. 18.)' Brother Russell replied: +'Exactly. That is exactly the inference to draw.' " The conclusion of the +Church's career comes first. (Rev. 3:14.) + +"If you see the 'door' of opportunity for sacrifice and service open +before you, enter in. But enter quickly; for the night of darkness and of +intense opposition to the truth will ere long be upon us and will hinder +you from engaging in the service. 'The morning cometh, and also the +night.' 'The night cometh in which no man can work.' When that is true, +you may know that 'the door is shut.' that all the wise virgins have +entered in, that all have been proved, and that all vacancies have been +acceptably filled. All the special 'servants of God' having by that time +been 'sealed in their foreheads' (given an intellectual appreciation of +God's Plan), the four winds will be loosed and will produce the great +'whirlwind' of trouble in the midst of which the remnant of the Elijah +class will be 'changed,' and exalted to Kingdom glory."--C. 225. + +7:4. And I heard the number of them which were sealed.--"We have every +reason to believe that the definite, fixed number of the Elect is that +several times stated in Revelation, namely, 144,000 'redeemed from amongst +men.' " (F. 179; Rev. 14:1.) This is the equivalent of one saint fully +developed for each five days of the Age. + +And there were sealed 144,000.--On this point one of Pastor Russell's +coworkers has well said: "That this is not a symbolical, but an exact +number, seems certain from the fact that, in the same chapter reference is +made to another company, also spirit-begotten. In the 9th verse we read: +'I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number.' It is not +probable that this multitude is so great that no one could actually count +them, but rather that none can state their number, God having left it +indefinite." + +Of all the tribes of the children of Israel.--"As a name, Israel signified +'The people blessed of the Lord,' 'The people of God,' 'The Lord's +people.'--2 Chron. 7:14." (D. 654; Gal. 6:16; Rom. 9:6-8.) Each of the +saints is reckoned as belonging to one of the twelve tribes of "Israelites +indeed," which tribes bear the names of the twelve patriarchs of natural +Israel. In every family each child is beloved for some characteristic +peculiarly its own; and in the meaning of the names of the children of +Israel we may recognize certain of the qualities which make each overcomer +precious in the Father's sight. + +7:5. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand.--Juda signifies +_Celebrated_, lauded, praised. Nothing is more praiseworthy than justice, +noble-mindedness, the doing to everybody as one would wish to be done by. +Our Lord was the Just One of the tribe of Juda. All who knew Pastor +Russell intimately, recognized that justice was the foundation principle +of his character. The mention of the Lord's tribe first shows that there +is a Divine order in the arrangement of the names, inasmuch as that order +is different from the order of the birth of Jacob's sons. Doubtless the +brightest crowns will be worn by those that are wholly without self-love, +either in heart or in life.--Gen. 38:12-26; 43:3-10; 44:14, 34; 46:28. + +Of the tribe of Reuben [were sealed] twelve thousand.--Reuben's name +signifying "_See ye, a son, provided in my affliction_" or _The Pity of +God_, seems to refer to the five-talented brethren who make their calling +and election sure. To be possessed of ability and means to get the fullest +enjoyment out of life, and to sacrifice it all gladly, requires a standard +of character so high that the Lord expressly states that not many attain +it. (1 Cor. 1:26; Gen. 37:21, 22, 29, 30; 42:22, 37.) A taint of love of +the world (spiritual uncleanness) is all that prevents from attaining the +very highest place.--Gen. 35:22; 49:3, 4; 2 Cor. 7:1. + +Of the tribe of Gad [were sealed] twelve thousand.--Gad's name, signifying +_A troop of children cometh_, seems to give the third highest honor to +those faithful men and women who have been blessed of God in bringing many +of their own descendants into the Divine family. Instances are on record +where as many as twelve children in one family have all come into the +light of Present Truth and consecrated, as a result of the life and +teachings of a noble father and mother. There is a family interest on the +part of the Heavenly Father in every family that rightly seeks His face. +Not a crown is available for others, so long as even one child of one of +the consecrated is ready to run for that crown. "The promise is unto you +[first], and to your children [next], and [after that] to all that are +afar off, even as many as the Lord your God shall call." (Acts 2:39; 1 +Cor. 7:14.) "Of the childhood and life of the patriarch Gad nothing is +preserved. At the time of the descent into Egypt, seven sons are ascribed +to him, remarkable from the fact that a majority of their names have +plural terminations, as if those of families rather than persons." +(McC.)--Gen. 46:16; Num. 26:15-18. + +7:6. Of the tribe of Aser [were sealed] twelve thousand.--Aser's name +signifies _Happy_. "And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call +me blessed: and she called his name Asher." (Gen. 30:13.) Apparently the +fourth highest place of honor goes to the happy Christians. Wherever else +the long-faced saints go they do not get into the Asher tribe. "Rejoice in +the Lord alway: and again I say rejoice. _Finally_, my brethren, rejoice +in the Lord."--Phil. 4:4; 3:1; 2 Chron. 20:22. + +Of the tribe of Nephtalim [were sealed] twelve thousand.--Naphtali's name +signifies _Great wrestlings_, and suggests that the fifth highest place +will go to those who have especially sought the face of the Father in +prayer. By his birth Naphtali was allied to Dan, the class that goes into +the Second Death. (Gen. 35:25; 49:17.) The suggestion is not strained, +then, that here is a class that has overcome largely because they have so +much appreciated, and have used to such good purpose, the privilege of +seeking the Father's face in prayer.--Luke 11:5-13; James 1:5; 3:17. + +Of the tribe of Manasses [were sealed] twelve thousand.--Manasseh's name +signifies _Forgetting_, "For God hath made me forget all my toil and all +my father's House." (Gen. 41:51.) The sixth honor apparently refers to a +class having naturally very strong human attachments, for the dear ones of +their earthly families, and yet love the Lord still more. Great is the +love, great the faithfulness of those that hear and heed the Divine +proposal: "Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; +forget also thine own people, and thy father's House."--Psa. 45:10. + +7:7. Of the tribe of Simeon [were sealed] twelve thousand.--Simeon +signifies _Hearing_. "Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, He +hath therefore given me this son also." (Gen. 29:33.) This suggests that +the seventh place of honor is reserved for those who have been hated in +their home circles because of faithfulness to the Word of the Lord. The +Lord saw that the beauties of their characters would only shine forth to +the best advantage if they were made ready in just such environment. How +sweet, how beautiful, is the patient heart developed under such +conditions!--Rom. 5:3; Col. 1:11, 12; 1 Pet. 1:7; 4:12; 5:10; Rom. 8:17; 2 +Tim. 2:12; James 1:12. + +Of the tribe of Levi [were sealed] twelve thousand.--Levi's name signifies +_A joining_. "This time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have +borne him three sons." The next honor is apparently reserved for those who +have literally sacrificed all their possessions in this world in order +that they might be more closely joined to the Lord and His service. Levi +had no inheritance in the land, as a tribe, and as an individual the only +event recorded in the life of the patriarch is one of destruction of the +unfaithful.--Gen. 34:25-29. + +Of the tribe of Issachar [were sealed] twelve thousand.--Issachar signifies +_There is reward_, or _He brings reward_. "God hath given me my hire, +because I have given my maiden to my husband." "Issachar is a strong ass +couching down between two burdens: and he saw that rest was good, and the +land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear." (Gen. 30:18; +49:14, 15.) This seems to signify that the next honor goes to the zealous, +those who joyfully undertake, in the Lord's name and cause, to work hard +for the glory of His name.--1 Cor. 15:58. + +7:8. Of the tribe of Zabulon [were sealed] twelve thousand.--Zebulun +signifies _Habitation_ or _Dwelling_. It signifies the blessed +satisfaction that comes to those who, like the Master, during their +earthly pilgrimages have not known where to lay their heads; but, although +they have wrestled with poverty throughout life's little day, have +nevertheless held faithfully to the Lord, serving Him, with limited +education, strength, talents and opportunities, in hope of finally +reaching "The Home where changes never come, nor pain, nor sorrow, toil +nor care." What a homecoming they will have! In the Father's House of many +mansions theirs will be the happiest home. + +Of the tribe of [Joseph were sealed] BENJAMIN twelve thousand.--Benjamin +signified _Son of my Sorrow_ originally, but the name was changed to +signify _Son of the right hand_. The youngest of Jacob's children, he +seems in some aspects to typify the Great Company class (Z. '81-1-7), but +succeeds in gaining the higher reward, probably because of being the +companions of those that occupy more advanced positions in the Body. Thus +the humble-minded and faithful servants and _companions_ may and do fill +up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ, even though their +personal sufferings be slight.--Heb. 10:33. + +Of the tribe of [Benjamin were sealed] JOSEPH twelve thousand.--The +Sinaitic MS. mentions Joseph last, with peculiar fitness. Joseph was one +of the most beautiful characters of the Bible. His name signifies _Whom +may God increase_. He had so many virtues that it is inadvisable to +attempt their enumeration, but the story is told at length in Gen. 37-50. +He is one of the very few characters named in the Bible about whom nothing +uncomplimentary is expressed. He well represents all the other members of +the Divine family, all of whom have attained the Divine likeness in their +hearts and given expression to that likeness as well as the frailties and +weaknesses of the flesh would permit. + +It will be noticed that the tribes of Dan and Ephraim are omitted from the +foregoing list. Dan evidently represents the class that goes into the +Second Death. The name signifies "God hath judged me." (Gen. 30:6.) We +know that all God's judgments are just and look for the reason for Dan's +rejection. Jacob prophesied that it would be Dan "that biteth the horse +heels, so that his rider shall fall backward." (Gen. 49:17.) Horses are +symbols of doctrines. Dan evidently represents a class tampering with +doctrines, resulting in the overthrow of the New Creature. A study of the +history of the tribe of Dan confirms this. Originally Dan was given one of +the choicest parts of Palestine, one of the most fertile and the most +secure. It was completely embraced by its two brother tribes Ephraim and +Benjamin, while on the south-east and south it joined Judah, and was thus +surrounded by the three most powerful states of the whole confederacy. The +Danites however failed to conquer the land originally assigned to them +(representing the failure of the New Creature to gain the victory over the +mind of the flesh) and chose another inheritance to the far north (Judges +18:1-31). This selection of the farthest north resembles Satan's similar +choice (Isa. 14:13) and suggests that the Danite New Creatures were led +away from their original inheritance by ambition. The context shows an +unreasonably high valuation of their own judgment and a wilful +interference with the priestly office, and this we may judge has been a +frequent offense of those who commit the great sin that lies just beyond +the sin of presumption. (Psa. 19:13; 2 Sam. 6:6, 7.) _THE TEST IS ON_; +take heed! take heed! + +The half tribe of Ephraim represents the Great Company, mainly to be found +in the Nominal Church. They are more or less intoxicated with error (Isa. +28:1, 7), they fear to let go of their idols of creeds and catechisms +(Hos. 4:17), they are, in a way, half-baked Christians, not wholly devoted +to the Lord--"Ephraim is a cake not turned." (Hos. 7:8.) From first to last +the prophecy of Hosea is eloquent with Jehovah's pleadings to the Great +Company class not to miss the great prize of Immortality. + +7:9. After this, I beheld, and lo, a great multitude.--When the Apostle +tells us in 2 John 8, "Look to yourselves that ye lose not those things +which we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward," he is teaching +that a Heavenly reward may be gained that is not as full as if a course +more pleasing to the Heavenly Father is pursued. + +Instead of teaching that the saved of our race will all be saved to the +same thing, the Scriptures show two degrees or kinds of Heavenly +salvation, and two degrees or kinds of earthly salvation. In the second +chapter of Genesis the stream which went forth from the Garden of Eden was +divided into four parts. This is a Scriptural recognition of the fact that +from Adam, the original fountain of life, will flow four streams: The +Little Flock, who are to sit down with Christ in His Throne; the Great +Company, who are to stand before the Throne, having the palms of martyrdom +but without the crowns of glory; the Ancient Worthies, the Jewish fathers, +Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Daniel, etc., who are to be made princes in all the +earth; and the world of mankind, who will constitute the subjects of the +Kingdom over which the Ancient Worthies will rule. The same lesson is +taught in the division of the Levites into four camps, each located on a +different side of the Tabernacle. (Num. 3:15; F. 128, 129.) It is also +taught in the Apostle's statement in 2 Tim. 2:20, that in God's great +House there will ultimately be found four classes of vessels to His +praise. + +The question for the saints is not as to which of the earthly classes may +ultimately include them, for they have given up their earthly hopes in +exchange for Heavenly hopes. The question is whether they shall be wise +virgins, faithful students of the Word, building with the gold, silver and +precious stones of Divine Truth instead of foolish _virgins_ (pure of +heart) (Matt. 25:2; C. 91; F. 75) who build faith structures with the +wood, hay and stubble of human tradition. The Apostle says the fiery +trials of life will try every man's work so as by fire, and intimates that +those who do not build wisely shall suffer loss--not go into eternal +torment, but fail to gain the great reward which otherwise might be +theirs. (1 Cor. 3:15; T. 69.) The question is whether as branches in +Christ the Vine, to go onward to fruit-bearing, or as other branches, to +be principally devoted to leaves (professions), or tendrils (feelers after +earthly honors and emoluments). (John 15:2; F. 78, 170.) Christ said of a +similar class in His day, "How can ye believe [effectively] which receive +honor one of another, and seek not the praise which cometh from God only!" +The question is whether we are to be termed children of disobedience (Col. +3:6; Z. '99-140) because, though God's children, we have failed to +mortify, or put to death, our earthly and sinful tendencies; whether we +are sinners against the covenant we have made with God to lay down our +lives in His service (Psa. 1:1; Z. '00-281), whether, like Lot's wife, we +look back to the earthly good things we have given up (Gen. 19:26; C. +194), or whether we retain the singleness of heart and purpose, without +which the prize of the High Calling cannot be gained. + +The question is whether, as babes in Christ, we shall wink at the +unscriptural divisions of God's people, into followers of Paul or Apollos, +Cephas or Luther, Calvin or Wesley (1 Cor. 3:4; D. 17); whether, like +Rahab, we shall be in the citadel of error when it falls, or like Joshua +who caused it to fall (Josh. 6:25; Z. '07-267); whether, like the fitches +and cummin, we shall easily divest ourselves of the entangling +associations of life, represented by the pods from which the fitches and +cummin are so easily shaken, or whether we shall be like the "bread-corn" +which requires a vast amount of threshing before it will let go of the +close-clinging chaff. (Isa. 28:27; Z. '84-1-4.) The question is whether, +like the rejected members of Gideon's army, we shall forget our mission, +and bury our heads in the waters of truth; or whether, with equal +appreciation of its message, we shall remember why the Lord gave it to us, +and shall drink of it, with our eyes out over the horizon, seeking to +serve, to spend and be spent in the Master's service. (Judg. 7:6; Z. +'07-331.) The question is whether, like Caleb and Joshua, we shall retain +our confidence in Him who has called us, and bring back true reports of +the land we hope ere long to possess, or, whether we shall be of the +larger company that through fear and faint-heartedness never enter in. +(Num. 13:31; Z. '07-251.) Shall we rejoice to lay down our lives for the +Lord's brethren, or shall we, through fear of this sacrificial death, be +all our lifetime subject to bondage? (Heb. 2:15; T. 70, 71.) The question +is whether we shall be like the servant who hid his Lord's talent in the +earth (in earthly enjoyments and pursuits) (Matt. 25:24; Z. '01-61; Z. +'06-318), whether we shall be double minded, having some idea of attaining +heavenly things and some idea of getting all we can of earthly things +(Jas. 1:8; Z. '07-316), whether, like Obadiah, we are merely friendly +toward the Truth and those who stand for the Truth, but conceal our +interest for fear of the consequences to ourselves and our families.--1 Ki. +18:3; Z. '04-221. + +If, in these tests of faith and character, we come off victorious in the +Lord's sight, we shall not need to be of those who wash their robes and +make them white in the blood of the Lamb, in the great tribulation with +which this Age will close, but shall keep our robes unspotted so that they +will not need such a general cleansing. If we have fled to the Lord before +the winter time of His disfavor has come upon the man-made systems of our +day, we shall be spared the rigors of the flight, of which He said, "Pray +that your flight be not in _the winter_ [of 1917-1918 (?)]" (Matt. 20:10; +D. 578), and we shall be spared, too, the bitter disappointment of saying +at that time, "The Harvest [the time of special favor] is past, the summer +is ended and we are not saved" [not saved with the chiefest salvation, +with the salvation to which we aspired]. (Jer. 8:20; D. 578.) In the time +of Zion's travail these children of God will all be delivered. (Isa. 66:8; +Z. '94-135.) Let us be glad of our hope that we shall be of the Man-child +delivered before that travail comes. Let us hope we may not be of the +lambs (Isa. 34:6; D. 17) or the goats found together in the nominal +sheepfolds when the time has come to wind up present ecclesiastical +systems. All down the Age, some of God's children have been "turned over +to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved +in the day of the Lord" (1 Cor. 5:5; T. 69, 71), because they have not +lived up to their covenants. The sufferings of the scapegoat class, turned +into the wilderness, dying of thirst, hunger, snake-bites, thorns, briars, +burrs, fleas or attacks of wild animals, were far greater than those of +the Lord's goat, killed sacrificially. (Lev. 16:7-10; T. 60.) Those who +withhold from the Lord what they have promised Him suffer far more than +those who fight manfully the good fight of faith and lay hold with both +hands on the hope set before us. + +The Great Company class will say "Alleluia" as soon as they perceive that +the Church is complete. (Rev. 19:1; A. 240; F. 128.) But like Rebecca's +damsels of old, they must go the same long journey as the Bride class, +only to be received as servants in the end. (Gen. 24:61; Psa. 45:14; F. +121, 171.) Shall we enter fully into our inheritance now, while the door +is still open to do and dare in the Master's Cause; or shall we be like +the class mentioned in Ezekiel 44 that finds the door shut because the +start is made too late, and must know that forever the Heavenly +Priesthood, the prize of the High Calling, is closed, and that the most +that can be then attained is the place as keepers or servants in the +Temple? (Ezek. 44:1-14; Z. '05-269.) Let us rejoice if we are heirs of +salvation at all; but let us resolve, by God's grace, that we shall, in +the words of our text, "Look to ourselves, that we lose not those things +that we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward"--all that the +Father is pleased to give to those who love Him supremely. + +"What we see going on about us seems natural to our minds. The way in +which other people spend time and money is a temptation to the Lord's +people which must be _steadfastly resisted_. For us to do what others do, +and to devote to the Lord's service only what the world considers a +reasonable day's work, would not be fulfilling our Covenant of Sacrifice +at all. Those who seek merely to do right, and to put in eight hours or so +a day faithfully, after the manner of the world, will be judged from this +standpoint; and they will merely obtain a place in the Great Company. They +are not fulfilling the conditions of the Covenant of Sacrifice."--Z. +'14-71. + +"We do not think we should understand the Scriptures to teach that the +Great Company will attain to the same degree of spiritual development as +the Little Flock. They fail to display that love and zeal which the Lord +has set as the mark for participation in the Royal Priesthood." (Z. +'14-68.) "In determining to sacrifice themselves piecemeal when and how +they and their friends might please, is the primary mistake." (Z. +'96-191.) "While the living members of the Bride are being separated from +others by the _Truth_, the ears of this class are dull of hearing and they +are slow to believe and slow to act." (A. 240.) "In one parable the Lord +styles this class a wicked and slothful servant. He does not deny him the +honor of being a servant, He does not charge him with becoming an enemy. +He is counted wicked and slothful because, having undertaken certain +responsibilities as a servant, he has failed to manifest the proper spirit +of earnest devotion."--Z. '07-315. + +Which no man could number.--"Whose number no man is able to tell (i. e., it +is not a foreordained or fixed number--none were called to be of this +company.)"--Rev. 5:11. + +Of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues.--"As the number of +the Bride of Christ is to be 144,000, it would be reasonable to think that +each number of this class may have 144,000 to look after, as 144,000 x +144,000 equals 20,736,000,000 (twenty billions seven hundred and thirty- +six millions), evidently just about the right number to be cared +for--144,000 would be quite a host for each individual of the Bride class +to look after. So we can see the necessity for the work of the Great +Company."--_Question Meeting._ + +Stood before the Throne.--Not in the Throne, as in the case of the Bride. +(A. 214.) "The Scriptures inform us that as that which is begotten of the +flesh is flesh, so that which is begotten of the Spirit is spirit. That is +to say, that whoever has been begotten of the Holy Spirit has experienced +a change of nature so radical that it would be impossible for him to share +a resurrection with the world on the human plane."--Z. '07-316. + +And before the Lamb.--"Since their hearts are loyal to the Redeemer, and +since they maintain their faith in the precious blood and hold fast and do +not deny the same, therefore the Lord Jesus, the Advocate, the Captain of +our Salvation, who leads the Very Elect to glory through the steps of +willing sacrifice, will lead these to a spiritual blessing--to perfection +on a lower plane of spirit-being--because they have trusted in Him and have +not denied His name or His work."--F. 169. + +Clothed with white robes.--"They let slip their opportunity for becoming +members of the Bride; but they are, nevertheless, _virgins_, pure in their +heart-intentions."--F. 127; Rev. 7:14. + +And palms in their hands.--"The palm is especially the symbol of +_martyrdom_. The palm of martyrdom has become in the language of the +Church, a classical and sacramental expression. In the diptychs, the acts +of the martyrs, and the martyrologies, we read, 'He has received the palm +of martyrdom'--he has been crowned with the palm of the martyrs." (McC.) +Many of the martyrs of the Dark Ages were undoubtedly of the Great +Company. + +7:10. And [cried] THEY CRY with a loud voice.--In grand and happy chorus of +exultant praise and thanksgiving over their final deliverance.--Rev. +19:1-3. + +Saying, Salvation.--Our glorious and unmerited boon of life on so high a +plane. + +To our God.--Be ascribed to Him as the Author.--Psa. 3:8. + +[Which sitteth] upon the Throne.--Jehovah.--Rev. 4:2; 5:13. + +And unto the Lamb.--The Tower of the Flock, Christ as the instrument of +salvation.--Micah 4:8. + +7:11. And all the angels.--The beautiful sons of the morning who shouted +for joy in the dawn of earth's creative week 48,000 years ago.--Job 38:7; +Lu. 2:9-14; Matt. 4:11; 28:2; F. 51. + +Stood round about the Throne.--With eager joy welcoming this new addition +to the family of God. + +And about the elders.--The prophecies, many of which have pointed out this +second and greater company. But notice the exquisite nicety of the Word of +God and the Wisdom of our Father! Not _all_ the elders do mention the +Great Company, and therefore the designation "four and twenty," in this +instance, is omitted. + +And the four beasts.--Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom. + +And fell before the Throne on their faces.--No wonder such humble +characters "always behold the face of the Father."--Matt. 18:10. + +And worshipped God.--There is no self-seeking among the angels. When an +angel appeared to Manoah and his wife, and Manoah sought to know his name, +he left an everlasting lesson in his reply, "Why askest thou thus after my +name, seeing it is secret?"--Judges 13:2-23. + +7:12. Saying, Amen.--So be it! We are not at all jealous. We are delighted +to have these new helpers in the Heavenly realm. + +Blessing.--The praises and blessings of all who owe their existence to His +goodness. + +And wisdom.--To continually and forever unfold some new and wonderful +features of goodness and grace towards the work of His hands. + +And thanksgiving.--From "every creature which is in Heaven and on +earth."--Rev. 5:13. + +And honor.--To the Name so long and so unjustly and foully dishonored, by +the eternal torment theory. + +And power.--Restrained for thousands of years, but now about to be +exercised in man's behalf.--Psa. 76:10. + +And might.--The ability to accomplish fully all His purposes.--Isa. 55:11. + +Be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.--Be ascribed to Jehovah for +eternity.--Rev. 5:13,14. + +7:13. And one of the elders.--The prophecy of Isaiah 1:10-20. + +Answered, saying unto me.--Under symbolism of Sodom because of their +identification with spiritual Sodom's work and hopes.--Rev. 11:8. + +What are these which are arrayed in white robes.--Who are these of whom it +is said, "Your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away +the evil of your doings before mine eyes," etc.?--Isa. 1:15, 16; Rev. 7:9. + +And whence came they.--Why are they figuratively represented as stained +with blood? + +7:14. And I said unto him, [Sir,] MY LORD, thou knowest.--It is doubtless +contained in your prophecy. + +And he said unto me.--In Isa. 34:5, 6, "My sword shall be bathed in Heaven: +behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of My curse, +to judgment. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat +with fatness, and with the blood of lambs."--D. 17. + +These are they which came out of great tribulation.--" 'The tribulation, +the great one'--the twofold article being specially emphatic. See Rev. +3:10; 6:17; Matt. 24:21." (Cook.) "They are those," he said, "who have +just passed through the great distress." (Weym.) "The slaughter of this +day of vengeance is said to be of the 'lambs and goats.' (Isa. 34:6.) The +lambs would represent the tribulation saints." (D. 17.) "The Great Company +will pass through a great tribulation, with a view to effecting in them a +proper penitence for sin and a proper appreciation of the Divine standard +of truth and righteousness. This class, particularly large in the present +day, will be delivered over to the Adversary--to suffer in a Time of +Trouble such as was not since there was a nation--the great time of trouble +with which this Age shall end. Such of them as fail to respond to those +tribulations and to seek the Lord will die the Second Death, but such as +respond faithfully will be counted as overcomers." (Z. '07-232.) + +"Many such are now being closely bound in with the various bundles of +tares for the burning; and not until the fiery trouble of the latter end +of the Harvest period shall burn the binding cords of Babylon's bondage +shall these be able to make their escape--'saved so as by fire.' They must +see the utter wreck of Great Babylon and receive some measure of her +plagues." (C. 364.) "Sad disappointments attach to the experiences of this +company: it is because they _fear_ the reproaches of Christ that they +shirk present privileges and opportunities for walking with Him in white +in the 'sufferings of this present time:' behold, they not only miss the +present joy and rejoicing of those who are faithful, but eventually they +must come through _still greater_ sufferings, if they would attain even to +a lower place. Although loving the Lord and His people, they are somewhat +ashamed of them and hide, as it were, their faces from them, in the +presence of the worldly: and behold the Master at His Coming for His +'Bride' cannot confess their names in the presence of the Father and the +holy angels." (Z. '97-162.) "These will be helped out of Babylon when she +is falling, and will flee in the winter-time, saying in the words of the +Prophet, 'The Harvest is past, the Summer is ended [Winter has come], and +we are not saved.' (Jer. 8:20.)" (D. 578.) "These, surely, we cannot +expect to see shielded from the very trouble which the Lord declares they +need; and which in special mercy He will inflict for their perfecting."--Z. +'96-191. + +And have washed their robes.--Spotted and soiled by contact with the +world.--Z. '97-161. + +And made them white in the blood of the Lamb.--"Not that their sufferings +will wash their robes, but that in their sufferings they will learn to +appreciate as never before their relationship to the Lamb of God and to +His atoning merit, and by faith will be permitted to apply the same to +their own cleansing."--Z. '07-233; 1 John 1:7. + +7:15. Therefore.--Because, in the final test, they suffered martyrdom and +cleansed their robes rather than deny the Lord. + +Are they before the Throne of God.--"With the world in the next Age, the +Lord's power will be represented through the Great Company class, under +the Bride. They will be a great police force, looking out for the whole +people. They will have enough to do; for God has guaranteed that 'nothing +shall hurt or offend in all His holy Mountain'--Kingdom (Isa. 11:9). That +will mean a careful supervision. Yes, indeed! How will they hinder wrong- +doing? If a person were about to speak blasphemy or slander, the tongue +might be instantly paralyzed. Very easy! A policeman right on the +spot!--not waiting until the offender had done the mischief and then +punishing him, but fixing him so that he will not get the chance to do it, +and punishing him for trying to do so."--_Question Meeting._ + +And serve Him day and night in His Temple.--"Although they can never be the +living Temple of which Christ is the Head (Rev. 3:12; 11:1), we are told +they shall be _servants_ in that Temple; and although they shall never sit +in the Throne, they are highly privileged to serve 'before the Throne.' +Grand and glorious privileges will be theirs."--Z. '97-162; Rev. 22:3. + +And He that sitteth on the Throne.--Jehovah. + +[Shall dwell among] KNOWETH them.--To be known of the Lord is to be the +sure recipient of blessings. Not to be known or recognized of Him is the +greatest of all calamities. God keeps a record of His friends (Mal. 3:16) +but no record of His enemies; and therein lies their ruin. "I never _knew_ +you; depart from Me."--Matt. 7:23. + +7:16. They shall NOT hunger [no more].--Poor things, how hungry they have +been! How the light has shone in their poor, hunted, starved faces, as +they have listened to Pastor Russell, by the tens of thousands; and yet, +when the lecture was over, they have wearily gone back to the "husks," +from a sense of duty to the memory of some man, dead for hundreds of +years, who would, if alive today, be a follower of _the_ Reformer, Charles +T. Russell, because he followed Christ. + +Neither thirst any more.--"The waters of Truth shall no longer be brackish +with error, being healed at the very spring by a clearer understanding of +the Word of God."--B. 266. + +Neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.--During the Harvest time +the Lord's people, illuminated with the light of Present Truth, have been +shining forth, not with any brilliancy of their own, but with much of the +coming splendor of the "Sun of Righteousness." Coming in contact with +them, it has been inevitable that the Great Company class should +frequently be singed, unable to answer the Truth, and should feel +considerable heat. Their condition has been aptly described by the +Prophet, "It shall be a vexation only to understand the report." (Isa. +28:19.) "As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went +into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit +him."--Amos 5:19. + +7:17. For the Lamb.--Jesus Christ, their eternal Friend--"The same +yesterday, today, and forever."--Heb. 13:8. + +Which is in the midst of the Throne.--Authority, rulership.--A. 92; Rev. +5:6. + +Shall feed them.--Be their shepherd. (John 10:1-28; 21:16.) They will not +have immortality. Their lives will always require to be sustained, as in +the case of the angels. + +And shall lead them unto [living] fountains of waters OF LIFE.--They will +not have within them the "well of water springing up unto everlasting +life," as will the Bride class, but may freely take of the "Water of life" +which flows forth from the united well-springs of the Fountain and its +144,000 associates.--John 4:14; Rev. 22:1, 17; Ezekiel 47:1-5. + +And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.--There will be tears at +first that will require wiping away, when they see all they have missed. +Nevertheless, "With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought into the +King's Palace." (Psa. 45:15.) And it is a good place; there we leave them, +to bask in the sunlight of His presence forevermore. We shall _know_ them +all, then, even as we shall be known by them.--1 Cor. 13:12. + + + + +Revelation 8--Four Preliminary Reformations + + +8:1. And when He.--The Lord Jesus, whose privilege it is to open them +all.--Rev. 6:1. + +Had opened the seventh seal.--"The seal of the living God." (Rev. 7:2.) The +opening of the seventh seal is _progressive_. The opening and unfolding of +the Truth goes on as the saints are sealed. By the time the saints are all +sealed in their hearts and minds with the Present Truth, the deepest +features of the Truth itself will have been disclosed. "The time will +undoubtedly come in the near future when the number of the Elect will be +complete. Then only such vacancies as might still occur by some falling +out would remain." (Z. '14-68.) "God's people down through this Gospel age +have been privileged to know something of the 'Secret of the Lord'--the +Divine Plan. But not until the last seal is broken, does the scroll fly +wide open, permitting the 'Mystery of God' to be fully disclosed; as it is +written: 'In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall +begin to sound, the Mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared +to His servants the Prophets.' (Rev. 5:1; 10:7.)"--Z. '97-257. + +There was silence.--"Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the +defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the Lord our God hath put +us to silence." (Jer. 8:14.) "They (the clergy) somehow realize that +neither reason nor Scripture supports their false doctrines, and that the +wisest method is to keep silent, in the shadow of old superstitions and +under the protection of so-called Christian governments."--C. 158. + +In heaven.--In the nominal ecclesiastical heavens. + +About the space of half an hour.--On the scale of a year for a day this +would mean but a week, and indicates that, as soon as the full number to +complete the Body of Christ have been sealed with the Present Truth, +persecution in a public way, and on an unprecedented scale, may be +expected to begin almost immediately. (This verse should properly be +included in Chapter 7.) + +8:2. And I saw.--As the next vision of the grand series. Something never +seen until the seventh seal is broken and the Mystery of God finished. + +The seven angels.--Instrumentalities suitable for the work to be performed. + +Which stood before God.--Featuring the _Reformation_. + +And to them were given seven trumpets.--Bugles with which to blow bugle- +blasts of liberty from the oppressions of the papacy, leading up to and +including the final blast of "Liberty throughout all the land unto all the +inhabitants thereof."--Lev. 25:10. + +8:3. And another angel.--Not the "voice of the Lord," mentioned in the +preceding chapter, but the corporate body--the WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT +SOCIETY, which Pastor Russell formed to finish his work. This verse shows +that, though Pastor Russell has passed beyond the veil, he is still +managing every feature of the Harvest work. "THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND +TRACT SOCIETY is the greatest corporation in the world, because from the +time of its organization until now the Lord has used it as His channel +through which to make known the Glad Tidings."-Z. '17-22; Rev. 14:18; +19:17. + +Came and stood.--Waited before the Lord, after the Pastor's death, ready to +do the Master's will. + +At the altar.--The Brazen Altar, the place of sacrifice. (Ex. 38:1-7; Lev. +16:12, 13.) The fire for the sacrifice at the Golden Altar was obtained +here and then carried to the Golden Altar where the incense was crumbled +in it. + +Having a golden censer.--Censers, or fire-pans, were of two forms, with +handles and without. In this case the kind with the handle, used only on +the Day of Atonement, is the one referred to. The incense was burnt while +the high priest held the censer in his hand. Thus, in this prophecy, the +great antitypical High Priest identifies Himself with the work of the +Society, and places in its care--holds in His hand--the fire-pans, the +things that lead us to the place where we sacrifice ourselves. Thus seen, +the censer represents teachings, understandings of the Word; for it is our +understanding of the Word which leads us to offer up all we have in the +Lord's service.--Num. 16:6, 7. + +And there was given unto him much incense.--The heart's best endeavors of +the faithful fellow-members of the Body. + +That he should offer it.--To Jehovah, through the Son.--Rev. 5:8. + +With the prayers of all saints.--The Society is the only entity in the +world answering to this description. It alone has offered on its behalf +the prayers of all the saints, in harmony with the clause of the Vow which +reads, "Daily will I remember at the Throne of heavenly grace the general +interests of the Harvest work--the dear co-laborers at the Brooklyn +Tabernacle and Bethel, and everywhere." + +Upon the golden altar [which was] before the Throne.--The offerings take +place "before the Throne," on this side the veil.--Rev. 1:4; 5:6; Ex. +30:1-10. + +8:4. And the smoke.--The fragrant, sweet perfume. + +Of the incense.--Life's dearest ties, sacrificed in the Master's cause. + +Which came with the prayers of the saints.--In harmony with the Vow of +faithfulness.--Psa. 141:2; Luke 1:10; Acts 10:4. + +Ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.--"An odor of a sweet smell, +a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God."--Phil. 4:18. + +8:5. And the angel.--THE WATCH TOWER SOCIETY through its proper +representatives. + +Took the censer.--The Seventh Volume of STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, Divinely +provided. + +And filled it with fire of the altar.--Coals from the altar signify burning +truths; and such the Lord's prophecies always are, when rightly +understood.--Isa. 6:5-8. This is a plain intimation of God's purpose to use +the SOCIETY in further unfoldings of His Truth as it becomes due. "We +believe that the Lord will not scatter, but will 'turn His hand [power] +upon the little ones,' in this dark hour of trial (Zech. 13:7)."--Z. +'17-30. + +And cast it.--Greek, "Deliberately hurled it." + +Into the earth.--Among order-loving people.--Ezek. 10:2; Luke 12:49. + +And there were [voices and] thunderings.--Seven Volumes of "SCRIPTURE +STUDIES," this one being the last of the series. (Rev. 10:3, 4.) Thunders +are symbolical of controversy, and this volume may cause some. +Particularly is it to be expected that the clergy will thunder against +whatever Truth it contains. Thunder is caused by the flashing of lightning +through the heavens, opening them up, as it were. Immediately after the +flash they come together with an angry roar. Thunder, of itself, never +does anybody any harm.--Rev. 16:18. + +And voices.--"These voices have been circulated here and there throughout +the whole civilized world, not by worldly agents, not through book- +sellers, but by those who have themselves been blessed by the light, and +who desire to render a service to the Lord and to the Truth, and to lay +down their lives for the brethren by taking to them the glorious and +encouraging message now due to the Lord's people." (Z. '02-118.) Voices +also symbolize discussion, contention. + +And lightnings.--See Rev. 4:5; 11:19; 16:18. + +And an earthquake.--"The term earthquake is used to symbolically represent +revolution--it is in this sense of the word that it is used throughout the +Book of Revelation. What we are to look for then will be a great +revolution, the great symbolic earthquake, the great shaking of the +present institutions which will overthrow everything that is not of the +Lord's establishment and approval. Perhaps the symbolical earthquake will +be accompanied by a literal one."--B. S. M. + +8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets.--"We, in common with +almost all expositors, recognize that the seven trumpets of Revelation are +symbolical and not literal."--Z. '02-116; Josh. 6:4. + +Prepared themselves to sound.--"Christian people in general understand that +five of these trumpets have already 'sounded' and are in the past--we would +say six. It is admitted that those that have already 'sounded' have not +been literal blasts of a bugle on the air. But literal things are so much +more easily received by the natural man that many advanced Christians, +Bible students and ministers, are really expecting some day to hear what +is sometimes denominated 'Gabriel's horn,' shrill enough and loud enough +to awaken the dead." (Z. '02-116.) As thoughtful Christians we should +expect that, as this period is that in which the great sects have risen, +its history should pay particular attention to them, and thus we find. The +Reformation particularly affected "three parts" of the papal dominion, +Germany, England and France.--Rev. 8:7-10. + +8:7. And the first [angel] sounded.--The movement began, which later +developed into the Lutheran General Synod, Lutheran United Synod South, +Lutheran General Council, Lutheran Synodical Conference, United Norwegian +Lutheran Synod, Ohio Independent Lutheran Synod, Buffalo Lutheran Synod, +Hauge's Lutheran Synod, Eleisen's Lutheran Synod, Norwegian Lutheran +Synod, Danish in America Lutheran Synod, Icelandic Lutheran Synod, +Immanuel Lutheran Synod, Suomai Finnish Lutheran Synod, Finnish National +Synod, Finnish Apostolic Synod, Norwegian Free Lutheran Synod, Danish +United Lutheran Synod, Church of the Lutheran Brethren and Independent +Lutheran Congregations.--1 Cor. 3:3. + +And there followed hail.--Sharp, cutting, hard truth, contained in Luther's +95 theses nailed on the church door at Wittenberg. + +And fire.--Destructive judgments upon the papacy. Luther sized up the Papal +system of "Heads, I win; and tails, you lose" in a few words when he said, +"The Romanists have with great dexterity built themselves about with three +walls, which have hitherto protected them against reform. In the first +place, when the temporal power has pressed them hard, they have affirmed +and maintained that the temporal power has no jurisdiction over them--that +on the contrary, the spiritual is above the temporal. Secondly, when it is +proposed to admonish them from the Holy Scriptures they said, 'It beseems +no one but the pope to interpret the Scriptures,' and thirdly, when they +were threatened with a council, they invented the idea that no one but the +pope can call a council." + +Mingled with blood.--Blood is a symbol of death-dealing doctrine, and this +teaches that Luther did not get entirely free from error. The following +illustrates this point: "There gradually developed a group of radicals who +were convinced that Luther had not the courage of his convictions. They +proposed to abolish the idolatry of the Mass and all other outward signs +of what they deemed the old superstitions. Luther's colleague at +Wittenberg, Carlstadt, began denouncing the monastic life, the celibacy of +the clergy, the veneration of images; and before the end of 1521 we find +the first characteristic outward symptoms of Protestantism. In January +1522, Carlstadt induced the authorities of Wittenberg to publish the first +evangelical church ordinance. The service of the Mass was modified, and +the laity were to receive the elements in both kinds. Reminders of the old +religious usages were to be done away with, and the fast-days were to be +no longer observed. These measures led Luther to return to Wittenberg in +March, 1522, where he preached a series of sermons attacking the +impatience of the radical party. In 1525 the conservative party, which had +from the first feared that Luther's teaching would result in sedition, +received a new and terrible proof, as it seemed to them, of the noxious +influence of the evangelical preachers. + +"The peasant movements which had caused so much anxiety at the diet of +Augsburg in 1518, culminated in the Peasant Revolt in which the common +man, both in country and town, rose in the name of God's justice to avenge +long-standing wrongs and establish his rights. Luther was by no means +directly responsible for the civil war which followed, but he had +certainly contributed to stir up the ancient discontent. He had asserted +that, owing to the habit of foreclosing small mortgages, 'Any one with a +hundred gulden could gobble up a peasant a year.' The German feudal lords +he pronounced hangmen, who knew only how to swindle the poor man. Yet in +spite of this harsh talk about princes, Luther relied upon them to forward +the reforms in which he was interested. The peasants demanded that the +gospel should be taught them as a guide in life, and that each community +should be permitted to choose its pastor and depose him if he conducted +himself improperly. More radical demands came from the working classes in +the towns. The articles of Heilbronn demanded that the property of the +Church should be confiscated and used for the community; clergy and +nobility alike were to be deprived of all their privileges, so that they +could no longer oppress the poor man. The more violent leaders renewed the +old cry that the parsons must be slain. Hundreds of castles and +monasteries were destroyed by the frantic peasantry, and some of the +nobles were murdered with shocking cruelty. Luther, who believed that the +peasants were trying to cloak their dreadful sins with excuses from the +gospel, exhorted the government to put down the insurrection. 'Have no +pity on the poor folk; stab, smite, throttle, who can.' The German rulers +took Luther's advice with terrible literalness, and avenged themselves +upon the peasants, whose lot was apparently worse afterwards than +before."--Brit. + +And they were cast upon the earth AND THE THIRD PART OF THE EARTH WAS +BURNED UP.--Luther's teaching had the effect of transforming the order- +loving German people into anarchists. + +And the third part.--The German part. + +Of trees.--Trees are symbols of saints. "St. Paul gives us the picture of a +tree, the roots of which push down deep into the knowledge of the Divine +Plan, while the tree of character grows higher and higher, developing and +maturing the rich fruits of the Holy Spirit of God; for instruction is a +form of _construction_."--Z. '14-312; Isa. 61:3. + +Was burnt up.--Hindered from standing alone, and absorbed into the Lutheran +system. + +And all green grass.--Natural men of independent thought.--Isa. 40:6, 7. + +Was burnt up.--Similarly absorbed into the Lutheran system, a welcome +substitute for papacy's intolerable yoke. + +8:8. And the second [angel] sounded.--The Anglican church movement began. + +And as it were a great mountain.--England in the time of Henry VIII. +Mountains symbolize kingdoms.--Dan. 2:35; Jer. 51:25. + +Burning with fire.--Aflame with another great movement destructive to the +papacy. + +Was cast into the sea.--Was suddenly thrown into a condition of isolation +from the papacy--no longer placed under religious restraint to it. + +And the third part of the sea.--The English part. + +Became blood.--The much-married Henry VIII., founder of the Anglican +Church, and the second great sect-founder, has some slight blemishes on +his escutcheon also. "Henry VIII. himself stoutly maintained the headship +of the pope, and as is well known, after examining the arguments of +Luther, published his defence of the Seven Sacraments in 1521, which won +for him from the pope the glorious title of 'Defender of the faith.' By +1527 the king had become hopeless of having a male heir by Catherine. He +was tired of her, and in love with the black-eyed Anne Boleyn, who refused +to be his mistress. The king's agents secured the opinion of a number of +prominent universities that his marriage was void, and an assembly of +notables, which he summoned in June 1530, warned the pope of the dangers +involved in leaving the royal succession in uncertainty. Henry's next move +was to bring a charge against the clergy, accusing them of having violated +the ancient laws of praemunire in submitting to the authority of papal +legates (although he himself had ratified the appointment of Wolsey as +legate _a latere_). The clergy of the province of Canterbury were fined +100,000 pounds and compelled to declare the king their singular protector +and only supreme lord, and, as far as that is permitted by the law of +Christ, the supreme head of the Church and of the clergy. + +"The following year, 1532, an obedient parliament presented a petition to +the king (which had been most carefully elaborated by the king's own +advisers) containing twelve charges against the bishops. For the remedy of +these abuses parliament turned to the king 'in whom and by whom the only +and sole redress, reformation and remedy herein absolutely rests and +remains.' [These charges were answered by the clergy, but the answer did +not suit the king so on the 15th of May, 1532.] The king's most humble +subjects, daily orators and bedesmen of the clergy of England, in view of +his goodness and fervent Christian zeal and his learning far exceeding +that of all other kings that they have read of, agree never to assemble in +convocation except at the king's summons, and to enact and promulgate no +constitution or ordinances except they receive the royal assent and +authority. [Then Henry divorced Catherine and married Anne Boleyn and the +English Reformation was officially launched.] The king had now clarified +the ancient laws of the realm to his satisfaction, and could proceed to +seize such portions of the Church's possessions as he deemed superfluous +for the maintenance of religion. [On the 30th of July, 1540, three +Lutheran clergymen were burned and three Roman Catholics beheaded, the +latter for denying the king's spiritual supremacy. The king's ardent +desires that diversities of minds and opinions should be done away with +and unity be 'charitably established' was further promoted by publishing +in 1543 A Necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian Man, set +forth by the King's Majesty of England, in which the tenets of mediaeval +theology, except for denial of the supremacy of the bishop of Rome and the +unmistakable assertion of the supremacy of the king, were once more +restated. The First Prayer Book of Edward VI was issued in 1549 and was +followed in 1552 by the Second Prayer Book and] 'The foundations of the +Anglican church were laid.'--Brit. + +8:9. And the third part.--The English part. + +Of the creatures.--The clergy "apostolically" of the Church of Rome, but +actually doing business under Henry VIII. Be it noted that they were not +counted worthy of being called "men." + +Which were in the sea.--No longer under religious restraint to the papacy. + +And had life.--The apostolic succession, from the line of popes, etc., +described in Rev. 2:13 comments. + +Died.--Were excommunicated by the pope, lost their "apostolic (?) +succession." + +And the third part.--The English part. + +Of the ships.--Independent bodies of Christian worshippers called Lollards, +followers of Wycliffe.--Mark 4:36; 6:48-51; John 6:21. + +Were destroyed.--Compelled to acknowledge Henry VIII as head of the Church +or lose their lives. "Thus, when the English Reformation of the 16th +century commenced, it derived a new impulse from the earlier Lollard +movement which it was destined to absorb into itself."--McC. + +8:10. And the third angel sounded.--The Calvinistic movement began, which +later developed into the Northern Presbyterian Church, Cumberland +Presbyterian Church, Welsh Calvinistic Church, United Presbyterian Church, +Southern Presbyterian Church, Associate Presbyterian Church, Associate +Reformed Southern Presbyterian Church, Reformed Synod Presbyterian Church, +Reformed General Synod Presbyterian Church, Reformed Covenanted +Presbyterian Church, Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States and +Canada, Dutch Reformed Church, German Reformed Church, Christian Reformed +Church, Hungarian Reformed Church, and Congregational Church.--1 Cor. 3:3. + +And there fell a great star from heaven.--John Calvin tore a large-sized +hole in the Catholic firmament when he started the manufacture of a +firmament of his own. + +Burning as it were a lamp.--The precipitation of the Calvinistic movement +in France and Switzerland was as sudden as the Anglican movement had been +in England or the Lutheran movement in Germany. In 1533 Francis I, King of +France, "anxious to conciliate both German Protestants and anti-papal +England, invited some of the reformers to preach in the Louvre," as an +offset to a fierce attack that had but lately been made upon them, caused +by the mutilation of a statue of the Virgin. On the festival of All +Saints, Cop, the rector of the University of Paris, was to deliver the +address, but Jean Cauvin (Calvin) persuaded the rector to read an address +which he had written. It was a defence of the new evangelical views and so +aroused the Sorbonne that Calvin and Cop were both obliged to flee from +Paris. Calvin went to Basle, Switzerland, and in 1536 wrote and published +the first great textbook of Protestant theology, _Institutes of the +Christian Religion_. He did his best, but his best was not very good. + +And it fell upon the third part.--The French part. + +Of the rivers.--Channels of religious instruction. + +And upon the fountains of waters.--The Word of God. Although Calvin +misunderstood and misapplied them, yet he constantly appealed to the +Scriptures as the support for his theories. + +8:11. And the name of the star.--Calvin is entitled to the honor of having +at one time been a papal star. "He was from the first educated for the +Church, and before he was twelve years old was presented to a benefice in +the Cathedral of Noyon. Six years after this he was appointed to a cure of +souls at Montville, and thus, although not yet twenty, and not even in the +minor orders, he was enjoying the titles and revenues of a cure."--McC. + +Is called Wormwood.--What an ideal name for the doctrine which has caused +more bitterness against God than any other doctrine ever taught, and for +the man who roasted Servetus at the stake. + +And the third part of the waters.--Many portions of the Scriptures, +misunderstood, misconstrued and misapplied. + +Became.--Were made to appear in the eyes of many. + +Wormwood.--Bitter as gall. "None now would justify Calvin's course in +sentencing Servetus to be burned. Others burned at the stake usually had +the fuel piled at their feet. The flames were inhaled with the smoke, and +the victim was speedily unconscious to suffering. For Servetus Satanic +ingenuity arranged the burning fagots at a distance. He literally roasted +alive, in horrible torture, nearly five hours--in the name of God, of +Jesus, of Righteousness, Truth, Justice, Love, Christianity and +Civilization." (P. D.)--Jer. 9:15; 23:15; 9-40; Deut. 29:18. + +And many men died of the waters.--Lost their manhood, reason and common +sense by becoming Calvinists. + +Because they were made bitter.--Because the Scriptures were made to appear +to teach what actually they do not. "It seems remarkable that only now are +we realizing that a man so deficient in the spirit of his Master as to +murder his brother, should not be an accepted teacher of the Word of God +and its spirit. Only now are Bible students realizing that Brother Calvin +was not the inventor of the doctrine of election, but merely of the +doctrine that all the non-elect would suffer everlastingly. Now we see +that the terms, 'the elect,' 'the very elect,' are Bible terms! and that +those who make their calling and election sure, will be glorified in the +First Resurrection. Now we see that the Elect will be associated with +Jesus in His Kingdom, which will bless the non-elect--'all the families of +the Earth.' "--P. D. + +8:12. And the fourth angel sounded.--The Baptist sectarian movement began, +resulting in Baptist Churches North, Baptist Churches South, Baptist +Churches Colored, Seventh-Day Baptists, General Baptists, Separate +Baptists, United Baptists, Baptist Church of Christ, Primitive Baptist +Church, Primitive Colored Baptist Church, Old Two Seed in the Spirit +Predestinarian Baptist Church, Church of God and Saints of Christ, +Mennonites, Six Principle Baptist Church, Free Baptist Church, Freewill +Baptist Church--not forgetting the Selfwill Baptist Church, which also has +a large membership, but is not listed.--1 Cor. 3:3. + +From an examination of history "It does not appear that the Baptists were +formed into any stability (as a sect) until the time of Menno, about the +year 1536. About 1644 they began to make a considerable figure in England, +and spread themselves into several separate congregations. They separated +from the Independents about the year 1638, and set up for themselves under +the pastoral care of Mr. Jesse; and, having renounced their former +baptism, they sent over one of their number to be immersed by one of the +Dutch Anabaptists of Amsterdam, that he might be qualified to baptize his +friends in England after the same manner." (Buck.) "Menno Simons, born in +1492 at Witmarsum in Friesland, at the age of 24 entered the priesthood. +Doubts about transubstantiation made him uneasy; some of Luther's tracts +fell in his way, and he was comforted by Luther's dictum that salvation +does not depend on human dogmata. Hence he began to study the New +Testament. The question as to the right age for baptism came up; he found +this an open matter in the early church. Then the execution, in March, +1531, at Leeuwarden, of the tailor Sicke Freerks, who had been rebaptized +in the previous December at Emden, introduced further questions. Menno was +not satisfied with the inconsistent answers which he got from Luther, +Bucer and Bullinger; he resolved to rely on Scripture alone, and from this +time describes his preaching as evangelical, not sacramental. Anabaptism +of the Munster type repelled him. A brother of Menno joined the insurgent +followers of Matthyzoon and was killed at Bolsward, April 1535. Blaming +the leaders by whom these poor people had been misled, Menno blamed +himself for not having shown them a straight course. Accordingly on the +12th of January 1536 he left the Roman communion. + +"Among the so-called Anabaptists were four parties, the favorers of the +Munster faction, the Batenburgers, extremists, the Melchiorites and the +Obbenites. For a time Menno remained aloof from both Melchior Hofman and +Obbe Philipsz. Before the year was out, yielding to the prayer of six or +eight persons who had freed themselves from the Munster spell, he agreed +to become their minister and was set apart January 1537 to the eldership +at Groningen, with imposition of hands by Obbe Philipsz. Menno repudiated +the formation of a sect; those who had experienced the 'new birth' were to +him the true Christian church. His Christology was in the main orthodox +though he rejected terms such as Trinity which he could not find in +Scripture. Of the introduction of Anabaptist views into England we have no +certain knowledge. Fox relates that 'the registers of London make mention +of certain Dutchmen counted for Anabaptists, of whom ten were put to death +in sundry places in the realm, anno 1535; other ten repented and were +saved'. In 1536 King Henry VIII issued a proclamation concerning faith +agreed upon by Convocation, in which the clergy are told to instruct the +people that they ought to repute and take 'The Anabaptists' opinions for +detestable heresies and to be utterly condemned.' Thomas Fuller tells us +from Stow's Chronicles that in the year 1538 four Anabaptists, three men +and one woman, all Dutch, bare faggots at Paul's Cross, and three days +after a man and woman of their sect were burnt in Smithfield. The early +English Baptists, while they utterly rejected the baptism of infants, were +as yet unpledged to immersion and rarely practiced it."--Brit. + +And the third part of the sun was smitten.--Though not apparently so stated +in any confession of faith, it is a prevalent view among Baptists that the +Old Testament has been entirely fulfilled. Believing thus they lose the +force of a large part of the Gospel Message, typified by the sun. + +And the third part of the moon.--Similarly, they do not see the force of +the teachings of the Law Dispensation, as in the Tabernacle arrangements, +etc., in their application to the Church. + +And the third part of the stars.--The teachings of the true light-bearers, +the Apostles, cannot be fully appreciated except in connection with the +prophecies of the Old Testament. + +So as the third part of them was darkened.--If pressed to estimate the +relative worth to us as New Creatures of the writings of the Old and New +Testaments, we would admit that the writings of the New Testament are +worth perhaps twice as much to us as those of the Old Testament because +they contain the message addressed to the New Creation, but _we_ want all +_three_ thirds of the Word. + +And the day.--The Scripture teaching of the coming Millennial Day. + +Shone not for a third part of it.--At least a third of the light we get on +the subject of the Lord's Millennial Reign is from the Old Testament. + +And the night likewise.--The same is true of the world's dark night of sin +and death, and the darkest feature of that night--the Time of Trouble such +as was not since there was a nation. The Old Testament has much of light +and instruction on this subject. + +8:13. And I beheld, and heard an [angel] EAGLE.--One of Pastor Russell's +humble followers (Matt. 24:28) apprehending correctly the significance of +the three woes. + +Flying through the midst of heaven.--Beginning with the papal heavens and +then in their order of development, the Lutheran heavens, Anglican +heavens, Calvinistic heavens and Baptist heavens (and others shortly.) + +Saying with a loud voice.--With considerable plainness of speech. + +Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth.--Great distress and +perplexity of mind to all supporters of Satan's Empire. + +By reason of the other voices.--Later movements in the ecclesiastical +heavens described in Chapters 9 and 10. + +Of the three angels, which are yet to sound.--The four great +denominations--Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian and Baptist--were formed in +swift succession within twenty years from the time Luther nailed the +theses on the Wittenberg door. But the work of forming new movements away +from papal bondage did not stop there. + + + "Ye curious minds, who roam abroad, + And trace creation's wonders o'er, + Confess the footsteps of your God, + And bow before Him, and adore." + + + + +Revelation 9--Two Ineffective Reformation Woes + + +9:1. And the fifth angel sounded.--The Wesleyan movement began, leading up +to the Methodist Episcopal Church, United American Methodist Episcopal +Church, African Methodist Episcopal Church, African United Methodist +Protestant Church, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Methodist +Protestant Church, Wesleyan Methodist Church, Methodist Episcopal Church +South, Congregational Methodist Church, New Congregational Methodist +Church, Zion Union Apostolic Church, Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, +Free Methodist Church, Reformed Methodist United Episcopal Church, and +Independent Methodist Churches.--1 Cor. 3:3. + +And I saw a star.--John Wesley became a star in the Anglican heavens in +1728, at which time he was ordained a priest by Bishop Potter. + +Fall from heaven unto the earth.--For many years Wesley had no thought of +forming a sect; and yet, unconsciously, he began to do so from the time he +was ordained. He was then in Oxford University, where "the completeness of +his self-devotion to the service of God, combined with his rare moral +courage and superior strength of character, caused him to be recognized as +the leader of a group of under-graduates which was nicknamed the 'Holy +Club' by the ungodly of the University, who derided its members for their +rigid rules and charitable practices by calling them 'Methodists.' " +(McC.) "He fully accepted the recognized teaching of the Church of +England, and publicly appealed to the Prayer-Book and the Thirty-nine +articles in justification of the doctrines he preached. Methodism began in +a revival of personal religion, and it professed to have but one aim, to +spread Scriptural holiness over the land. Its doctrines were in no sense +new." (Brit.) The work in the Western World, particularly in the United +States, grew to vast proportions. "The preachers in the South determined +upon administration of the sacraments, and a committee was chosen who +ordained themselves and others. The Northern preachers opposed this step +and for several years the Connexion was on the verge of disruption. Wesley +perceived that the Society would disintegrate unless effective measures +were speedily taken, and, aided by two presbyters of the Church of +England, (one of whom was James Creighton) early in 1784 he ordained +Thomas Coke, a presbyter of that Church, as Superintendent."--Brit. + +His brother Charles heartily disapproved of this and wrote the following +(which does not, however, appear with his other hymns in the Methodist +hymnal): + + + "So easily are bishops made + By man or woman's whim; + Wesley his hands on Coke hath laid, + But who laid hands on _him_?" + + +In 1787 the American Conference changed Mr. Coke's title to "Bishop." Mr. +Coke tried to introduce this title into the English Conference of which he +was president, but the English Brethren could not accept it, despite his +great earnestness in the cause. It must have been a strange sight to see a +bright man like Wesley engaging those two presbyters of the Church of +England to help him ordain somebody to a higher office than any of _them_ +had ever held. But _the plan worked_. All Methodists believe that Bishop +Coke, the first Bishop of the Methodist Church received some "apostolic +succession" from the original line described in comments on Rev. 2:13. +These brethren have grieved that Pastor Russell did not get his ordination +from the same source. + +And to him was given the key of the [bottomless] pit OF THE ABYSS.--Wesley +was given the key to _nothing_ and to _nowhere_. + +9:2. [And he opened the bottomless pit].--Wesley opened nothing. He did +interpret Rom. 8:21 as meaning that the lower animals would go to Heaven, +but that was an error. He was honest enough, however, to object to using +the word Trinity because he did not find it in the Bible. "Christian +Advocates" please note. + +And there arose a smoke.--Confusion--a blinding haze. + +[Out of] OVER the pit.--In the "air," the ecclesiastical heavens. + +As the smoke of a great furnace.--Methodism was no ordinary smudge. + +And the sun.--The true Gospel. + +And the air.--The Anglican Church. + +Were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.--Methodism damaged the +Anglican communion as much as it did the Truth. + +9:3. And there came out of the smoke locusts.--An immense number of +followers.--Judges 7:12. + +Upon the earth.--Among order-loving people. + +And unto them was given power.--To attend an old-time Methodist meeting and +witness the "getting the power" was to see the sight of a life-time. + +As the scorpions of the earth have powers.--"A well-known injurious insect +of _hot_ climates, which is shaped very much like a lobster. They are +carnivorous in their habits, and move along in a threatening attitude with +the tail elevated. The sting, which is situated at the extremity of the +tail, has at its base a gland that secretes a poisonous fluid, which is +discharged into the wound by two minute orifices at its extremity. The +scorpion makes a painful wound in men and beasts which produces fatal +results unless speedy remedies be provided such as scarifying the wound or +sucking out the poison."--McC. + +9:4. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the +earth.--Men of independent thought.--Rev. 8:7. + +[Neither any green thing.] Neither any tree.--Saint.--Rev. 8:7. + +But [only] those men.--The unconverted. + +Which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.--Methodists understand +that to be converted from being a sinner means to have the seal of God in +one's forehead. All the energies of that church are devoted to gathering +in goats to the sheepfold. + +9:5. And to them it was given that they should not kill them.--No such sane +and merciful sentence as "The wages of sin is death" has any place in +Methodist theology. Wesley was born at a time when the original meaning of +the word "Hell" had become hidden, and was saturated with the later +teachings that it signifies a place of torment. He threw his whole heart +into the work of spreading this error throughout the earth. + +But that they should be tormented five months.--In symbolic time, 150 +years. (Rev. 2:21). Wesley became the first Methodist in 1728. (Rev. 9:1). +When the Methodist denomination, with all the others, was cast off from +favor in 1878 (Rev. 3:14) its power to torment men by preaching what +Presbyterians describe as "Conscious misery, eternal in duration" came to +an end legally, and to a large extent actually.--Rev. 9:10. + +And their torment.--The torment of those tormented by the tormenting +doctrine of torment. + +Was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.--See Rev. 9:10. + +9:6. And in those days.--Throughout the 150 years of widely prevalent +"Methodist hell-fire". + +Shall men seek death.--Would be glad to know that "The wages of sin _is_ +death."--Rom. 6:23. + +And shall not find it.--Because all the texts which plainly teach that "All +the wicked will God destroy," were perverted to mean "All the wicked will +God immortalize in hell." + +And shall desire to die.--Real men would prefer to die and stay dead rather +than forever companion and worship the greatest devil of the Universe. + +And death shall flee from them.--They were told that men only seem to die, +although touch, hearing, sight and smell all bear eloquent testimony to +the contrary.--Rom. 6:23; Ezek. 18:4; Gen. 3:19; Psa. 115:17; Ecc. 9:5; +Psa. 37:10, 20; Ecc. 3:19-21; 1 Cor. 15:13, 18; Dan. 12:2. + +9:7. And the [shapes] LIKENESSES of the locusts were like unto horses +prepared unto battle.--The battle-cry of the old-time Methodist was "All at +it, and always at it". + +And on their heads were as it were crowns like gold.--Those born of the +spirit, changed from human conditions and made like the Lord, have +received the very highest blessing, the "Crown of life", the Divine +nature. Gold is a symbol of Divinity. To receive a crown of gold is to be +born of the spirit. All old-time Methodists felt certain that they were +"born of the spirit" when converted, no begetting or quickening being +necessary. But here is pointed out that these good people had "as-it-were" +crowns instead of real ones. + +And their faces were as the faces of men.--They were not "Born of the +spirit" as they supposed. + +9:8. And they had hair as the hair of women.--"If a woman have long hair it +is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering." (1 Cor. +11:15.) The Church's glory is her wedding robe, the robe of Christ's +righteousness. It is to the credit of old-time Methodists that they +trusted for salvation in the precious blood of Christ. + +And their teeth were as the teeth of lions.--Lions are able to chew and +swallow almost anything. When the conference at Baltimore in 1787 turned +John Wesley's Superintendent into a Bishop, the Methodist people swallowed +it all; and to this day most of them really believe that their clergy are +a Divinely appointed institution, despite the fraud perpetrated.--Joel. +1:4-6. + +9:9. And they had breastplates.--"Breastplates of righteousness."--Eph. +6:14. + +As it were breastplates of iron.--An iron breastplate would be a good one +but an "as-it-were" breastplate would need examination. It was not +uncommon for old-time Methodists to deceive themselves into thinking they +had not sinned for years. Those who had such breastplates wore the "As-it- +were" variety. + +And the sound of their wings.--When engaged in "getting the power".--Rev. +9:3. + +Was as the sound of chariots.--The noisiest vehicles known in the +Revelator's day. + +Of many horses running to battle.--The old-time Methodist hell-fire revival +was in days gone by the noisiest place on earth, excepting the camp- +meeting. Those good old days have long since gone. + +9:10. And they had tails.--Followers--class-leaders. + +Like unto scorpions.--The old-time class-leader was an invaluable adjunct +of the Methodist Church. Upon him devolved the duty of requiring each +probationer to attend the class-meeting and report his spiritual progress +weekly, whether he had made any or not. After each report it was the +class-leader's duty to squirt in a little more of the poisonous doctrines +from the two orifices referred to in comments on Rev. 9:3. From the +"heaven" orifice came the doctrine "If you are good you will go to Heaven +when you die"--and from the "hell" orifice came the message "If you are bad +you will go to hell when you die." It was all very simple. Everybody was +simple in those days. + +And [there were] stings.--Revivals in which the attendants were stung, +doctrinally and financially. + +AND in their tails [and] WAS their power [was] to hurt men five +months.--One hundred and fifty years, from Wesley's ordination in 1728 to +the casting off of Methodism in 1878.--Rev. 9:5. + +9:11. [And] they [had a] HAVE THEIR king [over them].--The same king as +exercises general rulership over all the ecclesiastical affairs of this +present evil world. + +[Which is] the angel of the [bottomless pit] ABYSS.--"The prince of the +power of the air."--Eph. 2:2. + +Whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon.--And he is "a bad one," sure +enough.--2 Cor. 4:4. + +But in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.--That is, Destroyer. But in +plain English his name is Satan, the Devil. As a means for preventing +people from seeing the Truth, Methodism has been as efficient as any of +the five systems previously described, or any that follow. All have been +sadly misled and deceived by our great and wily Adversary; "Taken captive +by him at his will."--2 Tim. 2:26. + +9:12. One woe is past.--Methodism was the first woe of the epoch leading up +to and associated with the Time of the End. It was a serious blow to the +pretensions of the Papacy, but its days of usefulness have long since +passed. + +And, behold, there come two woes more [hereafter].--One outlined in the +remainder of this chapter and one in Chapter 10. It was the discovery of +Methodism as the first woe that led to an identification of the four +movements of the Reformation proper which preceded it.--Rev. 8:7-13. + +9:13. [And] AFTER THESE THINGS the sixth angel sounded.--The Evangelical- +Alliance-Spiritism movement began in 1846-1848 culminating in the Federal +Council of the Churches of Christ in America. The following great +denominations which comprise 90% of the Protestant Church membership are +represented in this council: Baptist (North), Free Baptist, Christian, +Congregational, Disciples of Christ, Evangelical Association, Evangelical +Synod, Friends, Lutheran General Synod, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist +Episcopal (South), German Evangelical Synod, Colored Methodist Episcopal, +Methodist Protestant, African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist +Episcopal Zion, Mennonite, Moravian, Presbyterian, Presbyterian (South), +Welsh Presbyterian, Reformed Presbyterian, United Presbyterian, Protestant +Episcopal, Reformed Church in America, Reformed Church in the U. S. A., +Reformed Episcopal, Seventh-Day Baptist, United Brethren in Christ, United +Evangelical, National Baptist Convention. + + [Illustration] + + Methodism + + + [Illustration] + + Babylon Perplexes The World + + +Although these sects are the only ones now members of the Federal Council, +yet, in hatred of the Truth, and darkness in regard to God's Plan, the +following are also entitled to membership: Evangelical Adventists, Advent +Christians, Seventh-Day Adventists, Church of God, Life and Advent Union, +Church of God in Jesus Christ, fifteen kinds of Baptists named in comments +on Rev. 8:12, four kinds of Dunkard brethren, the Conservative, Old Order, +Progressive and Seventh-Day German varieties, four kinds of Plymouth +Brethren, three kinds of River Brethren, the Brethren in Christ, Old Order +or Yorker and United Zion's Children, Catholic Apostolic, New Apostolic, +Christadelphians, Dowie's Christian Catholic, Christian Union, Church of +Christ Scientist, Winnebrenarian Churches of God, Colored Churches of the +Living God, Christian Workers for Friendship, Apostolic, Church of Christ +in God, Churches of the New Jerusalem, General Convention, General Church, +Church Transcendent, Communistic Societies, Shakers, Amana, Churches of +Christ, Apostolic Faith Movement, Peniel Missions, Metropolitan Church +Association, Hepziba Faith Association, Missionary Christian Association, +Heavenly Recruit Church, Apostolic Christian Church, Christian +Congregation, Colored Voluntary Missionary Society, Hicksite Friends, +Wilburite Friends, Primitive Friends, Friends of the Temple, German +Evangelical Protestant, Latter-Day Saints, Reorganized Latter-Day Saints, +twenty-one kinds of Lutherans shown in comments on Rev. 8:7, Swedish +Evangelical Missionary Covenant. Swedish Evangelical Free Mission, +Norwegian Evangelical Free Church, twelve kinds of Mennonites, +Bruederhoef, Amish, Old Amish, Conservative Amish, Reformed, General +Conference, Church of God in Christ, Old Wisler, Bundes Conference, +Defenceless, Brethren in Christ, sixteen kinds of Methodists shown in +comments on Rev. 9:1, Union Moravian, Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, +Other Pentecostal Associations, twelve kinds of Presbyterians shown in +comments on Rev. 8:10, 11, Christian Reformed, Hungarian Reformed, +Reformed Catholic, Salvation Army, Schwenkfelders, Social Brethren, +Society for Ethical Culture, Spiritualists, Theosophical Society, Old +Constitution Brethren, Unitarians, Universalists, etc. + +Their "faiths" are quite as varied as their names, but without exception +they deny the central truth of the Scriptures (1 John 4:2, 3) that when +Jesus Christ came to earth He came as a man only, devoid of immortality or +Divinity, that when He died He was as dead as though He never had lived, +and that by that death He bought for Adam and his race the Restitution of +all things foretold by "the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world +began." (Rev. 4:10.) The common ground upon which they stand is this, +their denial of the Ransom, their affirmation of Spiritism, in some form, +and their adherence to the principle of Federation. All of these things +are condemned in the Scriptures but the Scriptures will never be allowed +to stand in the way of those who live by shearing the wool from the sheep. +(2 Tim. 4:3, 4; Deut. 18:10, 11; Isa. 8:9-22.) The latter passage is full +of the deepest significance at this time. + +"Christian Heralds" that refused to publish advertisements of Pastor +Russell's books now give space to advertisements of godless, Christless, +Buddhist, demoniacal books, glorifying the New Thought system of mind +worship, the boot-strap system of religion by which men, by cultivation of +the will, lift themselves into money, piety and immortality, and by making +assertions to and demands of the alleged "sub-conscious mind" invite and +receive the assistance of evil spirits, and finally come under their +control. Modern "Christianity" is Buddhism. + +"The Rev. Dr. Day, Chancellor of the Syracuse University, recently, in an +address to the Y. M. C. A., is reported by the public press to have said: +'Wouldn't you rather live in America than in Heaven? I would. I'd like to +go to Heaven when I can't be here. In fact, I think I'd be rather +discontented in Heaven till I got adjusted. You can get anything you want +here. You can live under forty odd governments, meet all the nations of +the world, eat all the fruits of the world and get any kind of climate +that you choose. So America is the beat place to live; but I think when a +man can't stay here any longer he ought to steer for Heaven,' " (Z. +'08-196.) Having concluded to stay here as long as possible, "Christians" +are now flocking by thousands to the purchase of works which will show +them how to use spiritism to take advantage of their fellow men. The +religious and other periodicals are now filled with advertisements of +these books. We quote a few extracts to show their Satanic character: + +"It is necessary to control others, to discover their plans. This you may +be able to do if you have developed your inner faculties. We show you how +to so develop your intuitional nature that you are able to detect the +feelings of others; to penetrate their secret motives; and to discover +what they try to conceal. The Golden Rule must be followed in controlling +others. 'Do unto others as you would that they should do unto you.' There +comes more and more the power of seeing the future, so that more and more +true becomes the old adage that coming events cast their shadows before. +Health in time takes the place of disease; for all disease and its +consequent suffering is merely the result of the violation of law, whether +consciously or unconsciously. There comes a spiritual power which, as it +is sent out, is adequate for the healing of others the same as in the days +of old." + +"Many omniscient men and women will soon walk the earth. Omniscience and +Freedom are the goal of all, and in this Great Age of Light many Egos are +approaching the blessed omniscience state." + +"Suddenly it seemed that the top of my head had been lifted, and I became +aware of an immense increase of personal consciousness. I became +conscious, I say--I know what I am writing--of the vast sky above, and the +mighty deeps below, and the wide sweep of present human life, and the long +forward and backward stretch of human history. It seemed that I could +sense the All. Since that day all is well. Life is deeper, richer, +stronger--assured, fearless, and saturated with perennial vital interests." +(What really happened to this man was that he became obsessed by +demons.)--Rev. 7:3. + +"The strength of these delusions lies in the grave errors mixed with +truths long held by Christian people, because of the 'falling away' from +the pure faith of the Apostolic Church, foretold in the Scriptures. Among +these errors none is designed to open the heart and mind to these delusive +and destructive theories of today more effectually than the general belief +of the first lie--'Ye shall _not_ surely die.' (Gen. 3:4.) The general +acceptance of it results from a failure to understand the Bible doctrine +concerning _life_ and _immortality_, which were brought to light by our +Lord Jesus through His Gospel of salvation from sin by His Ransom- +sacrifice. The advocates of these false doctrines are surprisingly alert +and active everywhere, especially in the United States, where thought is +most active and where liberty often means license. Hundreds of thousands +have embraced these errors as new and advanced light. The extent of their +success is not fully apparent to many; for their success lies in a _still +hunt_ for prey. Their advocates are to be found in almost every +congregation of every denomination, and especially among the more +cultured; and the 'angel of light' feature is seldom neglected. The +nominal churches are already permeated, _leavened_ with these false +doctrines. The Scriptural prophecy that 'a thousand shall fall at thy [the +true Church's] side, and ten thousand at thy right hand' (Psalm 91:3-14), +is now fulfilled before our eyes."--Z. '15-343. + +And I heard a voice.--William Miller, from A. D. 1829 to 1844. + +From [the four horns of] the golden altar which is before God.--"The Golden +Altar in the 'Holy' would seem to represent the 'little flock,' the +consecrated Church in the present sacrificing condition."--T. 120. + +9:14. Saying.--By pointing to the near fulfillment of the 2300 days.--Dan. +8:14. + +To the sixth angel which had the trumpet.--The Evangelical Alliance- +Spiritism movement. The Alliance proper was organized Sept. 2nd, 1846, at +the end of the 2800 years. The spiritism feature began January, 1848. The +two have been growing towards each other ever since until now they are +substantially one and the same thing. + +Loose the four angels.--Four errors in the nine fundamental principles of +the Evangelical Alliance. We give the erroneous clauses by number: (3) +"The unity of the Godhead, and the trinity of persons therein." See Rev. +6:4; 5:7. (5) "The incarnation of the Son of God." (8) "The immortality of +the soul." (9) "The Divine institution of the Christian ministry" (i. e., +the clergy). + +Which are bound.--Hindered from gaining fullest expression. + +In the great river Euphrates.--The world of mankind.--B. 209, D. 24. + +And the four angels.--The four great errors of trinity, incarnation, +immortality and lordship over God's heritage. + +Were loosed.--Given greater liberties than ever before. + +Which were prepared.--Each sect for itself, and in its own time. + +For [an] THE hour.--The hour of judgment, 1918. + +[And a day] and [a] month, and [a] year.--Thirteen symbolic months, the 390 +years of Protestantism's siege of the Papacy.--Ezek. 4:5. + +For to slay.--To make nominal Christians of, to take away the manhood of. + +The third part of men.--According to the World Almanac for 1917, the total +number of Christians in the world at the beginning of the twentieth +century was 571,400,000, of whom one third, 177,800,000, were Protestants. + +9:16. And the number of the army of the horsemen.--In round numbers, at the +time of identification. + +Were two hundred thousand thousand.--Approximately two hundred millions. + +[And] I heard the number of them.--Heard, heeded, or noted, the count as +given in the World Almanac, as correct. This is a tribute to a journal +notorious for its ignoble, unjust and dishonest attacks on Pastor Russell. +"Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee." And have you noticed, on the +same principle, that nearly all the encyclopedic references herein are to +the great standard Protestant works to be found in every capable +minister's library? How is it that _they_ do not know these things? + +9:17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision.--Horses are symbols of +teachings. It is the doctrines a man has been taught that carry him along +to do things. "As a man thinketh, so is he." The man and his beliefs are +inseparable.--Joel 2:4. (The four kinds of horses of Zech. 6:1-8 seem to +refer to four companies of saved ones. Red, the Ancient Worthies; black, +the Little Flock; white, the Great Company; bay, the world of mankind.) + +And them that sat [on] UPON them.--The total Protestant church membership. + +Having breastplates of fire.--Keeping the doctrine of hell-fire well to the +front in their teachings. + +And of jacinth.--"The hyacinthus of the Romans is invariably blue and +lustrous. This description suggests the blue flame which issues between +the fire and the brimstone, represented as 'smoke' in verse 18."--Cook. + +And brimstone.--Yes, indeed, plenty of brimstone went along with the hell- +fire.--Rev. 14:10. + +And the heads.--"The ancient and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet +that teaches lies, he is the tail."--Isa. 9:15. "In a genus of serpents or +ophidian reptiles called _amphisboena_ the tail and head are equally +obtuse, and the scales on the head so similar to those on the back as to +render it difficult to distinguish one extremity from the other. Hence +these reptiles have been supposed to have the power of creeping backwards +or forwards with equal facility." (Cook.)--Isa. 29:10-14; John 4:22. + +Were as the heads of lions.--Able to swallow the most ridiculous and +impossible theories.--1 Chron. 12:8. + +And out of their mouths issued fire.--Sermons full of hell-fire. + +And smoke.--See Rev. 9:18. + +And brimstone.--O yes, surely; plenty of brimstone, to go with the hell- +fire. + +9:18. By these [three] PLAGUES was the third part of men.--The Protestant +third of Christendom. + +Killed.--Deprived of reason, manhood and dignity. + +By the fire.--The sermons full of hell-fire. + +And [by] the smoke.--Smoke is a symbol of confusion. The following is an +extract from an article on the brain written by a well-known physician and +alienist: + +"To illustrate how effectually such conceptions served to block all +progress in the science of life we may quote one instance from a ponderous +volume in my library with the date 1618 on _Physiology and Anatomy_ by +Hilkiah Crooke, Physician and Professor on Anatomy and Chirurgery to His +Majesty, James I. Speaking of the origin and growth of hair, he says: 'The +immediate matter of the haires is a sooty, thicke, and earthly vapour, +which in the time of the third concoction (distillation) is elevated by +the strength of the action of naturall heate, and passeth through the +pores of the skin, which heate exiceateth or drieth this moysture of these +sootie and thicke vapours, for the vapour being thicke, in his passage +leaveth some part of it selfe, to wit, the grossest, in the very outlet, +where it is impacted by a succeeding vapour arising where the former did, +is protruded and thrust forward, so that they are wrought together in one +body. The straightness of the passages of the skin were through the matter +of the haires is anoyded, formeth them into a small roundness, even as a +wyre receyeth that proportion whereof the whole is, where through it is +drawne.' One great office of the hairs of the head, therefore, Crooke +perceived to be to lead off 'the vapors which otherwise would choke and +make smoaky the braine,' though how hopelessly choked the brains of all +bald heads hence would be he does not mention." A study of the foregoing +leads to the conclusion that the various churches must have been founded +by bald-headed men, and the smoke being unable to find its way out through +their scalps naturally had to come out of their mouths! + +And [by] the brimstone.--Yes, indeed; plenty of brimstone. + +Which issued out of their mouths.--Especially when an evangelist firm is in +town looking for shekels. + +9:19. For [their power] THE POWER OF THE HORSES is in their +mouth.--Assuredly, assuredly; it certainly is not in the Scriptures. + +And in their tails.--Followers, "Workers," class-leaders.--Isa. 9:15. + +For their tails were like unto serpents.--Bright enough to know better. + +And had heads.--Wills of their own--unlike the "Beheaded" saints (Rev. +20:4.) + +And with them they do hurt.--Damage the cause of Truth. + +9:20. And the rest of the men.--Those ordinary "good fellows" (and bad ones +too), men of the world who had too much sense to swallow what is taught by +any of the sects. + +Which were not killed by these THEIR plagues.--Who remained "unconverted" +to the mass of errors masquerading in the name of religion. + +Yet repented not of the works of their hands.--Failed to turn their money, +brains and service over to the nominal church, but continued on in their +own way. + +That they should not worship devils.--Joining, if they choose, the Masons, +Odd Fellows and other secret organisations teaching a debased form of +religion.--Lev. 17:7; Deut. 32:17; 1 Cor. 10:20. + +And idols of gold, and silver and [brass] COPPER.--Having their affection +set upon currency in hand and in the bank.--Psa. 115:1-4; Dan. 5:22, 23. + +And stone, and of wood.--Giving their attention to earthly affairs, +improvements in real estate, etc. + +Which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk.--But are more or less permanent, +tangible and fixed. + +9:21. Neither repented they of their murders.--Teaching hell-fire keeps +nobody from being a murderer or a slanderer.--Rev. 21:8. + +Nor their sorceries.--Use of drugs, Greek. Teaching hell-fire keeps nobody +from being a drug fiend or pseudo-philosopher.--Rev. 21:8. + +Nor of their [fornication] WICKEDNESS.--Teaching hell-fire keeps nobody +from being a wicked man. + +Nor of their thefts.--Teaching hell-fire keeps nobody from engaging in +"high finance." + + + + +Revelation 10--The True Reformation Woe + + +10:1. And I saw another angel.--"The Messenger of the Covenant," the Lord +Jesus.--Mal. 3:1. + +Come down from Heaven.--At the time of the Second Advent, Oct. 1874.--Rev. +3:20. + +Clothed with a cloud.--" 'He cometh with clouds;' and while the clouds of +trouble are heavy and dark, when the mountains (kingdoms of this world) +are trembling and falling, and the earth (organized society) is being +shaken, disintegrated, melted, some will begin to realize what we now +proclaim as already at hand--that Jehovah's Anointed is taking to Himself +His great power and beginning His work of laying justice to the line and +righteousness to the plummet. (Isa. 28:17.)"--B. 138. + +And [a rainbow was] THE HAIR upon His head, and His face was as it were +the sun, and His feet as pillars of fire.--See Rev. 1:14-16; 7:2; 18:1. + +10:2. And [He had] HAVING in His hand.--In His power, given to Him by the +Father.--Rev. 5:7, 5. + +A little book open.--The Present Truth message.--C. 89. + +And He set His right foot.--Exerted the strongest power of restraint. + +Upon the sea.--The masses not under religious control, who, without the +Lord's control of the situation, would have long since swallowed up the +present order of things.--Rev. 7:1-3; Luke 21:25; Psa. 46:2, 3. + +And His left foot on the earth.--"Throughout the Scriptures, earth, when +used symbolically, represents society; seas, the restless, turbulent, +dissatisfied masses of the world."--A. 318. + +10:3. And cried with a loud voice.--Pastor Russell was the voice used.--Rev. +7:2. + +As when a lion roareth.--Symbolical of Justice.--Rev. 4:7; Amos 3:8. + +And when.--In 1881 A. D. + +He had cried.--With the first great cry, "_Food for Thinking Christians_," +1,400,000 copies given away, _free_. + +Seven thunders.--Seven volumes of "STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES."--Rev. 8:5. + +Uttered their voices.--Were foreseen as necessary to the complete statement +of the Plan, and the fulfillment of this and other Scriptures. + +10:4. And [when] WHATSOEVER the seven thunders had uttered [their voices], +I.--Pastor Russell as a representative of the John class. + +Was about to write.--Intended to put on paper at once. + +And I heard a voice from Heaven.--The guidance of the Heavenly Father, +directing and overruling, knowing that the results would be better if the +interest of His little ones were sustained by expectancy throughout the +whole time of Harvest, rather than to give them all the light at +once.--John 16:12. + +Saying [unto me], Seal up [those] WHAT things [which] SOEVER the seven +thunders uttered.--Do not immediately disclose their full contents.--Dan. +8:26; 12:4, 9. + +And write them not.--Observe how the Lord retarded the publications: Vol. I +was published in 1886. "In sending forth this first volume of the +MILLENNIAL DAWN, it is but proper that we apologize to the many friends +who have waited for it so patiently since promised." (A. 3.) Volume II was +published in 1889, and III in 1891. "Some have urged greater haste in the +writing and publishing of the several volumes of this series, and, to a +large extent, I have shared the same feelings of impatience; but my +observations of the Lord's dealings and leadings and unfoldings of His +Plan are gradually convincing me that He has not shared our impatience. +Indeed, I can clearly trace His hand in some of the hindrances encountered +and can realize by the delay I have been enabled to grasp the subjects +more thoroughly, and to present them more fully, than if the work had been +hastened more. Not only has this delay worked for my good and yours, but +in another way also. It has afforded time for a more thorough digestion of +the truths of each volume, and thereby has given to the faithful student +the very necessary preparation for that which was to follow. And not only +so, but it has also given opportunity for practicing the lessons learned, +and for exercising the talents of each in spreading the advancing light +before others of God's saints." (C. 12.) Volume IV was published in 1897, +V in 1899, VI in 1904 and VII in 1917. This makes a total lapse of 36 +years from the publication of _FOOD FOR THINKING CHRISTIANS_ to the last +volume of the _SCRIPTURE STUDIES_. Meantime the Harvest work grew to a +movement of vast proportions; and Volume VII was delayed. + +10:5. And the angel which I saw.--The Lord Jesus, since 1874.--Rev. 10:1. + +Stand upon the sea and upon the earth.--In control of the masses not under +religious restraint as well as order-loving society. + +Lifted up His RIGHT hand to Heaven.--The seventh angel was in that hand +when He did so.--Rev. 1:16, 20. + +10:6. And sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever.--By Jehovah, His +Father and our Father, His God and our God.--John 20:17. + +Who created Heaven, and the things that therein are.--"The heavens declare +the glory of God."--Psa. 19:1-6; Neh. 9:6; Rev. 4:11; 14:7. + +And the earth, and the things that therein are, [and the sea, and the +things which are therein].--"When the morning stars sang together, and all +the sons of God shouted for joy."--Job 38, 39, 40 and 41 chapters. + +That there [should be] IS time no longer.--"There shall be no further +delay."--Weym. + +10:7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel.--Pastor Russell +was the seventh angel.--Rev. 3:14. + +When he shall begin to sound.--In the autumn of 1881, at which time _FOOD +FOR THINKING CHRISTIANS_ was circulated, and the General Call ceased.--Rev. +11:15. + +The mystery of God [should be] WAS finished.--"The great unfolding of the +Divine mystery we are expressly told was reserved until the close of the +Gospel Age." (Z. '97-255.) "The Plan ceases to be a mystery, because there +is no further object in perpetuating its secrecy. The greatness of the +mystery, so long kept secret, and the wonderful grace bestowed on those +called to fellowship in this mystery (Eph. 3:9), suggest to us that the +work to follow its completion must be an immense work, worthy of such +great preparations. What may we not expect in blessings upon the world, +when the veil of mystery is withdrawn and the showers of blessing descend! +It is this for which the whole creation groans and travails in pain +together until now, waiting for the completion of this mystery, for the +manifestation of the Sons of God, the promised 'Seed' in whom they shall +all be blessed.--Rom. 8:19, 21, 22." (A. 87.) "While the door stands open, +it indicates that any believer who is anxious to enter and ready to comply +with the conditions may yet do so, even though the general 'call' or +invitation to enter is no longer sent out. The opportunity to labor and +sacrifice has not yet closed though the general call ceased in 1881."--C. +213. + +As He hath declared to His servants.--The Harvest Workers. + +AND the Prophets.--Daniel (12:4-12) and Habakkuk (2:1-3).--Rev. 1:1. + +10:8. And the Voice which I heard from Heaven.--The Heavenly Father's +voice.--Rev. 10:4. + +Spake unto me again.--By His Holy Spirit. + +And said.--Through the Bible, His Word, His Voice. + +Go take the little book.--"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a +workman that needeth not to be ashamed."--2 Tim. 2:15. + +Which is open in the hand of the angel.--The Lord Jesus. Rev. 10:1, 5. + +Which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.--See Rev. 10:2, 5. + +10:9. And I went unto the angel.--"In coming out of bondage to human +traditions, creeds, systems and errors, we are coming directly to our +Lord, to be taught and fed by Him, to be strengthened and perfected to do +His pleasure, and to stand, and not fall with Babylon."--C. 167. + +And said unto Him.--By my act in obeying His command.--Rev. 18:4. + +Give me the little book.--Take me into Your confidence; give me Your Holy +Spirit; show me, as promised, the "things to come."--John 16:13. + +And He said unto me, Take it, and eat it up.--"It is absolutely useless for +us to pray Lord, Lord, give us the Spirit, if we neglect the Word of Truth +which that Spirit has supplied for out filling."--E. _245_, 225; Ezek. 2:8. + +And it shall make thy belly bitter.--Lead to self-sacrifice, with its +attendant sufferings, but create an appetite for more. "The after effects +are always more or less blending of the bitterness of persecution with the +sweetness."--C. 89; Ezek. 2:10; 3:14; Dan. 8:27. + +But it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.--"O the blessedness."--Dan. +12:12; Psa. 19:10; 119:103. + +10:10. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it +up.--"Thy words were found and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the +joy and rejoicing of mine heart."--Jer. 15:16. + +And it was in my mouth sweet as honey.--"So I opened my mouth, and He +caused me to eat that roll. And it was in my mouth as honey for +sweetness."--Ezek. 3:2, 3. + +And as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was [bitter] FILLED.--"It satisfies +my longings as nothing else could do." + +10:11. And [He said] THEY SAY unto me.--The Scriptures do the saying. + +Thou must prophesy again.--Continue to proclaim the Message of Truth +Divine. + +Before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.--Until it has +been fully testified to all.--1 Tim. 2:6. The concluding word of this +Scripture suggests that the last witness of the church in the flesh is, +like their Lord's as alleged malefactors, before earth's rulers. + + + + +Revelation 11--The Time Of The End + + +11:1. And there was given me.--The John class in the Time of the End. + +A reed like unto a rod.--The Lord's Word is both a rod to lean upon, (Isa. +11:4) and a reed with which to measure. (Jer. 1:11-12). The word here +tendered "rod" is rendered "staff" in Matt. 10:10; Heb. 11:21. + +[And the angel stood, saying], HE SAITH.--It is the "reed" or "rod" itself, +the Divine Word, that does the saying. + +Rise.--"At the exact 'time appointed,' 1799, the end of the 1260 days, the +power of the Man of Sin, the great oppressor of the Church, was broken, +and his dominion taken away. With one stroke of His mighty hand, God there +struck off Zion's fetters, and bade the oppressed go free. And forth came, +and are coming, the 'Sanctuary' class, the 'holy people,' weak, and halt, +and lame, and almost naked, and blind, from the dungeon darkness and filth +and misery of papal bondage. Poor souls! they had been trying to serve God +faithfully in the very midst of the lurid flames of persecution, clinging +to the cross of Christ when almost every other truth had been swept away, +and courageously endeavoring to emancipate God's 'Two Witnesses' (the Old +and New Testaments), which had so long been bound, and which had +prophesied only under the sackcloth of dead languages."--C. 122. + +And measure the Temple of God.--"That symbolic Temple which is The Christ." +(T. 70.) "The mention of worshippers proves that the measuring is +symbolical. To '_measure_' is to separate for sacred purposes; what is +excluded from the measurement is, accordingly, more or less mingled with +evil. Hence, in this place, what is measured--the true believer typified--is +to be exempted from the Judgments in which what is _not_ measured (ver. 2) +is involved." (Cook). "If the direction be understood figuratively, as +applicable to the Christian Church, the work to be done would be to obtain +an exact estimate or measurement of what the true Church was--as +distinguished from all other bodies of men, and as constituted, and +appointed, by the direction of God; such a measurement that its +characteristics could be made known; that a church could be organized +according to this, and that the accurate description could be transmitted +to future times." (Barnes.)--Ezek. 40:3; Rev. 21:15. + +And the altar.--The Golden Altar, within the "Holy", the true Church, as +sacrificers.--Ex. 30:1-10. + +And them that worship therein.--The several volumes of _Scripture Studies_ +and the booklet _Tabernacle Shadows_ are devoted to the "measurements" +herein prophesied. + +11:2. But the court which is [without] WITHIN the Temple leave out.--The +court here represents the same thing as is represented in the Court of the +Tabernacle in the wilderness, the condition of progression toward complete +Justification. + +And measure it not.--Devote all attention to the higher privileges of the +"Holy". The "Court" was merely provided as a proper approach to the +"Holy". Acceptance of Christ as one's Savior, appreciation of His work at +Calvary, and washing one's self in the water of the Word as represented +respectively by the First Gate, Brazen Altar, and Laver of the "Court" are +not the things to which we are particularly invited; but consecration to +God's will, illumination by His Spirit, appropriation of His promises and +sacrifice of our all, acceptable to the Father through our great High +Priest, represented respectively by the Second Gate or Door, the +Candlestick, Table of Shew-bread and Golden Altar of the "Holy", are the +things to which we were called: so that we might pass the Third Gate or +Veil, actual death of the body, and finally become a part of The Christ, +represented by the Ark of the Covenant, of which our Father is the Head. + +For it is given ALSO unto the Gentiles.--With the deliverance of the Little +Flock, the condition represented by the "Holy" ceases. This leaves the +Great Company still in the "Court" and the special objects of Gentile +wrath as their kingdoms fall into ruin. "Being denied the liberty accorded +to the Priests, these will have merely the standing of justification, +which, if they maintain, will constitute them worthy of eternal life. But +that life will not be human life, because they gave that up in order to +become Priests. Their failure puts them out of the Holy condition back +into the Court condition." (Z. '11-22.) + +"After the establishment of Messiah's Kingdom, this distinction between +the Church proper, joint-heirs with Christ, and the larger company of +antitypical Levites, will be perpetual, and the services of the two will +be different. The former will be a Priesthood corresponding to that of +Melchizedek--a Priest upon His Throne. The work of the latter will +correspond more to that accomplished by the Levites; namely, teaching the +people, etc., as servants of the Priests, from whom they will receive +their directions."--Z. '14-79. + +And the Holy City.--The embryo Kingdom of God. + +Shall they tread under foot.--"The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, +and the violent take it by force."--Matt. 11:12. + +Forty and two months.--1260 years from papacy's establishment as a temporal +power, 539 A. D. to 1799 A. D.--B. 91, 310; C. 50, 64; Dan. 7:25; 12:7; +Rev. 12:6, 14; 13:5; Jas. 5:17. + +11:3. And I will give power unto My Two Witnesses.--"The Lord refers to the +Old and New Testament Scriptures, and faithfully they have borne their +testimony to every nation."--D. 258. + +And they shall prophesy.--Teach. + +A thousand, two hundred and three score days.--1260 years, from A. D. 539 +to 1799. + +Clothed in sackcloth.--"Kept covered in dead languages."--C. 50. + +11:4. These are the Two Olive Trees.--Sources of the oil, the holy +Spirit.--Zech. 4:1-6; Rom. 11:17. + +And the Two Candlesticks.--"The _light_ of the world, during all the +darkness of the past."--D. 652. + +Standing before the [God] LORD of the earth.--Jehovah. "The earth is the +Lord's."--Psa. 24:1. + +11:5. And if any man will hurt them.--"And if any man _desireth_ to hurt +them. The present tense here points to the continued enmity of the world +to the Church, during the entire course of the Witnesses' +testimony."--Cook. + +Fire proceedeth out of their mouth.--"I will make My words in thy mouth +fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them."--Jer. 5:14. + +And devoureth their enemies.--"History supplies the illustrations--the fire +that consumed the opponents of Moses (Num. 16:28, 35), and that which came +down at the word of Elijah. (2 Kings 1:10, 12)"--Cook. + +And if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be +killed.--"Therefore have I hewed them by the Prophets; and I have slain +them by the words of My mouth."--Hos. 6:5. + +11:6. These have power to shut heaven.--The literal heavens and the +spiritual heavens.--1 Ki. 17:1. + +That it rain not.--That there be no literal showers, or spiritual showers +of blessings. + +In the days of their prophecy.--Literally in the three and one half years +in Elijah's day in which there was no rain (James 5:17) and spiritually in +the three and one half times, or 1260 years, from A. D. 539 to 1799 in +which the showers of blessing were withheld from the world.--Rev. 2:20. + +And have power over waters.--Literal and symbolic. + +To turn them into blood.--Literally as when Moses turned the waters of +Egypt into blood (Exodus 7:21.) Symbolically during this Harvest time in +which the Heavenly Harvest truths have become "bloody", repulsive, +abhorrent, symbolizing death where they should be received as a +blessing.--Z. '07-279. + +[And] to smite the earth with all plagues.--Literal and symbolic. + +As often as they will.--Literally in the plagues which Moses poured out +upon the Egyptians (Exodus 7 to 11.) Symbolically in the spiritual +plagues, the seven last upon Christendom.--Rev. 16. + +11:7. And when they shall have finished their testimony.--In the dead +languages, about the time of the end of papacy's power to persecute. + +The beast that THEN ascendeth out of the [bottomless pit] ABYSS.--The +government without a foundation; revolutionary France during the "Reign of +Terror." + +Shall make war against them.--"In 1793 a decree passed the French Assembly +forbidding the Bible; and under that decree the Bibles were gathered and +burned, every possible mark of contempt was heaped upon them."--Smith. + +And shall overcome them, and kill them.--"All the institutions of the Bible +were abolished; the weekly rest day was blotted out, and every tenth day +substituted for mirth and profanity. Baptism and the communion were +abolished. The being of God was denied, and death proclaimed an eternal +sleep. The Goddess of Reason, in the person of a vile woman, was set up, +and publicly worshipped."--Smith. + +11:8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street.--France. + +Of the great city.--Christendom, the Old Roman Empire.--Rev. 14:8; 16:19; +17:9, 18; 18:2, 10, 16, 18, 19, 21. + +Which spiritually is called Sodom.--" 'Remember Lot's wife!' is our Lord's +pointed warning. How intensely forceful it is as a caution to God's people +here, in the close of the Gospel Age. When we learn that Babylon is +doomed, and hear the Lord's message, 'Come out of her My people that ye be +not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues,' it is +indeed like the voice of the messengers who hastened Lot and his family +out of Sodom, saying, 'Stay not in all the plain; escape for thy life; +escape to the mountain lest thou be consumed; look not behind thee.' (Gen. +19:17). Christendom is 'that great city [Babylon] which spiritually is +called Sodom.' "--D. 607, 608; Rev. 17:5; Isa. 1:9, 10; 3:8, 9; Jer. 23:14; +Ezek. 16:48, 41. + +And Egypt.--"Egypt is recognized as a symbol or type of the world of +mankind, full of vain philosophies, but ignorant of the true Light."--C. +315; Ezek. 23:3, 4, 8, 27. + +Where also [our] THE Lord was crucified.--Catholic France, through its +connection with the papacy, is a part of the old Roman Empire, in another +part of which our Lord was slain. In another aspect France is identified +with the death of the Lord. Anything done to the least of one of the +Lord's little ones is counted as done to Himself. When Saul of Tarsus +persecuted the Lord's saints, the One who met him in the way said, "I am +Jesus whom thou persecutest." (Acts 9:4, 5; 22:7, 8; 26:14, 15.) A plot +was laid in France to destroy all the Protestants; and on Aug. 24, 1572, +sixty thousand were murdered, and the streets of Paris literally ran with +blood. The Protestants were in Paris under a solemn oath of safety, to +celebrate the marriage of the king of Navarre. Admiral Coligny, a +Protestant of great ability and prominence, was basely murdered in his own +house, and his head was sent to his holiness, the Pope, as proof that he +was really dead. The "Holy Father of Fathers", the "Vicar of Christ", the +"Chief Pastor and Teacher", was so pleased that "bells were rung, and guns +were fired, bonfires were set ablaze; and Gregory XIII, attended by +cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and a great throng of prelates, marched +in procession. A _Te Deum_ was chanted, and the Pope commissioned the +painter Vasari to paint the scene of the massacre, and employed an artist +to engrave a medal commemorative of the event. The preachers in Rome +delivered eloquent orations, and a messenger carried a golden rose to +Charles as a present from the Pope."--Coffin. + +11:9. And they of the people.--The Protestant people. + +And kindreds and tongues and nations.--Of other parts of Europe. + +[Shall] see their dead [bodies] BODY.--"As if though silenced in death they +continued witnesses still." (Cook.) Take note of the horrible effect upon +France of their effort to exterminate the Scriptures. "The more deeply the +French Revolution is considered, the more manifest is its preeminence +above all the strange and terrible things that have come to pass on this +earth. Every ancient institution and every time honored custom disappeared +in a moment. The whole social and political system went down before the +first stroke. Monarchy, nobility and church were swept away almost without +resistance. The good things of this world,--birth, rank, wealth, fine +clothes and elegant manners,--became worldly perils, and worldly +disadvantages. The people waged a war of such extermination with +everything established, as to abolish the common forms of address and +salutation, and the common mode of reckoning time, abhorred 'you' as a +sin, and shrank from 'monsieur' as an abomination, turned the weeks into +decades, and would know the old months no more. The demolished halls of +the aristocracy, the rifled sepulchres of royalty, the decapitated king +and queen, the little dauphin so sadly done to death, the beggared +princes, the slaughtered priests and nobles, the sovereign guillotine, the +republican marriages, the Meudon tannery, the couples tied together and +thrown into the Loire, and the gloves made of men's and women's skins: +these things are most horrible." (T. H. Gill, _The Papal Drama_.)--D. 537. + +Three days and an half.--See Rev. 11:11. + +And [shall not] suffer NOT their dead bodies to be put in [graves] A +GRAVE.--On the contrary, this very attempt "served to arouse Christians +everywhere to put forth new exertions in behalf of the Bible."--Smith. + +11:10. And they that dwell upon the earth.--The people of France, then +infidels, without any hopes except for the present poor earth-life. + +[Shall] rejoice over them, and make merry.--Literally fulfilled when the +Assembly proscribed the Scriptures. + +And [shall] send gifts one to another.--Literally fulfilled, the gifts +being expressions of joy over the sudden "liberty," "a custom usual in +times of festivity."--Neh. 8:10, 12; Esth. 9:19, 22.--Cook. + +Because these Two Prophets tormented.--By continuing to proclaim the coming +Reign of Christ and His Church. + +Them that dwelt on the earth.--The classes whose hopes and destinies are +earthly. + +11:11. And after three days and an half.--Three years and one half. + +The Spirit of life from God entered into Them.--In a symbolic sense They +were "raised from the dead."--Ezek. 37:5, 9, 10, 14. + +And They stood upon Their feet.--See Ezek. 37:10. "In 1793, a decree passed +the French Assembly suppressing the Bible. Just three years after, a +resolution was introduced into the Assembly superseding the decree, and +giving toleration to the Scriptures. That resolution lay on the table six +months, when it was taken up, and passed without a dissenting vote. Thus, +in just three years and a half, the Witnesses 'stood upon their +feet.' "--Smith. + +And great fear fell upon them which saw them.--"Nothing but the appalling +results of the rejection of the Bible, could have induced France to take +her hands off these Witnesses." (Smith.) "In the light of the foretold +character of coming events of this battle, we may regard the French +Revolution as only the rumbling of distant thunder, giving warning of an +approaching storm; as a slight tremor preceding the general earthquake +shock; as the premonitory click of the great clock of the ages, which +gives notice to those already awake that the wheels are in motion, and +that shortly it will strike the midnight hour which will end the present +order of affairs and usher in a new order,--the Year of Jubilee, with its +attendant commotion and changes of possession."--D. 535. + +In comments on Rev. 3:14, reasons are given for anticipating the +deliverance of the Little Flock about Passover, 1918 [possibly on the +_Passover day_, as a result of activities by the tribe of Dan. (Jer. +8:16.)] There we noted the Lord's use of the half-week principle. In this +prophecy, we have the same principle. The French Revolution is Divinely +provided as a picture of events now at hand, and we therefore expect three +and a half years of proscription of the Truth, from the spring of 1918 to +the fall of 1921. This will give the Great Company splendid opportunities +for martyrdom and allow another three and a half years, to the spring of +1925, for the world to think the matter over, by which time, doubtless, +they will be quite ready to listen to the voice that speaketh from +Heaven.--Heb. 12:19. + +11:12. And they heard a great voice from Heaven.--The voice last referred +to--the Lord Jesus Himself, the "voice," the "Word," of the Heavenly +Father. + +Saying unto them, Come up hither.--"The Two Witnesses of God, the Old and +New Testaments, ascended to heaven, the place of honor and power, as the +Scriptures symbolically represent the matter."--Z. '15-199. + +And they ascended up to heaven.--"The British and Foreign Bible Society +(which has distributed 230,000,000 copies of the Bible) was established in +1803; the New York Bible Society in 1804; the Berlin-Prussian Bible +Society in 1805; the Philadelphia Bible Society in 1808; and the American +Bible Society (127,000,000 copies distributed) in 1817. Bibles by the +million, in over 300 languages, are published yearly and sold at low +prices, and many thousands are given away to the poor. It is difficult to +estimate the wide influence of this work. Its quiet teaching is the +greatest of all levelers and equalizers."--C. 51. + +In a cloud.--In a time of trouble, the French Revolution. The exaltation +which the Word of God received as a result of the French Revolution is as +nothing compared with the exaltation which awaits it after the "Time of +Trouble such as was not since there was a nation." + +And their enemies beheld them.--As the enemies of the Word of God were +compelled by the stern logic of events to consent to its restoration in +the French time of trouble, so the Lord's enemies, and the enemies of His +Church, will be compelled to submit to the Reign of Truth when their +forces have been exhausted in the Battle of the great Day of God +Almighty.--Luke 19:27; Isa. 54:11-17. + +11:13. And the same hour was there a great earthquake.--"In the symbolic +language of Revelation, the French Revolution was indeed a 'great +earthquake'--a social shock so great that all 'Christendom' trembled until +it was over; and that terrible and sudden outburst of a single nation's +wrath, only a century ago, may give some idea of the fury of the coming +storm, when the wrath of all the angry nations will burst the bands of law +and order and cause a reign of universal anarchy. In fact, the French +Revolution seems referred to by our Lord in His Revelation to John on +Patmos as a prelude to, and an illustration of, the great crisis now +approaching."--D. 531. + +The French Revolution lasted ten and a half years, from June 17th, 1789, +when the Assembly began its reign, until Napoleon seized the government +and caused himself to be appointed First Consul, November 9th, 1799. This +coincides well with the thought previously expressed (Rev. 7:3) that all +phases of Babylon will not be disposed of until about ten and a half years +from the fall of 1914. The Assembly was in control from the first, but did +not execute the king until January 21st, 1793, three years and one-half +from the time the trouble started. The Assembly continued in control until +June 25th, 1795, six years from the time the trouble began, when the +government was intrusted to five persons under the name of the Directory. +It was on October 4th of the same year that Napoleon cleared the streets +of Paris of the mobs, and from that point onward his star began to rise. +Some interesting developments in connection with the setting up of the +Kingdom may occur in 1920, six years after the great Time of Trouble +began. It would not be strange if this were so, when we recall that after +forty years wandering in the wilderness the Israelites came into +possession of the land of Canaan after a further six years. As these +matters are still future we can but wait to see. We anticipate that the +"earthquake" will occur early in 1918, and that the "fire" will come in +the fall of 1920.--1 Kings 19:11, 12; Z. '98-207, 208. + +And the tenth part of the city fell.--The French part of Christendom; one +of the ten toes of the image seen by Nebuchadnezzar; one of the ten horns +of Daniel's beast and John's dragon.--Dan. 2:41-43; 7:24; Rev. 12:3. + +And in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand.--"And by the +earthquake were destroyed seven thousand names of men." (Diaglott.) +"France made war, in her revolution of 1793-98, on all titles of nobility. +It is said by those who have examined the French records, that just seven +thousand titles of men were abolished in that revolution."--Smith. + +And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of +Heaven.--"Their God-dishonoring and Heaven-defying work filled France with +such scenes of blood, carnage, and horror, as made even the infidels +themselves tremble, and stand aghast; and the 'remnant' that escaped the +horrors of that hour 'gave glory to God'--not willingly, but the God of +Heaven caused this 'wrath of man to praise Him,' by causing all the world +to see that those who make war on Heaven make graves for themselves; thus +glory redounded to God by the very means that wicked men employed to +tarnish that glory. For the statistics and many of the foregoing thoughts +on the Two Witnesses, we are indebted to an exposition of the subject of +The Two Witnesses, by the late George Storrs." (Smith.) "And here I +gratefully mention assistance rendered by Brothers George Stetson and +George Storrs, the latter the Editor of _The Bible Examiner_, both now +deceased. The study of the Word of God with these dear brethren led step +by step into greener pastures and brighter hopes for the world."--Pastor +Russell's Autobiography. Z. '16-170. + +11:14. The second woe is past.--In the narrative of Chapter XI are briefly +summed up the three most important events of the Time of the End. Between +the French Revolution and the great Time of Trouble occurs a most +significant event, which leads up to and is the direct cause of the great +Time of Trouble. That event is the second woe. It is described in detail +in Rev. 9:14-21. But for this the great Time of Trouble would never have +been necessary (Mal. 4:6); but it is necessary now, as necessary as was +the Flood in Noah's day, and for the same reason--to rid the earth of the +progeny of the evil spirits, the "abominations of the earth."--Rev. 17:5; +9:13. + +And, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.--The third woe is the Reign of +the Lord begun, with its attendant upsetting of the present order. The +woes are visited upon those interested in maintaining the present order of +things, who would like to retain indefinitely the advantages they have +obtained. "The battle of this great Day of God Almighty will be the +greatest revolution the world has ever seen. Behold, how, even now, the +searchlight of general intelligence is discovering the secret springs of +political intrigue, financial policies, religious claims, etc., and how +all are brought to the bar of judgment, and by men, as well as by God, +declared right or wrong as judged by the teachings of the Word of God."--D. +541. + +11:15. And the seventh angel.--Pastor Russell. See Rev. 3:14; 10:7. + +Sounded.--"We find the '_shout_,' the '_voice of the Archangel_' and '_the +trump of God_' all symbols, and now in process of fulfillment." (B. 149, +197.) "The 'great trumpet' we understand to be the antitypical 'trumpet of +Jubilee,' as symbolic as the preceding six, none of which ever made any +literal sound. It has been symbolically sounding since October, 1874, and +will continue to the end of the Millennium."--D. 601; Rev. 10:7. + +And there were great voices in heaven.--"These voices have been uttered, +and to some extent heard, in the symbolic heavens, the nominal church. For +some years past a 'volunteer work' has been steadily progressing amongst +the brethren--the work of rendering assistance to the members of the +Household of Faith still in Babylon, still in darkness respecting the +Lord, His true Character, His true Plan, and respecting the nearness of +His Kingdom."--Z. '02-118. + +Saying, The [kingdoms] KINGDOM of this world [are] IS become the +[kingdoms] KINGDOM of our Lord, and of His Christ.--"The volunteer matter +prepared for this present year (the issues of our journal for February 15 +and March 15) had already been prepared before we thought of how +wonderfully this year's distribution will agree with the declaration of +our text. Here will be a million voices proclaiming throughout the nominal +Church (symbolic heavens) the great message of this present time; namely, +the Second Presence of our Lord as the reaper of the Harvest of the Gospel +Age, gathering the 'wheat' into the 'garner,' destroying the tares (as +tares--not as human beings) and establishing His glorious Kingdom upon a +firm foundation of righteousness and equity, for the blessing of every +creature."--Z. '02-119. + +And He shall reign for ever and ever. AMEN.--See Rev. 5:13; Dan. 2:44; +7:14, 18, 27. + +11:16. And the [four and] twenty-FOUR elders.--The prophecies pertaining to +the Kingdom of God.--Rev. 4:10. + +Which [sat] SIT before God on their seats.--Rev. 4:4. + +Fell upon their faces, and worshipped God.--Rev. 4:10. + +11:17. Saying, We give thee thanks.--See Rev. 5:11-13. + +O Lord God Almighty.--"Represented in Christ--'All things are _of_ the +Father,' and 'all things are _by_ the Son,' His honored +Representative."--D. 624. + +Which art, and wast, and [art to come].--See Rev. 1:4. He is not to come. +He _has_ come. + +Because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned.--" 'Thy +God reigneth!' The oft-repeated prayer of the Church has been answered: +the Kingdom of God has indeed come. The dead in Christ are even now risen +and exalted with our Lord and Head. And the 'feet' members of the Body of +Christ, who still tarry in the flesh, catching the inspiration of the +glorified throng who have already ascended into the Mount (Kingdom) of +God, reflect a measure of that transcendent glory, as did Moses when he +came down from Mount Sinai." (C. 301.) "In describing the events under the +Seventh Trumpet, this order is observed:--(1) the power is taken by the +Lord as King of Earth, and His Reign begun; (2) as a consequence the great +judgment-trouble comes upon the world."--D. 622; Rev. 19:6; Psa. 99:1. + +11:18. And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come.--"Although they +are called Christian nations, they have not received the Spirit of the +Lord; they have not received the spirit of meekness, gentleness, long- +suffering, brotherly kindness and love, the fruits of the Holy Spirit; but +on the contrary, the spirit which St. Paul says consists of hatred, wrath, +strife, murder--works of the flesh and the Devil. For this reason they did +not even wait for God's wrath to come, but began to bring it upon +themselves nearly two months in advance. They became so angry that they +began to destroy each other even before their lease of power had +expired."--Z. '14-328. + +And the time of the dead, that they should be judged.--"They cannot be +judged without His words, and the vast majority,--'dead in trespasses and +sins,' blinded and deafened by the Adversary, through sin,--have not thus +far been enabled to hear their Redeemer's wonderful words of life. In the +Millennial Kingdom the dead world will have the eyes of its understanding +opened and its ears unstopped, and the knowledge of the Lord shall fill +the whole earth and reach every member of the dead race, not only those +who have not yet gone down into the tomb, but 'all the families of the +earth;' for, 'all that are in the grave shall come forth' for the very +purpose of hearing the 'wonderful words of life,' and of being judged by +them. If they shall accept them heartily they shall, by restitution +processes, be brought fully up to life conditions."--Z. '02-116; Dan. 7:10; +Rev. 14:7; 15:4. + +And that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy Servants the Prophets.--Who +are therefore without their rewards until Christ's Second Advent.--Heb. +11:39, 40. + +And to the saints.--"We hold that it is a most reasonable inference, and +one in perfect harmony with all the Lord's Plan, that in the spring of +1878 all the holy Apostles and other 'overcomers' of the Gospel Age who +slept in Jesus were raised spirit beings, like unto their Lord and +Master."--C. 234. + +And them that fear Thy name, small and great.--All other classes of +believers, past, present and future. + +And shouldest destroy them.--The Papal and Protestant sects. + +Which destroy the earth.--Corrupt the earth, Greek.--Rev. 19:2. + +11:19. And the Temple of God.--The true Church.--1 Cor. 3:16. + +Was opened in heaven ABOVE.--Was revealed as in the ascendency over the +nominal ecclesiastical heavens. + +And there was seen in His Temple.--Clearly revealed to His Church. + +The Ark.--The repository of the sacred and hidden things of Revelation and +Ezekiel. + +Of [His] THE testament of God.--The Secret--"The Finished Mystery."--Psa. +25:14; Col. 1:27; Rev. 14:17; 16:1, 17. + +And there were lightnings, and voices and thunderings.--See Rev. 8:5. + +And an earthquake.--See Rev. 8:5; 16:18. + +And great hail.--A deluge of Truth in its most compact form.--Isa. 28:17; +Rev. 16:21. + + + "The tidal wave is coming, the Year of Jubilee; + With shout and song it sweeps along, like billows of the sea, + The jubilee of nations shall ring through earth and sky; + The dawn of grace draws on apace--'tis coming by and by." + + + + +Revelation 12--The Birth Of Antichrist + + +12:1. And there appeared a great wonder.--Sign, Greek.--Rev. 1:1. + +In heaven.--In the power of spiritual control.--A. 318; Eph. 2:4-6; Phil. +3:20. + +A Woman.--The early Church, Nominal Zion, (D. 591), originally a chaste +Virgin.--2 Cor. 11:2; Matt. 9:15; 22:2; John 3:29; Eph. 5:25, 32. + +Clothed with the sun.--Resplendent in the full, clear light of the +unclouded Gospel.--D. 591. + +And the moon under her feet.--"The moon under her feet represents that the +Law which supports her is nevertheless not the source of her light."--D. +591. + +And upon her head a crown of twelve stars.--"The twelve stars about her +head as a crown represent her Divinely appointed and inspired teachers--the +Twelve Apostles." (D. 591.) "Now if God ordained only twelve stars as +lights for His Church, as here represented, is it not a great mistake for +popes, bishops and clergy to regard themselves as successors of the +Apostles,--stars also?"--D. 594. + +12:2. And [she] being with child.--As a result of the Mystery of Iniquity +which was working within her.--2 Thes. 2:7. + +[Cried], AND SHE CRIETH travailing in birth.--Felt the weight of the burden +even in apostolic days.--Rev. 2:2. + +And pained to be delivered.--Desired to get rid of the loathsome thing from +which, by the machinations of Satan, she was at the time suffering. In a +sense the birth of the Antichrist from the early Church was a counterfeit +of the birth of Christ from the virgin Mary, the one a manifestation of +the power of God, the other of Satan.--John 16:21, 22. + +12:3. And there appeared another wonder in heaven.--Among the +ecclesiastical powers of the same epoch. + +And behold a great red dragon.--The Pagan Roman Empire, which had its own +religious system. "The Roman Empire had not only conquered the world and +given it politics and laws, but, recognizing religious superstitions to be +the strongest chains by which to hold and control a people, it had adopted +a scheme which had its origin in Babylon, in the time of her greatness as +ruler of the world. That plan was, that the emperor should be esteemed the +director and ruler in religious as well as in civil affairs. In support of +this, it was claimed that the emperor was a demi-god, in some sense +descended from their heathen deities. As such he was worshipped and his +statues adored; and as such he was styled _Pontifex Maximus_--i. e., Chief +Priest or Greatest Religious Ruler."--B. 288. + +Having seven heads and ten horns.--See Dan. 7:7, 20; Rev. 13:1; 17:3, 9-12; +5:6; 1 Sam. 2:10; Deut. 33:17; 1 Ki. 22:11. The Eastern, or Byzantine +Empire, was founded in A. D. 395, when Theodosius divided the Roman Empire +between his two sons, Honorius and Arcadius, assigning to the latter all +the portion lying east of the Adriatic sea. At this time the Roman Empire +became the two legs of Nebuchadnezzar's vision. At the time the division +was made the five potential races in the East were the Greeks, Lombards, +Ostrogoths, Heruli and Vandals. The five potential races in the West were +the Franks, Britons, Saxons, Visigoths and Suevi. During the next one +hundred and fifty years great migrations and invasions have so confused +history that there is great difference of opinion among historians on many +important details. It is plain, however, that three of the migratory races +disappeared from history, all within a few years of each other, apparently +in order to leave Rome and its environs free for the development of the +papacy. The Heruli, a race from Germanic territory, disappeared from +Italian territory in A. D. 489; the Vandals, a race from the shores of the +Baltic (never in control of Rome except on a brief raid, but a great enemy +of the papacy) disappeared in A. D. 534; and the Ostrogoths, an Asiatic +race, in A. D. 539. The Western Empire itself disappeared in A. D. 476. +The matter is treated by Pastor Russell at greater length in C. 76, 77, +and all his statements are, of course, correct. + +And seven crowns upon his heads.--In the Eastern Empire, corresponding to +the present Turkey and the Balkans, and in Lombardy, corresponding to the +present Austria, we may see the two horns which remained of the five +Eastern powers after the Ostrogoths, Heruli and Vandals disappeared. And +in the Visigothic Kingdom, corresponding to Spain; Suevia, corresponding +to Portugal; the Kingdom of the Franks, corresponding to France and the +Netherlands; Saxonia, corresponding to Germany and Scandinavia; and +Britannia, corresponding to Great Britain, we may see the five horns which +represented the five western powers. The following explains why Italy is +not included in the list: + +"The difficulty of Italian history lies in the fact that until modern +times the Italians have had no political unity, no independence, no +organized existence as a nation. Split up into numerous and mutually +hostile communities, they never, through the fourteen centuries which have +elapsed since the end of the old Western Empire, shook off the yoke of +foreigners completely; they never until lately learned to merge their +local and conflicting interests in the common good of undivided Italy. +Their history is therefore not the history of a single people, +centralizing and absorbing its constituent elements by a process of +continued evolution, but a group of cognate populations, exemplifying +divers types of constitutional developments."--Brit. + +The foregoing justifies Pastor Russell's thought that the Western Empire +should be counted as one of the horns rooted up to make way for the +Papacy. As to whether it or the Vandal race should be counted as the third +horn, since both were destroyed, is a matter of no great importance to us. +The point of greatest interest now is that the Lord is about to destroy +the other seven, including the Papacy. All the powers named, except Spain, +are already in the great War. Indeed, except South America, which expects +to be dragged in, the only countries of the world not now (June, 1917) +engaged in the war are Scandinavia, Holland, Switzerland, Spain, Abyssinia +and Mexico.--Jer. 25:15-38. + +12:4. And his tail.--Constantine, last of the Roman emperors to maintain +his capital at Rome. "After the senate and people of Rome had ceased to be +the sovereigns of the Roman world, and their authority had been vested in +the sole person of the emperor, the eternal city could no longer claim to +be the rightful throne of the state. That honor could henceforth be +conferred upon any place in the Roman world which might suit the +convenience of the emperor, or serve more efficiently the interests he had +to guard. Furthermore, the empire was now upon its defense. When +Constantine, therefore, established a new seat of government at Byzantium, +he adopted a policy inaugurated before his day as essential to the +preservation of the Roman dominion. He can claim originality only in his +choice of the particular point at which that seat was placed, and in his +recognition of the fact that his alliance with the Christian church could +be best maintained in the new atmosphere. The city was founded by +Constantine the Great, through the enlargement of the old town of +Byzantium, in A. D. 328, and was inaugurated as a new seat of government +on the 11th of May, A. D. 330. To indicate its political dignity, it was +named New Rome, while to perpetuate the name of its founder it was styled +Constantinople. The chief patriarch of the Greek church still signs +himself 'Archbishop of New Rome.' "--Brit. + + [Illustration] + + Paganism Attacks the Early Church + + +Drew the third part.--"The Roman Emperor Constantine saw a vision--probably +when wide awake--a vision of greater prosperity for himself and his Empire, +by a recognition of Christianity as the religion of his Empire instead of +paganism, which had previously been recognized. Constantine's influence in +Church affairs became great. He proposed the calling of a council of all +the bishops, _numbering about one thousand_. He wanted to know why these +apostolic bishops, all inspired with the same Spirit of God, taught so +differently. He offered to pay the expenses of all the bishops to the +Council of Nice; but the majority, fearing that the Emperor would be under +the control of the Roman bishop (not yet claiming to be pope), declined to +attend. _Only 384 came._ But even they were unable to agree. Many held to +the Bible teaching, but the mystification thought of trinity had gained a +hold on some of the bishops. Thereupon Constantine decided the matter; and +the Nicene Creed, backed by the Emperor's power, was declared to be the +Christian faith, and anything contrary to it, heresy. Yet be it remembered +that _only about one-third_ of the bishops were present at the Council; +and that they could not be coerced into substituting 'mystery' for the +Word of God, until the Emperor lent his influence. Thus was the mystery of +trinity enshrined by a heathen emperor, not baptized--not even sprinkled. +The history of the persecution of all who would not worship the +trinitarian mystery would fill volumes. One sad illustration is familiar +to all--the burning of Servetus, by good Brother Calvin's signature to the +death warrant. Is it any wonder that with such conditions prevailing for +centuries, the Bible ignored and the creeds worshipped, the true teachings +of the Bible on many subjects were completely lost sight of? Is it any +wonder that, when in the sixteenth century God began to bring the Bible +back to the attention of the world, it was burned by the Episcopal bishops +in front of St. Paul's Cathedral in London? Is it any wonder that the +Christians of that time were persecuted for studying it, and could meet +only in secret?"--B. S. M. + +Of the stars of heaven.--False stars, "wandering stars," man-ordained +lights of the nominal heavens.--D. 595. There the bishops became +substitutes for the true Apostolic stars. + +And did cast them to the earth.--Forced them to teach what he told them or +else be banished, as was Arius. + +And the dragon.--Imperial Rome, represented by Constantine. + +Stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered.--The early +Christian Church. + +For to devour her child.--Absorb it, make it a subordinate feature of the +Roman system of government. + +As soon as it was born.--As soon as the development of the clergy class and +others equally unfaithful to Christ had made it impossible for them to be +retained longer in the true Church. + +12:5. And she brought forth a man child.--The papacy.--Z. '79-12-2. + +Who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.--"In a bull, or edict, +Sixtus V declares: 'The authority given to St. Peter and his successors, +by the immense power of the eternal King, excels all the power of earthly +kings and princes. It passeth uncontrollable sentence upon them all. And +if it find any of them resisting God's ordinance, it takes more severe +vengeance on them, casting them down from their thrones, however powerful +they may be, and tumbling them down to the lowest parts of the earth as +the ministers of aspiring Lucifer.' + +"A bull of Pope Pius V., entitled 'The damnation and excommunication of +Elizabeth, queen of England, and her adherents' reads as follows: 'He that +reigneth on high, to whom is given all power in heaven and in earth, +committed one holy, catholic and apostolic church (out of which there is +no salvation) to one alone upon earth, namely, to Peter, the Prince of the +apostles, and to Peter's successor, the bishop of Rome, to be governed in +fulness of power. Him alone he made prince over all people and all +kingdoms, to pluck up, destroy, scatter, consume, plant and build.' "--B. +311. + +And her child was caught up unto God, and [to] UNTO His throne.--"St +Bernard affirms that 'none except God is like the pope, either in heaven +or on earth.' 'The Emperor Constantine,' says Pope Nicholas I., 'conferred +the appellation of God on the pope; who, therefore, being God, cannot be +judged by man.' Said Pope Innocent III.--'The pope holds the place of the +true God;' and the canon law, in the gloss, denominates the pope--'our Lord +God.' Innocent and Jacobatius state that 'the pope can do nearly all that +God can do,' while Decius rejects the word nearly, as unnecessary. +Jacobatius and Durand assert that 'none dare say to him any more than to +God--Lord, what doest Thou?' "--B. 311. + +Pope Martin stated the matter in his own behalf as follows: "All the earth +is my diocese, and I am the ordinary of all men, having the authority of +the King of all kings upon subjects. I am all in all, and above all, so +that God Himself, and I, the vicar of God, have both one consistory, and I +am able to do almost all that God can do. In all things that I list my +will is to stand for reason, for I am able by the law to dispense above +the law, and of wrong to make justice in correcting laws and changing +them. Wherefore, if those things that I do be said not to be done of man, +but of God--What can you make me but God? Again, if prelates of the church +be called and counted of Constance for Gods, I then, being above all +prelates, seem by this reason to be above all Gods. Wherefore, no marvel +if it be in my power to change time and times, to alter and abrogate laws, +to dispense with all things, yea, with the precepts of Christ"--B. 314; +Dan. 7:25. + +12:6. And the woman.--The true Church of God. + +Fled Into the wilderness.--"Error, always more popular than truth, when +exalted to influence and power, hunted down, proscribed and made +disreputable the truth, and all who held it. This was the time when the +true Church (woman) fled into the wilderness--into solitude--an outcast +because of her fidelity to the truth, and to the true Lord and Head of the +Church."--B. 329. + +Where she hath a place prepared of God.--"The secret place of the Most +High."--Psa. 91:1. + +That they.--The antitypical ravens that fed the Elijah class, the unknown, +"faithful men" who, in secret, broke the bread of life to those that +hungered for righteousness. + +Should feed her there.--As Elijah was fed in the wilderness.--Rev. 2:20. + +A thousand two hundred and threescore days.--1260 years, from A. D. 539 to +1799.--Rev. 11:2, 3. + +12:7. And there was war in heaven.--Between the two ecclesiastical powers, +Pagan Rome and Papal Rome. + +Michael.--"Who as God," the Pope.--B. 275; C. 62. + +And his angels.--The Bishops. The following is the reply given in the +Catholic catechism to the question, "Who are the successors of the +Apostles?" Ans. "The bishops who are rightly consecrated, and are in +communion with the head of the Church, the Pope." + +[Fought against] TO WAR WITH the dragon.--Attempted to get the temporal +power away from the civil rulers.--Rev. 2:12. + +And the dragon.--Imperial Rome.--B. 288; Rev. 12:3; 20:2. + +Fought and his angels.--Did everything possible to circumscribe the growing +power of the papacy, but all in vain.--Rev. 2:12. + +12:8. And THEY prevailed not AGAINST HIM, neither was [their place] HE +THEN found any more in heaven.--The Papacy came out of the contest +victorious. "Paganism, defeated, relinquished all things pertaining to +religious affairs and contented itself with social, civic and political +affairs," so stated one of Pastor Russell's coworkers. + +12:9. And the great dragon was cast out.--Verses 9 to 12 contain the +rejoicings of the Papacy over their triumph. + +That old serpent, called the Devil, [and] Satan.--"To this fourth beast, +representing Rome, Daniel gives no descriptive name. While the others are +described as lion-like, bear-like and leopard-like, the fourth was so +ferocious and hideous that none of the beasts of earth could be compared +with it. John the Revelator, seeing in vision the same symbolic beast +(government), was also at a loss for a name by which to describe it, and +finally gives it several. Among others, he called it 'the Devil.' He +certainly chose an appropriate name; for Rome, when viewed in the light of +its bloody persecutions, certainly has been the most devilish of all +earthly governments. Even in its change from Rome Pagan to Rome Papal it +illustrated one of Satan's chief characteristics; for he also transforms +himself to appear as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), as Rome transformed +itself from heathenism and claimed to be Christian--the Kingdom of +Christ."--A. 258. + +Which deceiveth the whole world.--By intimating that anybody in it except +the pope has any right to say anything about how it should be run. + +He was cast out into the earth.--We, the Papacy, are in control! + +And his angels were cast out with him.--We, the cardinals, etc., have the +positions of power once held by the priests of Pagan Rome! + +12:10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven.--In the Roman Catholic +Church. + +Now is come salvation, and strength.--"Cardinal Manning, Papacy's chief +representative in England, endorses and draws public attention to the +following clause of the Catholic faith: 'We declare, affirm, define, and +pronounce it necessary to salvation, for every human creature to be +subject to the Roman Pontiff.' And in a published discourse he represents +the pope as saying, 'I claim to be the Supreme Judge and Director of the +consciences of men; of the peasant that tills the field, and the prince +that sits on the throne; of the household that lives in the shade of +privacy, and the Legislature that makes laws for kingdoms. I am the sole, +last, Supreme Judge of what is right and wrong.' "--B. 317. + +And the kingdom of our God.--The Papacy really believed that its exaltation +to power was the exaltation of the kingdom of God in the earth, and so it +was, but not _our_ God.--2 Cor. 4:4. + +And the power of His Christ.--The pope really believes he is the Vicar of +Christ. + +For the accuser of our brethren is cast down.--It seemed to the Papacy that +in undermining and supplanting Imperial Rome they had gained a great +victory for Christ. + +Which accused them before our God day and night.--Pagan Rome truthfully +accused the Papacy of lying, simony, murder, adultery, and every crime on +the calendar.--Rev. 2:13. + +12:11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.--This is the way it +looks to Catholics even to this day. "By this sign [the cross] conquer!" +was the Crusaders' standard. + +And by the word of their testimony.--But not by the testimony of history or +of God's Word, both of which show that "their testimony" (i. e., the +testimony of the papacy, in the forged decretals and otherwise) was one of +continuous lies.--Dan. 11:27. + +And they loved not their lives unto the death.--This was the Catholic +viewpoint. + +12:12. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens.--Catholic heavens--popes, bishops and +prelates. + +And ye that dwell in them.--"The under-priests of Papacy, not parts or +members of _the_ church or hierarchy, but called 'Brothers.' "--B. 303. + +Woe to the [inhabiters of] the earth and [of] the sea.--It seemed to the +Papacy as though the Millennium, and the great Time of Trouble which the +Scriptures everywhere show is to precede it, were just at hand.--Rev. 7:1 + +For the devil is come down to you.--The papal thought that Pagan Rome was a +good representative of the Devil is quite right; and the Scriptures return +the compliment. + +Having [great] wrath.--Being very greatly angered at Papacy's aggressions. +The Papal policy has ever been to crowd the civil powers as far as they +could possibly go, then wait until a generation had passed and crowd some +more. The horns have _always_ hated the whore.--Rev. 17:16. + +Because he knoweth he hath but a short time.--Had Papacy been able to bring +it about it would surely, in time, have deprived all the rulers of the +world of every particle of civil, social, ecclesiastical and financial +power. There has never been any limit to its ambitions or pretensions, and +there is none now. + +12:13. And when the dragon.--The civil powers of the old Roman Empire, +under the control of the Papacy. + +Saw that he was cast unto the earth.--Deprived of the superstitious +reverence now almost wholly absorbed by the Papacy. + +He persecuted.--Not on his own account, but under the orders and +instructions and encouragements of the Papacy, and to win Papal approval. + +The woman which brought forth the man child.--The true Church. For details +of the infamous work of Charles V, Emperor of Germany and King of Spain +and the Netherlands, the Duke of Alva, Philip II of Spain, the French +kings Francis and Henry, see pages 337-338 of STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, +Vol. II. These are but illustrations of what occurred in all parts of the +old Roman world, and were all done at the behest of the Papacy. + +12:14. And to the woman.--The true Church. + +Were given Two Wings.--The Old and New Testaments. + +Of a great eagle.--The eagle is a symbol of wisdom, a fit representative of +the Scriptures in which are contained the words of our God. (Rev. 4:7.) "I +bare you on eagle's wings, and brought you unto Myself."--Ex. 19:4; Deut. +32:11-12. + +That she might fly into the wilderness.--Separateness from the world; +ostracism; represented by Elijah's three and a half years in the +wilderness.--Rev. 2:20. + +Into her place, where she is nourished.--By Divinely provided means, of +which almost no records have been permitted to survive the ravages of +papal persecution. + +Both for a time, and times, and half a time.--1260 years from A. D. 539 to +1799.--Rev. 11:2, 3. + +From.--Safe from. + +The face of the Serpent.--Satan himself, the real instigator of all +persecutions from the Lord's time even until now. + +And the Serpent.--Satan himself, at the close of the 1260 years of Papacy's +power to persecute. + +Cast out of his mouth water as a flood.--"The strength of the French +revolution, to which reference is here had, lay in the fact that it was +instigated by many stern truths, regarding priest-craft and king-craft, +and regarding the individual rights and liberties of all. Truths regarding +human rights were seen and expressed there which cause us surprise when we +consider the ignorance, superstition and servility of that day, under +which the masses had so long rested. Many of the truths which then swept +as a flood over France, deluging it with blood, are now very generally +accepted among all civilized peoples."--C. 65. + +After the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the +flood.--"Satan's design in instigating the French revolution was to create +an alarm throughout Europe, especially the influential class, unfavorable +to liberty, and to illustrate in France the theory that, were the +superstitions of Rome to be overthrown and liberty to be given full sway, +all law and order would speedily end." This strategy Satan is now about to +repeat--this time with success, but his triumph will be short.--C. 66. + +And the earth.--The order-loving people of Europe. + +Helped the woman.--The true Church. + +And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood.--"It is a fact +of history that the flood of truth which spread over France--arraigning +Papacy and its priestcraft, and monarchy and its parasitic aristocracy, as +the responsible causes of much of the ignorance, poverty and superstition +of the people--was swallowed up, or absorbed by the people of Europe +generally (The Roman 'earth'). And when the rulers of Europe formed what +was called 'The Holy Alliance,' for the suppression of the liberties of +the people and the perpetuation of their own thrones, it was too late to +fetter the people; for, having drunk up the flood of waters, they would +not submit. It was too late to think of re-establishing Papacy, which had +been so terribly humiliated and whose anathemas against liberty and the +French had so reacted against itself; so the pope was not even invited to +join the 'Holy Alliance,' of which before he would have been the +recognized head."--C. 66. + +Which the dragon cast out of his mouth.--"This sudden flood of waters +(truth) was designed to act as an emetic, to lead to the casting out of +the food of liberty, already being received by the people from the Bible, +as the result of the Reformation, and thus to force rulers and teachers to +oppose the truth through fear of anarchy."--C. 66. + +12:17. And the dragon was wroth with the woman.--The protesting Church of +God. This will apply with great force shortly. + +And went to make war with the remnant of her seed.--The true saints in the +Roman Catholic communion or wherever otherwise found,--always objects of +hatred and oppression by ecclesiasticism.--Rev. 13:7. + +Which keep the commandments of God.--"The law is fulfilled in us."--Rom. +8:4. + +And have the testimony of [Jesus Christ] GOD.--Have HIS word as the man of +their counsel.--Rev. 14:12. + + + + +Revelation 13--The Papal And Protestant Beasts + + +13:1. And [I] HE stood upon the sand of the sea.--The sea represents the +masses not under religious restraint. It is this symbolic sea that is to +overturn and swallow up all kingdoms of earth in the great Time of +Trouble. The proper understanding of the vision is located down at the +edge of this sea, near the Time of Trouble. + + [Illustration] + + Papacy As God Pictures It + + +And I saw a beast.--"This character is very forcibly delineated even in the +names applied to it by the inspired writers. Paul calls it 'That Wicked +One,' 'The Man of Sin,' 'The Mystery of Iniquity,' 'The Antichrist,' and +'The Son of Perdition;' the Prophet Daniel calls it 'The Abomination that +maketh desolate' (Dan. 11:31; 12:11); and our Lord refers to the same +character as 'The Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the +Prophet' (Matt. 24:15). This same character was also prefigured by a +little horn, or power, out of a terrible beast that Daniel saw in his +prophetic vision, which had eyes, and a mouth that spoke great things, and +which prospered and made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. +(Dan. 7:8, 21.) John also saw and warned the Church against this +character, saying, 'Ye have heard that Antichrist shall come.' He then +advises how to escape Antichrist's influence. (1 John 2:18-27.) These +various appellations and brief descriptions indicate a base, subtle, +hypocritical, deceptive, tyrannical and cruel character, developed in the +midst of the Christian Church; claiming, to the last, peculiar sanctity +and authority and power from God." (B. 271.) "We need not look long to +find a character fitting all the requirements perfectly. But when we state +that the one and only system whose history fits these prophecies is +Papacy, let no one misunderstand us to mean that every Roman Catholic is a +man of sin. Popes, bishops and others are at most only parts or members of +the Antichrist system, even as all of the Royal Priests are only members +of the true Christ." (B. 277.) Antichrist now finds its expression in the +"Christian" governments of the world founded upon its +teachings--Christendom. + +Rise up out of the sea.--See Rev. 17:15; Psa. 65:7; 93:3, 4; Isa. 57:20. At +the time of papacy's birth the masses of the Roman people had ceased to +have reverence for the ancient mythology of Pagan Rome. Constantine, a +shrewd politician, discerned this and discerned the growing influence of +the Christian religion. In adopting it, in forcing the adoption of the +Nicene Creed, and in removing his capital from Rome, he gave the papacy +its start. + +Having TEN HORNS AND seven heads [and ten horns].--See Rev. 12:3; Dan. 7:7, +20; Rev. 17:3, 9-12; 5:6; 1 Sam. 2:10; Deut. 33:17; 1 Ki. 22:11. + +And upon his horns ten crowns.--In this calculation are included the three +potential races plucked up to make way for the papacy. (Rev. 12:3; 17:3, +9.) In this picture the location of the crowns upon the horns instead of +upon the heads, as in Rev. 12:3, denotes the changed situation after the +papacy came into control. The papacy ruled not directly, as did Pagan +Rome, but through other powers to which it was joined. + +And upon his heads.--The seven kingdoms that still survive: Spain, +Portugal, France, England, Germany, Austria, Greece, and their past and +present dependencies. + +The name of blasphemy.--Every one of these kingdoms falsely claims, or has +claimed, to be a part of the Kingdom of God, though actually all part of +the one great kingdom ruled by "The god of this world."--2 Cor. 4:4. + +13:2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard.--"The body of the +Papal beast was like a Leopard. The Leopard was the third beast seen by +Daniel, viz., Grecia. Greece was noted as the center of learning, piety +and wisdom (Acts 17:23); so Papacy's chief claim, to be the ruler of all +kingdoms, is based on the claim that it is the center of wisdom, learning +and piety. Other peculiarities of the Leopard are its activity, vigilance +and secretiveness; so with Papacy. Again, a Leopard is spotted +irregularly, so too Papacy's policy in various parts of the earth." (Z. +'79-12-2.) "In one place it is liberal, almost white in its professions or +appearances; in another quarter black, corrupt, degrading, brutal; and in +still other places it has various neutral and tawny shades of +correspondence to the natural depravity of the people it rules with its +rod of eternal torment and its staff of Purgatory. In Spain, for example, +which has been for centuries one of its dark spots--as dark as the general +civilization of the people will permit,--the 'leopard' has been accustomed +to have its way, and is incensed that freedom of worship, or even of +thought, should be dreamed of."--Z. '99-262. + +And his feet were as the feet of a bear.--"The bear suggests another of +Papacy's peculiarities as an empire, viz., persistency. Like the Bear +Empire (Medo-Persia) which would besiege for years, and even turn a river +aside to accomplish its ends; so Papacy moves cautiously and gets +possession of kingdoms rather by strategy than by battles. The bear hugs +its prey to death with its paws."--Z. '79-12-2. + +And his mouth as the mouth of [a lion] LIONS.--"Babylon was celebrated for +its splendor and pride--the Lion the king or ruler of all beasts--so Papacy +had a mouth of this sort, i. e., it claimed to be the kingdom over all +kingdoms by Divine right, the kingdom of God, which was to break in pieces +and consume all others--a strong mouth."--Z. '79-12-2. + +And the dragon.--Imperial Rome, represented by Constantine. + +Gave him his power.--"Ancient Pagan Rome had only a mere skeleton of +sacerdotal power as compared with the complex and elaborate machinery and +contrivances of doctrine and practice of Papal Rome, the triumphant +successor to their scheme, who now, after centuries of cunning and skill, +has its power so intrenched that even today, when its power is outwardly +broken and it is shorn of civil dominion, it rules the world and controls +kingdoms secretly, under cover, more thoroughly than the Roman emperors +ever ruled the kings subordinate to them."--B. 288. + +And his seat.--His place in the city of Rome, by transferring his own +headquarters to Byzantium, "New Rome."--Rev. 12:4. + +And great authority.--At the hands of the Roman Emperor Justinian, in A. D. +539.--Rev. 12:3-5. + +13:3. And I saw one of his heads.--One of the dragon's heads--Papacy. + +As it were wounded to death.--Whenever the Scriptures use the expression +"as it were" (as in Rev. 9:7, 9) what seems or appears is not actually the +case. + +And his deadly wound was healed.--"At the Diet of Augsburg, in 1555, the +Religious Peace was concluded. Every prince was to be allowed to choose +between the Catholic religion and the Augsburg Confession [of the +Reformers]; and the religion of the prince was to be that of the land over +which he reigned: that is, each government was to choose the creed for its +subjects. + +"In fact, the political circumstances of the time, combined with the fact +that even the leaders of the reform were only beginning to get awake to +some of the moral and a few of the doctrinal errors of Papacy, lead us to +wonder at the rapid strides taken toward the right, rather than to harshly +condemn them for not making the cleansing more thorough. But when the +Protestant churches united with the state, progress and reform came to a +standstill. Soon creeds were formed which were almost as unyielding and +opposed to growth in knowledge as the decrees of Rome."--C. 111. + +And all the [world] EARTH wondered after the beast.--The reference is to +the symbolic earth, the people, obedient to the ruling powers.--Rev. 17:8. + +13:4. And they worshipped the dragon.--"Dragon means civil power, Pagan +Rome."--Z. '79-12-2. + +[Which] BECAUSE HE gave THE power unto the beast.--"The people respected +the civil power all the more because it had so honored ecclesiastical +authority. The various kingdoms (horns) soon learned that their hold over +the people was strengthened rather than weakened by allegiance to Papacy, +for Papacy in turn recognized them, and commanded the people to recognize +those despots as of divine appointment. Thus it is, that to this day, the +rulers of Europe claim to rule by Divine right and appointment, and their +children after them, no matter how incompetent. For the same reason the +Protestant churches of Europe, to gain national favor, protection and +assistance, became State churches, and they, as Papacy did, recognize the +reigning families as possessed of Divine title to the office and rulership +of the people. God's Word, on the contrary, denounces all the governments +of earth as beastly, selfish, oppressive, and recognizes only one Kingdom +as being of God's appointment, viz., the Kingdom soon to be established in +all the earth--Christ and His saints in glory. (Dan. 7:27; Rev. 11:15; 2 +Tim. 2:12.) It is in that Kingdom only that the saints have their +citizenship, it alone they recognize, and for it pray 'Thy Kingdom +come.' "--Z. '80-1-1. + +And they worshipped the beast.--"The following, called The Adoration, is +still a part of the ceremony connected with the installation of a new +pope: 'The pope is lifted up by the cardinals and placed by them upon the +altar-throne. One of the bishops kneels, and the singing of _Te Deum_ [We +praise thee, O God] begins. Meantime the cardinals kiss the feet and hands +and face of the pope.' A coin representing this ceremony, struck in the +Papal mint, bears the words, 'Whom they create, they adore.' "--B. 316. + +Saying, Who is like unto the beast.--What other character in history ever +made such claims or received such homage?--Rev. 18:18. + +AND who is able to make war with him.--"When, in A. D. 455, the city of +Rome was invaded and plundered by the Vandals, and all around was distress +and desolation, Leo, the bishop of Rome, improved the opportunity for +impressing upon all, both barbarians and Romans, his claim of spiritual +power. To the rude and superstitious barbarians, already greatly impressed +by what they saw about them, of Rome's greatness and wealth, Leo, arrayed +in his pontifical robes, exclaimed: 'Beware! I am the successor of St. +Peter, to whom God has given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and against +whose church the gates of hell cannot prevail; I am the living +representative of divine power on the earth; I am Caesar, a Christian +Caesar, ruling in love, to whom all Christians owe allegiance; I hold in my +hands the curses of hell and the benedictions of Heaven; I absolve all +subjects from allegiance to kings; I give and take away, by divine right, +all thrones and principalities of Christendom. Beware how you desecrate +the patrimony given me by your invisible king; yea, bow down your necks to +me and pray that the anger of God may be averted.' "--B. 295. + +13:5. And there was given unto him a mouth.--The mouth of Antichrist is one +of its leading characteristics.--B. 305; Dan. 7:8, 11, 25. + +Speaking great things and blasphemies.--"How evident it must be to the +simplest minds that Papacy's great swelling words and boastful claims +have, one and all, been blasphemies. The establishment of a counterfeit +Kingdom of God was a libel upon God's government, a gross blasphemy, and a +misrepresentation of His character and Plan and Word. God's character, i. +e., His 'name,' was blasphemed in the thousand monstrous edicts, bulls and +decretals issued in His name, by the long line of those who claimed, as +vice-gerents, to represent His Son by the titles, appropriate only to the +Father or to Christ, which they have applied to themselves; and God's +Tabernacle, the true Church, was blasphemed by the false system which +claimed to take its place."--B. 306; Dan. 7:8, 20, 25. + +And [power] IT was given unto him to [continue] DO WHAT HE WILL.--He still +continues, though he can no longer do what he will. + +Forty and two months.--1260 days, or a time, times and a half; fulfilled in +1260 literal years from A. D. 539 to 1799 A. D. (Rev. 11:2.) As a +secondary fulfilment, we may see the end of the rule of the Kaiser and +others of his mouthpieces in 42 literal months from Aug. 1, 1914. But what +folly it would be to try to see in the German Kaiser, or any other _one +man_, the foretold Antichrist.--Rev. 11:11. + +13:6. And he opened his mouth in [blasphemy] BLASPHEMIES against +God.--Misrepresentations of the Divine Character and Plan. + +To blaspheme [His name] HIM.--God was blasphemed, or misrepresented by the +titles used by the popes, by their claims to the exercise of Divine power +on earth (B. 311), by claims that the Pope is God on earth (B. 314), by +claims that he is the sole judge of right and wrong (B. 317), by claims +that he is infallible (B. 318), by proscribing the Bible (B. 319), by the +doctrines of eternal torture and purgatory (B. 323), by masses for the +dead and the sale of indulgences (B. 324), and by devilish practices +against His saints, too numerous to name. + +And His tabernacle.--The church in the wilderness.--Rev. 12:6, 14. + +[And] Them that dwell in heaven.--God's Tabernacle is His true Church in +the flesh, but, nevertheless, "Our citizenship is in Heaven." (Phil. 3:20, +R. V.) Even here we have been made to "Sit together in heavenly places in +Christ Jesus."--Eph. 2:6. + +13:7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints.--See Rev. +2:20; Acts 9:32; Rom. 15:25; 1 Cor. 6:1. + +And to overcome them.--See Rev. 6:8; Dan. 7:21, 22. + +And power was given him over all kindreds, AND PEOPLES, and tongues, and +nations.--This has been literally fulfilled, but will have a secondary +fulfilment soon, through the beastly governments that are Papacy's living +representatives in spirit if not in fact.--Rev. 17:15. + +13:8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him.--Yield either +willing or forced obedience to his mandates; bow the knee in submission. + +Whose names are not written in the Book of Life.--"The deception of Papacy +was so complete that the world was deceived, and all the church, except +the overcomers, whose names were 'written in Heaven,' were deceived in the +same way, and hastened to unite themselves with, and to worship the Beast, +and have it enroll their names on its books. From this has sprung the +delusion so common to all Protestants at this day, viz., that their names +must be connected with some such earthly system, or they are not the +Lord's saints. But the important item is, to have our names recorded in +the Lamb's Book of Life; His is the only record of any value."--Z. '80:1-1; +Psa. 69:28; Dan. 12:1; Lu. 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 21:27. + +Of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.--"This selection of the +Only Begotten to be the Head and Chief of the New Creation--subject to the +trials, disciplines, humiliations and other necessary experiences to prove +His worthiness--had already been determined upon in the Divine counsel +before man was created."--F. 65; 1 Pet. 1:20; Eph. 1:4; Rev. 5:6; John +1:29, 36; Acts 8:32. + +13:9. If any man have an ear, let him hear.--"Only those whose ears have +been circumcised--those who had come to a considerable knowledge of God's +Word and who had the hearing of faith--to respect Him and His Word, despite +the magnificence, success and power of error, would be able to receive the +foregoing statements concerning those who were deceived by Papacy."--Z. +'80-1-1. + +13:10. [He that] IF ANY ONE leadeth into captivity [shall go] HE GOETH +into captivity.--"The Papal system was one of bondage. All who acknowledge +its claims must of necessity render implicit obedience, as unto God; for +it claimed to be the kingdom of heaven; and its head, the Pope, to be +God's vice-gerent; consequently those who were for, or in favor of such +captivity of individual thought, and who would acknowledge the right of +that Papal system to limit and define the faith of all, by consenting, +became captives."--Z. '80-1-2. + +He that killeth with the sword must be killed by the sword.--"There were +some who asserted that Papacy was a usurpation of the titles and power of +the true Head and Ruler of the Church, and claimed their rights to the +individual liberty wherewith Christ had made them free. Such used the +'Sword of the Spirit,' which is the Word of God, in defense of their +liberty, and such were put to death by Papacy; it overcame the saints +during its 1260 years of power."--Z. '80-1-2. + +Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.--"This was a severe test +of true saintship--Would they go into captivity and join in the usurper's +ranks, or would they remain faithful to the true King and wait for the +Kingdom which He promised to establish? Those whose names were written in +Heaven stuck to the Word, and sealed their testimonies by death." (Z. +'80-1-2.) The same situation now confronts the saints, in the matter of +aiding in some way the murderous spirit of the governments which are +permeated by Antichrist's spirit.--Rev. 14:12. + +13:11. And I beheld another beast.--"If the preceding wild beast +represented an ecclesiastical power, as we have just seen, then this beast +called another should be understood to represent a similar ecclesiastical +or church power. As the first beast had ten horns, or powers, which gave +it their strength, so this beast has 'two horns' which indicates that two +powers or governments will support it. Again, notice that this beast +'ascended (came gradually) out of the earth,' while the first came out of +the sea. Now, if our definitions be correct--as the coming of Papacy from +among the irreligious masses of the Roman Empire was shown by its coming +out of the 'sea'--then the coming of this second beast out of the 'earth' +should signify that it sprung up among a professedly religious people. The +Two-horned Beast is one ecclesiastical system, and the two horns show that +it is supported, and its authority recognized by two kingdoms. Remember +that to be simply aided or supported by the empire does not make a +symbolic 'Beast'; a 'Beast' is a government, and to become a symbolic +beast, a church must needs become an element in, or part of the +government. + +"There is but one church which this symbol fits perfectly, viz.: The +established 'Church of England and Ireland.' This system, like the Papal, +was a blending of church and state, an ecclesiastical empire. In the year +1200 England became subject to the Pope. In 1531, owing to a dispute +between her king, Henry VIII, and the Pope, England withdrew from +allegiance to Papacy. The Convocation of its clergy called the same year, +in its decrees, declared King Henry VIII to be 'The one protector of the +English Church, its only and Supreme Lord; and as far as might be, by the +law of Christ, its Supreme Head.' Those are the exact sentiments of +Papacy; that is exactly the sense in which the Pope is recognized as +Christ's vice-gerent. What a glorious representation of the Lord Jesus +they had in Henry VIII, who, out of six wives, was divorced from two, +beheaded two, and by many is supposed to have poisoned one! He was a +worthy rival of some of the Popes as an Anti-christian claimant of +headship to the church. The Clerical Convocation which could acknowledge +such a head was not far from being as corrupt as Papacy. + +"The proof that the title, 'head of the church,' was not an empty honor, +appears from the historian's words--'At the same time it was ordained that +no regard should be paid to censures which the Pope might pass on account +of this law and that Mass should be said, and sacraments administered as +usual. In 1534, all payments made to the apostolic chamber, and +dispensations, were abolished; monasteries were subjected to royal +government, and exempted from all other; the right to summon Convocations, +approve or reject canons (laws or doctrines enacted by the Convocation of +clergy), and hear appeals from the Bishops, was vested in the King alone. +These matters are but imperfectly understood by people in general, and the +same titles--"Supreme head of the church on earth," etc., are still applied +to English sovereigns. It is needless to remark that the Lord Jesus never +gave this office to any one, but claims it Himself; and any others who +claim it are usurpers. Paul said: "Christ is the Head of the Church," and +that we are to "grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even +Christ." Again he repeats that "God gave Him to be the Head over all +things in the Church, which is His body." (Eph. 1:22 and 4:15, and 5:23; +Col. 1:18.) It is the church on earth that Paul is speaking of, hence any +Pope, Queen, Council, Assembly, Conference, or any other man or company of +men, who claim or exercise the powers of the true Head--Jesus--are opposing +Him. And all who support such by influence, presence or money, are +abettors of evil and supporters of false systems. Now does this system +(the English church) fill the picture? The second Beast had two horns; +what two kingdoms (horns) supported this church? Bear in mind the +distinction between a church supported by a government, as the +Presbyterian in Scotland, and a church united in the government, as in +England; it is the latter relationship that constitutes a "beast." ' "--Z. +'80-1-2; Rev. 13:14, 15; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2, 13. + +Coming up out of the earth.--"From the visible church of God."--Cook. + +And he had two horns like a lamb.--"Now about the two horns. England, of +course, was one of them, and Ireland the other. Let us see. History says +that in 1537 the Irish Parliament in Dublin 'passed the Act of Supremacy, +declaring Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church, prohibiting intercourse +with the court of Rome, and making it treason to refuse the oath of +supremacy.' 'Henry VIII also took the title of King of Ireland.' Thus it +is seen that the second horn came up within the brief space of five years +after the first. The fact that Ireland was not a powerful horn matters +not, for it was stronger than some that supported the Papal Beast. What +effects result from the disestablishment of the Church in Ireland? From +1538 to 1871 (333 years), the title of the church was 'The Church of +England and Ireland,' thus recognizing both 'horns.' On January 1, 1871 +(by action of Parliament and the consent of the Queen, the head of the +church) the Irish church was disestablished, or that horn was cast off. +So, too, all of the horns which once supported Papacy have broken off from +her; the difference being that in the case of Papacy the horns have turned +against her, and in the case of the second Beast it casts off the Irish +horn of itself, believing it to be a weakness rather than a strength. And +it would not be at all remarkable if the other horn (England) would be +separated from this Beast. 'The two horns like a lamb,' would seem to +indicate that this Beast would be peaceably inclined--not aggressive, but +merely using the horns for defense."--Z. '80-1-2. + +And, he spake as a dragon.--" 'He spake like a dragon.' Notice, it is not +said he spake like _the_ dragon, but like _a_ dragon. We understand this +to mean that its utterances resembled those of a purely civil (dragon) +power, and that in its words there would be little to denote that it is an +ecclesiastical government." (Z. '80-1-2.) England's conduct in forcing +opium into China is evidence enough of its Satanic character. "China +realizes that opium is her great curse; she has passed laws against the +growth of the poppy and the manufacture of opium. But she finds that the +imports of opium amount to 5,000,000 pounds per year. She cries out again, +as in the past, that this Great Kingdom of Christ (?) (Great Britain) will +have mercy upon her and cease to insist on this curse being introduced to +blight China morally and physically. The young men of heathen China have +started a monster petition for the cessation of opium importation. The +text of this appeal appeared in the _New York Herald_, February 17. It +recounts that a previous appeal, of similar character, was made without +avail to the King's royal grandmother in 1858, when she was the +representative of this branch of Christ's Kingdom (?)." (Z. '11-115.) "The +False Prophet who causes the dwellers on earth to worship the Beast +symbolizes the deification of the world and of the world power, throughout +the conflict between the church and Antichrist."--Cook. + +13:12. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him.--"And +the authority of the first Wild Beast--the whole of that authority--he +exercises in his presence, and he causes the earth and its inhabitants to +worship the first Wild Beast." (Weym.) "This shows that the second does +not take the place of the first beast, but that they exist +contemporaneously." (Z. '80-1-2.) It also shows that the sufferings of the +last members of the Body of Christ, under the combination of governments +dominated by Great Britain, may be expected to be as great as in Papacy's +palmiest days. + +And causeth the earth and them which dwell therein.--"We make a distinction +between the earth and those who dwell on it. As the earth symbolizes those +obedient to and supporting the Beast, so 'those dwelling on the earth,' we +understand to mean independent Christians who do not support either of +these systems."--Z. '80-1-2. + +To worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.--"The Church of +England claimed all the powers and authority which Papacy claimed. It +claimed to be the Church; it acknowledged and repudiated some of the +corruptions complained of by the Reformers, such as the sale of +indulgence, transubstantiation, etc., and abandoned these as well as the +name Roman, for which they substituted the word Holy, calling it the +original 'Holy Catholic Church.' It claims the same governmental authority +and the same veneration for its decrees as Papacy does for hers. And by +establishing a similar system, devoid of some of the grosser Papal errors, +it attracted the attention of all to those errors, as being the only +possible fault of Papacy. And when some of those errors were shortly after +discarded by Papacy, the inference was that both Beast systems were right. +People at that day, as now, seemed to think those systems proper and +right, if their powers, etc., were properly exercised; but from God's +standpoint the systems are abominations, and wrong from the very center. +These systems are based upon errors, and like a corrupt tree, 'cannot +bring forth good fruit.' + +"The principal error was in this--the very basis of those systems--their +claim to be the 'Kingdom of God' in reigning power. That idea, once +admitted, justifies their persecution of individuals and nations, forcing +them to submit and bow in obedience. Scripture accords these powers to the +'Kingdom of God'--when 'the Kingdom is the Lord's and He is the Governor +among the nations; all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto +the Lord, and all the kindreds of nations shall worship before Thee.' (Ps. +22:27, 28.) He shall 'dash them in pieces as a potter's vessel.' (Ps. +2:9.) Unto Him every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess. (Phil. +2:11.) And if their claim be good, who can object to their carrying out +the Scriptural statements? These Antichrists, to make their claim of +kingdom power appear true, had simply to take another, viz., to compel +obedience, backing up their right to do so by the Scriptures just quoted. +And not only was this great evil sanctioned, but their claim, once +admitted, that the Kingdom was established and the reign in progress, +those who admitted it were hindered from looking for the true Head of the +Church to set up the true Kingdom under the whole heavens, which shall +break in pieces present imperfect governments, establish righteousness in +the earth, and cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess, to the +glory of God."--Z. '80-1-2. + +13:13. And he doeth great wonders.--The strongest text of Scripture +forewarning against the impending Church Federation is the strongest text +of Scripture forewarning against spiritism. (Isa. 8:9-22.) It is not by +accident that these warnings are placed together. "We shall not be at all +surprised if some later manifestation of the powers of darkness, +transformed to appear as the angels of light and progress, shall be much +more specious and delusive than anything yet attempted. We do well to +remember the Apostle's words,--'We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but +with princely powers of darkness, with the spiritual things of the Evil +One.' (Eph. 6:12.) In 1842, six years before 'modern Spiritism' began to +operate, Edward Bickersteth, a servant of God and student of His Word, +wrote,--'Looking at the signs of the times, and the long neglect and +unnatural denial of all angelic ministration or spiritual influence, and +at the express predictions of false Christs, and false prophets, who shall +show signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible they should +deceive the Very Elect, and that when men receive not the love of the +truth that they might be saved, for this cause God shall send them strong +delusion, that they shall believe a lie; I cannot but think there is a +painful prospect of a sudden recoil and religious revulsion from the +present unbelief and misbelief, to an unnatural and undistinguishing +credulity.' Satan is the inspirer and supporter of every Antichrist; and +as he led those who had pleasure in error rather than the truth to the +organization of the great Antichrist, Papacy, symbolically the 'beast' of +Rev. 13, and as he is now operating to produce a Protestant 'image of the +beast' with life, which will cooperate with the chief Antichrist, so in +combination with these will be the powers of darkness, the powers of the +air, the lying and seducing spirits, operating in some manner or in a +variety of ways,--Spiritism, Christian Science, New Thought, Theosophy, +Hypnotism, etc." (S. 32.) "If we gain the right conception of the matter +these deceptions are to affect the whole world, including its wise men, +and indeed practically everybody."--Z. '09-123; Deut. 13:1-3; Matt. 24:24, +25; 2 Thes. 2:9-12; Rev. 16:14. + +Note the readiness of Christendom to fall into the trap: "In a sermon in +which he told of the effect of religious seances and the efforts of +certain writers to shatter belief in a future life, the Rev. H. D. C. +Maclachlan preached to a large congregation in Seventh Street Christian +Church on 'The New Spiritualism,' in which he gave scientific proof of a +future life and exhorted his hearers to be of good cheer and continue to +hope. Mr. Maclachlan spoke in part as follows: 'There has been no more +remarkable change in public opinion than that witnessed within the last +few years with regard to that class of facts known as spiritualistic. +There was a time when it was not quite respectable to believe in them, but +quite recently there has been a change. Ghosts have become respectable; +planchette and table rapping are parlor amusements; the popular magazines +vie with each other in saying nice things about mediums and their ways. +The cause of this change in public opinion has been a similar change in +scientific belief. It is not more than thirty years ago that orthodox +science refused so much as to investigate the things of which we are +speaking. Some twenty-five years ago the Society for Psychical Research +was formed in England with such names as Crookes, Myers, Romanes, +Eidgwick, Barrett and others on its list of members, and since that day +telepathy, table rapping, clairvoyance, clairaudience, telekinesis, +apparitions, materializations, mental healing and all the other phenomena +which Professor James, of Harvard, aptly calls _residual_, have been +investigated. Mediums have been transferred from back parlors, where all +sorts of trickery was possible, to the physical laboratories of the +universities. They have been put under conditions of strictest control. +Even the traditional darkness has been denied them. And still the +wonderful results came. One after another leading scientists entered into +these investigations skeptical and contemptuous, but came out of them +believers in the facts on the evidence of their own senses.' "--Z. '09-164. + +So that he maketh fire come down from heaven.--Fire from heaven was the +test by which Elijah proved that Jehovah is the true God, and was the +method by which Jehovah accepted the offerings made to Him on the Day of +Atonement. (1 Kings 18:38; Lev. 9:24.) In the test at hand the second +beast will be able to prove to all except the Elect that his claims to +Divine approval are correct. "Our Lord warns us of danger from false +Christs 'then'--that is now. Had it been foretold precisely what form these +deceptions would take, this would have somewhat hindered their deceptive +power. God permits these deceptions for the very purpose of separating the +'overcomers' from all others, and merely guarantees us that the 'Elect' +will be kept from falling. And yet it is quite possible that some of these +trials, siftings and delusions, may come closest upon those possessing the +largest degree of the light of Present Truth." (D. 581; Rev. 7:3.) "The +Lord allows the storms to press us more and more so that we will cry unto +Him. Then He will hear us and give us the necessary deliverance. These +storms may be right inside, in our own person. Whether, therefore, storms +financial, political, religious or demoniacal, come his way, the child of +God may rest secure and be of good courage. The Lord is both able and +willing to care for his interests and bring him off victor." (Z. '13-150.) +As soon as the beast has apparently made out a clear case, perhaps by +outward, visible evidences, but surely by evidences from the Scriptures +(distorted) of its standing with God, we may expect a very prompt and +practical use of the "fire" (Luke 9:54) thus obtained. "The Image, as soon +as vitalized, will very promptly use its influence, prestige, power, in +every way to punish in the name of the Lord those who in any sense of the +word it shall consider to be its opponents. Speedily none will be allowed +to buy or sell, in the spiritual marts [or perhaps in any marts], except +those who have either the mark or the number of the Beast, or of the +Image, either in the right hand of co-operation or in the forehead of +public confession. This will mean that the INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS +ASSOCIATION and all others not in affiliation with the Alliance will be +subjected to radically coercive measures. Truth shall fall in the streets. +(Isa. 59:14.) Righteousness will be unable to enter under the stress of +the new order of things. For a time it will appear as though a great +Christian victory had been won, shared equally by Papacy and Federated- +Protestantism--no longer protesting."--Z. '13-343. + +On the earth in the sight of men.--Amongst his own followers and among +Christians unattached to either beast. + +13:14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth.--The independent +Christians just named. + +By the means of those miracles.--Signs, the laying on of hands, doctrines +of immortality, trinity and claims that none are qualified to understand +the Bible aright except those consecrated by the imposition of holy orders +by the episcopal succession.--Z. '80-1-2. + +Which he had power to do in the sight of the beast.--While the papacy is +still alive and active.--Rev. 19:20. + +Saying.--By its own example. + +To them that dwell on the earth.--Independent Christians. + +That they should ALSO make an Image to the beast.--"From the year 1800 to +1846 was a time in which great numbers of new sects arose, whereas before +that, they were few and prominent. This gave rise to uneasiness among the +older denominations who wondered whereunto this thing would lead. As the +Bible came to be read more and more by the masses, occasional individuals +would feel free to preach what they thought it taught, regardless of +denominational creeds and the views of the older sects. As a consequence, +Protestants were fast splitting up into fragments. They began to say, By +what means shall we check and stop this disposition to individual thought +and opinion relative to the teachings of Scripture? They wanted to stop +the very thing God desired; viz., that each individual should be free and +independent of restraint, with his faith based, not on the views of +others, not on the decisions of Councils or Presbyters, nor in the +decision of the Pope, nor in things approved of the head of the English +church, but in the Word of God. The question came: How can we restrain +these preachers? This was a quandary to all except the Roman and Episcopal +churches, since these both claimed the 'Apostolic Succession,' and that +this, by ordination, conferred upon their ministers special power and +authority to preach and to administer the 'Sacraments'; hence that no +others had a right to do so, but were clerical pretenders. Other +denominations could not claim this continuation of apostolic power through +their preachers, but simply set them apart by prayer, consequently those +of one denomination could not object that the preachers of other +denominations, as well as all laymen, were not as truly authorized of God +to expound the Scriptures as their own clergy. + +"But the example of the Church of England showed what a prestige she had +by reason of the voice of authority with which she commanded a reverence +for her clergy and her teachings. This teaching by example was not lost. +The various denominations felt a necessity for some common Standard of +Doctrine which would be supported and upheld by all of them, and thus give +prestige to their teachings, and bring the combined influence of all +against any further advance in knowledge or the development of any +different phase of truth. Thus they would protect themselves by being able +to say: The combined opinion of all Protestants is against you; therefore +you are heretics, and therefore we will shun you, and not call you +Brethren, but use all our influence against you. This was done by the +formation of the 'Evangelical Alliance.' It was stated to be one of the +objects of the Alliance (and we believe the principal one) to 'Promote +between the different Evangelical denominations, an effective co-operation +in the efforts to repel common enemies and dangers.' + + [Illustration] + + Evangelical Alliance--Church Federation The Image of The Beast + + +"Do not understand us as opposing the Christians represented in that +Alliance; we are opposed merely to their attempt to muzzle truth, and to +prevent the opening up of any other truths buried by Papacy than those +which they had received. It is far from our purpose to say that they +intentionally combined against the unfolding of truth, nor would we say +this of Papists. But we do say, that by their action they were following +Papacy's tactics, and that in that Alliance they did make the Image of the +Beast. It has tended to make a separation clear and distinct between the +Clergy and the Laity. + +"How much the Image resembles the Papal Beast may be judged from the fact +that Papacy acknowledged the Image--owned it as a creditable likeness--by +the Pope sending 'Greetings' to the last meeting of the Evangelical +Alliance. Strange to say, the delegates to the Alliance had so far lost +sight of the principles and doctrines which led to the protests against +the Papal church (that it was the Harlot church--Antichrist--Man of +Sin--mentioned in the Scriptures) that they actually felt flattered by the +Pontiff's notice, instead of becoming alarmed and examining how and why he +who is 'The Chief Antichrist' should feel pleased to greet them as +fellows. A prominent Presbyterian minister present at the above named +meeting mentioned the 'Pope's Greeting' with evident pleasure and +satisfaction to the writer. + +"A prominent characteristic of the Beast copied by the Image is the +honoring of a special class, the Clergy, with special honors and titles. +They are known as Revs., Divines, etc., but Jesus the Divine said: 'Ye +call Me Lord and Master, and ye say well, for so I am.' 'Be not ye called +Rabbi, neither be ye called Master, for one is your Master, even Christ, +and all ye are brethren.' (Matt. 23:8.) These titles are assumptions +fashioned after those of Papacy. When the various denominations began +their existence, more full of the spirit of Christ, they claimed no such +high-sounding titles. The Reformers were not known as Rev., D. D., etc., +but as John Knox, Martin Luther, etc. Unpretentious, like Jesus and the +Apostles, they were intent upon serving God, and therefore became the +servants (ministers) of the Church. But now the Clergy are far from being +servants; they are Lords. They have itching ears, loving the approval of +men. As pride and worldliness have come in, vital godliness and power have +gradually departed. For the very same reason, they are losing all power to +expound the Word of God--the gift of teaching--because 'God abhorreth the +proud, but giveth grace (favor) to the humble.' We find ministers of all +denominations ready to confess their ignorance of the Word. They appeal, +for their information, back to the early reformers, and thus confess that +they have less light than they. That their light should grow dim, and +their spiritual life become dwarfed, is the natural result of their +joining the Image, and subscribing to creeds made in the fifteenth +century, which, like the shoe of China, will not admit of any growth. It +is a shoe a little larger than Papacy put upon its followers, but of the +same sort. + +"Papacy established the clerical hierarchy, who lorded it over God's +heritage instead of serving their brethren as Jesus explained--'One is your +Master; all ye are brethren,' and as Paul said: 'We are to speak the truth +in love and grow up into Him in all things who is the Head, even Christ; +from whom the whole Body fitly joined together [not by creeds of men, but +by love begotten by the one Spirit of Truth] and compacted by that which +every joint supplied [every joint is every member, not the clergy only] +maketh increase of the Body unto the edifying of itself in love,' thus +coming 'to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of +God.' (Eph. 4:15, 16.) As Papacy established the priesthood over the +church, so Protestantism has established the same, and there is no +opportunity for the Body to edify itself, every joint taking part. True, +there is a seeming show of liberty at prayer meetings, etc., but it is +only upon the surface, for the ordained pastor is to watch zealously lest +anything contrary to the teachings of his church should be expressed, and +if so, to silence the audacious member at once, for the church creed is +the rule, not the Word of God. If this is not sufficient, they must have a +sort of church trial and excommunicate him ('kill him'). The trial, by the +way, gives evidence of another likeness to the Beast, namely, the +exaltation of the teachings of the organization above the Word of God, for +all such are tried according to 'the authorities' of their church."--Z. +'80-1-2. + +"The Alliance endeavored to establish a standard of orthodoxy. They saw +the power of the Papal argument, that it is the Church, and that all +others are heretical. In this sense it was a copy, or image, of the Papal +institution. It has been merely an Image without life or power for now +more than sixty years." (Z. '13-342.) "And he told the inhabitants of the +earth to erect a statue (possibly a symbol of corrupt public opinion) to +the Wild Beast who had received the sword-stroke and yet had +recovered."--Weym. + +Which had the wound by a sword, and did live.--Which was smitten by the +Sword of the Spirit in the hands of the reformers, but not persistently +enough to kill it. (Heb. 4:12.) "It is important to observe that the wound +of one of the heads is here ascribed to the whole beast."--Cook. + +13:15. And he had power to give life.--Either "apostolic succession" or its +effect. "It may not be known to many how much stress was laid upon the +'apostolic succession,' which was supposed to be a virtue transmitted +through hundreds of years of Papal corruption, by the laying on of the +hands of the Bishop. This, of course, was vested in the Roman church, and +also in the English church on account of its being at first rather a +secession from Papacy than a reformation. To many minds; even among the +clergy, there was a veneration for that ceremony, which neither Papacy nor +the English church were averse to promoting." (Z. '80-1-2.) For the effect +of this superstition on the mind of Wesley, see Rev. 9:1, 2. "The Lord's +symbolic prophecy tells us that in the close of this Age the Image will +receive life, vitality, energy, power. No longer will it stand as a mere +Image. It will become as active as the Beast. Moreover, it will not be +antagonistic to the Beast, but sympathetic, and cause that all shall +either worship the Beast or the Image--all must be in harmony either with +Catholicism, or with the Protestant Church Federation as soon as it +receives the vitalizing breath."--Z. '13-343. + +Unto the Image of the beast.--"The vitality of the Image is to come from +the two-horned Beast; the Church of England. A few years ago the Episcopal +Church took an important step toward vitalizing the Church Federation +movement. That important step was the recognition of the ministers of the +denominations represented in the Evangelical Alliance. Previously no +minister not ordained by the laying on of hands of a Catholic or an +Episcopalian bishop was allowed to preach from an Episcopalian pulpit. +Perhaps this recognition of the Image is all the vitalization the Image +needs, but we are inclined to expect more. For years the Episcopalians +have proffered reordination to the ministers of the different +denominations represented in the Evangelical Alliance. And they still +proffer it. We have been inclined to expect that the ministers would +finally concede the point and accept a reordination at the hands of an +Episcopal bishop. But we are not sure of this. It is possible that, to +meet the requirements of the case, some other way will be found by which +the Episcopal Church will recognize the Church Federation without +obligating the ministers to be reordained. We are waiting for this." (Z. +'13-343.) "If the various ministers of other denominations in considerable +numbers accept reordination as ministers at the hands of Episcopalian +Bishops, the validity of other ordination will be speedily questioned. The +authority of this so-called 'Apostolic Ordination' will give seeming right +of authority, dignity and power. After the prominent ministers of various +denominations submit themselves to such reordination, the 'lesser lights' +will make a rush for it."--Z. '10-308. + +Canon Henson, of Westminster Abbey, has said: "The logical goal of modern +tendencies is not toward Disestablishment, but toward a fuller and +worthier Establishment. Why should not the nation draw into its service +all the organized Christianity instead of limiting itself to a single +denomination? I rejoice to observe a beginning made in this direction by +recent legislation, which has recognized for certain civic purposes the +status of Nonconformist clergymen." (Z. '06-6.) The change of name of the +"Image of the Beast" to that of "False Prophet" in Rev. 16:13, between the +_sixth_ and _seventh_ plagues, indicates it was vitalized prior to the +publication of Vol. VII (the 7th plague). Truly it now _lives_--in the +minds of the clergy--but it will grow stronger. + +The matter is growing in the minds of those interested, as the following +dispatches show: "Washington, Dec. 31, 1916.--In a signed document +addressed to the nation, more than fifty prelates and laymen of various +denominations representing many sections of the country have united in a +warning against what they declare may be a premature peace in Europe which +'may bring a curse instead of a blessing.' " "Last winter commissions of +all American Protestant churches met at Garden City, L. I., for the first +time, and adopted a general platform on which it recommended that the +World Conference on Faith and Order proceed. Pope Benedict XV. sent a +letter to the commissions, assuring them of his 'deep interest and +prayers.' "--_Literary Digest_, January 13, 1917. + +That the image of the beast should both speak.--Thus far he has been +significantly "silent" as far as claiming any real power or authority is +concerned; but the time for the breaking of the silence is near.--Jer. +8:14-17; Rev. 8:1. + +And cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the +beast.--"Worship of this symbolic beast and his image is to be the great +test or trial upon professing Christians in every province of symbolic +Babylon in the end of this Age. And we have the same inspired record as +authority for the statement that only those who refuse to render worship +to those powerfully influential religious systems (symbolized by the beast +and his image) will be counted by the Lord as 'overcomers' and be made His +joint-heirs as members of His elect Church. (Rev. 20:4.) And there are +some the world over who, with a courage not less than that of Shadrach, +Meshach and Abed-nego, declare publicly that the Lord God alone shall have +the worship and the service which they can render. The faithful few will +be exposed to fiery experiences--boycotted socially, boycotted in business, +slandered in every conceivable manner, and often by those of whom they +least expect it, who, according to the Lord's declaration, will say 'all +manner of evil against them falsely.' (Matt. 5:11,12.)"--Z. '99-170. + +Should be killed.--"Soon we shall have their 'Union' or 'Confederacy' (Isa. +8:12), and the bitter fruits of Union in error will speedily manifest +themselves in tyranny, as during the Dark Ages." (Z. '04-212.) "To us the +Scriptures indicate that the prosperity of the Federated Protestant +'Image' will for a little time be so great, so pronounced, and its +arrogance become so great that the sympathy of the masses will be entirely +alienated and turned into bitterness." (Z. '10-309). It may be objected +that the Church would have no part in the killing of their fellow +worshippers, but ecclesiastics themselves have a better understanding of +the ecclesiastical mind and ecclesiastical conscience. The following is +from the pen of Rt. Rev. Chas. D. Williams, Protestant Episcopal Bishop of +Michigan: + +"It is an appalling thought that the Church should have had a part in the +crime of Calvary, and yet it did, and that the chief part. The +ecclesiastical mind is a closed mind--and there is nothing it resents so +much as being pried open to receive a new idea. Its settled rule of +judgment, its accepted test of truth, is, 'What is new is never true, and +what is true is never new.' The other characteristic of a perverted +religion is the ecclesiastical conscience. It is strikingly illustrated by +one Good Friday scene. A procession is sweeping through the streets of +Jerusalem, bound for the Governor's Palace. Who compose this procession? +They are the religious leaders of the people the prominent divines, the +chief ecclesiastics. What is the business they have in mind? They are +intent on committing the greatest crime in history. But at Pilate's +threshold they stop. Why? Ah, they have stumbled across a canon of the +Church. If they should enter a heathen house that Passover morning, they +would become ceremonially defiled and unfit to partake of the sacrament." +(Z. '15-339.) "In 1526 Prof. Tyndale, having prepared his MS., published +it in Germany, because of the opposition of the English clergy. He +imported his New Testaments into London, in whose shops the people began +to purchase them. At this same time the Germans were learning something of +the New Testament and its different teachings, from Luther and his +associates. The Church of England bishops forthwith bought up the entire +edition in the shops, and publicly burnt them in front of St Paul's +Cathedral, London. They knew that the eighteen Ecumenical Councils had +declared to be true Christian faith many things not taught in the Bible, +and had omitted many things that are taught therein. They feared that the +people, becoming Bible students, would know of these things, and thus +would be upset the general belief based in the creeds--and not in the +Bible. Then, too, they warned the people against putting any construction +upon the Bible that would make it different from the teaching of the so- +called 'Apostolic Bishops' in the creeds--threatening them with eternal +torment. As it was, Tyndale and some of the others interested in the Bible +suffered martyrdom, as enemies of the 'Apostolic Bishops,' and their +creeds and institutions."--Z. '15-253. Are the clergy divinely ordained? + +13:16. And he causeth all, both small and great.--"The great feast which +preceded the fall of Babylon would seem to correspond well with the great +denominational union expected soon, and the season of rejoicing which will +accompany it. The gold and silver vessels of the Lord's house which were +profaned may fitly represent not only the precious truths of Divine +Revelation, but also the Lord's consecrated people--the golden vessels +representing the Little Flock, and the more numerous silver vessels +representing the 'Great Company.' What may be the character of the +defilement and injury of these is of course problematical; but in any case +we remember that those consecrated vessels were all highly honored, and +restored to the Temple by Cyrus, and likewise we know that not only the +truths of Divine Revelation will all be cared for by our Lord, but also +that all that are His shall be glorified in the spiritual Temple which He +will rear shortly."--Z. '99-175. + +[Rich and] Poor AND RICH.--"So popular will Federated Churchianity become +that to even criticize it will be a 'crime' worthy of crucifixion in some +form--socially and financially, if not physically. Politicians will quickly +realize that their bread is buttered on that side, and be ready to enact +legislation of any kind desired by the Federation. Mammon-worship will +take on new forms temporarily, but power will soon debauch the +unregenerate mass and drive out the regenerate faithful who may +temporarily be misled by the great 'Union' movement in the name of Christ, +but without His Spirit or authority."--Z. '06-6. + +Free and bond.--"It is altogether possible, indeed probable we think, that +John's course which brought him into conflict with Herod was in some +degree typical of the course of the Gospel Church in this present time; +and of the course of events that may be expected. If it be a type, Herod +would represent civil government, and the unlawful wife would represent +the nominal church, which throughout the symbolic Scriptures is +represented as a woman, Jezebel, etc. Should it prove to be a type by its +fulfilment in antitype, the fulfilment will probably be on something like +the following lines: (1) A partial reunion of Church and State. [This has +now been accomplished by the Alliance of the United States with Great +Britain.] (2) In such case it would become the duty of the true Church, +the forerunners and announcers of the Messianic Kingdom, to reprove the +civil powers as well as the nominal church systems, and to declare their +union unlawful--contrary to the Word of God. (3) The effect of this would +pretty surely be to awaken the animosity of both civil and religious +powers; but it would draw out specially the animosity and venom of the +latter. (4) The church nominal, in her false position would be anxious to +stifle the reproofs and to destroy the reprovers, and the effect would be +that the civil power would be induced to pass such legislation as would +restrain the liberty of the faithful ones and hinder them from public +utterances;--as John was hindered by imprisonment. (5) Herodias' daughter +(united Protestantism) will become the tool for the destruction of the +most loyal servants of God."--Z. '98-95. + +To [receive] GIVE HIM a mark in their right hand or in their [foreheads] +FOREHEAD.--By contrast with Ex. 13:9; 28:26-38; Deut. 6:8; Z. '07-265; Rev. +7:3; 14:1; Ezek. 9:4-6. "Consecration to the service of the beast is what +is signified here." (Cook.) (Lev. 19:28.) "All classes of Christians must +bow; all must, in some way, give evidence of their support of the Image +and consecration to its interests and laws; either a public, open +profession of being members of the Alliance, and hence supporters (mark in +forehead), or at least a giving of some assistance and influence to the +principles of Image organisation--(the right-hand support)." (Z. '80-1-2.) +This implies a re-establishment of the inquisition _soon_--in some form of +house-to-house "investigation" or public enrollment. + +13:17. [And] That no man might buy or sell.--"The 'buying and selling,' +like the other features, is symbolic, and refers to dealing in spiritual +things. [But it may be literally fulfilled as well in the year of +prospective famine now at hand.] None may be recognized as having any +right to teach or preach or baptize or administer the emblems of our +Lord's death, except those licensed by some orthodox member of the Image, +and acts of such persons ('unlicensed') are not counted valid."--Z. +'80-1-2. + +Save he that had the mark [or the name] of the beast.--Protestants +affiliated with the Federal Council of Churches--already "marked," stamped +O. K. by the papacy. + +Or his name.--Roman Catholics. + +Or the number of his name.--Consent to the principle of clergy rule in +matters of faith, order and war (murder.)--Rev. 15:2. + +13:18. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath [understanding] AN EAR count the +number of the beast.--"Here is scope for ingenuity. Let people of shrewd +intelligence calculate the number of the Wild Beast; for it indicates a +certain man, and his number is 666."--Weym. + +For it is the number of a man.--The Man of Sin, the Papacy.--Rev. 19:20; 2 +Thes. 2:3. + +[And his number is] Six hundred threescore and six.--In the Greek this +number is six hundred (represented by the Greek letter {~GREEK SMALL LETTER CHI~}), plus sixty +(represented by the Greek letter {~GREEK SMALL LETTER XI~}), plus six (represented by the Greek +letter {~GREEK SMALL LETTER ZETA~}). It is not as though it read six plus six plus six. + +"The following extract on this point is from a work entitled The +Reformation, bearing the date of 1832: + +" 'Mrs. A.,' said Miss Emmons, 'I saw a very curious fact the other day; I +have dwelt upon it much, and will mention it. A person, lately, was +witnessing a ceremony of the Romish Church. As the pope passed him in the +procession, splendidly dressed in his pontifical robes, the gentleman's +eye rested on these full, blazing letters in front of his mitre +(tiara--crown): VICARIVS FILII DEI, the Vicar of the Son of God. His +thoughts, with the rapidity of lightning, reverted to Rev. 13:18.' 'Will +you turn to it?' said Mrs. A. Alice opened the New Testament, and read: +'Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is +the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.' +She paused, and Miss Emmons said, 'He took out his pencil, and marking the +numerical letters of the inscription on his tablet, it stood 666.' " +(Smith.) This explanation was approved by Pastor Russell, and was given by +him at a Convention Question Meeting. + +V 5 +I 1 +C 100 +A 0 +R 0 +I 1 +V 5 +S 0 + ---- +F 0 +I 1 +L 50 +I 1 +I 1 + ---- +D 500 +E 0 +I 1 +---- ---- +Total 666 + +On the pope's crown in the Vatican museum is the recognized and most used +title of the pope, VICARIVS FILII DEI (Vicar of the Son of God.) The word +VICARIVS is on the top of the threefold crown. The word FILII is on the +second circlet; and the words are made from dark, shining precious jewels. +The word DEI is on the under part of the threefold crown and is made of +100 diamonds. "The Tiara is a bee-hive shaped, somewhat bulging head- +covering, ornamented with three crowns. It is first mentioned by Pope +Constantine, in A. D. 715. It first appears on papal coins in the reign of +Sergius III., A. D. 911. At this period it was merely a cap of white +stuff. The papal coins of the 11th century leave it doubtful whether the +ornamental band at the lower edge of the tiara is intended to represent a +crown or merely a decoration. It is only in representations dating from +the late 13th century that the circlet appears as a regular spiked crown. +The second circlet was added by Pope Boniface VIII., A. D. 1303. The third +was added under Clement V., A. D. 1311." (Brit.) The reason for the +addition of any of these crowns is unknown, or why the pope should have +any crown at all. The words VICARIVS FILII DEI are, it is said, also +carved over the entrance to the Vatican. + + ------------------------------------- + + + Gideon's Band. + + "Count Me the swords that have come." + "Lord, thousands on thousands are ready." + "Lo! these are too many, and with them are some + Whose hearts and whose hands are not steady. + He whose soul does not burn, + Let him take up his tent and return. + + "Count Me the swords that remain." + "Lord, hundreds on hundreds are daring." + "These yet are too many for Me to attain + To the victory I am preparing. + Lead them down to the brink + Of the waters of Marah to drink." + + "Lord those who remain are but few, + And the hosts of the foe are appalling, + And what can a handful such as we do?" + "When ye hear from beyond, My Voice calling, + Sound the trump! Hold the light! + Great Midian will melt in your sight!" + + + + +Revelation 14--The Five Harvest Messages + + +14:1. And I looked, and, [lo, a] BEHOLD THE Lamb.--See Rev. 5:6; 13:8; John +1:29, 36; Acts 8:32; 1 Pet. 1:19. + +Stood on the Mount Sion.--The Return of the Lord is here pictured as +accomplished the sleeping saints raised, and the full number called. This +was all fulfilled in 1878. (Rev. 11:17.) At that time our Lord took unto +Himself His great power and began His Reign. + +And with Him an hundred forty and four thousand.--See Rev. 7:4. + +Having His [Father's] name AND THE NAME OF HIS FATHER.--How beautiful and +how true that we have _both_ the Father and the Son in our minds, while +trinitarians must necessarily have more or less, and are proportionately +confused. + +Written in their foreheads.--Isa. 44:5; Rev. 7:3; Ex. 13:9; 28:26-38; Deut. +6:8; Z. '07-265; Ezek. 9:2-6. + +14:2. And I heard a voice.--The message of Present Truth from the lips of +the Lord's saints on this side of the veil. They are on Mount Zion in the +spirit of their minds. + +From heaven.--"We are seated with Him in Heavenly places."--Rev. 13:6. + +As the voice of many waters.--A great outpouring of Truth, in many +tongues.--Rev. 1:16; 19:6. + +And as the voice of [a great] thunder.--Seven thunders, the seven volumes +of _Scripture Studies_.--Rev. 8:5; 10:3, 4. + +And [I heard] the voice WHICH I HEARD WAS AS THAT of harpers harping with +their Harps.--"The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments constitute what +the Lord Himself designates 'the Harp of God.' (Rev. 15:2.) And the +various testimonies of the Law and the Prophets are the several chords of +that Harp, which, when tuned by the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts, +and swept by the fingers of the devoted servants and searchers after +Divine Truth, yields the most enchanting strains that ever fell on mortal +ears."--F. 233; Rev. 5:8. + +14:3. And they [sang as it were] SING a new song.--The Lord particularly +promised that in this Harvest time, out of His Storehouse would come +things _new_. (Matt. 13:52; 24:45.) "In symbol He pointed out to us the +fact that the Message of His grace in the closing days of this Gospel Age +would be so different from the commonly accepted message, misnamed the +Gospel, that it would properly be termed a new song."--Z. '00-37; Rev. 5:9; +15:3. + +AND IT WAS before the Throne.--While still on earth. Compare Rev. 4:5 and +5:6. + +And before the four beasts.--Every declaration of Present Truth has for its +object the presentation of one or more of the Divine attributes--Justice, +Power, Love and Wisdom. All that we do in the service of the Truth is done +in their sight.--Rev. 4:7-10. + +And BEFORE the elders.--The prophecies. In all that we do we are pointing +to the prophecies and fulfilling them. How often it was said of our Lord +Jesus, that He said or did this or that "That it might be fulfilled which +was spoken by the mouth of" one of the Prophets. + +And no man could learn that song but the 144,000.--"Nothing is more +manifest than that it is necessary to be somewhat of an 'overcomer' of the +world and its spirit which pervades nominal Christendom, ere any would +have the courage to sing this song--to declare before men the lengths, +breadths, heights and depths of the goodness and grace of the Divine Plan, +of which Jesus and His Sacrifice are the center. To all others 'the fear +of man bringeth a snare,' and stoppeth their mouths from speaking 'forth +the praise of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.' +'But the people that do know their God [His Character and Plan] shall be +valiant and do exploits,' and like the Apostles of old will feel and say. +'Whether it be right to obey God or men, judge ye; but we cannot but speak +the things which we have seen and heard,'--Dan. 11:32; Acts 4:19, 20."--Z. +'00-37. + +Which were redeemed from the earth.--_Agorazo_, acquired at the forum.--E. +_443_, 429. + +14:4. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are +virgins.--"All Bible exponents of the Protestant kind recognize there are +two Women especially mentioned in Revelation; the one the true Woman, the +Bride class, the other the false Woman; and Protestants in general +understand that false Woman to represent the papacy. Then again other +Protestants understand that the Scriptures which refer to the mother and +daughters refer to the papacy, and these denominational daughters, or +systems, which sprang from her, and have more or less of her nature, +disposition and characteristics. The Bible proposition is that the Church +is a Virgin Church; viz.: not united to the world at all, and that this is +the error that was made by the early Church in leaving Christ as the +prospective Bridegroom and becoming united with the nation of Rome. This +constituted an illicit union; for as the Bride of Christ she had no right +whatever to be associated with any earthly dominion; therefore in becoming +associated with the Roman Emperor she lost her standing. We are to +remember that this word 'harlotry' as used in Revelation is merely a +symbolical term; there is nothing more than that to be understood. God +speaks of some of His children as being in Babylon. Babylon is the name +for the mother, the papal system, and the daughters also have the same +name. It means confusion, mixture and improper relationship. Now then some +are in Babylon and not of Babylon, just the same as the children of Israel +were carried captive into Babylon, but they were not Babylonians. And in +due time God sent forth the Message to all Natural Israel that if those +who had been carried in captivity into Babylon desired to return to the +Lord their God, and to the Land of Promise, they might do so. Cyrus gave +that decree, you remember, and many of them did return. + +"No one is called out of Babylon until he hears the Lord's voice. So you +and I may have been in Babylon for years and not have had any +responsibility or any impurity; we were not defiled, because we did not +know any better. But He says, 'Come out of her, My people, that ye be not +partakers of her sins.' That implies that you are not yet partakers of her +sins; you are My people, in her, but not yet partakers. I was not +responsible for what was in my head from childhood; and God did not hold +me responsible; nor you, nor anyone else; but after we come to see the +great errors which are taught by Babylon's system then we are responsible. +We have said things about our Heavenly Father that we would be ashamed to +say about ourselves or of our earthly parents. + +"We have said He created our world of mankind and knew what He was doing, +had full power and full wisdom, and intended from the beginning to damn +nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand, and to have them roast +through all eternity; and that He made fireproof devils to handle them; +that He created a great place called hell in which all of this diabolical +work was going on. No honorable man would treat a poor rat that +way--predestinate the rat before it was born, foreordain it to eternal +torture. And now then after we once see that this doctrine is blasphemy +against God, after we once see that it was evidently instigated by our +great Adversary, the Devil--after we once see what an awful thing it is--if +then we wish to uphold earthly systems and give our lives, strength, +talents and means, to upholding these diabolical teachings, then we are +worse than any others there; we are the worst of them all. What right has +any man to stay inside of a denomination and deny the teachings of that +denomination? He is branding himself as a fraud, professing to believe +what he knows he does not believe, claiming to teach what he knows he +should not teach; or, on the other hand, teaching that which he knows is +wrong, and professing that which he does not believe at all. The whole +matter is wrong; such are defiled by the Women. + +"But those who come out when they see the right and wrong on the question, +who take their stand for right, they are delivering their souls from +Babylon. 'Flee out of Babylon, saith the Lord; deliver every man his +soul.' Now no one is responsible to flee out unless he sees that it is +Babylon, but the very suggestion that it is Babylon to every honest person +means that he should make an investigation, and a thorough one, to know +whether or not he is in Babylon. If he says, 'Well, God's voice says "flee +out of Babylon," and I believe that the system is Babylon, but I do not +wish to look into it for fear I find it true,' that means he is dishonest +with himself; he is defiling himself. There is only one way of being +thoroughly honest, and that is to be honest." (Pastor Russell.) "That the +words can only be understood spiritually seems to follow from the whole +tone of Apocalyptic symbolism:--see the mention of the Bridegroom and the +Bride, of the Harlot and her fornications. Elsewhere we have the language +of Ps. 45, of the Canticles, of the Book of Hosea, above all of 2 Cor. +11:2:--'I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a +chaste virgin to Christ.' "--Cook. + +[These are they which] THOSE WHO follow The Lamb.--On this side of the +veil. + +Whithersoever He goeth.--Those who fail to "Walk in the light as He is in +the light" find sooner or later that they "walk in darkness" for the light +goes on and leaves them.--John 1:6, 7; Prov. 4:18. + +These were redeemed from among men.--They are a separate class, "from +among" men. "The thought is that of public purchase; and all the other +uses of this word _agorazo_, throughout the New Testament, emphatically +support a most commercial signification. We call especial attention to the +signification of this word, because the tendency to deny that there was a +purchase of our race effected by a _price_ given for man's release from +the 'curse' is prevalent and a growing one--very subversive of the true +faith, once delivered to the saints."--E. _443_, 430. + +[Being the first-fruits] FROM THE BEGINNING unto God and [to] IN the +Lamb.--"Separated from the entire mass as the best absolutely.--Num. 18:12." +(Cook) Deut. 26:2; Jas. 1:18. + +14:5. And in their mouth.--By contrast to the lies of the False Prophet. + +Was found no [guile] FALSEHOOD.--They fully and thoroughly believe the +doctrines they teach.--Psa. 15:1, 2. + +For they are without fault [before the Throne of God].--"Faultless before +the presence of His glory with exceeding Joy."--Jude 24; Eph. 5:27; Psa. +15:1-5. + +14:6. And I saw [another] AN angel.--_The Divine Plan of the Ages_, Volume +I of the _Scripture Studies_. + +Fly in the midst of heaven.--"From one end of heaven to the other" amongst +Christian people of all denominations.--Matt. 24:31. + +Having the everlasting Gospel.--The same Gospel preached by our Heavenly +Father (Gal. 3:8), the Lord Jesus Christ (John 10:16), the holy Apostles +(Acts 15:13-18), the holy Prophets (Acts 3:19-24) and the holy Angels +(Luke 2:10, 13, 14); but entirely overlooked by the clergy. + +To preach unto them that dwell on the earth.--To independent +Christians.--Rev. 13:13, 14. + +And [to] UNTO every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.--All +mankind, living and dead.--1 Tim. 2:4-7. + +14:7. [Saying] with a loud voice.--By millions of copies circulated earth- +wide. + +Fear God, and give glory to Him.--Rather than to creeds, sects and clergy. + +For the hour of His judgment is come.--The _MILLENNIAL DAWN_, the dawn of +the thousand-year Judgment Day of Christ, is at hand.--Rev. 15:4; 11:18. + +And worship Him that made Heaven, and earth, and the sea.--God, our +Heavenly Father, the Creator of all things.--Neh. 9:6; Psa. 33:6, 124:8; +Acts 14:15; 17:24. + +And the fountains of waters.--His Heaven-sent Word. + +14:8. And there followed another [angel] A SECOND.--Volume II of _Scripture +Studies_. + +Saying, [Babylon is fallen,] is fallen, [that] BABYLON, THE great +[city].--Chapters 7 and 9 of Volume II are particularly devoted to this +theme. "The name Babylon originally signified God's gate-way; but +afterward, in derision, it came to mean _mixture_ or _confusion_. In the +book of Revelation this name is applied specifically to the church +nominal, which, from being the gate-way to glory, became a gate-way to +error and confusion, a miserable mixture composed chiefly of tares, +hypocrites,--a confused mass of worldly profession in which the Lord's +jewels are buried, and their true beauty and luster hidden." (C. 153.) +"The name Babylon was applied, not only to the capital city of the +Babylonian empire, but also to the empire itself. Babylon, the capital, +was the most magnificent, and probably the largest, city of the ancient +world. It was built in the 'form of a square on both sides of the +Euphrates river; and, for protection against invaders, it was surrounded +by a deep moat filled with water and inclosed within a vast system of +double walls, from thirty-two to eighty-five feet thick, and from seventy- +five to three hundred feet high. On the summit were low towers, said to +have been two hundred and fifty in number, placed along the outer and +inner edges of the wall, tower facing tower; and in these walls were a +hundred brazen gates, twenty-five on each side, corresponding to the +number of streets which intersected each other at right angles. The city +was adorned with splendid palaces and temples and the spoils of +conquest.' " (D. 23; Jer. 51:8; Rev. 18:2.) "This use of the aorist--in the +sense of the 'prophetic preterite'--expresses the certainty of the fall: +see chapters 10:7; 11:18; 18:2; and see on chapter 15:1. The language is +taken from Isa. 21:9, the verb denoting the violent fall and overthrow of +kingdoms--see Ezek. 30:6; and see on chapter 17:10. With the fall of +Babylon, the capital of the ungodly world-kingdom, the Old Testament +connects the redemption of the people of God.--Isa. 13:19; 47:1; Jer. +51:1-10."--Cook. + +Because [she made all nations drink of] ALL NATIONS HAVE FALLEN THROUGH +the wine of the wrath of her fornication.--"The ruin of all the nations of +earth is here attributed directly to the fact that 'Babylon made all the +peoples drunk with the wine [spirit, influence] of her +fornication'--worldly affiliation."--C. 164, 104; Jer. 51:7; Rev. 2:20; +17:2, 5; 18:3; 19:2. + +14:9. And [the] ANOTHER, A third angel followed them.--Volume III of the +_Scripture Studies_ followed I and II. + +Saying with a loud voice.--Proclaiming clearly, in chapters 2, 4 and 6. + +If any man worship the beast.--The Papacy. + +And his image.--The Evangelical-Alliance-Spiritism combination.--Rev. 13:11, +13, 14, 15; 14:11; 15:2; 16:2, 13; 19:20; 20:10; Matt. 24:24. + +And receive his mark In his forehead, or in his hand.--See Rev. 13:16, 17. + +14:10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God.--The Message +of Present Truth. + +Which is poured out without mixture.--Different from Babylon's _mixed_ +wine.--Isa. 5:20-22. + +Into the cup of His indignation.--"The Lord our God hath put us to silence +and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the +Lord."--Jer. 8:14; Isa. 51:17-20; Jer. 25:26-28; Rev. 18:6; 16:19; Psa. +60:3; 75:8. + +And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone.--Whoever worships, +reverences, human institutions and doctrines more than the Word of the +Lord has experienced the torment here specified. Doctrines of hell fire +and brimstone have been his portion.--Rev. 9:17-19. + +In the presence of the holy angels.--The Harvest workers on this side of +the veil.--Matt. 13:39. + +And in the presence of the Lamb.--"In the days of the Son of Man;" after +the Second Advent has taken place. + +14:11. And the smoke of their torment.--"A noun, unlike a verb (or 'time- +word,' as the Germans call it), does not indicate time. So 'the smoke of +their torment' may mean that of pain endured once for all, and then at an +end. There is nothing in this verse that necessarily implies an eternity +of suffering. In a similar way the word 'punishment' or 'correction' in +Matt. 25:46 gives in itself no indication of time. Cp. Gen. 19:28; Jude +7." (Weym.) + +"About _endless torment_: + +"(a) The doctrine is found nowhere in the Old Testament, nor any hint of +it. The expression, in the end of Isaiah, about the fire unquenched and +the worms not dying, is plainly of the corpses of men upon the physical +earth. + +"(b) The doctrine of endless torment was, as a historical fact, brought +back from Babylon by the Rabbis. + +"(c) St Paul accepts nothing of it as far as we can tell, never making the +least allusion to the doctrine. + +"(d) The Apocalypse asserts that not only _death_, but _hell_ shall be +cast into the Lake of Fire. + +"(e) The Christian Church has never really held it exclusively till now. + +"(f) Since the Reformation it has been an open question in the English +Church. + +"(g) The Church of England, by the deliberate expunging of the 42nd +Article, which affirmed endless punishment, has declared it, +authoritatively, to be open. + +"(h) It is so, in fact. Neither I nor any others who have denied it can be +dispossessed or proceeded against legally, in any way whatsoever.--Rev. +Chas. Kingsley, May 9, 1857."--Z. '11-363. + +Ascendeth up for ever and ever.--"The remembrance of the destruction of +these systems of deception and error will be lasting, the lesson will +never be forgotten--as smoke, which continues to ascend after a destructive +fire, is testimony that the fire has done its work.--See also Isa. +34:8-10."--H. 64; Rev. 19:3. + +And they have no rest day or night.--A literal fulfillment of this is +expected. (Rev. 7:3.) A few days of it will be enough to satisfy the most +ardent lover of the torment system of religion. And it will be a just +recompense of reward. + +Who worship the beast and his Image.--"All will at once concede that if a +literal worshipping of a beast and image were meant in verse 9, then few, +if any, in civilized lands are liable to the penalty of verse 11; and if +the beast and his image and worship and wine and cup are symbols, so also +are the torments and smoke and fire and brimstone."--H. 64; Rev. 14:9. + +And whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.--Of fear, sympathy or +worship. + +14:12. Here is the patience of the saints.--Their crowning trial. + +[Here are they] that keep the commandments of God.--The commandments of God +during the Harvest time are to proclaim, "Gather My saints together unto +Me;" "Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be +not cut off in her iniquity."--Psa. 50:5; Jer. 51:6. + +And the faith of Jesus.--"He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay +down our lives for the brethren." (1 John 3:16.) The Great Company class +are our brethren and we ought to show as much interest in them as we do in +the Little Flock. The gathering of the full number of the Very Elect would +give us no reason to discontinue Harvest work. + +14:13. And I heard a voice from Heaven.--The Heavenly Father's Word. + +Saying [unto me], Write.--The message found in chapter 9 of Volume III. + +Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.--"Each member of the Body of +Christ must finish his sacrifice in actual death. They are reckoned of God +as being already dead, and they are exhorted so also to reckon themselves: +'Reckon ye yourselves dead indeed unto sin.' No other dead men can be said +to die but this class of dead ones, who must finish their course of +sacrifice in actual death."--C. 241; 1 Thes. 4:16. + +From henceforth.--From the spring of 1878. + +[Yea,] saith the Spirit.--The Word of God, in Rev. 6:11. "Nowhere in the +Scriptures is death represented as in any sense a blessing, except in this +one instance; and here it is particularly limited and made applicable to a +certain specific time."--C. 240. + +That they may rest from their labors.--"Poor, bruised 'feet,' now despised +of men, none but yourselves fully appreciate your privileges. None others +can appreciate the joy you have in proclaiming Present Truth." (C. 236.) +"One by one the 'feet' class will pass from the present condition, in +which, though often weary and wounded, they are always rejoicing, to the +other side the veil;--'changed' in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, +from mortality to immortality, from weakness to power, from dishonor to +glory, from human to Heavenly conditions, from animal to spirit bodies." +(C. 237.) "Instead of the Kingdom waiting for the living members to finish +their course, the Kingdom work began at once; and the living ones on this +side the veil are privileged to know 'the mysteries of the Kingdom' and to +engage in Kingdom work before their 'change;' and as they die (will not +fall 'asleep,' but) will be 'changed' in the moment of death, resurrected +as part of the blessed and holy First Resurrection."--D. 622. + +[And] FOR their works do follow them.--"Their _work_ will not cease with +this change; for all those who will be counted worthy of that change to +glory will be already enlisted in the service of the Kingdom on this side +the veil: only the weariness, the labor feature, will cease with the +change." (C. 238.) "We may not be able to judge accurately as to what +features of the great work are now being carried on by the Lord and His +glorified saints beyond the veil; but we may be sure that they are active +participants in the work assigned the members of the same Kingdom class, +whose course and service are not yet ended on this side the veil--the +Harvest work."--D. 624; 1 Cor. 15:58. + +14:14. [And I looked], and behold a white cloud.--See Rev. 10:1. As the +cloud indicates the Time of Trouble, so the white indicates the pure +motive back of it. + +And upon the cloud [one sat] I SAW ONE SITTING like unto the Son of +Man.--"To the Jewish House Jesus presented Himself in three characters--as +Bridegroom (John 3:29), Reaper (John 4:35, 38) and King (Matt. 21:5, 9, +4). To the Christian House He presents Himself in the same characters. (2 +Cor. 11:2; Rev. 14:14, 15; 17:14.)"--B. 238. + +Having on His head a golden crown.--The Divine nature, Immortality, the +highest form of life.--2 Tim. 4:8; Jas. 1:12; 1 Pet. 5:4. + +And in His hand a sharp sickle.--"This Harvest, like the Jewish one, is to +be first a time of trial and sifting upon the Church, and afterward a time +of wrath upon the world, including the nominal Church. That which tried +fleshly Israel in the Harvest of their Age was the truth then presented to +them. The truth then due was the sickle, and it separated the 'Israelites +indeed' from the nominal Jewish Church; and of the true wheat there was +but a fragment compared to the professors. So also is the Harvest of this +Age. The Harvest of the Gospel Age, like that of the Jewish Age, is under +the supervision of the Chief Reaper, our Lord Jesus, who must then be +present."--A. 238. + +14:15. And another angel.--The Witness to the Lord in the Land of Egypt. +(Isa. 19:20.) See pages 309, 311, Vol. III, and observe that Chapter 10, +Vol. III, _Scripture Studies_, is in reality a separate book. + +Came out of [the] HIS temple, crying with a loud voice.--Throughout the 66 +pages of his testimony. + +To Him that sat on the cloud.--To our Present Lord. + +Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come [for thee] to +reap.--The Great Pyramid confirms the Bible's teaching that the time of +Harvest has come. + +For the Harvest of the earth is ripe.--"The use of a sickle is to gather +wheat, not to ripen it." + +14:16. And He that sat on the cloud.--The Lord Jesus, during His Parousia, +overruling and withholding the Time of Trouble. + +Thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.--Reading +verses 13-16 connectedly, we note that the resurrection of the sleeping +saints is recorded, and is immediately followed by the Harvest. This +suggests that the Harvest proper began in 1878; and that the three and a +half years prior to the spring of 1878 was devoted to preliminary work, +but not to Harvest work in the full sense. It was not proper to say "Come +out of her, My people," until Babylon was cast off, in the Spring of +1878.--Rev. 3:14; Matt. 13:30; 24:31. + +14:17. And another angel.--Pastor Russell himself, after the harvesting of +the saints was finished. (Volumes IV, V, VI are not shown in this strictly +Harvest chapter, as they are more used for the upbuilding of the saints +than as Harvest instruments. They are, however, shown in Rev. 10:4; 15:8; +16:1-18.) + +Came out of the Temple which is in Heaven.--The Church in glory, on the +other side of the veil. + +He also having a sharp sickle.--The privilege of guiding the work of +bringing forth out of the Divine Storehouse all the Master's store of +provisions, as needed, and of directing the execution upon the nominal +church of the chastisements promised in the Holy Word. "Blessed is that +servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I +say unto you, that He will make him ruler over _all that He hath_."--Luke +12:44; Psa. 49:5-9; Isa. 21:1-10. + +14:18. And another angel.--The corporate body which Pastor Russell +organized to finish his work. See Rev. 8:3-5, which describes the same +matter as here narrated. + +Came out from the altar.--The place of sacrifice. The SOCIETY is maintained +by the sacrifices of the saints. + +Which had power over fire.--Authority over the publication and distribution +of expositions of Ezekiel and John the Revelator, symbolical "coals of +fire."--Isa. 6:6; Ezek. 10:2. + +And cried with a loud [cry] VOICE to Him that had the sharp sickle.--What a +disappointed cry went up from the whole Church that dear Brother Russell +went beyond the veil without writing the Seventh Volume of _Scripture +Studies_, for which we all have looked so long! + +Saying, Thrust In Thy sharp sickle.--Oh, that the Lord would wind up the +present order of things, in whatever way He might elect!--Joel 3:9-14, 13; +Matt. 13:39-43. + +And gather the clusters of the vine of the earth.--In the Adventist cluster +there are 6 bunches of smaller sects; in the Baptist 15; Brethren +(Dunkard) 4; Plymouth Brethren 4; River Brethren 3; Catholic Apostolic 2; +Churches of the Living God 3; Churches of the New Jerusalem 2; Disciples +of Christ 2; Evangelical Bodies 2; Faith Associations 9; Friends 4; +Latter-Day Saints 2; Lutheran 21; Scandinavian Evangelical Bodies 3; +Mennonite 13; Methodist 16; Moravian 2; Pentecostal bodies 2; Presbyterian +12; Protestant Episcopal 2; Reformed 4; United Brethren 2. + +For her grapes are fully ripe.--All these sects have long ago taken their +stand against the Truth and therefore against the Lord. O Lord, judge them +with Thy Truth! Thou hast called them the "abominations of the earth" and +so they are. Bring their man-made clergy-ridden systems to an end and make +their memory to perish from the earth! Amen.--Isa. 65:17; Rev. 17:5; Jer. +6:9-30. + +14:19. And the angel thrust in his sickle [into] UPON the +earth.--Distributed far and wide among order-loving people the good news +that nominal Zion's travail is at hand, and the new and better order of +things near. + +And gathered the vine of the earth.--Brought together all the sects in +virulent opposition to the Message of the Truth. + +And cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.--"The fruitage of +the True Vine is Love, and is precious to the Father; but the fruitage of +the Vine of the Earth is selfishness in various forms, and will be +ultimately gathered into the great winepress of the wrath of God in the +great Time of Trouble with which this Age will close." (F. 207; Rev. +19:15.) "While the taking of different names was wrong, it was an evidence +of a deeper wrong--of a selfish, party spirit. It was an evidence that +those Corinthians who took the party names had never appreciated the +oneness of the Body of Christ; that they did not really appreciate that +Christ is the only Head, Leader and Standard; and that His is the only +name by which His followers should recognize themselves and each other." +(Z. '08-116.) + +Many of the clergy are today followers of Darwin and Socrates instead of +Moses and Christ And both Darwin and Socrates were mentally unsound. The +following is from Dr. Dorland's _The Age of Mental Virility_: "It is +likewise exceptional to find an unusually short nose, such as that +possessed by Darwin and Socrates, among men of intellect. Nasal +abbreviation is one of the well-known signs of degeneracy, as is also the +sessile or otherwise misshapen ear, the sugar-loaf skull, the close-set +eyes, and other physiognomic irregularities, including the cretinoid face. +The latter, strange to relate, has been noted in certain men of remarkable +genius, including Darwin and Carlyle, Rembrandt, Pope and Socrates. I wish +to emphasize at this point the assertion that not every individual who +chances to possess one of the above mentioned physical peculiarities is to +be immediately stamped as a degenerate. It is only when there is a +combination of two or more of these traits, especially if this combination +has been noted as a family peculiarity, that the suspicion will be +awakened; and this may then be confirmed and the condition established by +close and careful investigation." "Socrates," writes Pedigo, "presented +one of the most interesting studies in dual personality and subconscious +conditions in all history in his memorable daemon, which he said guided +him and inspired him with wisdom." "Herbert Spencer was the victim of a +fixed delusion." + +The clergy are the ones directly responsible for the war in Europe. It was +not their province to convince the rulers of those countries that their +kingdoms are parts of God's Kingdom of peace, holiness, justice, love and +truth--monstrous! They are an entirely unauthorized class--except by +themselves; a self-perpetuating fraud. They have brought upon their heads +the blood of all the nations of the earth in this world war; and God will +require it at their hands. In the spring of 1918, and from that time +onward forever, it will be as unsafe to tell the lies that have filled +Babylon's exchequers as it will to be a king.--Zech. 13:2-6. "Though +controversy and words of passion and arguments will be and are among the +weapons used in this battle, especially in the beginning of it, yet it +will not end with these. Every prophetic detail indicates that before it +ends it will be most sanguinary, a fierce and terrible storm."--D. 529; +Jer. 25:26-38; Isa. 63:1-6; Lam. 1:15. + +14:20. And the winepress.--The Seventh Volume of _Scripture Studies_, the +work that will squeeze the juice out of the "Abominations of the earth." +Cook's _Revelation_, page 709, calls attention to the peculiar fact that +this word is _both masculine and feminine_. This seemingly indicates the +Lord's recognition of the co-operation of the _sisters_, particularly in +the closing feature of the Harvest work. Priscilla was such a valuable +helper that she was named before her husband in Acts 18:18. + +Was trodden without the city.--"In symbolic prophecy a 'city' signifies a +religious government backed by power and influence. Thus, for instance, +the 'holy city, the new Jerusalem,' is the symbol used to represent the +established Kingdom of God, the overcomers of the Gospel Church exalted +and reigning in glory." (D. 25.) "The treading of the winepress is the +last feature of Harvest work. The reaping and gathering is all done +first." (D. 18.) Worldly editors have applied this verse to the great war +now raging in Europe; but this expression makes it impossible to so apply +it. If the war is the winepress and Christendom the city, it is not being +trodden _without_ the city, but right in its midst. This suggests that the +Revelator referred to another city; and with propriety; for this chapter +is devoted to Harvest work only. What city more appropriate to refer to +then than the Bethel, the Divinely appointed center for the Harvest work, +the embryo Kingdom of God on earth? See Rev. 19:15. + +And blood.--Teachings which though truthful will be death-dealing and seem +"bloody" to sectarianism. ("And blood came out of the winepress even unto +the horse bridles" is a parenthetical clause. Without this parenthesis the +verse reads: "And the winepress was trodden without the city by the +distance of a thousand and two hundred furlongs.") + +Came out of the winepress.--The exposition of the prophecies of Ezekiel and +the Revelator. + +Even unto the horse bridles.--So deep as to strangle and drown the old +false doctrinal hobbies so long ridden. Sectarianism will be the universal +laughing-stock. See Rev., chapters 8 and 9. "Because I have called, and ye +refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; but ye have +set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof; I will mock +when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your +destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon +you. Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer; they shall seek +Me early, but they shall not find Me; for that they hated knowledge, and +did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of my counsel: they +despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their +own way."--Prov. 1:24-31. + +By the space of a thousand and [six] TWO hundred furlongs.--This can not be +interpreted to refer to the 2100 mile battle line of the world war. A +furlong or stadium is not a mile and this is without the city whereas the +battle line is within the city. See Rotherham's translation. + +A stadium is 606-3/4 English ft.; 1200 stadii are, mi., 137.9. + +The work on this volume was done in Scranton, Pa. As fast as it was +completed it was sent to the Bethel. Half of the work was done at an +average distance of 5 blocks from the Lackawanna station, and the other +half at a distance of 25 blocks. Blocks in Scranton are 10 to the mile. +Hence the average distance to the station is 15 blocks, or, 1.5 mi. + +The mileage from Scranton to Hoboken Terminal is shown in time tables as +143.8 and this is the mileage charged to passengers, but in 1911, at an +expense of $12,000,000, the Lackawanna Railroad completed its famous cut- +off, saving 11 miles of the distance. From the day the cut-off was +completed the trainmen have been allowed 11 miles less than the time table +shows, or a net distance of 132.8 mi. + +Hoboken Ferry to Barclay Street Ferry, New York, is 2.0 mi. + +Barclay Street Ferry to Fulton Ferry, New York, is 4,800 feet or 0.9 mi. + +Fulton Ferry, New York, to Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn, is 2,000 feet or 0.4 +mi. + +Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn, to Bethel, is 1,485 feet or 0.3 mi. + +Shortest distance from place where the winepress was trodden by the Feet +Members of the Lord, Whose guidance and help alone made this volume +possible. (John 6:60, 61; Matt. 20:11.), mi., 137.9 + + + + +Revelation 15--The Song Of The Saints + + +15:1. And I saw another sign.--_Seemion_, the same word used by our Lord +when He said, "Then shall appear the _sign_ of the Son of Man." The proofs +of the Lord's Second Advent are here referred to. + +In heaven.--Among God's professed people. + +Great and marvelous.--Very different in tone and contents from other Bible +"helps." + +Seven angels.--The seven volumes of _Studies in the Scriptures_. + +Having the seven last plagues.--The seven volumes of _Studies in the +Scriptures_ together constitute the third and last woe poured out upon +papacy.--Rev. 16:1-21; 22:18. + +For in them is filled up the wrath of God.--Their united testimony is that +the Times of the Gentiles have expired, the Reign of Christ has begun, all +earthly potentates--Civil, Social, Ecclesiastical and Financial--must give +way to the New Order of things, and will not give way peaceably, but must +be ejected. + +15:2. And I saw as it were a sea of glass.--The Time of Trouble made +transparent. We can see why the Lord permits it, and see the Golden Age of +glory, peace and Divine blessing that lies just beyond. + +Mingled with fire.--The coming anarchy. "They are the waves of the Red Sea, +which appears on fire as the Sun of righteousness arises upon them, on the +margin of which the true Israelites sing the song of Moses and the saving +Lamb. Standing on its shore are seen those who are delivered from the +beasts' sway as the Israelites were in their exodus from the land of +Pharaoh. The song of Moses is sung by delivered Israel after the Egyptian +plagues: here the hymn of praise is sung by the redeemed before the +plagues are renewed and the Church gains its last victory over the +antichristian world."--Cook. + +And them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and [over] his +image.--Who understand and live in harmony with the knowledge that both +Papacy and Protestantism, and the governments under their influence, are +of Satanic spirit.--Rev. 13:11, 13, 14, 15; 14:11; 16:2, 13; 19:20; 20:10; +Matt. 24:24. + +[And over his mark,] And over the number of his name.--Who refuse to let +any stand for them in the place of Christ.--Rev. 13:14-18. + +Stand on the sea of glass.--Not in among the restless and discontented, but +on a higher plane.--Heb. 13:5. + +Having the harps of THE LORD God.--See Rev. 5:8; 14:2. + + + "God's Word is that harp, which has long been unstrung, + And men heard but discordant its notes; + Now as tuned are its chords from Moses to John, + How grandly sweet melody floats." + + +15:3. And [they sing] SINGING the song of Moses.--"Hebrew scholars have +remarked on the evidence of the antiquity of the song of Moses, recorded +in Exodus 15:1-20, some even noting the fact that a few of the words +showed an intermingling of the Egyptian language. It is further +authenticated by the reference made to it in the book of Psalms, where the +entire matter of the deliverance of the people and the overthrow of their +enemies in the sea is graphically described by the sweet singer of Israel. +(Psa. 106:7-12.) If it was appropriate, as we all admit that it was, that +the Israelites should give glory to God for their deliverance from the +bondage of Egypt, much more is it appropriate that spiritual Israel should +recognize the still greater deliverance from the power of Satan and the +thralldom of sin, accomplished for us through the blood of the Lamb of God +who died for our sins."--Z. '07-158; Rev. 14:3. + +The Servant of God.--See Ex. 14:31. + +And the song of the Lamb.--"They sing in the sense of declaring in +harmonious and beautiful cadences the relationship of the types and +figures of the Law and the Prophets of the Mosaic Dispensation with the +antitypes of these of the Gospel Dispensation; showing that all things +written in the Law and in the Prophets are finding glorious fulfilments in +the Lamb of God and in the great Plan which the Father is working out +through Him."--Z. '00-310. + +Saying, Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty.--"First +amongst the great and marvelous works of the Almighty was the sentence of +death upon father Adam and his posterity. As we look at this marvelous +work, we must concede that it was just (in that it was merited), that it +is true (in the sense of not being an unreasonable penalty), true in the +sense that it was exactly what God forewarned father Adam the penalty of +disobedience would be. 'Just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints.' +But Jehovah's first great and marvelous work of condemnation was, after +four thousand years, followed by another great and marvelous work; _viz._, +the work of redemption. How stupendous this work of the ransoming of all +Adam's race of hundreds of millions by the sacrifice of one Man! How great +and wonderful indeed this act, and how just and true, and how fully in +Harmony with every feature of Divine Justice and Love!--1 Tim. 2:5, 6; Rom. +5:12, 18, 19."--Z. '00-310. + +Just and true are Thy ways.--"As we have viewed the failure of Christendom +to adopt the spirit of Christ's teaching, and seen how the knowledge and +liberty gained from His teachings were blended with the spirit of evil, +selfishness, and as from present foreshadowings we mark the sure approach +of anarchy and every evil work, yet realizing its necessity and justice, +and having learned also the ends of mercy to be attained eventually by +this very means, our hearts exclaim, 'Great and marvelous are Thy works, +Lord God Almighty. Just and true are Thy ways.' " (D. 526; Deut. 32:4; +Psa. 145:17.) "As Aaron and the two remaining sons were forbidden to make +lamentation for their brethren who were cut off, this signifies that all +the faithful of the priests will recognize the justice of the Divine +decisions, and will bow to them in humble submission, saying, 'Just and +true are Thy ways.' "--Lev. 10:1-7; Psa. 89:14; Job 36:17; 37:23; Isa. +56:1; T. 40. + +Thou King of [saints] THE WORLDS.--The margin renders this "King of nations +or ages." He will be King of all nations by and by. He is King of all ages +(worlds) in the sense that the ages are working out His sovereign will. + +15:4. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name.--"Here is +still another feature to this song, and it is glorious also. It looks +forward to the glorious Millennial Age, to the time when, under Divine +providence, the knowledge of the Lord, essential to faith, and to any +acceptance of His favor and mercy through Christ, shall be extended to +every creature. 'Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess.' (Rom. +14:11.) And while this bowing and confessing may at first be compulsory, +yet the Scriptures assure us that ultimately all who will not come into +heart harmony with the Lord and with all His gracious arrangements and +provisions, shall be cut off from amongst the people,--in the Second Death. +(Acts 3:23.) So that ultimately, instead of the Universe being filled with +hundreds of millions who to all eternity will wail and gnash their teeth +and blaspheme God's holy name in agony--instead of this the time shall come +when every tongue in Heaven and in earth shall be heard praising God, and +giving honor to Him that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lamb, forever, +for by that time all evildoers shall be cut off. (Rev. 5:13.)"--Z. '00-311; +Jer. 10:7. + +For Thou only art holy.--"This song continues, and has yet another strain. +It declares, 'Thou only art holy'. All holiness, all perfection, wherever +it is found, must proceed from God, the great Fountain of holiness. How +strange, then, that any of God's dear people (and we ourselves were once +amongst this number) should so misunderstand the Divine Character and Plan +as to misrepresent the same as being the very essence of unholiness, +injustice, unkindness, inequity, lovelessness, toward the great mass of +God's creatures!"--Z. '00-311. + +For all nations shall come and worship before Thee.--"There is still +another strain in this song; and it is a grand one also, like all the +others,--reaching down into the Millennial Age. It declares, 'All nations +shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest.' +'All nations' will include, not only all the nations then living, but all +the nations of the dead, just as does the promise which God made to +Abraham, saying, 'In thy Seed [The Christ, Head and Body] shall all the +nations of the earth be blessed.' (Gen. 22:18.)"--Z. '00-311. + +For [Thy] judgments are made manifest BEFORE THEE.--There was a time when +we could not sing this song (Psa. 137). We looked forward with dread to +the time when the Lord's judgments would be made manifest. We did not see +that the Judgment Day is a day of "assurance to all men." (Acts 17:31.) We +did not see that the first judgment day was against our race (Rom. 5:18), +and that no culprit can be on trial twice for the same offence. We did not +see that another Judgment Day, favorable to our race, came at the time of +our Lord's great victory over death (John 12:31); nor did we see that our +own, the Judgment Day of the saints, is here and now. (1 Tim. 5:24; 1 Cor. +11:31; 1 Pet. 4:17.) We did perhaps note, our duty of judging wolves by +their greed, dogs by their quarrelsomeness, swine by their interest in +earthly things, thorns by their disposition to wound and tear, and +thistles by their disposition to scatter seeds that cause trouble (Matt. +7:6, 16, 15); and some of us went beyond and began judging one another +(Rom. 14:13; Matt. 7:1). We never wanted the Lord to do it, even though we +do know that He will bring every secret thing into judgment. (Prov. 15:3; +Ecc. 12:14.) Now we see that the world's Judgment Day is a thousand years +long (Psa. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:7, 8); we have learned that a day is not always +merely a 24-hour period. (Gen. 2:4; Heb. 3:8; 2 Cor. 6:2.) We see now that +our Lord Jesus at the first Advent judged nobody (John 12:47; Luke 12:14), +but that God has exalted Him to be the world's Judge (Acts 5:31) a +Deliverer (Judges 3:9; Isa. 1:26); that He will have associate judges (1 +Cor. 6:2; Rev. 20:6); that His judgments will end war, promote +righteousness and aid the poor and needy (Isa. 2:4; 11:4; 26:9), destroy +unrighteousness and bring in everlasting peace and joy.--2 Thes. 1:7; Isa. +65:18; 1 Cor. 15:25; 1 Chron. 16:31; Psa. 96:13; Psa. 98:1-9; Psa. +72:1-14. + +15:5. And after that I looked, and, [behold].--Another vision of the same +thing. + +The Temple of the Tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.--Pastor +Russell was given a clear, beautiful, complete comprehension of the Plan +of God as revealed in the Tabernacle arrangements and sacrifices. (Acts +7:44). This is the foundation of all his works. + +15:6. And the seven angels came out of the Temple.--The seven volumes of +_Scripture Studies_, emerged, all in harmony with the teachings of the +Tabernacle, from which they proceeded. + +Having the seven last plagues.--Though counted as plagues by +ecclesiasticism they are in reality blessings, destined to rid the earth +of every obnoxious thing, not the least of which are the great whore and +harlots, large and small, that have defiled the earth with their unclean +doctrines. (Rev. 17:5.) "Suppose that the salaries and 'livings' of all +ministers, bishops, priests, etc., were cut off, all churches, chapels and +cathedrals destroyed, all theological seminaries broken up, and their +professors turned to other pursuits, all religious guilds and societies +disbanded, including all sectarian organizations--what would be the effect? +Who can doubt that it would be a real blessing under the disguise of a +great and terrible catastrophe? The effect would be to bring _true_ +Christians together as the family of God, and not as sectarian bands; to +study God's Word, and not human traditions and creeds formulated in the +Dark Ages. The Scriptures seem to indicate that very much of this sort of +destruction of present systems must take place before all the 'wheat,' the +true Church, will be separated from the 'tares,' the mere professors." (Z. +'08-119.) "The Church, or company of believers, probationers for coming +glory, in its 'voluntary association,' was indeed to _recognize_ +'teachers,' 'helps,' 'Apostles,' etc., but not to _make_ them. If they +recognize a man 'mighty in the Scriptures,' 'apt to teach,' they should be +careful always, even while rejoicing in and thanking God for such a +servant, to require a 'thus saith the Lord' for every point of doctrine, +and to search the Scriptures daily to see whether these things be so."--Z. +'08-120. + +Clothed in pure [and white] BRIGHT linen.--"The 'Linen Girdle' indicated a +righteous servant: linen--righteousness, girdle--servitude." (T. 30.) "A +different word than in Rev. 19:8. The word here used is suitable as +describing priestly attire and refers to ministrations on this side of the +veil."--Cook. + +And having their breasts girded with golden girdles.--"The under-priests +were robed in linen garments and wore girdles. Their robes represented the +righteousness of Jesus, imputed to us, and their girdles represent us as +servants of righteousness." (T. 36.) The _Scripture Studies_ are servants +of the Church--righteous servants, clad in the Lord's robe.--Rev. 1:13. + +15:7. And one of the four beasts.--Heavenly Wisdom.--Rev. 4:7; Matt. 24:45; +Jas. 1:5; 3:17; Ezek. 10:2, 7. + +Gave unto the seven angels [seven] golden vials.--The message of Present +Truth. "The vial was the shallow bowl in which they drew from the larger +goblet."--Cook; Psa. 79:6; Jer. 10:25; Zeph. 3:8. + +Full of the wrath of God.--Against all untruth, injustice and selfishness +in organizations, Civil, Social, Ecclesiastical and Financial. + +Who liveth for ever and ever, Amen.--Whereas all of those are to pass +away.--Rev. 4:9, 10; 10:6. + +15:8. And the temple was filled with smoke.--The nominal Church is filled +with confusion as the deformities of her errors are made manifest.--Isa. +6:4. + +From the glory of God, and from His power.--As revealed in His Word in this +Harvest time.--2 Chron. 5:14. + +And no man was able to enter into the temple.--No person of mature thought. +The large proportion of new members now received in the various +denominations is from the Sunday School.--Rev. 9:20. + +Till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.--Until the seven +volumes of _Scripture Studies_ were written, published and circulated. +Shortly afterward the true Temple will be in readiness, wherein men, women +and children of all races and ages will find their hearts' hunger +satisfied. + +"Yet once it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the +earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and +the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this House with +glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver [the Great Company class that +will be used in connection with its ministrations] is Mine, and the gold +[the Little Flock, of which it will be composed] is Mine, saith the Lord +of Hosts. The glory of this latter House shall be greater than the former, +[the nominal church], saith the Lord of Hosts; and in this place will I +give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts."--Hag. 2:6-9. + + + + +Revelation 16--Ecclesiasticism's Seven Plagues + + +16:1. And I heard a great voice out of the Temple.--Pastor Russell was the +voice of the Lord thus used. (Rev. 7:2; 10:3.) He was of the true Temple, +and "out of" the nominal temple at the time these plagues were poured out. + +Saying to the seven angels.--The seven volumes of _Scripture Studies_. See +Rev. 8:2-5 and 14:17-20. "The plagues upon Egypt were intended in some +measure to foreshadow, to illustrate, the plagues with which this Gospel +Age will end." (F. 175.) Pastor Russell walked in the light. When the +plagues actually appeared, he no longer held to the explanation published +in 1883, before they appeared, and so stated on many occasions. + +Go your ways, and pour out the SEVEN vials of the wrath of God upon the +earth.--In the prefaces to the several volumes of _Scripture Studies_ such +expressions abound as "I send forth this volume with prayers," "and now it +is sent forth in the faith," etc., etc. + +16:2. And the first went, and poured out his vial [upon] INTO the +earth.--Volume I was distributed among those already under religious +restraint. + +And there fell a [noisome and] grievous AND NOISOME sore.--The book seemed +to ecclesiastics like an evil and malignant ulcer, a painful, running +sore, which eats, corrupts and destroys. + +Upon the men which had the mark of the beast.--Roman Catholics. + +And upon them which worshipped his image.--Protestants affiliated with the +Federal Council of Churches. Rev. 13:11; 13, 14, 15; 14:9, 11; 15:2; +16:13; 19:20; 20:10; Matt. 24:24. Another view of the book, from the +standpoint of the clergy, is afforded by the plague of flies (Ex. +8:20-32.) It seemed to them like an old-time Egyptian curse, with which +they were quite familiar, namely, one more of the Evangelistic firms +already cursing society, and interfering with the regular clergy business. +"The Scriptural details are as follows: The _arab_ filled the houses of +the Egyptians, they covered the ground, they lighted on the people, the +land was laid waste on their account. A biting, insidious creature, which +comes like a dart, with great noise, and, rushing with great impetuosity +on the skin, sticks to it most tenaciously. They boldly beset cattle, and +not only obtain ichor, as other flies, but also suck out blood from +beneath, and occasion great pain. + +"They have no proboscis, but, instead, have double sets of teeth, like +wasps, which they infix deeply in the skin; they greatly infest the ears +of dogs. This genus is most impudently pertinacious in its assaults, +spares neither man nor beast, gorges itself to bursting with blood, +infusing an irritating venom at the same time. No idea can be formed of +their obstinate rapacity. It is in vain to drive them away; they return +again in the self-same moment, and their perseverance wearies out the most +patient spirit." (McC.) These flies, flying a short distance into the +heavens, do their work around the dunghill of human tradition, but the +collections of one of them recently amounted to $400,000 in eight American +cities, so the business can be made a money maker by those willing to +cater to the demand for sensationalism, and who have no hesitancy in +repeating ancient blasphemies against God's holy name. + +These flies are called dog-flies, because they infest the ears of dogs; +and when it is remembered that the Scriptures refer to the clergy as "dumb +dogs" (Isa. 56:10, 11; Phil. 3:2) we can readily see the application. The +clergy of an entire city will sit on a platform, facing virtually the +whole population, and hear themselves called liars, hypocrites, false- +alarms and other villainous names. But because they hope to get a few +"converts," and therefore a few shekels for the "sanctuary," they will +take it all meekly, and prefer to take it rather than humbly admit one +item of truth in all Pastor Russell's beautiful writings. After the firm +has left town, they frequently bemoan the treatment received and think +longingly of the wherewithal taken by the fly that was not satisfied with +mere ichor, but wanted the real blood. + +At this point it may be well to explain the plagues of frogs and lice. The +former seems to represent the _Old Theology Quarterly_ which Pharaoh found +everywhere contaminating his kingdom, but which, at the hand of the Lord, +suddenly died out completely. The latter seems to represent _The Bible +Students Monthly_. There is no record that the plague of lice was +discontinued, and even yet the Egyptians (people of the world) and Pharaoh +(the Devil) and his magicians (the clergy) scratch their heads many a +time, wondering how to deal with a plague which they cannot duplicate. + +16:3. And the second [angel] poured out his vial upon the sea.--Volume II, +_Scripture Studies_ seemed to the beast and his image to reach and affect +only the discontented, those who never were very subservient to the ruler +of this present evil world, or any of his systems. + +And it became as the blood of a dead man.--After death the blood separates +into a watery liquid, called serum, and a solid substance termed clot. As +soon as this separation takes place the clot begins to putrefy or corrupt. +Thus it seemed to worshipers of the beast and his image that anybody that +would accept the teachings of Volume II would be in a hopeless condition. + +And every living soul died in the sea.--To the worshipers of the beast and +his image it seemed as though such would be lost and would surely go to +hell to be tormented forever. An "evangelist" who held these views called +at the home of a lady in Scranton. Entering the hall he saw an elegant +picture of Pastor Russell. Instantly he lost control of what mind he had +and vehemently said, "I called here as a Christian minister, but I see you +have old Russell's picture here. Are you a follower of his?" The lady +replied that she was. He then said, "He is in hell, and you will be there +too, if you follow him." Quick as thought the lady reopened the door +through which he had just entered, invited him to the porch overlooking +the valley; and as he stood there gazing into space she said, "Tell it to +the atmosphere," and left him while she attended to more important duties. + +Another picture of the effect of Volume II on the anti-typical Egyptians +may be seen from the plague of the murrain (Ex. 9:1-7.) "This consisted in +some distemper that resulted in a sudden and dreadful mortality among the +cattle in the field, including horses, asses, camels, oxen and sheep. It +was, however, confined to the Egyptian cattle, and to those that were in +the field; for though the cattle of the Hebrews breathed the same air, +drank the same water, and fed in the same pastures, not a creature of +theirs died. The Egyptian cattle that survived in the sheds, and were +afterwards sent into the fields, were destroyed by the succeeding storm of +fire and hail." (McC.) These creatures were valuable to the Egyptians. +They used them for bearing their burdens, for sacrifices and for food. +They represent the classes that go to make up the nominal church and +support it. Thus it seemed to the worshippers of the Beast and his Image +that the only way to prevent the loss of all their live stock would be to +keep them securely impounded, allowing them no liberty whatever. + +16:4. And the third [angel] poured out his vial upon the rivers and +fountains of waters.--It seemed to the worshippers of the beast and his +image that the teachings of Volume III of the _Scripture Studies_ had +contaminated the Scriptures, the Waters of Life, at their very source, by +extending the call to people to come out of Babylon while they were busy +trying to get people in. + +And they became blood.--Seemed repulsive, undesirable, bloody.--Z. '07-279; +Ex. 7:20; Rev. 14:20. + +Another view of how Volume III appears to the worshipers of the beast and +his image is shown by the plague of boils described in Ex. 9:8-12. "The +boil was a scab or pustule, which might or might not break out into an +ulcerous sore (Lev. 13:18). With this, in one of its worst forms, Job was +afflicted (2:7), and by this Hezekiah was brought to the verge of the +grave. (2 Kings 20:7; Isa. 38:21.) It was an eruption of a very painful +kind accompanied with a burning itch, tending to produce a permanent state +of foul and wasteful disease. One form of this disease which seized upon +the legs and knees, and was regarded as incurable, was peculiar to Egypt, +and was hence called 'the botch of Egypt.' (Deut. 28:27, 35.) In the case +before us, this eruption had a tendency to break out into larger swellings +and became probably the disease called elephantiasis, a disease said to be +peculiar to Egypt, or the black leprosy, a disease which also affects +cattle." (McC.) It was "ashes of the furnace," loyalty to the memory of +the bullock, the one perfect Sacrifice for all, Christ Jesus, that caused +the boils; and it is particularly noted that the magicians (clergy) could +not withstand this plague, the message, "Come out of her, My People." + +16:5. And I heard the angel of the waters.--Volume III, _Scripture +Studies_. + +Say, thou art righteous, [O Lord] which art, and wast.--See Rev. 1:4; 15:3; +19:2. + +[And shalt be], THE HOLY.--The Lord, the Holy One, was present, at the time +Volume III was written. + +Because Thou hast judged thus.--Made the beautiful Harvest truths appear +"bloody" to those not consecrated. + +16:6. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets.--Literally and +figuratively.--Matt. 23:34, 35; Rev. 13:15; 18:24. + +And thou hast given them blood to drink; [for] THAT WHEREOF they are +worthy.--See Rev. 14:20; Isa. 49:26. + +16:7. And I heard [another out of] the altar.--The "Altar to the Lord in +the midst of the land of Egypt" (Isa. 19:19) at the time these plagues are +being poured out upon the antitypical Egyptians, is the Great Pyramid, +discussed in a separate section of Volume III. + +[Say] Saying Even so, Lord God Almighty.--The Lord Jesus.--Rev. 1:8; John +5:22; Matt. 28:18. + +True and righteous are Thy judgments.--The teaching of the Great Pyramid is +in full accord with the rest of the book. See Rev. 14:15. "It is by no +means an addition to the written revelation: that revelation is complete +and perfect, and needs no addition. But it is a strong _corroborative +witness_ to God's Plan. Isaiah testifies of an altar and pillar in the +land of Egypt, which 'shall be for a _sign_ and for a _witness_ unto the +Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt.' And the context shows that it shall +be a witness _in the day_ when the great Savior and Deliverer shall come +to set at liberty Sin's captives."--C. 315. + +16:8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun.--Volume IV of +_Scripture Studies_, as soon as published, was sent free to all clergy +whose names could be obtained. They are taught, and teach others, that +they are important luminaries in the heavens, suns, rivalling in +brilliancy and wisdom the Lord Himself, whose place they take in the minds +of the people, by setting forth their own views on every subject, rather +than the Lord's Word. Volume IV, then, sent to this class, and calling +attention to Babylon's fall, seemed to them as the height of all +presumption in wickedness. + +And power was given unto him to scorch men.--Greek "The Men," i. e., the +worshipers of the beast and his image. + +With fire.--Perhaps some of the clergy became a trifle warm as they read +Volume IV, as their later conduct seems to suggest. Why they should have +disliked Pastor Russell when he told the truth, and proved it, is +remarkable. + +And men.--Greek "The Men;" the clergy. In Rev. 8:9 the clergy are not so +honored. + +Were scorched with great heat.--Became warm, indignant at the Pastor's +kindly explanation of the whore and the harlots, and the plainly evident +application to the Papacy and the Protestant sects. + +And blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these +plagues.--Misrepresented the name and character of the mighty one, Pastor +Russell, to whom the Lord committed the task of presenting to His Church +this meat in due season. This misrepresentation burst like a storm after +the publication of Volume IV, _Studies_, and continued until the Pastor's +death, yea, and shame to say it, even afterwards, in the columns of such +sheets as the New York World and the Brooklyn Eagle. What monuments of +infamy these people have reared for themselves! They richly deserve all +they will get when the tide turns. + +And they repented not to give Him glory.--"One great obstacle to many is +the contracted idea generally entertained of the meaning of the word god. +They fail to note that the Greek theos (god) does not invariably refer to +Jehovah, but signifies _a mighty one_. In the following texts the word god +(theos) is used to refer to others than the one supreme being, +Jehovah--viz.:--John 10:34, 35; Acts 7:40, 43; 17:23; 1 Cor. 8:5."--B. 274. + +Another view of how the publication of Volume IV looks to the worshipers +of the beast and his image is shown in the plague of hail, described in +Ex. 9:13-26. "The character of this and the following plagues must be +carefully examined, as the warning seems to indicate an important turning- +point. The ruin caused by the hail was evidently far greater than that +effected by any of the earlier plagues; for it destroyed men, which those +others seem not to have done, and not only men, but beasts and the produce +of the earth. In this case Moses, while addressing Pharaoh, openly warns +his servants how to save something from the calamity. Pharaoh for the +first time acknowledges his wickedness." (McC.) The appropriateness of +these comments to the subject matter of "The Day of Vengeance," or "The +Battle of Armageddon", (as it is now called) as the latter would appear to +the mind of the clergy, is self-evident. Your true clergyman has the +greatest abhorrence for any truth that would tend to lessen men's +reverence for himself or the systems which he aims to perpetuate. + +16:10. And the fifth [angel].--Volume V, of _Studies_. + +Poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast.--Thoroughly and +scripturally analyzing the subjects of trinity, human immortality and +eternal torment, the foundation of all Papal doctrine, as well as +constituting a large part of the stock in trade of the Protestant +aggregation. + +And his kingdom was full of darkness.--Complete ignorance of the truths on +these subjects as taught in the Bible. + +And they gnawed their tongues for pain.--"Note the expression of Rev. +Samuel T. Carter in a Presbyterian journal--_The Evangelist_. He says: 'It +must be admitted that if a Church is honest, that which stands in its +Confession to its faith. It must be acknowledged that what is contained in +its Confession is the faith of any honest church. The Westminster +Confession of Faith is still the unquestioned Confession of the +Presbyterian Church. Is the Presbyterian Church honest in its zeal for +purity first and peace afterward? Be it known, then, to all the world that +the Presbyterian Church by its Confession declares that all the heathen +perish, that many men are hopelessly lost from all eternity by the decree +of God, and that there are infants in hell.... In reality the church does +not believe these dreadful doctrines. Then it stands before God and man +with a lie in its right hand.' "--Z. '00-148. + +16:11 And blasphemed the God of Heaven.--"In token of entire allegiance to +the beast."--Cook. + +Because of their pains [and their sores], and repented not [of their +deeds].--"The commotion amongst Presbyterians continues--some standing firm +for their church creed, others repudiating it and begging to be released +from it. Many thus indirectly confess that they have despised it for +years, and have realized it to be a lie and a blasphemy against God, and +after confessing to this acting and confessing a lie for years they beg to +be released without cost or loss either of human or Divine favor, and +especially without loss of bread and butter." (Z. '00-148.) The way in +which Volume V, _Scripture Studies_, appeared to the worshipers of the +beast and his image is further illustrated in the plague of locusts, +described in Ex. 10:1-11. "This plague has not the unusual nature of the +one that preceded it; but it even exceeds it in severity, and so occupies +its place in the gradation of the more terrible judgments that form the +latter part of the series. Its severity can be well understood by those +who have been in Egypt in a part of the country where a plague of locusts +has alighted. In this case the plague was greater than any ordinary +visitation, since it extended over a far wider space, rather than because +it was more intense; for it is impossible to imagine any more complete +destruction than that always caused by locusts." (McC.) With what dismay +must the clergy have read the kind words for volume V, which appeared in +the columns of the secular press. + +16:12. And the sixth [angel].--Volume VI of _Studies in the Scriptures_. + +Poured out his vial upon the great River Euphrates.--Seemed to the +worshipers of the beast and his image to be instituting a new and horrible +thing, a people's church, in which there is no place for clergy, +collections, church edifices, reverence for one day above another, or in +fact any of the customs cherished in the nominal church. + +And the water thereof was dried up.--"Literal Babylon was built upon the +literal river Euphrates, while in the Gospel age mystic or figurative +Babylon, which carried away captive Spiritual Israel, is portrayed as +sitting upon the mystic Euphrates. In the type, the golden vessels of the +Temple were carried away and profaned by literal Babylon: in the antitype, +the precious, Divine (golden) truths, pertaining to the service of the +true Temple, the Church (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; Rev. 3:12), were far removed +from their proper places, perverted and misapplied by mystic Babylon. +Literal Babylon being built upon the river Euphrates, which materially +contributed to its wealth and resources, its overthrow was accomplished by +the turning aside of those waters. So mystic Babylon sits upon, is +supported by, many waters (peoples, nations), and its fall is predicted, +through the turning aside of its supporters and sustainers, the people." +(B. 209; Jer. 50:38, 51:36.) "Ecclesiastical circles in Germany are much +exercised at the rapidly increasing desertions from the State Church. +Although the process of official separation from the Church is one of the +greatest difficulty, delay and expense, it is computed that in Berlin +alone considerably over 10,000 persons have severed their connection with +the Church during the past year. So great is the number of those who are +notifying their intention to terminate their membership that special +offices have been opened in Berlin to receive their applications, which +now number between 300 and 400 daily. Among the working classes, +especially those attached to the Social Democratic party, there exists a +bitter hostility to the clergy."--Z. '09-83. + +"A program for a general strike against the Church is the latest plan of +action. The 'No-Creeders' (Monists) in league with the Socialists, +convened mass meetings in Berlin, Brunswick and Saxony, in which every +means of incitation was employed in an appeal toward a secession from the +State Church. At these meetings over 1,300 persons signed a declaration +announcing their intention to secede from the Church. Four thousand more +followed, and according to judicial court-records received towards the end +of December, 17,000 secessions took place in December up to the 23d, and +the day after Christmas 8,000 more announced their intention. The +following press reports may serve as a typical illustration of the mode of +procedure in such meetings. 'Without exception, every one who even by +vague allusion, ventured to take a stand for his Church was howled down, +hissed from the rostrum and subjected to filthy invectives. To illustrate: +When a minister ascended the platform, the following was heard, "He looks +it!" "Old Sky-pilot!" And from another part of the hall the same evening +we heard the following words aimed at the ministers: "Damned Rags!" "Pig- +priests!" A gentleman who interrupted was yelled at, "Rous mit the Parson- +face!" ' "--Z. '14-133. + +"Reports in Great Britain show that Baptists, Congregationalists and the +various Methodist denominations there are declining in numbers and +prestige. The cause of this is not far to see. Christianity has become +merely another name for decency and civilization. All doctrines are +abandoned as merely speculations. Churches are becoming merely social +clubs in which form and ceremony mark the quality. This accounts for the +growing unpopularity of those sects which once stood for the highest +standards of earnestness and Christian zeal and liberty, non-conformity +and simplicity." (Z. '10-324.) "The pastor of the Fifth Avenue Baptist +Church, New York City, Rev. Dr. Charles F. Aked, who came to its direction +from a London pulpit, in his sermon Sunday said: 'When I interview my +parishioners, and they are among the most representative in the city, I +find the spirit of religious depression very unlike the spirit of +abounding enterprise in business, in manufacturing, in engineering and +construction. There are about 16,000,000 Catholics in continental United +States. Now, in our immigration for ninety years back, no less than +15,000,000 were Catholics. If all remained loyal to its tenets they would +number 45,000,000 now instead of 16,000,000. The Protestants have lost +ground, too, when the filling up of the country is counted. Our own +denomination, the Baptists, reflects the general trend. The increase among +the Baptists of America has been equal to only one-fourth of the birth +rate among us, proving that three out of four of our Baptist population +have fallen away from us. The decline of Christianity is universal.' + +"In England, in France, in Spain, Italy and Germany we hear the same cry. +Only lately I was talking to an English clergyman. He told me that not +merely is there a great falling off in church-goers in England, but that +the class of people who frequent churches is becoming inferior. + +"The church is out of touch with the masses. Everything has progressed +except Christianity. The pulpit has too many bigots, too many bores, too +many _hell-fire screechers_ for the enlightened thought of the day. The +church is obliged to accept any applicant for the ministry who is +respectable. Even with this latitude, Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist +vocations show a remarkable falling off in twenty-five years." (Z. +'08-324.) "Rev. Charles A. Eaton at the Euclid Avenue Baptist Church, +Cleveland, spoke as follows: 'In Italy one-third of the people at the very +outside, are more or less nominal followers of the Church of Rome; another +third, possibly, are more or less sympathetic toward the Church; while +another third are out and out continually and completely antagonistic, +apparently, not only to the Church of Rome, but to all forms of +Christianity. You enter France--the same story is true, only aggravated and +multiplied a thousand fold. You enter Great Britain, which I consider to +be the last citadel of Christianity in the world, with a people more +robust and sane in their religious interests and sympathies than any other +people. And what is the condition there? The non-conformist churches of +Great Britain last year not only made no progress, but met, according to +their statistics, with an absolute loss of 18,000; the Baptist Church of +Great Britain last year lost 5,000 people. In the year 1905 there were +nearly 7,000 Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Methodist churches that +had not one single member unite with them in twelve months. In a recent +year in New York city, according to the statement of Dr. Aked, of the +Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, 335 Protestant churches reported a net gain +that year of 386 members. That is to say 335 churches gained one member +apiece and fifty of them gained two in twelve months. Brethren, I say to +you this morning, that the American Church is dying--it is dying! _It is +dying!_ Don't forget it.' " (Z. '08-211.) + +"A declaration by the Rev. Dr. Charles E. McClellan, pastor of the +Fairhill Baptist Church, that 'Protestantism in the United States is fast +decaying and will soon be a thing of the past,' aroused a storm at the +fifty-third session of the North Philadelphia Baptist Association. Doctor +McClellan spoke on what he called the decline of Protestantism while +making his report as chairman of the missionary committee. 'The spirit of +Protestantism is dying in the United States, and it will soon be a thing +of the past,' he said. 'Philadelphia, both denominationally and +religiously, is going to perdition at a rapid rate. Recently I attended +the services in one of our churches, at which I had been invited to speak. +I found in attendance nineteen adults and one child. The same condition +exists all over the city. We have large, magnificent churches, but small +congregations, showing that it is easy to get money, but hard to get +men.' "--Z. '10-373. + +That the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.--"He must be +comparatively blind who cannot see that the wonderful prophecies which +speak of the fall of Babylon (Isa. 14:22; Jer. 50 and 51) were not wholly +fulfilled by Cyrus the Persian. Much of the prophecy still waits for +fulfillment in mystic or symbolic Babylon today. The Kings of the East, or +kings from the sunrising, are, we understand, the kings of Christ's +Kingdom, who are also priests--the Body of Christ, the Royal Priesthood. +'Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on +the earth.' From this standpoint, Cyrus, who with his army overthrew +literal Babylon, was a figure or illustration of Messiah, King of kings +and Lord of lords. (Isa. 41:25; 44:28; 45:1-14.)"--Z. '99-174; Rev. 7:2. + +16:13. And I saw three unclean spirits.--Denoting demoniacal origin. (Matt. +10:1; Mark 1:26; Luke 4:33.) "The Lord's people must discriminate between +doctrines presented to them as truth--they must 'try the spirits,' whether +they be holy or evil, of God or of the Evil One--the Spirit of Truth or the +spirit of error. These both are introduced by prophets, or teachers."--E. +_320_, 295. + +[Like] AS IT WERE frogs.--Frogs are garrulous, have a very wise look, large +mouths, are much puffed up and utter only croakings. In the "distress of +nations with perplexity" which has come upon Christendom as a result of +her sins, the croakings of the wise now fill the air everywhere. Actually +all knees are "weak as water."--Ezek. 7:17; 21:7. See especially D. i-xvi. + +Come out of the mouth of the dragon.--The three fundamental truths of +history are man's Fall, Redemption and Restoration. Stated in other +language these three truths are the mortal nature of man, the Christ of +God and His Millennial Kingdom. Standing opposite to these Satan has +placed three great untruths, human immortality, the Antichrist and a +certain delusion which is best described as race hatred--in reality murder, +the spirit of the very Devil. (1 John 3:15.) It is this last and crowning +feature of Satan's work that is mentioned first. The other two errors are +the direct cause of this one. The wars of the Old Testament were all +intended to illustrate the battlings of the New Creature against the +weaknesses of the flesh, and are not in any sense of the word +justification for the human butchery practiced during the Christian era in +the name of religion, exemplified by the events of St. Bartholomew's Day +and by the wicked Inquisition. Nowhere in the New Testament is hatred of +other peoples encouraged. Everywhere and always it is forbidden; and yet, +under one guise or another it has been encouraged for centuries by the +clergy class who should have been teaching the people the message given +them by the Prince of Peace. + +And out of the mouth of the beast.--The Antichrist doctrine of the Divine +right of the clergy was the direct cause of the great war. This frog has +been coming out of the mouth of the Papal beast for sixteen centuries. +"These false doctrines of the Dark Ages are bearing a terrible fruitage at +the present time. Similarly the teaching of eternal torment, +misrepresenting and blaspheming God's character, is bearing an evil +fruitage. Millions of people are being turned away from faith in a God of +Love and from faith in the Bible as His Message by the most monstrous +blasphemies of the Dark Ages. I charge the responsibility of all this +against the sects and creeds of Christendom. I charge that the ministers, +whose eyes are now open to a saner comprehension, have neglected the +Bible, have neglected the people, and, instead of helping them out of the +darkness, are now leading them into darkness in an opposite direction--into +Evolution and Higher Criticism and everything contrary to the Word of God. +God is still misrepresented in the world. The creeds of the Dark Ages are +still hugged to the bosom in outward pretense, while inwardly they are +loathed. A great fraud, a great hypocrisy, you say? I answer, Yes; the +most astounding the world has ever known. Two hundred thousand professed +ministers of God and of Christ are standing before the world today telling +the legends of the Dark Ages and seeking to hinder the people from coming +to a knowledge of the Truth, meanwhile receiving the people's money and +reverence. Does not such hypocrisy, such blasphemy against God, such +deception of the people, such keeping of them in darkness, deserve a great +punishment, and is it not nigh?"--B. S. M. + + [Illustration] + + "Pollute Ye My Holy Name No More" + + +And out of the mouth of the false prophet.--The one cardinal error upon +which all protestant (false prophet) sects agree is the doctrine of human +immortality, the original lie told in Eden (Gen. 2:17, 3:4). In speaking +of it our Lord says, "When he speaketh _the_ lie, he speaketh of his own." +(John 8:44, Diaglott.) Speaking of it again, the Apostle Paul says, of the +worshipers of the beast and his image, "They admitted not the love of the +Truth that they might be saved. And on this account God will send to them +an energy of delusion, to their believing the falsehood." (2 Thes. 2:10, +11.) In each case the Greek gives the definite article. The frog issuing +from the false prophet (the image of the beast) is the doctrine of human +immortality. These deluded souls actually believe this error, and will be +able to prove it to the satisfaction of the dragon, without a doubt. This +error lies at the bottom of the doctrines of eternal torment and of the +trinity. There is a hint in 1 John 4:1-3 that the cardinal error on which +the false prophet will insist is that when Jesus came from the Father He +was more than flesh, i. e., had at least an immortal soul.--Rev. 13:11, 13, +14, 15; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:10; Matt. 24:24. + +"All Christian people credit the book of Revelation to our Lord, as St. +John does. (Rev. 1:1.) Therefore we are not responsible for the symbolism +used in that book. There are so many ways in which one might be +misunderstood, even by good Christian people, that we naturally feel a +delicacy about expressing our views. As we proceed to set forth our +understanding of the symbols of the Revelation, we wish to state most +emphatically that we are saying nothing whatever against godly Christians +anywhere, at any time, whether in any church or out of any church. We have +nothing to say respecting people. We discuss PRINCIPLES, DOCTRINES, +ALWAYS; individuals, NEVER! God has not commissioned us to discuss +_people_; it is ours to discuss _His Word_. + +"Throughout the Bible, a Beast is the symbol used to represent a +government. In Daniel's prophecy the great universal empires of the earth +are thus symbolized. Babylon was the Lion, Medo-Persia the Bear, Greece +the Leopard, and _Rome_ the _Dragon_. (Dan. 7:1-8.) The Roman Empire still +persists. The Dragon, then, symbolizes the Roman power, represented by the +civil power in the world. The Beast is the Papal system of government. The +third symbol, the False Prophet, remains to be interpreted. This, we +believe, is another name for the system elsewhere called 'the Image of the +Beast.' (Rev. 13:14.) According to the Scriptures, this Image is a very +exact representation of the Beast. The False Prophet, or Image of the +Beast, we understand to mean the Protestant Federation of Churches. + +" 'Three unclean spirits like frogs came out of the mouth of the Dragon, +and out of the mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of the False +Prophet.' In this passage, the spirit is a doctrine--an unclean doctrine--a +false doctrine. Each of these systems will utter the same things, and +these utterances will have the effect of gathering the kingdoms of earth +together to the Battle of Armageddon. + +"The symbolism of Scripture, rightly understood, is very forceful, and +there is always a close resemblance between the symbol itself and the +thing symbolized. When the Holy Spirit uses a frog to represent certain +doctrines or teachings, we may be sure that the application will fit well. +While a frog is a small creature, yet it puffs itself up until it almost +bursts with the effort to be somebody. A frog has a very wise look, even +though it does not know very much. Then a frog _croaks_ whenever it utters +a sound. + +"The three most prominent characteristics of a frog, then, are pomposity, +an air of superior wisdom and knowledge, and a continual croaking. +Applying these characteristics to the picture given in the Divine Word, we +learn that from kingly power, from the Catholic Church and from the +Federation of Protestant Churches, will go forth the same teachings. The +spirit of all will be boastful; an air of superior knowledge and wisdom +will be assumed; all will foretell dire results to follow any failure to +obey their counsels. However conflicting the creeds, the differences will +be ignored in the general proposition that nothing ancient must be +disturbed, or investigated, or repudiated. + +"The boasted Divine authority of the Church, and the Divine right of kings +aside from the Church, will not be allowed to conflict; for both will be +indorsed. Any persons or teachings in conflict with these boastful, +unscriptural claims will be branded as everything vile, at the mouths of +the frogs, croaking from pulpits and platforms, and through the religious +and secular press. The nobler sentiments of some will be strangled by the +philosophy of the same evil spirit which spoke through Caiaphas, the high +priest, respecting our Lord Jesus. As Caiaphas declared it expedient to +commit a crime in violation of justice, both human and Divine, to be rid +of Jesus and His teachings, so this frog-like spirit will approve of any +and every violation of principle necessary to self-protection. + +"Every true Christian is ashamed to look back upon the pages of history +and see what terrible deeds were done in the name of God and justice, and +in the name of our Lord Jesus. We are not to think for a moment that these +frog spirits, or doctrines, are all bad, but rather that they are +doctrines of bombast and pomposity, representing themselves to be very +wise and great, and having the backing of centuries. Out of the mouth of +the Dragon comes the doctrine of the Divine right of Kings: 'Do not look +back of the curtain of history to see where the kings got that right. +Accept the doctrine; for if you do not, and if men look into the matter, +there will be a terrible revolution and everything will go down!' + +"The Beast and the False Prophet have similar croakings. The Catholic +Church says, 'Do not look behind! Do not question anything about the +Church!' Protestantism says, also, 'We are great, we are wise, we know a +great deal. Keep quiet! No one will then know that you know nothing.' All +say (croaking), 'We tell you that if you say anything against present +arrangements, terrible things will come to pass.' + +"Political parties are figuring in this. All declare, 'If any change +should come, it will mean terrible disaster!' Some have the backbone and +some have the civil power behind them, but unitedly they croak to the +people that if any change is made, it will mean ruin to the present order. +In the language of our day, 'Stand pat!' is the order in Church and in +State; but the people are being moved by fear. It is this croaking of the +Beast, the Dragon and the False Prophet that will arouse the kings of +earth and gather them together to the Armageddon Battle. + +"The ecclesiastical kings and princes, with their retinue of clergy and +faithful adherents, will be gathered in solid phalanx--Protestant and +Catholic. The political kings and kaisers, princes, and all in high +places, with their henchmen and retainers, will follow in line on the same +side. The financial kings and merchant princes, and all whom they can +influence by the most gigantic power ever yet exercised in the world, will +join the same side, according to this prophecy. They do not realize, +however, that they are coming to Armageddon; yet strange to say, this is a +part of their very cry, 'Come together to Armageddon!' + +"Speaking of our day, our Lord declared, 'Men's hearts failing them for +fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for +the powers of heaven shall be shaken.' (Luke 21:26.) The kings of Europe +know not what to do. All sectarianism is being shaken. + +"The croaking of the frog spirits, or doctrines, will gather the kings and +princes, financial, political, religious and industrial, into one great +army. The spirit of fear, inspired by the croaking, will scourge the +passions of otherwise good and reasonable men to fury--desperation. In +their blind following of these evil spirits, evil doctrines, they will be +ready to sacrifice life and everything on what they mistakenly suppose is +the altar of Justice, Truth and Righteousness under a Divine arrangement. + +"Many noble people in this great army will assume an attitude quite +contrary to their preference. For a time the wheels of liberty and +progress will be turned backward, and mediaeval restraints will be +considered necessary for self-preservation--for the maintenance of the +present order of things and for the prevention of the new order which God +has decreed, the due time for which is at hand. Even those who may be +God's people do not stop to consider whether it is His will that things +should continue as they have been for the past six thousand years. The +Bible says that such is not God's will, but that there is to be a great +overturning, that a new order is coming in. + +"For a brief time, as we understand the Scriptures, these combined forces +of Armageddon will triumph. Free speech, free mails, and other liberties +which have come to be the very breath of the masses in our day, will be +ruthlessly shut off on the plea of _necessity_, the glory of God, the +commands of the Church, etc. The safety-valve will be sat upon, and thus +will cease to annoy earth's kings with the sound of escaping steam; and +all will seem to be serene--until the great social explosion described in +the Revelation as an _earthquake_ will take place. In symbolic language an +earthquake signifies social revolution, and the Scriptural declaration is +that none like it ever before occurred. (Rev. 16:18, 19.) Our Lord refers +to it in Matt. 24:21. + +"At this juncture, the Scriptures show, Divine Power will step forward, +and God will gather the marshaled hosts to Armageddon--to the Mount of +Destruction. (Rev. 16:16.) The very thing which they sought to avert by +their union, federation, etc., will be the very thing that they will +hasten. Other Scriptures tell us that God will be represented by Messiah, +and that He will be on the side of the masses. 'At that time shall Michael +[the Godlike One--Messiah] stand up.' (Dan. 12:1.) He will assume +authority. He will take possession of His Kingdom in a manner little +looked for by many of those who erroneously have been claiming to be His +Kingdom, and authorized by Him to reign in His name and in His stead. + +"Our Lord Jesus declared, 'His servants ye are unto whom ye render +service.' Some may be rendering service to Satan and to error, who claim +to be rendering service to God and to righteousness; and some may serve +ignorantly, as did Saul of Tarsus, who 'verily thought that he did God +service,' in persecuting the Church. The same principle holds true +reversely. As an earthly king does not hold himself responsible for the +moral character of each soldier who fights his battles, so the Lord does +not vouch for the moral character of all who enlist and fight on His side +of any question. His servants they are to whom they render service, +whatever the motive prompting them. + +"The same principle will apply in the coming Battle of Armageddon. God's +side of that battle will be the people's side; and that very nondescript +host, the people, will be pitted at the beginning of the battle. +Anarchists, Socialists, and hot-headed radicals of every school of reason +and unreason, will be in the forefront of that battle. He who has any +knowledge of army life knows that a great army is composed of all classes. + +"The masses will be restless under their restraints, but will be conscious +of their weakness as compared with the kings and princes, financial, +social, religious and political, who will then hold sway. The masses have +no sympathy with anarchy. They realize truly that the worst form of +government is better than none. The masses will seek relief through the +ballot and the peaceful readjustment of earth's affairs for the +elimination of evil, for the placing of monopolies and utilities and the +supplies of nature in the hands of people for the public good. The crisis +will be reached when the hitherto upholders of the law shall become +violators of the law and resisters of the will of the majority as +expressed by the ballot. Fear for the future will goad the well-meaning +masses to desperation, and anarchy will result when Socialism fails. + +"The Lord's saints are not to be in this battle at all. God's consecrated +people, longing at heart for Messiah's Kingdom and the glorious Year of +Jubilee and Restitution which it will inaugurate, will patiently abide the +Lord's time, and wait unmurmuringly for it. Their lamps trimmed and +burning, they will not be in darkness respecting the momentous events of +the impending battle; but they will be of good courage, knowing the +outcome portrayed in the 'more sure word of prophecy,' to which they have +done well to 'take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, +until the Day dawn.'--2 Pet. 1:19. + +"The question now arises, Why did not God send His Kingdom sooner? Why is +Armageddon necessary? We answer that God has His own times and seasons, +and that He has appointed the Great Seventh Thousand-Year Day for the +reign of Christ. Divine Wisdom has withheld until our day the great +knowledge and skill which is breeding at the same time millionaires and +discontents. Had God lifted the veil of ignorance a thousand years sooner, +the world would have lined up for Armageddon a thousand years sooner. God +did not bring these things before the present time because His Plan has +various parts, all of which are converging at the same time. In kindness +God veiled the eyes of mankind until the gathering to Armageddon would +immediately precede Messiah's taking to Himself His great power and +beginning His reign." (Rev. 11:17, 18.)--D. v-xvi. + +16:14. For they are the spirits of devils.--See Eph. 6:12. "We are +naturally led by the analogy of the influence of evil spirits as described +in the Gospels to compare the _effect_ produced by the demons referred to +in this verse, with the instances of _possession_ of which we read +elsewhere in the New Testament."--Cook. + +Working miracles.--It is very possible that the strongest "proof" of the +immortality of man will yet be obtained by the false prophet through +materializations of evil spirits, perhaps first at preachers' meetings, +and afterwards in public. We will wait and see. Meantime: the mental +invasions indicated in Rev. 7:3 and 2 Thes. 2:11 will _surely_ come, +whether the physical materializations come or not.--Rev. 13:13, 14. + +"The newspapers far and near are publishing the following item: 'Fred E. +Foskett, a young machinist of Orange, Mass., has attracted the attention +of Prof. James, of Harvard, and other leading members of the Boston branch +of the American Society of Psychical Research, who gave him tests +recently. Foskett poured a quart of alcohol into the basin, lighted it and +then washed his hands, bathing them for nearly ten minutes in the burning +fluid, washing it up over his arms and to his face--literally bathing +himself in blazing alcohol. As soon as they were finished the physicians +present examined Foskett, and they could not find the slightest trace of a +burn or blister. Foskett then told them that the flames did not give him +the slightest sensation of burning, that he felt comfortably warm and +pleasant, and nothing more. The second tests were made at the home of +Prof. James in Cambridge. A scientist who was there said that Foskett +performed all of his experiments of the day before, and then "absolutely +and positively dematerialized". He seemed to dissolve into thin air as we +watched, was gone forty-one seconds and then materialized.' "--Z. '09-83; +Matt. 24:24; 2 Thes. 2:9. + +Which go forth unto the kings of the [earth and of the] whole world, to +gather them to the battle of [that] THE great Day of God Almighty.--Of +which the present horrible European war is only the preliminary +skirmish.--Rev. 17:14; 19:19. + +"This battle, which will end with the complete overthrow of earth's +present rulership, is already commenced. The gathering of the armies is +plainly visible from the standpoint of God's Word. The Sword of Truth, +already sharpened, is to smite every evil system and custom--civil, social +and ecclesiastical. The internal conflict is already fomenting. It will +ere long break forth as a consuming fire; and human systems, and errors, +which for centuries have fettered truth and oppressed the groaning +creation, must melt before it. Yes, truth--and widespread and increasing +knowledge of it--is the Sword which is perplexing and wounding the heads +over many countries." (Psa. 110:6; B. 101.) "Not until great Babylon is +utterly overthrown and her influence over the world broken--will the great +mass of mankind come to realize the true state of the case. Then they will +see that the great trouble through which they will have passed was that +symbolically termed 'The battle of the great Day of God Almighty;' that in +proportion as they have aided error and wrong, they have been battling +against the law and forces of the new Empire and the new Ruler of earth; +and that in proportion as their tongues, and pens, and hands, and +influence, and means, were used to support _the right_ and the truth on +any subject, they had been to that extent fighting on the Lord's side. And +during all the trouble there will be in the world those who will bear +witness to its cause, declaring the Lord's presence and the setting up of +His Kingdom which is in opposition to the powers of darkness to be the +real cause of the trouble and shaking and overturning of society."--B. 141. + +16:15. Behold, I come as a thief.--A thief comes unexpectedly, for the +purpose of securing jewels only.--Mal. 3:17; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 3:3; Matt. +24:42-44; 1 Thes. 5:2. + +Blessed is he that watcheth.--"Because not heedless, careless, indifferent +servants of the King, but faithful and earnest ones, the Watchers discern +that there are three words of distinctly different signification, used in +respect to the Lord's Second Advent; namely, parousia and epiphania and +apokalupsis. Parousia is used in respect to the earliest stage of the +Second Advent, while apokalupsis relates to the same Advent later." (Z. +'02-86.) "The Greek words apokalupsis and apokalupto signify revealment, +uncovering, unveiling (as of a thing previously present but hidden). The +name of the last book of the Bible is from the same root--Apocalypse or +Revelation."--Z. '02-92; 1 Cor. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:7; Lu. 17:29, 30. + +And keepeth his garments.--Holds fast to his pledge of consecration even +unto death. + +Lest he walk naked.--As the nominal churches are doing even since the war +council at Washington, May 6, 1917. + +And they see his shame.--During the apokalupsis epoch now at hand. (Rev. +3:18.) "The exposure to the world that they lack what constitutes the +Christian state."--Cook.--Matt. 5:43, 44. + +16:16. And [he] THEY gathered them together.--The three unclean spirits do +the gathering.--Rev. 19:19. + +Unto a place called in the Hebrew tongue [Armageddon] ARMAGEDON.--"The fact +that St. John has employed a word (Har-Magedon), 'The destruction of their +troop,' not found in connection with any locality or historical event of +itself points to a figurative interpretation. (Zech. 12:11.) Nor indeed +are we to think of literal warfare." (Cook.) "The word 'mountain' in the +term Armageddon--'Mountain of Megiddo'--seems to have been used because +Megiddo was in a mountainous region, though the battles were fought in a +valley adjacent. The meaning here is, that there would be, as it were, a +decisive battle which would determine the question of the prevalence of +true religion on the earth. What we are to expect as the fulfillment of +this would seem to be, that there will be some mustering of strength--some +rallying of forces--some opposition made to the Kingdom of God in the +gospel by the powers here referred to which would be _decisive_ in its +character." (Barnes.) Another view of Volume VI, _Scripture Studies_, as +it appeared to the worshipers of the beast and his image, may be had in +the plague of darkness upon the Egyptians described in Ex. 10:21-29. The +3-1/2 days of terrible darkness over the land of Egypt represent the 3-1/2 +years of the great war and indicate its close shortly after the +publication of this final witness of the church. While this plague was +still in progress, Moses said to Pharaoh, "I will see thy face again no +more." It is even so; Pastor Russell passed forever out of reach of the +antitypical Pharaoh, Satan, in the fall of 1916. But in steadfast belief +that "his works do follow him," we hold that he supervises, by the Lord's +arrangement, the work yet to be done. See Rev. 16:1. + +16:17. And the seventh [angel].--Volume VII, _Scripture Studies_. + +Poured out his vial [into] UPON the air.--Seemed to the clergy to be +directed against the ruling powers. "The terrors of the revelation of +Christ will thus appear spread out over the Universe."--Cook. + +And there came a great voice.--An earnest and vigorous setting forth of +this prophecy and that of Ezekiel. + +Out of the Temple of [Heaven, from the Throne,] GOD.--The true Church. + +Saying, it is done.--See title of this book.--_Ezek. 9:11._ + +16:18. And there were [voices, and] thunders.--Seven of them--indicating +wide-spread interest in the _Scripture Studies_. There will probably also +be some thundering by the esteemed clergy. If in the past they had +thundered less and lightened more, the world would not be in its present +predicament.--Rev. 8:5. + +And lightnings.--A good lighting up of the dark places of the +ecclesiastical firmament. + +AND VOICES.--The "voices" of the Great Company, who, after the Little Flock +have gone beyond, will display unparalleled energy and faithfulness amid +unparalleled difficulty.--Rev. 11:15; 8:5. + +And there was a great earthquake.--Social revolution. The same mentioned in +Rev. 8:5; 11:19 and 1 Kings 19:11, 12, following the War. + +Such as was not since men were upon the earth.--World-wide socialism, an +unprecedented and sure-to-fail experiment in government. + +So mighty an earthquake, and so great.--The following is from an address +given to the Chicago Bankers Club in December, 1916, by Frank A. +Vanderlip, president of the National City Bank of New York. "State +socialism in Europe may develop problems, the like of which never +concerned our minds. We may have to meet collective buying, State aided +industries, forms of governmental control of ocean borne commerce and +novel factors in international finance. There may come out of the war +changes in forms of government that will have profound and world-wide +influence." + +16:19. And the great city was divided into three parts.--Christendom is now +divided into three parts: Socialistic Russia, Imperial Teutonia, and the +Representative Governments of the West; but we think a religious division +is coming: The Greek church, the Papacy and the False Prophet Protestant +aggregation, all under papal control. Or the city of Rev. 14:20, may be +meant.--2 Ki. 2:10, 12, 15. + +And the [cities] CITY of the nations fell.--The reference is to Rome, the +"city" mentioned in Rev. 17:18. By Rome is meant the Papacy. All other +kings have already drunk deeply of the wrath of God and Sheshach's turn +has come.--Jer. 25:26; Rev. 14:8. + +And great Babylon came in remembrance before God.--"The fall of Babylon +will astonish the entire world, so complete is the illusion that +Christendom represents the Throne and Government of Messiah among men. +And, be it remembered, the vast majority in all the various sects and +denominations of Christendom are worldly people who have no conception +whatever of the true Church and her cause. Their ambition is to +approximate righteousness and a form of godliness, but no more than this +seems to them necessary, since they have not been begotten of the Holy +Spirit and therefore cannot appreciate things from the divine +standpoint."--Pastor Russell. See Rev. 18:5. + +To give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of [His] THE +wrath.--The wine of the vine of the earth.--Rev. 14:17-20; Jer. 8:14; Isa. +51:17-20; Jer. 25:26-28; Rev. 18:6. + +16:20. And every island fled away.--Even the republics will disappear in +the fall of 1920. + +And the mountains were not found.--Every kingdom of earth will pass away, +be swallowed up in anarchy. + +16:21. And there fell upon men.--Greek "The Men," the worshipers of the +beast and his image, i. e., the clergy. + +A great hail out of heaven.--Truth, compacted, coming with crushing force. +A concluding statement of how the seventh volume of _Scripture Studies_ +appears to the worshipers of the beast and his image.--Rev. 11:19; Isa. +28:17; 30:30; Ezek. 13:11; Joshua 10:11. + +Every stone about the weight of a talent.--113 lbs. (Mal. 3:10.) Another +view of the seventh volume of _Scripture Studies_, as it appears to the +worshipers of the beast and his image, is found in the last of the +Egyptian plagues, the death of the first-born, Exodus 11th. and 12th. +chapters. As soon as this plague came the Egyptians, from Pharaoh down, +were anxious to speed the parting guest, and willing to give up all the +jewels of silver (the Great Company) and the jewels of gold (the Little +Flock). In connection with the statement that "there was not a house where +there was not one dead," it is admitted that if any sects were overlooked +in the lists cited in comments on Rev. 8th and 9th chapters the omission +was unintentional and will be corrected in later editions. The three days +in which Pharaoh's host pursued the Israelites into the wilderness +represent the three years from 1917 to 1920 at which time all of Pharaoh's +messengers will be swallowed up in the sea of anarchy. The wheels will +come off their chariots--organizations. + +And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail.--Apparently, the +book will be unpopular for a time. "As soon as Divine restraints upon +Satan were released, he moved the Sabeans to steal Job's cattle and to +kill his servants; he caused fire to come down from heaven, which not only +killed but burned up Job's flocks of sheep; he sent the Chaldeans who +stole Job's camels, and finally produced a cyclone which smote the house +in which Job's children were feasting together, and destroyed the house +and killed its occupants; and he attacked Job's person with disease as +soon as granted permission. (Job. 1:9-2:7.)"--S. 80. + +For the plague thereof was exceeding great.--Quite a shower. + + + + +Revelation 17--The Papacy's Last Stand + + +17:1. And there came one of the seven angels.--Volume VII, _Studies in the +Scriptures_. + +Which had the seven vials.--An explanation of the plagues upon symbolic +Babylon. + +And talked with me.--The John class, the Church in the flesh. + +Saying [unto me] Come hither; I will shew unto thee.--In the 8th, 9th, 16th +and 18th chapters of Revelation, and throughout the Book of Ezekiel.--Nahum +3:3, 4. + +The judgment of the great whore.--Papacy, the "beast."--Rev. 19:2. + +That sitteth upon many waters.--The peoples of the earth.--Jer. 51:13; Rev. +17:15. + +17:2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication.--"The +kingdoms of Europe today claim to be Christian kingdoms, and announce that +their sovereigns reign 'by the grace of God,' i. e., through appointment +of either Papacy or some of the Protestant sects."--A. 268; Rev. 18:3; Isa. +1:21; Jer. 2:20-24; 3:6; Ezek. 16:15. + +And the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk.--"So great an +institution as made all nations drunk with her false doctrine must be very +prominent, indeed, to those who were made so under the influence of the +stupefying draft from her cup."--Pastor Russell. + +With the wine of her fornication.--The mixed doctrines, part truth and part +error, that originally led to the union of church and state,--the spiritual +harlotry.--Jer. 51:7; Rev. 2:20; 17:5; 18:3; 19:2. + +17:3. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness.--"All who +would get a true view of Babylon must, in spirit, take their position with +the true people of God 'in the wilderness'--in the condition of separation +from the world and worldly ideas and mere forms of godliness, and in the +condition of entire consecration and faithfulness to and dependence upon +God alone."--D. 27. + +And I saw a woman.--The Roman Catholic Church. + +Sit upon a scarlet colored beast.--Pagan Rome, and its successors. + +Full of names of blasphemy.--"From Ferraris' _Ecclesiastical Dictionary_, a +standard Roman Catholic authority, we quote the following condensed +outline of papal power as given under the word _papa_, article 2nd: 'The +pope is of such dignity and highness that he is not simply a man but, as +it were, God, and the vicar [representative] of God.... Hence the pope is +crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven, of earth and of hell. Nay, +the pope's excellence and power are not only about heavenly, terrestrial +and infernal things, but he is also above angels, and is their superior; +so that if it were possible that angels could err from the faith, or +entertain sentiments contrary thereto, they could be judged and +excommunicated by the pope.... He is of such great dignity and power that +he occupies one and the same tribunal with Christ; so that whatsoever the +pope does seem to proceed from the mouth of God.... The pope is, as it +were, God on earth, the only prince of the faithful of Christ, the +greatest king of all kings, possessing the plenitude of power; to whom the +government of the earthly and heavenly kingdom is entrusted.' He further +adds: 'The pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, +declare or interpret the Divine Law.' 'The pope can sometimes counteract +the Divine Law by limiting, explaining, etc.' "--B. 310. + +Having seven heads and ten horns.--See Rev. 12:3; 13:1: 17:9-12; Dan. 7:7, +20; Rev. 5:6; 1 Sam. 2:10; Deut. 33:17; 1 Ki. 22:11. + +17:4. And the woman was arrayed in purple.--Symbolizing the apostate +church's claim to royalty. "I sit a queen and am no widow."--Rev. 18:7, 12, +16. + +And scarlet color.--Symbolizing her claims to share in Christ's work of +sacrifice, in the doctrine of the mass. + +And decked with gold.--Symbolizing her claim that she includes in her +membership all the true Church of God, those who shall ultimately attain +the Divine nature. + +And precious stones.--Symbolizing her claim that she is the sole custodian +of the Lord's precious jewels of truth and character.--1 Cor. 3:12; Mal. +3:17. + +And pearls.--Symbolizing her claim that she has sole power over all that +the Lord bought by His death.--Matt. 13:45, 46. + +Having a golden cup in her hand.--Symbolizing her claim that she is the +repository of all Truth Divine.--Jer. 51:7. + +Full of abominations and [filthiness] FILTHINESSES of [her] THE +fornication OF HER AND OF THE EARTH.--"Babylon hath been a golden cup in +the Lord's hand, that made all the earth drunken; the nations have drunken +of her wine; therefore the nations are mad [intoxicated with her errors]. +(Jer. 51:7-9.)"--C. 156; Rev. 18:6; Isa. 65:4. + +17:5. And upon her forehead [was a name written].--In plain sight of all +the spiritually minded. (And how strange it is that _everybody_ does not +see it!) + +Mystery.--"We have already called attention to the fact that the Church of +Christ is called in the Scriptures the 'Mystery of God,' because, contrary +to expectation, the Church was to be the Messianic _Body_ which, under its +Anointed Head, Jesus, shall rule and bless the world. We have also drawn +attention to the fact that the Scriptures refer to Babylon as a +counterfeit system (mother and daughters--some more and some less corrupt, +some better and some poorer counterfeits), and there designated the +'Mystery of Iniquity.' We are to remember that it is Satan who in the +Scriptures is credited with having 'deceived the whole world' on this +subject; putting evil for good and good for evil; light for darkness and +darkness for light. Satan 'now worketh in the children of disobedience' +(Isa. 5:20; Eph. 2:2) even as he proffered his cooperation to our Lord +Jesus."--F. 199; 2 Thes. 2:7; Prov. 5:6. + +Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the +earth.--"Since Papacy, the mother, is not a single individual, but a great +religious system, in keeping with the symbol we should expect to see other +religious systems answering to the illustration of daughters of similar +character. To this description the various Protestant organizations fully +correspond. The daughter systems parted from the mother under +circumstances of travail, and were born virgins." (D. 29.) "But some +sincere Christians may still be anxiously inquiring,--'If all Christendom +is to be involved in the doom of Babylon, what will become of +Protestantism, the result of the Great Reformation?' This is an important +question; but let the reader consider that Protestantism, as it exists +today, is not the result of the Great Reformation, but of its decline."--D. +28; Ezek. 16:44; Hos. 2:2-5; Isa. 1:21; Rev. 18:9; 19:2. + +"The claims of apostolic succession and clerical authority are almost as +presumptuously set forth by some of the Protestant clergy as by the Papal +priesthood. And the right of individual private judgment,--the very +fundamental principle of the protest against Papacy, which led to the +Great Reformation,--is now almost as strenuously opposed by Protestants as +by Papists. Protestants seem to have forgotten,--for they truly ignore,--the +very grounds of the original protest, and, as systems, they are fast +drifting back toward the open arms of the 'Holy (?) Mother Church.' 'Let +us hold out to you our hand affectionately' (says Pope Leo to Protestants +in his famous Encyclical addressed 'To the Princes and Peoples of the +Earth'), 'and invite you to the unity which never failed the Catholic +church, and which never can fail. Long has our common mother called you to +her breast.' The doctrine of 'the Divine right of kings,' taught or +supported by almost every sect, is the foundation of the old civil system, +and has long given authority, dignity and stability to the kingdoms of +Europe; and the doctrine of the Divine appointment and authority of the +clergy has hindered God's children from progressing in Divine things and +bound them by the chains of superstition and ignorance to the veneration +and adoration of fallible fellow-beings, and to their doctrines, +traditions and interpretations of God's Word. It is this entire order of +things that is to fall and pass away in the battle of this great day--the +order of things which for centuries has held the people docile under the +ruling powers, civil, social and religious. All this has been by God's +_permission_ (not by his appointment and approval, as they claim). But +though an evil in itself, it has served a good, _temporary_ purpose in +preventing anarchy, which is immeasurably worse, because men were not +prepared to do better for themselves, and because the time for Christ's +Millennial Kingdom had not yet come. Hence God permitted the various +delusions to gain credence in order to hold men in check until 'The Time +of the End'--the end of 'The Times of the Gentiles' (which expired October +1, 1914)."--D. 33. + +17:6. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints.--" 'But the +blood of Protestants is not called the blood of saints, no more than the +blood of thieves, man-killers, and other malefactors, for the shedding of +which, by the order of justice, no commonwealth shall answer.'--_Rhemish +(Catholic) translation, footnote._" (B. 320.) " 'She wore out the saints +of the most high God.' and 'was drunken with the blood of the +saints.'--Rev. 18:24."--Z. '04-236; Rev. 16:6. + +And with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.--Most of these martyrs will +doubtless be honored by a place in the Great Company. (See Rev. 7:9.) This +Scripture was fulfilled in the Dark Ages, but we are still _in_ the Dark +Ages, and will be until this system is destroyed. It takes more than a +mere profession of faith to make a Christian. "Jezebel today has +daughters--systems termed Protestant--which, nevertheless, copy largely the +mother's spirit. It is through the influence of the daughters that the +anti-typical Elijah may expect future persecutions, instigated by the +mother, accomplished through the daughters, as typically represented in +the case of John the Baptist, beheaded by Herod at the instance of Salome, +but at the instigation of Herodias--Jezebel."--Z. '04-237. + +And when I saw her.--Discerned her true character. + +I wondered with great admiration.--"With great wonder" (Diaglott), that the +Lord would permit such an institution to exist. + +17:7. And the angel.--Volume VII, _Scripture Studies_. + +Said unto me.--See Revelation, Chapters 4, 5 and 6. + +Wherefore dost thou marvel.--This is all quite right and necessary. The +Papacy was foreseen and permitted as a part of God's wonderful plan for +developing and testing His Church, proving who are worthy to be of the +First Resurrection, joint-heirs with Christ. + +I will tell thee the mystery of the woman.--The apostate Church of Rome. + +And of the beast that carrieth her.--Pagan Rome, now represented in earth's +warring governments. + +Which hath seven heads and ten horns.--See Rev. 12:3; 13:1. The exposition +of the remainder of this chapter was greatly assisted by the following +letter: "Your request for my version of what I understood Bro. Russell's +expectations to be respecting the fulfillment of the 17th Chapter of +Revelation received and after considerable meditation upon the matter I +have decided to submit the following: Brother Russell stated that there +were three possible fulfillments of this Chapter, and that he did not or +would not go on record as to which would be the correct interpretation, +for the reason that this Chapter could not be interpreted in a positive +way until after its fulfillment. He stated that this Chapter was the key +to all of the pictures, or prophecies, of Revelation, which are as yet +wrapped in mystery. On various occasions I requested Bro. Russell to give +me his idea respecting the three possible fulfillments; but he remained +absolutely mum respecting two of the ways, but freely expressed his +opinion respecting the third way, which he believed would be the way in +which the prophecy would be fulfilled. 'The beast that thou sawest was, +and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into +perdition,' we understand to be the Holy Roman Empire--Church and State, +united in power from 799 to 1799. The term 'Thou sawest' refers to the +thousand-year reign of the Pope, and the term 'And is not' refers to the +present non-existence of the Empire in power, and the term 'And shall +ascend from the bottomless pit and again go into perdition' refers to the +re-establishment of the Holy Roman Empire in power and its subsequent +destruction. The statement 'When he cometh, he must continue a short +space,' was understood by Bro. Russell to mean that the beast would rule +only for a very short time. In answer to a direct question on this point +Bro. Russell stated that he did not believe this short space could be +interpreted in days, months, or years, but that it simply meant a short +time. In the 12th verse, we read that 'The ten horns which thou sawest are +ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as +kings one hour with the beast.' This seems to set forth the Papal view +respecting the various kings of Europe which at the present time have not +received the official anointing by the Pope, and consequently have not as +yet received their kingdom. If this is correct, it would then also mean +that if the Pope should anoint these kings and declare them to be ruling +by Divine right, they thereby would officially receive power as kings, and +would rule with the Pope and together with the Pope would constitute the +beast again in power. + +"Bro. Russell was anxiously awaiting the settlement of the present world +war for the reason that it seemed very probable that the Pope would be the +leading figure in bringing about its settlement, and possibly the very +basis of the settlement will be the recognition of the Pope as the Holy +See. If the Pope receives such recognition, he could in return immediately +grant an official anointing of the rulers of the various governments +included in the settlement, and they then as stated in Verse 13, will be +'Of one mind and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.' If +this is to be the fulfillment of this picture, then it will only be a +question of time until these same governments will turn upon the Roman +Church and 'Shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh and +burn her with fire.' (Rev. 17:16.) The foregoing briefly outlines what +Bro. Russell seemed to think would be the outcome of the present war. He +had certain articles in prospect which, if backed up by fulfilled +prophecies, were to be the absolute and irrevocable proof to the world of +all of the leading pictures given in the entire book of Revelation. +Personally, I think everything seems to be shaping itself towards the +fulfillment of the Chapter on the line above specified. If you are making +any use of this letter, kindly specify or emphasize the fact that Bro. +Russell considered the matter largely as a speculation, and that he +positively stated that he would not go on record in the matter for the +reason that when he treated the matter he would do so in the light of +fulfilled prophecy _as the last word and as the unsealing of the entire +book_, and that he would not attempt to do this until such a time as the +interpretation could not be refuted." That time has evidently now come. + +17:8. The beast that thou sawest.--The Antichrist. + +Was.--Exercised actual dominion until 1799 A. D. + +And is not.--Has not had even a vestige of temporal power since 1870. Since +then it has been in oblivion, the "bottomless pit." + +And shall ascend out of the [bottomless pit], ABYSS.--"Private letters from +the Vatican, received by Dr. A. Palmieri of the Library of Congress, a +recognized writer on ecclesiastical subjects, announce that Pope Benedict +XV is about to appoint a commission of four cardinals to renew a movement +begun by Pope Leo XIII, and abandoned by Pope Pius X, looking to a reunion +of Christianity and the cultivation of friendly relations with the +Anglican Church. A public announcement on the subject from Rome is +expected soon. Dr. Palmieri said that the new movement, as outlined in his +advices, will be directed particularly toward an establishment of the +reunion of the Russian church and the Papacy and to a thorough re- +examination into the validity of Anglican or Episcopal ordinations, which +was settled in the negative in a papal bull 'Apostolica Sedis,' by Pope +Leo X. The interest of the Pope in the problem of Christian unity is said +to have been intensified by the recent progress of the world congress, +initiated by the American Episcopal Church. + +" 'The new Pope,' said Dr. Palmieri, summarizing the information received +from Rome, 'has taken a considerable part in the efforts of neutral +nations to establish peace among nations. The Vatican's efforts have been +suggested not only by a humanitarian spirit, but by a longing for +Christian unity and to end the conflict which long since has divided +Christian churches. Efforts of Leo XIII for carrying out the reunion of +Christianity were abruptly stopped by Piux X, who aimed at an inner reform +of the Catholic clergy and turned all his energies to the crushing of +modernism [Higher Criticism and Evolution]. Benedict XV thinks it is time +to renew the policy of Leo XIII, also that a re-establishment of a +political peace would be the first step toward renewed attempts to stop +the splitting of Christianity into a greater number of sects. It seems to +the Vatican that the Orthodox Slavs will be very soon called to take a +more active part in the life of western nations, either Protestant or +Catholic, and that it is necessary to come to an understanding with them +to avoid evils produced by religious intolerance. The newly planned +commission of cardinals will pay attention to yearnings for unity, which +from time to time manifest themselves in the Orthodox church, and to +cultivate friendly relations with the Anglican church. One of the most +important tasks of the new commission will be a thorough re-examination of +the arguments pro and con on the validity of Anglican ordinations. The +bull Apostolica Sedis by Leo X has settled in the negative the problem of +that validity, but generally theological schools assume a more favorable +attitude toward acknowledgment the validity of Anglican orders, and the +new commission of cardinals will carefully ponder the reasons set forth by +Russian and Anglican divines against the decision of Pope Leo X. The +friendship of the Anglican church is appreciated by Rome, for she may be +as a link of union between Roman Catholicism and Russian Orthodoxy.' " (Z. +'17-52.) We assume that the foregoing plan of the pope will succeed. "This +is the supreme chance for Christianity 'to assert her authority and guide +the world out of the darkness enshrouding it,' observes _The Northwestern +Christian Advocate_ (Methodist, Chicago), and it wonders whether the +organized Christianity that 'failed--ingloriously failed'--in 1914 will +again 'miss her golden opportunity.' " (Literary Digest.) "An old writer +has observed that the Beast reappears from the Abyss (see on ch. 11, 7) +without his diadems, as though, in this last stage, he would symbolize +rather the violence of popular rage than the prescriptive sanctity of +monarchical supremacy."--Cook. + +And go into perdition.--Be utterly destroyed at the hands of the masses it +has so persistently and outrageously deceived.--Rev. 17:11. + +And they that dwell on the earth.--All independent Christians, not +entangled in the systems of either the beast or the image. See Rev. 13:13, +14. + +Shall wonder.--Be astounded, perplexed and dismayed, "At the reappearance +of the beast."--Cook. + +Whose names.--As a class, not as individuals. + +Were not written in the Book of Life.--But not necessarily in so-called +Church books, kept here on earth, for collection purposes. + +From the foundation of the world.--"The book or scroll covenanting life to +an elect number was prepared from the foundation of the world. The names +in it have been written as the individuals have made consecration of +themselves, coming under the terms of the Divine call. In this view of the +matter the book or scroll would represent the original Divine +purpose--God's intention to have a Church, of which our Lord Jesus would be +the Head.--(Rev. 3:5.)"--Z. '99-265. + +When they behold the beast that was, and is not, and [yet is] SHALL AGAIN +BE PRESENT.--The Papal Empire restored. + +17:9. And here is the mind which hath wisdom.--A problem requiring the aid +of the Lord.--Rev. 13:18. + +The seven heads are seven mountains.--The kingdoms enumerated in Rev. 12:3. + +On which the woman sitteth.--Over which she once reigned in plentitude of +power. Much of Revelation is written in such a way that both a literal and +a symbolical explanation can be made, designed by the Lord to make the +understanding of the book impossible to any except the fully consecrated. +The following shows the physical explanation of this text which would most +appeal to the unconsecrated. But it shows that the Mother of Harlots has +her headquarters at Rome. And when we know who the mother is, it is +impossible not to recognize the daughters. Rome is called in history the +"seven-hilled city." "The original settlement of Romulus is said to have +been limited to the Palatine mount. With this were united before the end +of his reign the Capitoline and the Quirinal; Tullus Hostilius added the +Caelian, Ancus Martius the Aventine; and finally Servius Tullius included +the Esquiline and Viminal, and enclosed the whole seven hills with a stone +wall. The growth of the state closely followed that of the city." (Brit.) +It would not be possible to limit this explanation to seven forms of +government which have exercised sway over the city of Rome. There have +been many such governments. There were seven of them during the nineteenth +century alone--the Roman Republic of 1798, the Kingdom of 1805, the +Annexation of 1810, the restoration of the temporal power in 1814, the +Revolution of 1848, the restoration of the temporal power in 1849, and the +Italian occupation in 1870. + +17:10. And there are seven kings.--Seven forms of government of the HOLY +ROMAN EMPIRE, the devil's own particular pattern of government. + +Five are fallen.--(1) The Regal period, from 753 B. C. to 510 B. C. The +"Kings" of this period were "not simply either the hereditary and +patriarchal chief of a clan, the priestly head of a community bound +together by a common _sacra_, or the elected magistrate of a state, but a +mixture of all three."--Brit. + +(2) The Republic, from 509 to 451 B. C. and from 448 to 60 B. C. "It is +characteristic of Rome that the change from monarchy to republic should +have been made with the least possible disturbance of existing forms. The +title of king was retained, though only as that of a priestly officer +(_rex sacrorum_) to whom some of the religious functions of the former +kings were transferred. The two annually elected consuls or praetores were +regarded as joint heirs of the full kingly authority, and as holding the +imperium and the correlative right of taking the auspices, by direct +transmission from the founder of the city." (Brit.) (3) The Decemvirate, a +rule of ten men, from 451 to 449 B. C. (4) The Triumvirate, a rule of +three men, from 59 to 49 B. C. and from 43 to 28 B. C. (5) The +Dictatorship of Caesar, 48 to 44 B. C. All of these forms of the old Holy +Roman Empire have completely passed away. + +[And] one is.--The Dragon, still represented in the powers of Europe. (See +comments on Rev. 12:3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 16, 17; 13:2, 4, 11; 16:13.) The +rulership of Papacy during the Dark Ages, both directly in its temporal +power, and through the governments which it controlled or influenced, and +still influences, was--as has been shown--merely another aspect of the +government of Pagan Rome, generally styled the Empire, but in Revelation +called the Dragon, and the Devil, and Satan. + +And the other.--The final form, of Arbitrator (whatever be the official +title). + +Is not yet come.--But is due to make its appearance with the close of the +war, probably early in the year 1938. (See comments on Rev. 16:17-21; Ex. +10:23.) Pastor Russell foretold the _darkness_ would commence in _1914_, +and it did!! Egypt's plague of darkness lasted three days (years). + +And when he cometh, he must continue a short space.--Probably from the fall +of 1917 to the spring or summer of 1918. "The language is indefinite, the +words 'must continue' alone being emphatic. It is a duration such that by +means of it the Church should be exercised in patience."--Cook. + +17:11. And the beast that was.--That once exercised temporal dominion and, +through influence of the European governments, once actually ruled the +world. + +And is not.--Does not now have any temporal dominion. + +[Even] he is the eighth.--The eighth horn which took the place of the three +plucked up (Rev. 12:3); also the final form of the _HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE_. + +And is of the seven.--"Cometh of the seven," Greek.--Grew up by the plucking +of the three. The Papacy is either the seventh or the eighth form, +depending upon how the matter is viewed. If it be viewed as having reigned +separately from the Dragon during the Dark Ages (as it did, when it +exercised temporal power), in its new guise it will be the eighth form, +its separate rulership during the Dark Ages being counted as the seventh. +But if it be viewed as having been a co-partner of the Dragon during the +Dark Ages, then its forthcoming manifestation will be the seventh form. In +any event the eighth form is one of the seven forms; and the regaining of +the temporal power this time will be the cause of the Papacy's +destruction. See Z. '03-325 for a hint that Benedict XV will never have a +successor. (He is personally the eighth pope reigning since 1799. Five of +these popes had died prior to 1878. Here is a good secondary fulfilment.) + +And goeth into perdition.--"Daniel, representing the saints, says (Dan. +7:11), 'I watched it then [after its dominion was gone and it was +powerless longer to crush the Truth, the power of the holy people], +_because_ of the voice of the great words which that horn spoke, and I saw +that [it obtained no power over the holy saints and the Truth, but it did +have another effect] the beast was slain, the body thereof destroyed and +given to the burning flame'--general anarchy. The destruction of the +remnant of governments in the old Roman Empire, caused by the misleading +influence of Papacy's continued bombastic utterances, even after its +dominion is gone, is thus shown."--C. 68; 2 Thes. 2:3. + +17:12. And the ten horns which thou sawest.--Three of which were originally +plucked up to make room for the growth of the Papacy. See Rev. 12:3; 13:1; +17:3; Dan. 7:7, 8, 20; Rev. 5:6; 1 Sam. 2:10; Deut. 33:17; 1 Ki. 22:11. + +Are ten kings.--The rulers, whether kings, kaisers, presidents or others +who have dragged into the slaughter house the descendants of the ten +powers originally composing the Roman Empire. + +Which have received no kingdom [as yet].--No official sanction as rulers +from the counterfeit "king of kings and lord of lords"--the Pope. + +But receive power as kings.--"The absence of the diadem indicates that +their kingdom is not full, regal power, but as being transient, is +represented as if it were royal power."--Cook. + +One hour with the beast.--The "one hour" in this verse (17:12) may signify +one year, or thereabouts. The word in the Greek is _hora_. This is the +same word which our Lord used when, in speaking of John the Baptist He +said, "He was a burning and a shining light; and you were willing, for a +time (_hora_--one year--the length of John's ministry before his +imprisonment) to rejoice in his light." (John 5:35; Z. '04-60.) In matters +that are still future we can only use our best judgment as to the +significance to be attached to expressions like this. "Let every man be +fully persuaded in his own mind."--Rom. 14:5. + +17:13. These have one mind.--All are desperately anxious to stop the +terrible waste of human life, now that they see what their father, the +Devil, has accomplished through their worship and service of himself and +his institutions. + +And [shall] give their power and strength unto the beast.--Support it in +its apparently laudable but actually selfish efforts in trying to stop the +European war. "Deposit in his hands all the available means which they +possess."--Cook. + +17:14. These shall make war with the Lamb.--Endeavor to suppress the +message of Present Truth.--Rev. 16:14; 19:19. + +And the Lamb shall overcome them.--Zion need not fear; for God is in the +midst of her, and will help her. Her consecration is unto death, and her +privilege is to prove her faithfulness: "The disciple is not above his +Master, nor the servant above his Lord. It is enough for the disciple that +he be as his Master, and the servant as his Lord."--Matt. 10:24, 25. + +"It will probably be in an effort at self-preservation on the part of +'Great Babylon'--'Christendom'--when she sees her power in politics, +priestcraft and superstition waning, that the work of truth-spreading will +be stopped as detrimental to her system. And probably at this juncture the +Elijah class, persisting in declaring the Truth to the last, will suffer +violence, pass into glory and escape from the severest features of the +great Time of Trouble coming--just in the crisis of affairs when men begin +to feel that desperate measures must be resorted to, to sustain the +tottering structure of Christendom. Although the exact time of the +deliverance or 'change' of the last members of the Body of Christ is not +stated, the approximate time is nevertheless clearly manifest, as shortly +after the 'door' is shut (Matt. 25:10)."--C. 231. + +For He is Lord of lords, and King of kings.--Has the entire situation under +perfect control--is the _real_ Pope.--1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 19:16. + +And they that are with Him are called.--When they hear, understand and heed +the message of complete consecration even unto death (Rev. 19:9). This +clause, in the Greek, indicates that these also, as well as the Lamb, +shall overcome them. + +And chosen.--Elected as soon as they comply with the conditions, provided +there are any vacancies. + +And faithful.--"The door of opportunity to engage, with Christ our Lord, in +the work of the Gospel Age, will be closed when 'the night cometh wherein +no man can work.' And all who have not previously, by faithful service, +developed the necessary character and proved their sympathy, devotion, +love and zeal for the Lord and His Truth (Matt. 10:37; Mark 8:38), will +then be too late to do so. The closing in of this night will evidently put +a stop to any farther labor to disseminate the Truth, which, misunderstood +by the public generally, will probably be accused of being the cause of +much of the anarchy and confusion then prevailing, instead of being seen +in its true light as a foreshadowing of the Divine mind and revelation +concerning coming troubles on the world and their true causes."--C. 210; +Rev. 2:10. + +17:15. And he saith unto me, [The] THESE waters which thou sawest where +the whore sitteth.--See Rev. 17:1, 9. + +Are BOTH peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.--And not, +therefore, literal water or literal hills, or forms of government which +have ruled the city of Rome.--Isa. 8:7. + +17:16. And the ten horns which thou sawest.--The rulers of Europe and +America, and their subjects, descendants of the ten powers which +originally composed the old Roman Empire. + +[Upon] AND the beast.--The re-established temporal dominion of the pope in +Rome and elsewhere. "Of her boastings and threats the following from a +Catholic journal of recent date is a fair sample: 'The Papacy will regain +its temporal sovereignty, because it is useful and convenient to the +Church. It gives the head executive of the church a fuller liberty and a +fuller sway. The Pope can be no king's subject long. It is not in keeping +with the divine office to be so. It cramps him and narrows his influence +for good. Europe has acknowledged this influence, and will be forced to +bow to it in greater times of need than this. Social upheavals, and the +red hand of anarchy, will yet crown Leo or his successor with the reality +of power which the third circle symbolizes, and which was once recognized +universally.' Yes, as the day of trouble draws on, ecclesiasticism will +endeavor to use its power and influence more and more to secure its own +political welfare, by its control of the turbulent elements of society; +but in the crisis of the near future the lawless element will spurn all +conservative influence and break over all restraints, the red hand of +Anarchy will do its dreadful work, and Babylon, political and +ecclesiastical, shall fall."--D. 38. + +These shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked.--People +and governments will have a common hatred for their mutual enemy when the +motives which actuate her are clearly revealed.--Ezek. 16:35-44; 23:22, 29; +Zech. 1:19. + +And shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire.--Unite to complete her +utter destruction.--Rev. 18:8, 18; Dan. 7:11; C. 68; Gen. 38:24; Ezek. +16:41; Lev. 20:14; 21:9. + +17:17. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will.--As expressed +in His Word. + +And to agree.--The European war would stop tomorrow if it were not for the +officers holding the men to the task of butchery. + +And to give their kingdom unto the beast.--Put their liberties into the +hands of the Papacy, as Arbitrator. + +Until the words of God shall be fulfilled.--And the travail of nominal Zion +shall disclose her true character. + +17:18. And the woman which thou sawest.--The Apostate Church, the +antitypical Jezebel. + +Is that great city.--The "_HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE_." + +Which reigneth over the [kings] KINGDOMS of the earth.--"Expositors of +every school generally agree that Rome Pagan, or Rome Papal, or Rome under +both aspects, is intended here. In order to repel the application to the +Papacy, many Roman expositors also apply what is said of the destruction +of Rome, to the future--to Rome again become Pagan: This is the hypothesis, +observes Bishop Wordsworth, of Suarez, Viegas, Ribera, Lessius, Menochius, +C. a Lapide, and others, particularly Dr. Manning in our own day. Thus +Stern writes:--Babylon is really the City of Rome, not only, however, +according to the old-heathenish, but also according to the new-heathenish +signification of the World's history."--Cook. + +Could there ever come a time when men, the world over, could be more +heathenish at heart than now; and does not, therefore, even Papal comment +show that this Scripture is ready to be fulfilled? + + + "Whene'er the storms come down on thee, + And days of peace all seem to flee; + This thought thy peace again shall bring, + Why should I fear?--the Lord is King. + + E'en when the tempest rages high, + And darkest clouds are drawing nigh, + With hands of faith to this, O! cling,-- + Why should I fear?--the Lord is King; + + Amid the stormy waves of life, + Above the tumult and the strife, + The chimes of hope still sweetly ring,-- + Be not afraid--the Lord is King." + + + + +Revelation 18--The Fall Of Ecclesiasticism + + +18:1. [And] after these things.--As another view of the Harvest epoch. + +I saw another angel.--Messenger, the Messenger of the Covenant, the Lord +Jesus.--Mal. 3:1; Rev. 10:1; 14:1. + +Come down from Heaven.--In 1874. See Rev. 3:14. + +Having great power.--"All power in Heaven and in earth."--Matt. 28:18. + +And the earth was lightened.--See Mal. 4:2; Rev. 7:2. + +With His glory.--Some of the glories of the New Day, all discovered since +1874, are adding machines, aeroplanes, aluminum, antiseptic surgery, +artificial dyes, automatic couplers, automobiles, barbed wire, bicycles, +carborundum, cash registers, celluloid, correspondence schools, cream +separators, Darkest Africa, disk ploughs, Divine Plan of the Ages, +dynamite, electric railways, electric welding, escalators, fireless +cookers, gas engines, harvesting machines, illuminating gas, induction +motors, linotypes, match machines, monotypes, motion pictures, North Pole, +Panama Canal, Pasteurization, railway signals, Roentgen rays, shoe sewing +machines, smokeless powder, South Pole, submarines, radium, sky scrapers, +subways, talking machines, telephones, typewriters, vacuum cleaners and +wireless telegraphy.--Ezek. 43:2; John 1:9; Matt. 25:31; Titus 2:13. + +18:2. And he cried [mightily] with a [strong] MIGHTY voice.--How apt are +these Scriptures that refer to Pastor Russell as a "voice"! (Rev. 7:2; +10:3; 16:1.) So modestly are his works written that the author is nowhere +manifest, but attention is always and everywhere drawn to the _Lord_. + +Saying, [Babylon the great is] fallen, is BABYLON THE GREAT [fallen].--"The +expression, 'Babylon is fallen,' indicates that at some time a sudden and +utter rejection is to come upon Babylon, when all favor will forever +cease, and when judgments will follow--just such a rejection as we have +shown was due in 1878."--C. 155; Isa. 13:19-22; 21:9; Jer. 51:8-13; Rev. +14:8; 16:19. + +"In spite of all our wealth, the blight of poverty, with its accompanying +sickness, suffering, crime, insanity and vice, continues. The social +disease manifested in 'atrophy and hypertrophy,' in 'extremities bleeding +at the bottom, bloating at the top, decay in both,' is a portent of the +modern world. The net result of our wonderful civilization is that men +have less time now than they have ever had since the world +began."--_Current Literature_; Z. '11-420. + +"Alienists the country over are sounding a solemn note of warning to the +American people over the alarming rush in which we live. According to Dr. +Harvey W. Wiley, federal pure food and drugs expert, nearly every man and +woman at some time in their lives border on insanity. That view is also +indorsed by the famous Dr. William A. White, head of the United States +government hospital for the insane, who backs up the stand taken recently +by Dr. Owen Copp, new head of the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane. +Because of the terrible ravages of drink and drugs, particularly in the +United States, thousands of people are rendered so extremely nervous that +they are always on the verge of going crazy. The rush and worry of modern +life he gives as the causes."--Z. '11-228. + +And is become the habitation of devils.--"The _New York World_ publishes an +interview with Bishop Fallows, of the Reformed Episcopal Church, as +follows: 'Telepathy is an established fact. In recent years great strides +have been made in the explanation of psychic phenomena and in the years to +come the science of communication with the dead will be made a part of the +curriculum of great educational institutions. I have called the new +science "Immortalism" because it depends for its existence upon the +immortality of the soul, in which we all believe, and the preservation of +identity beyond the grave.' Bishop Fallows will be recognized by many as +one of the ministers who have recently been taking a great interest in +Faith Healing clinics. We have already pointed out that to our +understanding these cures are effected by hypnotic influences and that +hypnotism is but another form of Spiritism. We believe that through this +channel the fallen angels ('wicked spirits,' Eph. 6:12) are seeking to +break down the human will; and that the results, shortly, will be direful +in the extreme, leading to spirit control and every evil work."--Z. +'09-355; Ecc. 9:5; 1 Pet. 3:19; Jude 6; Jer. 51:37-41; Rev. 16:14; Isa. +13:19-22; 34:14. + +And the hold of every foul spirit.--Rev. Wm. Sunday has exceptional +opportunity for learning, and in his public discourses repeatedly "scores +the ministers because they have no faith. He condemns their neglect of +Bible study. He says the theological seminaries are turning out infidels. +He refers to the large amount of saloon property that belongs to church +members. He enumerates all kinds of worldly doings which go on in these +denominations. He would have us believe that the moral standard of +thousands high in the churches is so low as to almost stagger reason. Now +if what Mr. Sunday says about the denominations is true they are not fit +places for good, respectable people, to say nothing of true Christians. In +fact, if they are only half as bad as he says, then every faithful child +of God ought to get out of them as quickly as he can. If they are but one- +quarter as bad as Mr. Sunday tells, then the only safety on the part of +one who wishes to retain his faith is to get out of such spiritual pest- +holes."--Z. '15-207. + +And a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.--"How true it is, that the +most execrable of society seek and wear the garb of Christian profession +and ceremonialism, in some of the various quarters (sects) of Babylon. Of +all the defaulters, and deceivers of men and of women, how many are +professedly members of Christ's Church! and how many even use their +profession as a cloak under which to forward evil schemes! It is well +known that a majority of even the most brutal criminals executed die in +the Roman Catholic communion. Babylon has contained both the best and the +worst, both the cream and the dregs, of the population of the civilized +world." (C. 162.) A parliamentary report of the status of society in +England and Wales in 1873 showed that there were then no Jewish criminals, +1 of every 20,000 infidels was a criminal, 1 of every 666 Dissenters was a +criminal, 1 of every 72 Church of England, and 1 of every 40 Roman +Catholics. (C. 163.) "The great system in which the 'fowl of heaven' +delight to roost, and which they have grievously befouled (Luke 13:18, +19), and which has in fact become 'a cage of every unclean and hateful +bird,' is to be hewn down, and shall deceive the world no longer."--C. 187; +Isa. 34:11; Jer. 50:39; Zeph. 2:14. + +18:3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her +fornication.--"The stimulating power is not the spirit of a sound mind, but +the delusion of a false doctrine; as the Prophet declares, they are +'drunken,' but not with wine. (Isa. 29:9-13.) The people in general have +lost their taste and appreciation for the water of life, the _Truth_; and +false teachers warn them against it as poison. The wine of false doctrines +now being manufactured at all the Theological Seminaries is the wine of +evolution and higher criticism, which does not satisfy the thirst, but +increases the confusion of mind. Even Babylon's notables are dissatisfied, +famished.--See Amos 8:11."--Z. '01-349. + +And the kings of the earth.--The governments of Austria, Denmark, France, +Germany, England, Russia, Spain, Portugal, etc. + +Have committed fornication with her.--Joined themselves to the Roman +Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and Greek Catholic Churches. + +And the merchants of the earth.--Popes, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, +Presiding Elders, Reverends, etc.--Rev. 18:11, 15; Isa. 47:15; 23:8; Ezek. +27:36. + +Are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.--Supplied partly in +cash and partly in left-overs from church fairs, suppers, etc. + +18:4. And I heard another voice from heaven.--The WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND +TRACT SOCIETY, the corporate body which Pastor Russell personally +organized to conduct the Harvest work (Rev. 8:3; 14:18). This voice has +been exerted continuously since 1884. "Our thought is that it is the Lord +who calls His people out of Babylon; the call to to be recognized +especially as a Voice from Heaven. Apparently, the Voice is Present +Truth."--Z. '14-180. + +Saying, Come out of her.--"This call applies not only to those in Babylon +the Great, but to those in other denominations--mother and daughters. Be +not of those who cannot see the errors of Babylon and who, consequently, +are not of the called ones. The object of the call to come out is not for +people merely to withdraw from a nominal church. No one is called out of +Babylon until he sees her true condition. This call to associate with +Christ, with Messiah, is given by the Lord through the Prophet when He +says, 'Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a Covenant +with Me by sacrifice.' (Psa. 50:5.) They were to be gathered, not to the +Roman or other systems, but to the Lord, to become one with Him." (Z. +'12-277.) "The Lord's call out of Babylon is not in audible one--He merely +calls us by the principles of righteousness. He lifts the curtain before +the eyes of understanding of His consecrated ones and thus lets them see +some of the errors, some of the falsities in which they and others of +Babylon are involved--dishonoring the holy name--blaspheming the holy name +by misrepresentation of the Divine character and Plan. This is and should +be call enough for those who are of the Lord's Spirit, for those who love +the Lord and the honor of His name more than they love houses or lands or +parents or children or any other creature or thing--yea, more than they +love their own lives. Such are sure to respond and to come out of Babylon; +others who remain, in spite of seeing the light, fail to be overcomers of +the highest class--fail therefore to be in the elect Bride class, and must +be counted in with the Great Company, which will come through great +tribulation, and will get out of Babylon only when she has been cast as a +great millstone into the midst of the sea--in the time of anarchous trouble +with which this Age will close." (Z. '06-343.) + +"Baptists think their preachers have no authority. But the Baptists cannot +do anything without the consent of the preachers. The preachers hold a +power that God did not repose there. God never authorized any men to go +and ordain another man to preach the Gospel. God does the ordaining; and +it is for the church to decide, according to its best judgment, whom the +Lord ordains or calls as a pastor. The people in the Methodist church have +almost no liberty, except the privilege of giving money. The bishops +control the presiding elders, and under them the presiding elders control +the preachers; and so it is all the way down to the class leaders. They +have their head or chief amongst them. They have a human head. The General +Conference is the highest authority. So the Presbyterian church has a head +in the way of a General Assembly which has the deciding of matters. + +"On one occasion I was called upon by a minister of the Reformed church. +He wanted to know how I managed my church. I said to him, 'Brother ----, I +have no church.' He said, 'You know what I mean.' I answered, 'I want you +to know what I mean, too. We claim that there is only one Church. If you +belong to that Church, you belong to our Church.' He looked at me in +surprise. Then he said, 'You have an organization; how many members are +there?' I replied, 'I cannot tell; we do not keep any membership rolls.' +'You do not keep any list of the membership?' 'No. We do not keep any +list; their names are written in Heaven.' He asked, 'How do you have your +election?' I said, 'We announce an election; and any or all of God's +people, who are consecrated and are accustomed to meet with this company, +or congregation, may have the privilege of expressing their judgment of +who would be the Lord's preference for elders and deacons of the +congregation.' 'Well,' he said, 'that is simplicity itself.' I then added, +'We pay no salaries; there is nothing to make people quarrel. We never +take up a collection.' 'How do you get the money?' he asked. I replied, +'Now, Dr. ----, if I tell you what is the simplest truth you will hardly be +able to believe it. When people get interested in this way, they find no +basket placed under their nose. But they see there are expenses. They say +to themselves, "This hall costs something, and I see that free lunch is +served between meetings, for those living at some distance. How can I get +a little money into this thing?" ' He looked at me as if he thought, 'What +do you take me for--a greenhorn?' I said, 'Now, Dr. ----, I am telling you +the plain truth. They do ask me this very question, "How can I get a +little money into this cause?" ' " (Pastor Russell _Question Meeting_. +Gen. 19:15, 22; Isa. 48:20; 52:11; Jer. 50:8; 51:6, 45; Matt. 24:16.) + +"The present work of gathering the Lord's saints out of Babylon is +represented under various symbolic descriptions,--it is the gathering of +the wheat from the tares into the barn (Matt. 13:30): it is the gathering +of the good fish into baskets and the casting of the unsuitable fish +caught in the Gospel net back into the sea (Matt. 13:47-49); it is the +gathering of His jewels (Mal. 3:17); it is the midnight cry to the +virgins, which separates the wise from the foolish (Matt. 25:6); and it is +the gathering of the 'Elect' from all the non-elect of Christendom, from +the four winds--from every quarter." (Matt. 24:31.) (D. 600.) "Lot's wife, +after starting to flee as directed, 'looked back;' coveting the things +behind: and so with some now fleeing from Babylon to the mountain +(Kingdom) of the Lord; they are more in sympathy with the things behind +than with the things before. Only those will run the race to the finish +who set their affections on the things above, and not on the things +beneath." (D. 608.) + +"Those who thus flee to the Lord will neither be consumed by fear and +dread, nor swallowed up by the projects and false theories--science falsely +so called--with which this day abounds. And, withal, they may be in the +devouring fire [trouble], witnesses for God and His Plan, and teachers of +the people--pointers to the glorious outcome of Jehovah's Plan, lifting up +a standard for the people.--Isa. 62:10." (B. 31.) "The tables of the +various sects of Christendom were started as tables of the Lord, and +adorned to some extent with food from His storehouse, the Word. But the +great Adversary placed upon these tables errors, delusions, doctrines of +devils, which have blemished them as a whole; wherefore it is appropriate +now to apply to them the words of the Scriptures, 'Come out from amongst +them and be ye separate; touch not the unclean thing.' " (Z. '07-91.) "Our +friends, like Abraham's friends, would persuade us of the folly of leaving +Babylon, its comforts and associations: they assure us that our +opportunities for greatness, etc., will be distinctly lessened by the +course of obedience which we take. Nevertheless we, like Abram, go forth +taking all of our possessions with us, great or small--nothing must be left +behind to be a treasure in Babylon and to attract our hearts thither +again. All things must be brought with us so that not our own lives and +talents only, but our influence upon others, must all be made to count." +(Z. '01-231) "As to missionary activities (Matt. 23:15), what advantage +can accrue to the heathen from giving them the false doctrines of the +Adversary? The few who may be reached will have the more to unlearn when +the Times of Restitution begin."--F. 641. + +My people.--"We would not be understood as including all Christians as +'Babylonians.' Quite to the contrary. As the Lord recognizes some in +Babylon as true to Him and addresses them now, saying, 'Come out of her, +_My people_' (Rev. 18:4), so do we; and we rejoice to believe that there +are today thousands who have not bowed the knee to the Baal of our +day--Mammon, Pride and Ambition. Those who will not come out until Babylon +falls and they come through the 'great tribulation' (Rev. 7:9-14) shall +not be accounted worthy to share the Kingdom. Compare Rev. 2:26; 3:21; +Matt. 10:37; Mark 8:34, 35; Luke 14:26, 27." (See Micah 2:10; Jer. +12:7-11; 23:33-40; Jer. 11:14, 15; Prov. 19:27; Matt. 14:28, 29; Hos. 4:6; +Isa. 27:12.) "The begetting of spiritual children of God, through the Word +of His grace, and their being to some extent cherished, nourished and +brought forward by these human sectarian tare systems, is well illustrated +by certain insects, the young of which are injected into the backs of +their enemies, and there warmed, nourished and developed, up to the time +of their complete birth and deliverance, which means, usually, the death +of the insect which temporarily carried them about." (F. 656.) Now the +point of deliverance has been reached. + +That ye be not partakers of her sins.--"If you fail to obey the Lord +through fear of earthly loss, it will prove that these things are more +precious to you than His favor, and He will treat you as He treats the +hypocrites; you will have a share in their experiences." (Z. '14-180.) "We +do not know but that they may go to the extreme in our day--to kill +socially, to kill ecclesiastically, perhaps to kill physically. Nearly all +the persecutions that have come to God's people have come from professed +Christians, fellow-believers. 'Your brethren that hated you, that cast you +out for My Name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified; but He shall +appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.' (Isaiah 66:5.)"--Z. +'14-181; Num. 16:26. + +And that ye receive not of her plagues.--See Rev. 16:1-21. + +18:5. For her sins [have reached] CLEAVED TOGETHER unto Heaven.--Ezekiel +has touched on this!--Jer. 51:9; Gen. 11:3, 4; Luke 10:11. + +And God hath remembered her iniquities.--By seven plagues; the seven +volumes of _Studies in the Scriptures_.--Rev. 16:1-21. See also bottom of +this page. + +18:6. Reward her even as she rewarded [you].--A diligent attempt has been +made in this direction. Anything overlooked will be inserted in the next +edition.--Psa. 137:8; Jer. 50:15, 29; 51:24. + +[And] double unto her double according to her works.--Make a double +exposition (explaining Revelation and Ezekiel) that will show her up just +as she is. + +In [the] HER cup which she hath filled.--The Scriptures which she has +twisted, distorted and misapplied. "The cup which she has used as a means +of seduction shall now be changed into the instrument of her +punishment."--Cook. + +Fill to her double.--Greek, "the double." (Isa. 61:7.) Give her enough +light on Ezekiel and Revelation to show her the exit.--Isa. 21:7-10. + +18:7. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously.--And to +what lengths has not Papacy gone in this direction, with the Protestant +sects doing their best to keep the pace! + +So much torment and sorrow.--Mourning for the dead, Greek.--Amos. 8:10. + +Give her.--"I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O +Babylon, and thou wast not aware; thou art found, and also caught, because +thou hast striven against the Lord. The Lord hath opened His armoury +[Ezekiel and Revelation] and hath brought forth the weapons of His +indignation: for this is the work of the Lord God of Hosts in the land of +the Chaldeans ... the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance of His +Temple.... Recompense her according to her work; according to all that she +hath done, do unto her."--Jer. 50:24-29. + +For she saith in her heart.--Babylon really believes her prosperity will +continue forever. They "shall _believe_ the lie."--2 Thes. 2:11. + +I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.--See Isa. 47:8, 9; +D. 43; Zeph. 2:15. + +18:8. Therefore.--"Because she will violently struggle for life and +power."--D. 39. + +Shall her plagues.--Death, mourning, famine and fire. + +Come in one day.--The year of 1918. See Rev. 3:14; 11:11. + +Death.--"By the hand of her enemies." + +And mourning.--For the loss of her people.--Rev. 18:7. + +And famine.--Literal and symbolic. (Amos. 8:11). "As we call to mind the +long train of evils by which Babylon has oppressed and worn out the saints +of the most High (the true Zion), and how it is written that God will +avenge His own Elect, and that speedily; that, according to their deeds, +He will repay recompense to His enemies; that He will render unto Babylon +a recompense (Luke 18:7, 8; Isa. 59:18; Jer. 51:6), we begin to realize +that some fearful calamity awaits her. The horrible decrees of Papacy,--the +reproach and reward of which Protestantism also is incurring by her +present compromising association with her,--for the burning, butchering, +banishing, imprisoning and torturing of the saints in every conceivable +way, executed with such fiendish cruelty in the days of her power by the +arm of the State, whose power she demanded and received, await full +measure of just retribution."--D. 39. + +And she shall be utterly burned with fire.--Completely destroyed in the +anarchy to follow.--Rev. 17:16; Gen. 38:24; Ezek. 16:41; Lev. 20:14; 21:9. + +For strong is GOD the Lord [God] who [judgeth] JUDGED her.--"Compare Rev. +17:17, where the event is expressly declared to have been overruled by +God." (Cook.) "And I will punish Bel in Babylon [the God of Babylon,--the +Pope]; and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath +swallowed up [he shall repudiate in his extremity the 'great swelling +words' and blasphemous titles which he has long appropriated to +himself--that he is the 'infallible vicar,' 'vice-gerent of Christ,' +'another God on earth,' etc.], and the nations shall not flow together any +more unto him. Yea, the wall of Babylon [the civil power that once +defended it, and that in a measure does so still] shall fall.... Thus +saith the Lord of Hosts: the broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly +broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire [shall be destroyed]; +and the people shall labor in vain, and the folk in the fire [to prop and +save the walls of Babylon], and they shall be weary.--Jer. 51:44, 58."--D. +40. The people are already getting weary of supporting murderous +governments. + +18:9. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication [and +lived deliciously] with her.--In the illicit unions of Church and State the +advantage, from a worldly viewpoint, has been on the side of the Church. +She has compelled the State to cleanse her filthy linen while she +proceeded to pollute another lot. Far from living deliciously, the horns +have really hated the harlot for her impudent, shameless conduct. + +Shall [bewail her], WAIL and lament for her.--Not because they loved her, +but because she was useful to them in keeping the people in ignorance and +subjection.--Jer. 50:46; Ezek. 26:15 to 27:36. + +When they shall see the smoke of her burning.--When they witness her +confusion and signs of imminent destruction as portrayed in the seventh +plague--"the handwriting on the wall."--Dan. 5:1-9; Rev. 18:18; 19:3. + +18:10. Standing afar off for fear of her torment.--Realizing that this is a +question of interpretation of the Scriptures and not wishing to get +entangled in it any more than absolutely necessary.--Jer. 51:30-33. + +Saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city.--Alas, that +great religious system that was always eager to affiliate with us and give +a religious coloring to even wholesale murder by enticing its young men to +enlist under our banners! + +For in one hour is thy judgment come.--In the one year 1917-1918.--Rev. +17:12. + +18:11. And the merchants of the earth.--Salesmen of religious goods--Popes, +Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and smaller fry.--Ezek. 27:36; Isa. 23:8; +47:15; Rev. 18:3, 15, 23. + +Shall weep and mourn over her.--Saying, in substance, "What shall I do? for +my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am +ashamed."--Luke 16:3. + +For no man buyeth their merchandise any more.--"And it shall come to pass +in that day, saith the Lord of Hosts, that I will cut off the names of the +idols [all sectarian denominations] out of the land, and they shall no +more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets [the clergy] and +the unclean spirit [their false doctrines] to pass out of the land. And it +shall come to pass that when any [former clergyman] shall yet prophesy +[try to still further mislead the people into giving him reverence and +coin], then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, +Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and +his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he +prophesieth [so enraged will they be when they realize how they have been +deceived respecting fears of hell or assurances of Heaven for themselves +and other descendants of monkeys, which the preachers have taught them +they are]. And it shall come to pass in that day that the prophets +[clergy] shall be ashamed every one of his vision [of the creeds], when he +hath prophesied [preached]; neither shall they wear a rough garment +[distinctive clothing--collars fastened on backwards, in harmony with their +conceptions of religious things, and ties and clothing in mourning to +suit] to deceive: But he shall say I am no prophet [no preacher of the +gospel at all], I am an husbandman [a farmer]; for man taught me to keep +cattle from my youth. [Ezekiel 34:1-31 shows how poorly they kept the +cattle]. And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds [marks of rough +usage] in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was +wounded in the house of my friends [by my parishioners]."--Zech. 13:2-6. + +18:12. The merchandise of gold.--Truths respecting the Divine nature. There +was a time when the nominal church had the custody of these truths, but +that privilege passed in 1878. + +And of silver.--Truths respecting the Great Company. + +And precious stones.--Truths respecting the Lord's jewels.--Mal. 3:17. + +And of pearls.--Truths respecting the things purchased by the Lord's +death.--Matt. 13:45, 46. + +And fine linen.--Truths respecting the righteousness of the Lord's +saints.--Rev. 19:8; Rom. 8:4; 2 Pet. 1:9. + +And purple.--Truths respecting the Church's expectation of coming +royalty.--Rev. 5:10; 20:4; Luke 12:32; 22:29, 30; James 2:5; Mark 10:23; 1 +Cor. 4:8; Rev. 3:21; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:26, 27; Psa. 2:8-12; 49:14; Rom. +8:19; 16:20. + +And silk.--Truths respecting the most beautiful of all the fabrics of the +loom--grand, beautiful characters made so by the wisdom and mercy of God +out of men and women that to start with were only poor worms of earth. + +And scarlet.--Truths respecting the Ransom-sacrifice of our Lord. (1 Tim. +2:6; Rom. 14:9; Rom. 5:18, 19; John 1:29; 1 John 2:2.) All these truths +have passed away from Babylon, but the errors must go, too. + +And all thyine wood.--Errors respecting man's inherent immortality. Thyine +wood is a sweet-smelling wood; wood is a symbol of human traditions. The +sweetest of all human theories is the declaration that when a man dies he +is not dead at all. (1 Cor. 3:12.) Very shortly men will begin to come +back from the dead, "the last first" (Matt. 19:30; 20:16); and stories +that they have been in some fabulous hell or in Heaven will be at a +considerable discount. + +And all manner vessels of ivory.--Stories of death-bed repentance and +dreams, used to decorate unscriptural doctrines. Ivory was and is used in +the harness of horses. It was also used to decorate beds. (Amos 6:4.) +Horses symbolize teachings, and beds symbolize creed-beds. The application +fits, whichever way the symbol is applied.--Jer. 23:28. + +And all manner vessels of most precious wood.--Errors that appeal to the +heart of the natural man.--1 Cor. 3:12. + +And of brass.--Copper; errors respecting the nature of man, created perfect +and to be re-created in the same likeness.--Gen. 1:31; Rev. 21:5. + +And Iron, [And marble].--Errors respecting the "iron rule" and when it is +to be exercised.--Dan. 2:40; Rev. 2:27. + +18:13. And cinnamon, and spice, and odours, and ointments.--Errors +respecting the nature and work of the Holy Spirit. These principal spices +represent things which go to make up the anointing which we receive to +become priests and kings with Christ. + +EXODUS 30:23 EXODUS 31:3 ISAIAH 11:2 +Holy Anointing Oil Bezaleel Christ +Olive oil, _an hin_ Filled with the Spirit of Lord + Spirit of God. resting upon Him. +Myrrh, 500 Wisdom Wisdom +Cinnamon, 250 Understanding Understanding +Calamus, 250 Knowledge Knowledge +Cassia, 500 Workmanship Counsel and might + +"In the above parallel we find knowledge parallel with calamus and +understanding with cinnamon, and of each a like quantity is prescribed. We +have the understanding of all the knowledge received of God."--Z. '07-349. + +And frankincense.--Errors respecting the kind of praise proper to offer. +Much of the hymn-book theology is bad. + +And wine.--Errors respecting our privilege of draining the Lord's cup of +sorrow now, that we may drink the cup of joy with Him hereafter.--Matt. +20:22; 26:27. + +And oil.--Errors with reference to the anointing of the Royal +Priesthood.--Psa. 133:1-3; 1 Pet. 2:5. + +And fine flour.--Errors as to why the true wheat are so repeatedly crushed, +broken and sifted--until "nothing of earth is seen." + +And wheat.--Errors as to who are the true wheat. A sister on her first +service of Truth literature at a church door was asked by the pastor, +"What are you doing around here?" Startled, the Sister replied, "I am +looking for the wheat." The pastor replied, with some anger, "Go away! +There is no wheat here." + +And beasts.--Cattle; errors as to the nature of sacrifices with which the +Lord is pleased.--Psa. 66:15. + +And sheep.--Errors as to how to care for the true sheep. + +And horses.--Errors as to the kind of doctrines to employ.--Rev. 9:17-19. + +And chariots.--Errors in multiplying organizations not authorized in the +Scriptures and not in harmony therewith. + +And slaves.--Errors respecting what it means to be a servant of the +Lord.--Luke 16:13; 2 Tim. 2:24; Matt. 10:24, 25; 23:11. + +And souls of men.--Errors respecting what is the soul.--Ezek. 18:4; Isa. +53:12. + +18:14. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after.--Love of ease, money and +praise of men. + +Are departed from thee.--Replaced by the conditions affecting the common +people. "Every valley [lowly and depressed one] shall be exalted, and +every mountain and hill [highly exalted one] shall be made low: and the +crooked [doctrines] shall be made straight, and the rough places [where +the iron heel of oppression has made a hard path for the weary multitudes +to follow] shall be made plain."--Isa. 40:4. + +And all things which were dainty and goodly.--Stained glass windows, soft +carpets and upholstery, church suppers, etc. + +[Are departed] PERISHED from thee, and [thou shalt] THEY SHALL find them +no more at all.--The future of the clergy is that in the Millennial Age +they will have to work for a living, like everybody else! Isn't it awful +to contemplate? It means an expense of 65c for an alarm clock in every +preacher's house in Christendom! + +18:15. The merchants of these things.--The salesmen of these goods, the +clergy.--Rev. 18:3, 11; Ezek. 27:36; Isa. 23:8; 47:15. + +Which were made rich by her.--Who have hitherto made a good living in the +profession of the ministry. + +Shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and +wailing.--Over their lost jobs. + +18:16. [And] saying, Alas, alas, that great city.--Babylon, mother and +daughters. + +That was clothed in fine linen.--Seemed to the worshipers of the beast and +his image very righteous. + +And purple.--Seemed to be already reigning on the earth. + +And scarlet.--Seemed to have been faithful to the blood shed on Calvary. + +And decked with gold.--Seemed to have been the repository of Truth Divine. + +And precious stones.--Seemed to have included in her membership all the +Lord's jewels. + +And pearls.--Seemed to be the sure heir of all that the Lord purchased by +His death. + +18:17. For in one hour so great riches is come to nought.--In one short +year, 1917-1918, the vast and complicated system of sectarianism reaches +its zenith of power, only to be suddenly dashed into oblivion.--Rev. 18:10. + +And every shipmaster.--Pilot (sky pilot), Greek.--Ezek. 27:27. + +And [all the company in ships] EVERY ONE WHO SAILETH BY THE PLACE.--All the +passengers.--Ezek. 27:29. + +And sailors.--Mission workers. + +And as many as trade by sea.--As many as work the sea, Greek. Salvation +Army, Volunteers of America, and others who work solely among the masses +not under religious restraint. + +Stood afar off.--Realized that the old doctrines and the schemes for +raising money would never work again. + +18:18. And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning.--Her confusion and +destruction by the Lord. + +Saying, What city is like unto this great city.--With its millions of +adherents, all professedly interested in mission work. + +18:19. And they cast dust on their [heads] HEAD.--Did a certain amount of +mud-slinging.--Ezek. 27:30; Lam. 2:10. + +And cried, weeping and wailing.--And gnashing their teeth, too, no doubt. + +Saying, Alas, [alas] that great city.--That wonderful religio-political +combination. + +Wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea.--All preachers who +were strong enough and clever enough to manage people's churches, +independent of the sects. Many such "independent" churches have large +memberships. + +By reason of her costliness.--By reason of the amount of money that can be +raised in and for such institutions. + +For in one hour is she made desolate.--"To them the fall of Babylon at +first is astounding, a perplexity, but will work no real injury, because +the reign of Babylon over the earth will be superseded by the reign of the +New Jerusalem--the Kingdom of God's dear Son."--Pastor Russell; Rev. 18:8; +3:14; 11:11. + +18:20. Rejoice over her, thou Heaven.--New powers of spiritual control, +Christ and His Bride, appointed to take her place.--Jer. 51:48; Phil. 3:20; +Rev. 11:19. + +And ye [holy] SAINTS AND Apostles.--You who have suffered at her +hands.--Matt. 23:34, 35; Rev. 13:15; 18:24. + +And Prophets.--The faithful teachers of the Christian church, and also the +Prophets of old, who foresaw Mystic Babylon's rise and fall, and knew that +it stood between them and the fulfilment of their hopes. "Daniel, who was +thinking specially of Israel, and of the fulfilment of God's promises to +the fathers, perceived that all that he had heard could not occur in 2300 +literal days, especially when Gabriel said to him, 'But shut thou up the +vision, for it will be fulfilled after many days.' And though he knew not +how long each symbolic day would be, he was made sick at heart by the +thought of so many evils as were coming upon God's people--though he saw +not the change of that name from fleshly to spiritual Israel. We read, +'And I, Daniel, languished and was sick for some days.' "--C. 105. + +For God hath avenged you on her.--This vengeance of God for the wrongs done +to His saints in all ages began in 1878 (Rev. 6:10, 11), and closes with +the full end of the Harvest. When the last member of the Great Company +class is delivered the system will utterly perish. + +18:21. And a mighty angel.--The common people. + +Took up a stone like a great millstone.--Temporarily lifted ecclesiasticism +to great heights. + +And.--Experiencing a sudden conviction of their error in so doing, and of +the truly devilish character of the system. + +Cast it into the sea.--Overwhelmed it in a flood of anarchy. When this +occurs there will be a "great hissing noise" (2 Pet. 3:10, Diaglott), +indicating that the millstone will be warm, wrathy, at the moment of +disappearance. The effect of throwing a hot stone into water is to +disintegrate it completely.--Jer. 51:61-64; Ex. 15:5; Neh. 9:11. + +Saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, +[And shall be found no more at all.]--"The masses of the people, no longer +ignorantly stupid as during the Dark Ages, will awaken to the true +situation, and will execute upon Babylon the Great--already repudiated by +the Lord--the judgment foretold. She shall be cast like a great millstone +into the sea, never to rise again. The sea represents the masses of the +people, especially a restless opposition class." (Z. '13-343.) "The fact +is the world has outgrown the redhot and peppery dishes that suited the +last generation, and it is quite beyond the power of a very few solemn +gentlemen to produce a reaction."--D. 110; Jer. 51:64. + +18:22. And there shall be no more found in her the voice of harpers, and +musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters.--Those able to make melody and +harmony out of the Scriptures.--Isa. 24:8; Ezek. 26:13. + +IT shall be heard no more at all in thee.--Even now Ecclesiasticism is +entirely unable to supply any explanation of either Ezekiel or Revelation, +or to understand the one that is supplied. + +And no craftsman, [of whatsoever craft he be,] shall be found any more in +thee; [And the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in +thee].--God is the great craftsman. "We are laborers together with God: ye +are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God +which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the +foundation and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how +he buildeth thereupon."--1 Cor. 3:9, 10. + +18:23. [And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee;] And +the voice of the Bridegroom and of the Bride.--Christ and His true +Church.--Jer. 7:34; 16:9; 25:10; 33:11. + +Shall be heard no more at all in thee.--Neither Christ nor His saintly ones +have had anything to say in the affairs of the nominal church since 1878; +nor have they wished to have. "The rejection of Babylon ('Christendom'), +in 1878, was the rejection of the mass of professors--the 'host,' as it is +termed by Daniel, to distinguish it from the Sanctuary or Temple +class."--C. 180. + +For thy merchants were the great men of the earth.--They said so, +themselves. They have attempted to direct everything from prize fights up. +Rev. Rainsford even tried to run a beer saloon, but was not able to make +it a coin-producer for the church and gave it up.--Isa. 23:8; 47:15; Rev. +18:3, 11, 15; Ezek. 27:21, 36. + +For by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.--"Consider, again, why +Babylon is so named. Evidently, because of her many errors of doctrine, +which, mixed with a few elements of Divine Truth, make great confusion, +and because of the mixed company brought together by the mixed truths and +errors. This sin of holding and teaching error at the sacrifice of truth +is one of which every sect of the church nominal is guilty, without +exception. Where is the sect in which you can obey the Master's words and +let your light shine? We know of none."--C. 181; Rev. 17:2; 2 Ki. 9:22. + +18:24. And in her was found the blood of Prophets.--They are accounted as +having slain the Prophets because they refuse to heed them, and to that +extent caused them to lay down their lives needlessly!--Rev. 16:6; 17:6. + +And of saints.--They are accounted as having slain the saints because they +have given no heed to their warnings, and to that extent caused them to +die in vain.--Jer. 51:49. + +And of all that were slain upon the earth.--The great European war, and +other wars, are justly laid at the door of the system that has perpetuated +the doctrines of Divine right of clergy and kings; and it is for this +reason that God has decreed her sins must be wiped out first with +symbolical blood (Rev. 14:20), and afterwards with literal blood in the +red sea of anarchy.--Ex. 14:21-28; Isa. 63:1-6. + + [Illustration] + + The Traveler Inquires The Way To Heaven + + + [Illustration] + + Whom Should We Believe--God Or The Clergy? + + + + +Revelation 19--The Overthrow Of Satan's Empire + + +19:1. [And] after these things.--After the saints are glorified and present +ecclesiastical systems are destroyed. + +I heard AS IT WERE a great voice of much people.--The Great Company.--Rev. +7:10. + +In heaven.--The only heavenly-minded ones remaining on earth. + +Saying, Alleluia; Salvation.--Deliverance from the Papacy and other sects +has come at last. + +[And glory, and honor,] and power [unto the Lord] OF our God.--It has been +accomplished not by human power, but by the Wisdom and Power of God.--Rev. +7:12. + +19:2. For true and righteous are Thy judgments.--"God is light, and in Him +is no darkness at all."--1 John 1:5; Rev. 15:3; 16:7. + +For He hath judged the great whore.--Has executed the judgments long +foretold. + +Which did corrupt the earth with her fornication.--Her illicit union with +worldly governments. + +And hath avenged the blood of [His] HER servants at her hand.--The millions +who have perished in the Great War have been the servants of Babylon. The +direct cause of their slaughter is the doctrine of the Divine right of the +clergy. These have maintained the kings of Europe on their thrones, +falsely telling them they are ruling as part of Christ's Kingdom. This +position has led to the death of all these millions, and their blood will +be required at Babylon's hand. + +19:3. And again they said, Alleluia.--The more they think it over, the +happier they will become. + +And her smoke.--The evidences of her destruction; the remembrance.--Isa. +34:10; Rev. 14:11; 18:9, 18. + +Rose up for ever and ever.--Will be recorded in secular history, even as it +is recorded in "the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."--1 +Pet. 1:23. + +19:4. And the [four and] twenty FOUR elders.--The prophecies.--Rev. 4:4, 10. + +And the four beasts.--Infinite Power, Justice, Wisdom and Love.--Rev. 4:7. + +Fell down and worshipped God that sat on the Throne, saying Amen; +Alleluia.--The God, the mighty One, here referred to is the Lord +Jesus.--Rev. 5:3. + +19:5. And [a voice] VOICES.--The Little Flock, beyond the veil. + +Came out of the Throne.--They will be _in_ the Throne at that time.--Rev. +3:21. + +Saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants.--Of the Great Company +class.--Rev. 7:15; Psa. 134:1-3. + +[And] ye that fear Him, [both] small and great.--Your deliverance was +wholly due to the Lord. We did what we could to help you, but it was as +nothing. To the Lord belongs all the glory for your deliverance and +ours.--Rev. 11:18. + +19:6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude.--"In the Age +to come, when God shall 'pour out His Spirit upon all flesh,' as during +the present Age He pours it upon His 'servants and handmaids,' then indeed +all will understand and appreciate the promises now being grasped by the +'little flock'; and they will rejoice in the obedience and exaltation of +the Church, saying, 'Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to God, +for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and His Wife hath made herself +ready.' They will rejoice in the glorification of the Church, through +which blessings will then be flowing to them; and while they will realize +that the 'exceeding great and precious promises' inherited by the Anointed +(Head and Body) are not for them, but have been fulfilled upon us, they +will be blessed by the lesson illustrated in the Church; and while they +run for the blessings then held out to them, they will profit by the +example of the Church and glorify God on her behalf. But this knowledge +will not bring covetousness; for under the new order of things their +calling to perfect human nature will fully satisfy them, and will seem +more desirable to them than a change of nature."--A. 86. + +And as the voice of many waters.--All mankind.--Rev. 17:15. + +And as the voice of mighty thunderings.--An overwhelming and complete +reaction in favor of the Truth. The "seven thunders" will then be +thundering as never before.--Rev. 10:4; 8:5. + +Saying, Alleluia: for [the Lord] God OUR LORD THE Omnipotent +reigneth.--"Shows Himself to be king by subduing His enemies." (Cook.) +Thoroughly convinced of the greatness of the Lord's power, as all men will +be by the end of the Time of Trouble, they will be glad to entrust all +their interests to His care. + +19:7. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him.--"Thy people shall +be willing in the day of Thy power."--Psa. 110:3. + +For the Marriage of the Lamb is come.--The marriage of men and women is +declared in the Scriptures to be a type of the marriage of Christ and His +Church. (Eph. 5:22-23.) It is a recognized principle that the antitype is +greater than the sum of all the types. The death of Christ was greater +than all the sacrifices throughout the Jewish Age. Now call to mind that +the wedding day is the happiest of every human being. Think of all the +happiness caused by all the weddings that have ever occurred, and know +that the sum total is as nothing compared to the joy that will pervade the +Universe when the festal day of eternity takes place, and Christ and His +Bride are made one. + +And His Wife.--"The Bride represents 'all who have believed up to the +commencement of the Millennium. These alone are the mystical Body of +Christ. But after they are completed, at the Second Advent the earth will +be peopled by the "nations of the saved" in flesh and blood,--a totally +different party from the then glorified Bride.' "--Cook. + +Hath made herself ready.--The witnessing to the world during the present +Age is quite secondary and incidental to the Church's more important work +of making herself ready.--F. 608; T. 115; Matt. 22:1-14; 25:1; 2 Cor. 11:2; +Eph. 5:27; Rev. 21:2, 9; John 3:29; Cant., all; Psa. 45:10-14; Matt. 9:15; +Mark 2:19; Lu. 12:36. + +19:8. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, +BRIGHT AND clean and white.--" 'She shall be brought unto the King in +raiment of needle work' (Psa. 45:14)--in the simple white robe of her +Lord's own furnishing, the robe of His righteousness, upon which she will +have wrought, with much carefulness, the beautiful adornments of the +Christian graces. And great will be the rejoicing in Heaven and in earth +at her abundant entrance into the King's palace.--2 Pet. 1:5-8, 11."--C. +193. + +For the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.--Here and there +throughout the Scriptures are keys which unlock its mysteries. (Rev. 3:18; +Psa. 132:9.) This is the key to several otherwise obscure passages. + +19:9. And he.--The faithful and wise Servant to whom the custody of all the +things in His Storehouse was especially promised by the Lord of the +Harvest.--Luke 12:42-44; Rev. 3:14; 1:1. + +Saith unto me, write.--To representatives of the John class, commissioned +to write something of encouragement to the Church after he himself had +ceased to write. + +Blessed are they which are called unto the [marriage] supper of the +Lamb.--The Marriage Supper (Lu. 14:15) will be like all the other feasts +the Church has had, not of physical food, but of truths Divine. That will +be the time when the Lord, the Head of the family, will explain to us +every part of every verse in all His Holy Word. We shall have perfect +memories then, in which to treasure every word He utters, and perfect +bodies, too, in which to perform to the full all God's holy will. We have +the will to do it now. We have tried to understand His Word, and tried to +help others to understand it; but the best we could do was far from +perfect. The Lord, in His love and mercy, has accepted our best endeavors +here as evidence of our worthiness for the perfect opportunities that +await us. "Ultimately the full number purposed by the great Householder +will have been called, accepted, and found worthy through Christ to have a +place at that table--to share in that great Feast. (Matt. 22:1-10.) At that +feast, we are assured, will be a secondary company, not worthy to be of +the Bride class. These may be figuratively styled the bridesmaids, the +Great Company class; for after the account of the gathering of the Bride +we have the Lord's message to these subsequently delivered from Babylon, +saying, 'Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the +Lamb.' You can imagine the honors and joys of that great banquet!"--Z. +'14-74. + +And he saith unto me, These MY TRUE SAYINGS, are the [true] sayings of +God.-- + + + "Ascend, beloved, to His joy; + Thy festal day has come; + To-night the Lamb doth feast His own, + To-night He with His Bride sits down, + To-night puts on the spousal crown, + In the great Upper Room." + + +19:10. And I fell at his feet to worship him.--"If there come to any of us +a thought of doing homage to the Lord's messengers or servants it would be +our duty to fully recognize that God alone, however much He may use human +instrumentalities in conveying His blessings, is to be honored and +reverenced and appreciated as the Author and Giver of every good and +perfect gift.--James 1:17."--Z. '07-105; Rev. 22:8. + +And he said unto me, See thou do it not.--But Satan said to the Lord, "All +these things will I give thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me." +(Matt. 4:9.) When Papacy did this, Satan was true to his promise. By +resorting to worldly forms, customs and entertainments all the daughters +have followed the example of the mother. + +I am thy fellowservant.--"St. John in his humility forgets his own share in +imparting the revelation; and the Angel in his humility brings this to +light (Acts 10:25, 26)."--Cook; Acts 14:14, 15; Rev. 22:9; Rom. 1:1; Phil. +1:1; Tit. 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:1. + +And of [thy] THE brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship +God.--"Whose servants we both are; of Whose prophetic Spirit we alike +partake in this our common ministry; and therefore one of us may not +worship the other."--Cook. + +For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.--"All Christians, in +every age, who can receive and understand prophecy, have this spirit." +(Cook; 1 Cor. 12:13.) However, "The design of prophecy is to bear +testimony to Jesus. This is its great and ultimate end. The word prophecy +here seems to be used in the large sense in which it is often employed in +the New Testament--meaning to make known the divine will, and the primary +reference here would seem to be to the preachers and teachers of the New +Testament. The sense is, that their grand business is to bear testimony to +the Saviour. They are all appointed for this, and therefore should regard +themselves as 'fellow-servants.' Thus understood, this passage has no +direct reference to the prophecies of the Old Testament, and teaches +nothing in regard to their design, though it is in fact undoubtedly true +that their grand and leading object was to bear testimony to the future +Messiah."--Barnes; Rev. 12:17. + +19:11. And I saw heaven opened.--The hidden things of God as recorded in +the Seventh Volume of _Studies In The Scriptures_.--Rev. 11:19. + +And behold a white horse.--Teachings which, however unpalatable to +Churchianity, are nevertheless the truth. + +And He that sat upon him was called Faithful.--"The faithful and true +Witness."--Rev. 3:14. + +And True.--"He that is holy, He that is true."--Rev. 3:7. + +And in righteousness He doth judge and make war.--"While the Lord forbids +His people to fight with carnal weapons, and while He declares Himself to +be a God of peace, a God of order and of love, He also declares Himself to +be a God of justice, and shows that sin shall not forever triumph in the +world, but that it shall be punished. 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, +saith the Lord.' (Rom. 12:19; Deut. 32:35.) And when He rises up to +judgment against the nations, taking vengeance upon all the wicked, He +declares Himself 'a man of war' and 'mighty in battle,' and having a +'great army' at His command.--Exod. 15:3; Psa. 24:8; 45:3; Isa. 11:4; Joel +2:11."--D. 549. + +19:12. His eyes were [as] a flame of fire.--The Lord's Wisdom sees that the +time has come for the destruction of present iniquitous systems.--Rev. +1:14. + +And on His head were many crowns.--The right to rule all the kingdoms of +the earth.--Ezek. 21:27. + +And He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.--This new name +is to be also the name of the Church, His Bride. Possibly it has not yet +been revealed.--Rev. 2:17; 3:12. + +19:13. And He was clothed with a vesture [dipped in] SPRINKLED WITH +blood.--A reference to His faithfulness even unto death, and a hint to His +Body what to expect shortly. + +And His name [is] HATH BEEN called the Word of God.--In this picture He is +represented as coming, not as the Messenger of the Covenant, but in +_apokalupsis_, revealment as earth's rightful King.--John 1:1; Rev. 1:2. + +19:14. And the armies which were in heaven.--All the armies of Rev. 7:5-8, +the Little Flock, whether on this side of the veil or on the other.--Rev. +17:14. + +Followed Him.--"The sheep follow Him: for they know His voice. And a +stranger will they not follow."--John 10:4, 5. + +Upon white horses.--Teachings clean and pure. + +Clothed in fine linen, white and clean.--"The righteousness of +saints."--Rev. 19:8. + +19:15. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword.--"Our examination, in a +preceding volume, of the great difference in character between the Kingdom +of God and the beastly kingdoms of earth, prepares us to see also a +difference in modes of warfare. The methods of conquest and breaking will +be widely different from any which have ever before overthrown nations. He +who now takes His great power to reign is shown in symbol as the One whose +sword went forth out of His mouth, 'that with it He should smite the +nations; and He shall rule them with a rod of iron.' That sword is the +Truth (Eph. 6:17)."--B. 100; Isa. 11:4; 49:2; 2 Thes. 2:8; Rev. 1:16; 2:12, +16; 19:21; Hos. 6:5; Heb. 4:12. + +That with it He should smite the nations.--" 'He shall smite the earth with +the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips [the force and +spirit of His Truth] shall He slay the wicked.' (Isa. 11:4; Psa. 98:1.) To +no human generalship can the honors of the coming victory for truth and +righteousness be ascribed. Wild will be the conflict of the angry nations, +and world-wide will be the battlefield and the distress of nations; and no +human Alexander, Caesar or Napoleon will be found to bring order out of the +dreadful confusion. But in the end it will be known that the grand victory +of justice and truth, and the punishment of iniquity with its just +deserts, was brought about by the power of the King of kings and Lord of +lords."--D. 19. + +And He shall rule them with a rod of iron.--"In this 'Day of Jehovah,' the +'Day of Trouble,' our Lord takes His great power (hitherto dormant) and +reigns, and this it is that will cause the trouble, though the world will +not so recognize it for some time. That the saints shall share in this +work of breaking to pieces present kingdoms, there can be no doubt. It is +written, 'This honor have all His saints--to execute the judgments written, +to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron'--of +strength. (Psa. 149:8, 9.) 'He that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto +the end, to him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them +with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they [the empires] be +broken to shivers.' "--Rev. 2:26, 27; Psa. 2:8, 9; B. 100. + +And He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of THE ANGER OF +Almighty God.--The Lord assumes an interest in and responsibility for the +complete series of _Studies In The Scriptures_, the last one of which +especially represents the winepress feature (Rev. 14:18-20), but it would +be unreasonable to expect that the Lord would miraculously use imperfect +tools to do an absolutely perfect work and each must use his judgment as +to the value of the interpretations in this book. Additionally, it should +be remarked that the language here is more intense than in Rev. 14, +indicating the extension of the winepress feature to other than +ecclesiastical matters. + +19:16. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written.--"The +thigh is introduced as the place where the sword (which is not mentioned +here, see ver. 15) is usually found, in accordance with Psa. 45:3: 'Gird +Thee with Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O Most Mighty.' "--Cook. + +King of kings and Lord of lords.--Before the controversy aroused by this +book is finished, every person in the world will be convinced that it +marks a distinct step by the Lord in His seizure of Satan's Empire.--1 Tim. +6:15; Rev. 17:14; Dan. 8:25. + +19:17. And I saw [an] ANOTHER angel.--The Elijah class after the +publication of Volume Seven, _Studies in the Scriptures_. See Rev. 8:3-5; +14:18. + +Standing in the sun.--Resplendent in the light of the Gospel.--Rev. 12:1; +Matt. 13:43. + +And he cried with a loud voice.--Fearlessly and plainly declaring the +Truth. + +Saying to all the fowls.--Birds, Greek.--Matt. 24:28. + +That fly in the midst of heaven.--First to the "eagles," the far-sighted +ones, the Little Flock, and then, by extension, to all who live, mentally, +on any plane above the grossly material. + +Come [and gather yourselves] BE GATHERED together unto the GREAT supper of +[the great] God.--We should look for applications appropriate to the +symbolical book we are studying, even though it develop later, as it will, +that these passages will have a literal and terrible fulfilment in a +deluge of actual bloodshed, of which the European War is but a +preliminary. + +19:18. That ye may eat the flesh of kings.--Five of these kings or rulers +are enumerated in Rev. 6:4. Doubtless the reader has eaten them, in the +symbolical sense. They are there to be eaten. + +And the flesh of captains.--Lesser commanders, enumerated in Rev. 8:7-12. +No doubt the reader has eaten these also. + +And the flesh of mighty men.--Warriors. These warriors are referred to in +Rev. 9:7, 9, although there mentioned under the name of locusts. If the +reader has not eaten (appropriated, absorbed, digested) the account, the +task should be undertaken at once, or something will be missed. + +That the Lord made no mistake in selecting the Locust as a symbol of the +Methodist system of blindly following leaders is clear from the following +extract from the works of a traveller: "While sojourning in Syria I was +told that the whole country round Mt. Lebanon was dismayed one year by the +news that a vast army of marching locusts was coming from the eastern +desert. The governor of the district ordered a regiment of soldiers to aid +the people to construct a great rampart of heath bushes to be set on fire +as the locusts came up to it, hoping thus to save the gardens of Beyrout. +These locusts always hopped straight ahead, deviating neither to the right +nor left, and on coming to a house went up its stone walls, over it and +down it, as if it were a level place, and in such inconceivable numbers +that an American resident described the noise of the great host passing +over the roof as like to that of a tremendous hailstorm. At every green +leaf on the way each took a bite, and then went on for the next one to +take his bite, until in an incredibly short time not a green thing could +be seen. When they reached the prepared heaps of heath, and these were set +on fire, the locusts marched on without pausing, until in a brief time +they put the bonfires completely out. As the sea was not far off everybody +hoped that they would take to surf bathing. And so they did. Just as +certain injurious political crowds among us can always be always depended +upon to march up to the polls and vote the straight ticket, when the +vanguard reached the waves, like all good true locusts, in they hopped, +followed by all the rest, till the billows seemed to roll only +grasshoppers; nor did the scene end until the last of the rear guard had +skipped over the heaps of his dead comrades to make his last jump into the +blue waters of the Mediterranean."--Jer. 51:64. + +And the flesh of horses.--Did you not see the horses in Rev. 9:17, 18, and +did you not eat them, fire, jacinth, brimstone and all? + +And of them that sit on them.--Did we not find two hundred millions of +these horsemen, and did you not eat them?--See Rev. 9:16. + +And the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.--And +did we not find all the rest of the men included in Rev. 9:20, 21, and did +we not eat them in the same manner? We did, indeed. We ate or appropriated +the truth concerning them. It is our eating of these truths that lead to +the events next narrated. + +19:19. And I saw the beast.--The Papacy restored to power. Weymouth's New +Testament in Modern Speech translates this verse as follows, and adds a +footnote that the "once for all," though not expressed in the Greek, is +implied in the aorist tense of the verb: "And I saw the Wild Beast, and +the kings of the earth, and their armies, all assembled to make war, once +for all, against the Rider upon the horse and against His army." + +And the kings of the earth.--Called to the war by demons. (Rev. 16:13-16.) +"The kings of the earth set themselves [in opposition], and the rulers +[not knowing that they are fighting against the establishment of the +Lord's Kingdom], take counsel together against the Lord and against His +Anointed, [but] He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall +have them in derision."--Psa. 2:2, 4; D. 52. + +And their armies.--Their following, Civil, Social, Ecclesiastical and +Financial. + +Gathered together to make war.--"The war," Greek. + +Against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army.--Although composed +of the twelve symbolical tribes (Rev. 19:14; 7:4-8) they are, after all, +but one army, all "One in Christ Jesus." "Let it be seen that the best and +the worst of earth's nations are but 'kingdoms of this world,' whose lease +of power from God is now expired, that they may give place to their +ordained successor, the Kingdom of Messiah, the Fifth Universal Empire of +earth (Dan. 2:44; 7:14, 17, 27)--and it will do much to establish truth and +to overthrow error. But as it is, the actions of Papacy in this regard, +sanctioned by the Protestant Reformers, go unquestioned among Christian +people. And since they should uphold the Kingdom of Christ, they feel +themselves called to the aid of the present falling kingdoms of so-called +Christendom--to the side of the kingdoms of this world, and the prince of +this world, rather than to the side of the coming true Kingdom of +Christ."--A. 270; Rev. 16:16; 17:13, 14. + +19:20. And the beast was taken.--The Papacy was caught. (Jer. 50:43-46.) No +doubt the publication of this book has come at a time unfavorable to the +schemes of Papacy and will interfere greatly with its efforts at re- +establishment--Rev. 17:14. + +And with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him.--The Image +of the Beast.--Rev. 13:11, 13, 14 15; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2, 13; 19:20; +20:10; Matt. 24:24. + +With which he deceived them that had received the mark of the +beast.--Catholics. + +And them that worshipped his image.--Protestants. + +These both.--Both of these _systems_, not the people. + +Were cast alive.--While they are still organized and operative.--H. 59. + +Into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.--Into the complete and +everlasting destruction, of the anarchy (symbolized by fire) of the Time +of Trouble. This utter destruction of these systems is the beginning of +the annihilation of everything out of harmony with God's righteous +arrangements. It was typified by the valley of Gehenna, just outside of +Jerusalem. By the aid of brimstone the bodies of specially detestable +criminals were there burned with the other refuse of Jerusalem. Standing +upon the edge of this valley at night it had the appearance of a lake +burning with fire and brimstone. Burning brimstone is the most deadly +agent known, and symbolizes utter destructiveness.--Dan. 7:11. + +19:21. And the remnant.--The _people_ who are left after their _systems_ +are destroyed. + +Were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse.--Will, in due +time, come into loving and cheerful submission to the truth.--Rev. 19:15; 2 +Cor. 10:4. + +Which sword proceeded out of His mouth.--All should be able to see that it +is not a literal sword that is here referred to. + +And all the fowls were filled with their flesh.--See Rev. 19:18. + + + + +Revelation 20--The Thousand Years' Reign + + +20:1. And I saw an Angel come down [from Heaven].--The Messenger of the +Covenant at His Second Advent.--Mal. 3:1. + +Having the key of the [bottomless pit] ABYSS.--Only Infinite Wisdom could +provide the key to the solution of present difficulties in the earth. Here +is a system of superstition and crime two thousand years old, and the +praise and service of it ingrained into nearly every human being. All +literature is poisoned with it. Public opinion is for it. The educated, +the refined, the wealthy, the powerful are all for it and all against any +change that would give the lower strata of society a fair chance. To +overcome conditions like this is a task for Divinity itself. + +And a great chain in His hand.--The TRUTH, as contained in the Seven +Volumes of _Scripture Studies_. This chain of Truth has been forged, link +by link, over a period of forty years. Each volume has made it more +certain that old systems can never hope to stand against it. + +20:2. And He laid hold on the dragon.--The iniquitous system of civil +government which has associated with it the principle of holding the +masses in subjection by preying upon their fears beyond this life. The +subject of special condemnation in this regard, the masterpiece of Satan, +is the old Roman Empire, still living in the Papacy and the Church-State +governments of Europe. This system is about contemporaneous with the +(seven) Times of the Gentiles (2520 years ending in Oct., 1914), which +began in the Fall of 607 B. C., or, as we would say, at the beginning of +606, Jewish Time. Rome was already well started on its upward path at that +time. "Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, fifth legendary king of Rome, 616-578 B. +C., appointed guardian to the sons of Ancus Marcius, he succeeded in +supplanting them on the throne on their father's death. He laid out the +Circus Maximus, instituted the great games, built the great sewers, and +began the construction of the temple of Jupiter on the Capitol. He removed +from Tarquinii in Etruria to Rome by the advice of his wife, the +prophetess Tanaquil. Tanaquil was famous for her shrewdness and prophetic +gifts, which enabled her to foretell the future greatness of her husband." +(Brit.) + +That old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan.--"While the name Old +Serpent includes Satan, 'the prince of devils,' it is here evidently used +as a synonym for all the sinful agencies and powers which had their rise +in him." (S. 32.) "Our Lord's declaration that Satan is the great +Adversary, not only of God, but of humanity, is by no means a fancy +sketch, but the plain truth. Satan alone is the wilful, intelligent +plotter and schemer who uses a superhuman intelligence and, so far as +permitted, superhuman powers, in opposing righteousness and truth and +those who are of the Truth. The inspired record asserts, persistently and +consistently, that Satan began the rebellion against the divine law, and +seduced our first parents into disobedience, through his own ambition for +power; and that since man's fall this same Adversary has been the +implacable opponent of God, of righteousness and of truth; and not only +the ensnarer of mankind, but the opposer of the great Plan of Atonement +which God devised and is prosecuting through Christ. From the Scriptural +account it does not appear that Satan had any sympathizers or associate +conspirators amongst the angels at the time of his secession and attempt +to establish a lordship or dominion of his own in the earth."--F. 611. + +And bound him.--" 'The god of this world has blinded the minds of them +which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is +the image of God, should shine unto them.' (2 Cor. 4:4.) God wills that +all should be so saved from all the train of evils following Adam's sin +and curse, that they may come to a knowledge of the Truth. Why does He +will this? To the intent that having a clear knowledge of the Truth they +may make the very best possible use of the new trial for life secured for +them by their Redeemer's Ransom-sacrifice. It is for the carrying out of +this, God's will, that the Redeemer will inaugurate His Millennial +Kingdom, which will first bind Satan (restrain all outside evil +influences) and then release man from his blindness;--as it is written, +'the eyes of the blind shall be opened.' (Isa. 35:5.) For the same reason, +_viz._, that the new trial shall be most favorable for man, it is the +Divine arrangement that its work shall be done gradually and require a +thousand years." (E. _480_, 470.) "The Millennial Day is dawning, with its +change of earth's rulership from the control of the 'prince of this world' +and his faithful, to the control of Him 'whose right it is' (by purchase) +and His faithful saints. We have seen that though the result of this +change will be a great blessing; yet the time of the transfer, while the +present prince, the 'strong man,' is being bound and his household driven +out of power (Matt. 12:29), will be a time of intense trouble." (C. 341.) +"In reference to it Jesus said, 'No man can enter into a strong man's +house and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man, and +then he will spoil his house.' (Mark 3:22-27; Luke 11:22.) This effective +binding of Satan is accordingly shown to be the first work of the New +Dispensation." (A. 68.) "The Adversary's every deceptive and misleading +influence will be restrained--so that evil shall no longer appear to men to +be good, nor good appear undesirable, evil. Truth shall no longer appear +to men untrue, nor falsehoods be caused to appear true." (D. 519.) "The +words of inspiration give us to understand that Satan's struggles to +retain control of mankind will be especially desperate at its close."--S. +78. + +A thousand years.--The Millennial Day, the Day of the Lord's rest, +following the six thousand years of evil which ended in 1874. "One Day is +with the Lord as a thousand years." (2 Pet. 3:8; Psa. 90:4.) "It was the +claim of the Papacy that the thousand years of Christ's Reign, the +Millennium, promised in Scripture to follow Christ's Second Advent, began +in the year 800 A. D., under Pope Leo III., who claimed to be the +representative of Christ, His vice-gerent, to begin Christ's Reign in His +stead. In that year the 'Papal states' were ceded to the Church by Emperor +Charlemagne. Their 'Millennium' ended, it was claimed, in the year 1799, +when Napoleon confiscated the territories granted to the Church and took +the Pope, Pius VI., a captive to France, where he died. The succeeding +freedom from Papal persecution, and the widespread circulation of the +Bible in the languages of the people, was declared by the Papal leaders to +be the 'little season' (Rev. 20:3) to follow the thousand-year Reign of +Christ on earth; and they are hoping that soon they will regain their +former power and prestige and once more reign supreme, and that their rule +will be permanent. This Papal Millennium is known in history as the 'Dark +Ages.' During those dark centuries millions were tortured, exiled and +murdered for refusing to bow to the mandates of the apostate Church, under +the leadership of Popes, Bishops and priests. Agents and spies were +employed to apprehend and bring to punishment any who were found to +express sentiments contrary to the Papal hierarchy, or who failed to bow +in abject submission to their authority. Thus were the nations of Europe +paganized, and steeped in error and superstition and in reverence for men +who falsely claimed to be the special and authorized representatives of +God on earth. They presumed to have authority to alter the Laws of God +when it seemed advisable to them to do so, and thought to change the time +for the Reign of Christ as we have shown." (Dan. 7:25; Z. '16-181; B. +354.) " 'Those who lived next to the Apostles, and the whole Church for +300 years, understood them [the "Thousand Years"] in the plain literal +sense.' According to Jewish theology, as collected from the Talmud, +Messiah is to gather in from the Dispersion all the scattered descendants +of the Tribes, to discomfit their foreign oppressors, and from Jerusalem +as a centre to rule over the whole earth which is to be a scene of +temporal enjoyment and prosperity. Thus R. Salomon writes: 'It is fixed +that the world shall stand for 6000 years, according to the number of the +days of the week; but on the _seventh_ Day is the Sabbath, and during the +_seventh_ Millennium the world has rest.' "--Cook. + +20:3. And cast him into the [bottomless pit] ABYSS.--Oblivion. In this +instance it signifies Satan's enforced idleness, which will surely be +oblivion for him after the busy time he has had during the past six +thousand years. How small he will feel when he sees the Lord Jesus undo in +one thousand years all that he accomplished in six thousand! + +And shut him up, and set a seal upon him.--The Spirit of Truth in the +hearts of men; the desire to win the favor of earth's new King, will +deprive Satan of all his subjects. All his evil companions, human and +angelic, will be destroyed in the Time of Trouble. Alone, idle and +humiliated constantly for a thousand years, is a punishment he richly +deserves. + +That he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should +be fulfilled.--"Some have become so deluded by the sophistries of Satan, by +which he has deceived all nations, that they do not believe that there is +a God; others believe in Him as a great and powerful adversary, without +love or sympathy, ready and anxious to torment them to all eternity; +others are confused by the Babel of conflicting reports that have reached +them, concerning the Divine character, and know not what to believe; and, +seeking to draw near unto God, are hindered by their fears and by their +ignorance." (E. _19_, 18.) "The trial, or judgment, of the overcomers of +the Christian Dispensation and of the Dispensation that preceded it, has +been much more severe than the trial of the world will be in its judgment +day; for these have had to withstand Satan, the prince of this world, with +all his wiles and ensnarements, while in the world's judgment day Christ +will be reigning, and Satan will be bound, that he may not deceive the +nations. These have suffered persecution for righteousness' sake, while +then men will be rewarded for righteousness, and punished only for +unrighteousness. These have had great stumbling blocks and snares in the +way, which will be removed when the world is placed on trial. But though +the trial of these two special companies has been much more severe than +the trial of the world will be, the rewards are correspondingly +greater."--A. 146. + +[And] after that he must be loosed a little season.--To see who are in +heart harmony with the Lord's will, and who are governed by other motives. +As evil will be bound by the prompt infliction of punishment upon the +would-be evil-doer, so we may presume it will be loosed by allowing evil +deeds to go temporarily unpunished.--Rev. 20:8. + +20:4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them.--The thrones of present +earthly kingdoms.--Z. '82-3-6. + +And judgment was given unto them.--Judicial sentence was passed upon them +as unfit to longer continue. (Z. '82-3-6.) This word is rendered +condemnation in Luke 23:40; Jas. 3:1; Jude 4. + +And I saw the souls.--Persons, beings.--Z. '82-3-6. + +Of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus.--"All constituting the +Kingdom class are here referred to as beheaded. The Apostle gives us the +key, saying. 'The Head of every man is Christ; the head of the woman is +the man; and the Head of Christ is God.' (1 Cor. 11:3.) As a woman who +becomes a wife accepts her husband as the head of the family (loses her +name, her individuality, to become his bride), so the Church accepts +Christ as her Head, and each member of the Church thus comes into +relationship with the Lord as a member of His Body. It is required of +every one who would be counted in as a member of the true Church, that he +should be not only beheaded (lose his self-will), but that he shall be +united to the true Head of the Church and recognize himself as a member of +the true Body of Christ--'the Church of the living God, whose names are +written in Heaven.' "--Z. '01-227; Rev. 1:9; 19:10. + +And for the word of God.--On account of the Word of God and by means of it. +We are "Begotten by the Word of Truth," and to live in fullest harmony +with its every precept, at any cost to the flesh, is the distinguishing +peculiarity of the overcoming Church of God. "Only now are Bible students +beginning to emerge from under the great cloud of false doctrine which for +fifteen hundred years has misrepresented God and the Bible, putting +darkness for light. Only now can Bible study be prosecuted in its true +spirit, without the fear of man, which brings a snare. Only now is there +general education, which permits of Bible study in this true sense. Only +now have we the convenient Bible, cheap and in every home. Only now have +we more leisure and opportunity for Bible study. Only now have we good +light by which to study."--Z. '13-366. + +[And which] IF ANY THEREFORE had not worshipped the beast, neither his +image.--See Rev. 13:13-18. + +Neither had received his mark upon their [foreheads, or in their hands] +FOREHEAD AND ON THEIR HAND.--In years to come millions will be surprised to +know that they had these marks of assent and service to Satan's empire. +"The gospel of Satan is not a system of revolutionary principles, nor yet +a programme of anarchy. It does not inspire wars and strife, but peace and +security. It does not set the mother against her daughter and the father +against his son, but promotes the fraternal spirit whereby the race is +regarded as one great Brotherhood. It does not seek to drag down and +degrade the natural man, but to improve and uplift him. To use a popular +phrase, it appeals to 'the best, all that is good within us.' It aims to +make this world such a comfortable and congenial habitat that the absence +of Christ will not be felt and God will not be needed. It endeavors to +make men so satisfied with this life that they shall be totally +indifferent to the life hereafter. It propagates the principles of self- +sacrifice, mercy, charity and benevolence, teaching men to live for the +good of others and to be kind to all. For those who observe its conditions +and obey its commands, it promises the development of certain inherent +occult powers, the solution of the more recondite problems of man's +constitution and the accumulation of esoteric knowledge which is withheld +from the multitude. In short, it declares that all who will eat of the +forbidden fruit shall 'be as gods.' The gospel of Satan is one of works. +The Devil's Delusion is that we can be saved by our own works, and +justified by our own deeds. Whereas God tells us, 'By grace are ye saved +through faith, ... not of works, lest any man should boast.' And again, +'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His +mercy He saved us.'--Eph. 2:8, 9; Tit. 3:5."--Z. '16-42. + +[And] they BOTH lived and reigned with Christ.--See Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12; +Rev. 5:10. + +A thousand years.--"The loss of this hope by our forefathers led on to all +the grievous errors from which we are now seeking to escape. Do we not +still pray, 'Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is done in +Heaven?' The Messiah's coming Kingdom is the key to the world's blessing +by Restitution back to human perfection in a world-wide Eden."--Pastor +Russell. Observe how many times this period is mentioned in Rev. 20:2-7. + +20:5. [But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years +were finished.]--"These words are not found in the oldest and most reliable +Greek MSS., the Sinaitic, Vatican Nos. 1209 and 1160, nor the Syriac MS. +However, the repudiation of this clause is not essential to the 'Plan' as +herein set forth; for the rest of the dead--the world at large--will not +live again in the full sense, in the perfect sense that Adam lived before +he sinned and came under the sentence 'dying thou shalt die.' Perfect life +without weakness or dying is the only sense in which God recognizes the +word life. From His standpoint all the world has already lost life, is +dying, and might now be more properly described as dead than as alive."--2 +Cor. 5:14; Matt. 8:22. + +"The word resurrection (Greek, _anastasis_) signifies _raising up_. As +related to man, it signifies raising up man to that condition from which +he fell, to full perfection of manhood--the thing lost through Adam. The +process of resurrection will be a gradual one, requiring the entire Age +for its full accomplishment; though the mere awakening to a measure of +life and consciousness, as at present enjoyed, will of course be a +momentary work. And since anything short of perfect life is a condition of +partial death, it follows that, although the above words are no part of +the inspired record, it would be strictly true to say that the rest of the +dead will not live again (will not regain the fulness of life lost) until +the thousand years of restitution and blessing are complete."--A. 288. + +This is the First Resurrection.--"It is impossible for the tongue to +describe this great honor and dignity."--1 Cor. 2:9; Pastor Russell. + +20:6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the First +Resurrection.--" 'We shall be like Him [the glorified "changed" Jesus], for +we shall see Him _as He is_.' He is a Spirit Being, 'the _express image of +the Father's person_,' 'far above angels, principalities and powers, and +every name that is named,' and hence, far above perfect manhood. If we +shall be like Him and share His glory and His nature, it means that we too +shall be images of the Father's person, 'whom no _man_ hath seen nor can +see, dwelling in light which no _man_ can approach unto;' but to whom we +can approach and whom we can see as He is, because we have been 'changed.' +(1 John 3:2; 1 Tim. 6:16, 1:17; Exod. 33:20.) Lest any should +misunderstand him, the Apostle guards the above language by adding, 'As +_we_ [the Church] have borne the image of the earthly [one], _we_ shall +also bear the image of the Heavenly [One].' It is not the Apostle's +thought that all shall bear the image of the Heavenly One, in this sense, +ever. Such was not the design of our Creator. When He made man He designed +to have a _fleshly_, _human earthly_ being, in His own likeness [mentally, +morally], to be the lord and ruler of the earth, as the representative of +His Heavenly Creator." (Gen. 1:26-28; Psa. 8:4-7; F. 722.) "If we know how +to reproduce the human voice, it gives us a little illustration of how +God, with His unlimited Power, can preserve everything recorded by the +convolutions of our brain, and of how these could be preserved in the +future absolutely--everything by which we could know ourselves in the +future."--Z. '14-315. + +On such the Second Death hath no power.--Aside from the Father and the Son, +these are the only ones in the Universe that will forever be beyond the +possibility of death.--Rev. 2:11; Rom. 2:7; 1 Tim. 6:16. + +But they shall be priests.--"The antitypical consecrating of the +antitypical priests is confined to the present Gospel Age. It has +progressed steadily since our Lord and Forerunner 'offered up Himself'--and +will be complete before this Age has fully ended. And if we fail to be +among the priests now, during the time of consecration, we cannot be of +them when they begin their service for the people in the Kingdom, when +these same priests (now despised of men, but a 'sweet savor to God') will +have the title of King added, and will, with their Head, Jesus, rule and +bless all nations."--T. 47; 1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10. + +Of God and of Christ.--"No mention is made here of being priests of the +Holy Ghost as it would undoubtedly have been mentioned if it had been the +third person of the 'trinity.' " + +And shall reign with Him a thousand years.--"The 'kingdoms of this world,' +even while being crushed by the Kingdom of God, will be quite ignorant of +the real cause of their downfall,--until, in the close of this 'day of +wrath,' the eyes of their understanding shall open, so that they will see +that a New Dispensation has dawned, and learn that Immanuel has taken to +Himself His great power, and has begun His glorious and righteous +Reign."--C. 129; Rev. 20:4. + +And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his +prison.--"It will be for only a little season; for, his heart remaining +unchanged, he will soon see a new avenue to the success of his long- +cherished ambition. He will see not merely a perfect human pair with power +to produce a mighty race destined to live forever, but a race restored to +life and vigor. His thought will be, 'If I can win this mighty race to my +standard, my triumph and exaltation will be speedily accomplished.' Again, +therefore, he will figure as a leader, though, as now, unrecognized by +men. Doubtless the temptation will again rest upon his old doctrine--that +they shall not surely die, even if they do disregard the will of God."--Z. +'94-251. + +20:8. And shall go out to deceive all the nations.--"At the close of the +Millennial Age there will be a 'harvest' time, for sifting and separating +amongst the billions of human beings then living, each of whom will have +enjoyed a full opportunity of attaining perfection. The Harvest of the +Millennial Age will witness the complete separation of the 'goats' from +the 'sheep.' " (D. 644.) "While the blessing of the Lord will provide an +abundance for all, nevertheless we may safely assume that the provision +will be in the hands of their fellows. It will be the 'sheep' that will be +especially interested in, praying for and preparing for, those who are in +the great prison-house of death. And by so engaging their time and energy +these 'sheep' will be manifesting a purpose, a will, in harmony with that +of the Creator. (John 5:28, 29.) Any one not interested in that work will +be lacking in God's Spirit; and this is what is charged against the goat- +class."--Z. '14-268. + +[Which are] in the four [quarters of the earth] CORNERS, Gog.--Proud (Gog +means high), Natural Israelites. (1 Chr. 5:3, 4.) " 'Ye [proud and +unfaithful Jews] shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the +Prophets in the Kingdom of God [the earthly phase], and ye yourselves +thrust out,' (Luke 13:28)."--Z. '07-302. + +And Magog.--Those who, during the Gospel Age, were nominal Spiritual +Israelites, but at heart were never anything but "tares" and always remain +such. Magog was the descendant of Japheth. (Gen. 10:2.) Europe was peopled +by his descendants, and it was to them that the Gospel call of the Age now +ending was by Divine appointment sent. (Acts 16:6, 9.) The Gospel was sent +into Europe that it might be demonstrated that God could call and make +into Christlike characters representatives of even the most cruel, +bloodthirsty, quarrelsome, rapacious people on earth. Such they are. Japan +is proof that contact with Europeans will in a generation transform a +contented, peace-loving people into a people of unbounded ambition, imbued +with the spirit of the very Devil.--Ezek. 38:2; 39:1. + +AND to gather them together to battle.--"When at the close of the +Millennial Age all the obedient of mankind shall have attained all that +was lost in Adam and redeemed by Christ--then all, armed with complete +knowledge and experience, and hence fully able to stand the test, will be +tested severely (as was Adam), but individually, and only those found in +fullest heart-sympathy, as well as in outward harmony, with God and His +righteous arrangements, will be permitted to go beyond the Millennium into +the everlasting future or 'world [age] without end.' All others will be +destroyed in the Second Death." (E. _418_, 402.) "We read, regarding that +testing, that Satan will endeavor to lead astray all mankind, whose +numbers will then be as the sand of the sea for multitude; but that many +of them will choose evil and disobedience, with past experience before +them, and unhampered by present weaknesses and blinding influences, we do +not suppose."--H. 62. + +20:9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth.--"Building upon a +supposed weakness in the Divine character, these may be led to try to take +advantage of the grace (favor) of God, and to use it as a license for +wilful sin."--H. 62. + +And compassed the camp of the saints about.--"Just as in Great Britain, the +people have gone to Parliament to protest, so the rebellious faction of +mankind will protest against their faithful princes. The separation of the +Ancient Worthies from the rest of the world seems to imply that God has +some special purpose in respect to them. The term camp itself implies that +theirs is only a temporary condition or arrangement, and that God has some +better thing in store for them." (Z. '13-53.) "The noble work of elevating +the race by sure and steady steps (under the direction of the unseen +spiritual members of the Kingdom) is the high honor to which the Ancient +Worthies are appointed, and for which they will come forth prepared soon +after the final wreck of the kingdoms of this world." (A. 291.) "Israel as +a nation will be the first among the nations to come into harmony with the +new order of things; the earthly Jerusalem will be rebuilt upon her old +heaps; and their polity will be restored as in the beginning under princes +or judges. (Isa. 1:26; Psa. 45:16; Jer. 30:18.)" (A. 294.) "Abraham, Isaac +and Jacob and all the Prophets" and Ancient Worthies referred to by our +Lord and by the Apostles (Matt. 8:11; Heb. 11:4-40), having passed their +trial, will be awakened from death perfect. + +"Just as Adam, while perfect, before transgression, could commune direct +with the Heavenly powers, so will these Worthies commune, when restored to +the same state of perfection." (D. 619.) "The veil which Moses wore before +the people, but laid off when with the Lord in the Mount would seem to +typify the earthly phase of his Kingdom, the 'princes in all the earth,' " +(D. 630.) "The friendship of David and Jonathan seems to be suggestive of +that beautiful accord which shall exist between the glorified Church and +the earthly princes who shall be next to them in the Kingdom of God. Each +will be delighted to fill his honored place in the wonderful Plan of God, +and will love the other as his own soul." (Z. '95-291.) "As we consider +the heavens, the work of God's hands, and the innumerable worlds therein +under preparation for inhabitants, we may reasonably suppose that these +Ancient Worthies, who were faithful during the reign of evil, even unto +death, will have some further honorable service, not only during the +Millennial Age, but subsequently. For various reasons, therefore, we rank +them higher in honor than the Great Company." (Z. '04-313.) "These Ancient +Worthies will be unlike the remainder of mankind, not alone in the fact +that their trial is past while the trial of the world in general will just +be beginning; but they will be unlike them also in the fact that they will +have attained the reward of their faithfulness--they will be perfect men. +When Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the Ancient Worthies have been +resurrected, and shall appear amongst the regathered Israelites, their +perfect minds will quickly grasp present-day knowledge and inventions. +(John 7:15.) And as Jesus taught the people positively, definitely, +clearly, and not doubtfully and in a confused way, as did the scribes, so +it will be with the perfected Ancient Worthies, when they appear amongst +men."--D. 625. + +"Isa. 11:10 points us to the Millennial Day, and another root of Jesse, as +connected with the blessing of the Gentiles. This latter seed seems to be +referred to also in Heb. 11:39, 40. The Ancient Worthies shall not only be +the princes, the representatives of the spiritual, invisible Kingdom, but +also grand ensigns or standards set up before mankind, as illustrations of +what all mankind may attain unto." (Z. '98-312.) "The painful experiences +of the Ancient Worthies during the Jewish age will be a store of +blessings, instruction and help, by which they, when made subordinate +'princes' in the Kingdom, will assist in the restitution work." (T. 111.) +"While the Worthies are not in any sense part of the Sin-Offering, they +are nevertheless connected with the cleansing from sin: their ashes (the +knowledge and remembrance of their faithfulness unto death), mingled with +the water of Truth, and applied with the purgative, cleansing hyssop, is +valuable, purifying, sanctifying." (T. 108.) "The service which the +Ancient Worthies will be given will be more than God would ordinarily +entrust to a perfect human being. It will be a part of this service to +deal with the imperfect, fallen creatures and to help them up out of sin +and imperfection. While in one sense of the word this work is desirable, +yet it is not what a perfect human being would prefer. These Ancient +Worthies will come forth from the tomb perfect; but during the entire +Millennium they will be amidst imperfect surroundings. + +"A part of the evidence that the Ancient Worthies will be made sharers of +the spirit nature and become members of the Great Company class is built +upon the fact that they seem to be represented typically by the tribe of +Levi. The fact that this tribe had no inheritance in the land seems to +imply that the Ancient Worthies will have no earthly inheritance. Since +the Heavenly Father has been pleased to arrange for the Great Company a +place on the spirit plane, and since He is operating according to some +general principles of righteousness, we are inclined to think that He may +have something more for the Ancient Worthies than will come to the +remainder of mankind. When Abraham was called upon to offer up his son +Isaac, he exhibited a degree of loyalty greater than the Great Company +will be called upon to manifest. Furthermore, in Gen. 17:8, God said unto +Abraham, 'And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee, the land +wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting +possession; and I will be their God.' Two thousand years later, St. +Stephen said that God never gave Abraham so much as a foot of the promised +land (Acts 7:6); but he implied that Abraham will yet receive that land +and afterward leave it to his posterity. If the land is to be given to +Abraham and his coadjutors, and then to be left to his seed and mankind in +general, the thought would seem to be implied that the Ancient Worthies +will pass to the spirit nature."--Z. '13-52. + +" 'O Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength! [After the Church, the +Bride, has been glorified with the Lord, the faithful ones of the fleshly +seed of Abraham will begin to come into prominence before the world by +reason of the leaders whom God will then raise up for them.] Lift it up, +be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah [all who shall then be in +covenant relationship with God], Behold! Your God is here!' [Thus the +message now given by 'the feet' of Christ--that the Millennial Kingdom is +already beginning its rule (Isa. 52:7)--will be taken up by the earthly +class when the 'feet of Him' have passed beyond the veil.]--Isa. 40:9."--Z. +'92-78. + +And the beloved city.--"The 'beloved city' is the New Jerusalem, the Church +in glory, not the Church in the flesh. The rebellion incited by Satan will +be not only against the earthly princes, but also against The Christ."--Z. +'13-53. + +And fire came down from God out of Heaven, and devoured them.--They will be +instantaneously and mercifully electrocuted, not tormented. + +20:10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire and +Brimstone.--"He is to be destroyed, together with all his angels--his +messengers, all who follow his leading and his course.--Matt. 25:41; Heb. +2:14."--F. 619. + +Where the beast and WHERE the false prophet are.--Papacy and the Protestant +Church Federation will have been in destruction a thousand years at the +time this Scripture is fulfilled.--Rev. 13:11, 13, 14, 15; 14:9, 11; 15:2; +16:2, 13; 19:20; 20:10; Matt. 24:24. + +And shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.--The Seven Volumes +of _Scripture Studies_ are the instruments the Lord is using to bring +these iniquitous systems to their end; and so long as these books remain, +the torment of these systems will be in evidence. The systems will cease, +but the "Seven Plagues" will continue forever.--Rev. 14:11; 19:3. + +20:11. And I saw a great white Throne.--"The whiteness of the Throne +indicates the purity of the justice and judgment which will be meted +out."--B. S. M. + +And Him that sat on it.--"The Throne is Messiah's; it represents His +Mediatorial Dominion of earth for a thousand years."--B. S. M. + +From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no +place for them.--"The heavens and earth which will flee from the presence +of the great Immanuel will not be the Heavens of God's Throne, nor the +earth which he has given to the children of men. The heavens and earth +which will flee away, and for which no place will be found, are, of +course, the symbolical ones. The symbolic heavens represent spiritual +influences--Ecclesiasticism, Churchianity. Thus interpreted, our text +declares that when Messiah assumes control of the world, the result will +be that the social system of to-day, as well as present-day +ecclesiasticism, will pass out of existence--no place will be found for +them." (B. S. M.) " 'Heaven and earth': To our Lord's contemporaries the +religious and social system under which they lived seemed almost as fixed +and as eternal as the earth and sky. Indeed, 'heaven and earth' appears to +have been a name which they gave to the then-existing order of things in +recognition of what they deemed its permanence and fixity."--Weym.; Rev. +21:1; Dan. 2:35. + +20:12. And I saw the dead, [small and] BOTH great AND SMALL stand before +[God] THE THRONE.--What a grand privilege is that which awaits "Him whom +man despiseth, Him whom the nation abhorreth, a servant of rulers," "That +thou mayest say to the prisoners [the twenty billions in the prison-house +of death], Go forth; to them that are in [the] darkness [of the tomb], +Show yourselves." (Isa. 49:7, 9; Rev. 11:18; 19:5). (The dead are standing +while they are dead. See Rev. 20:5 comments.) + +And the books were opened.--"The books of the Bible will then all be +opened--understood. All will then see that the Golden Rules laid down by +inspiration through Moses and the Prophets, Jesus and His Apostles, are +the very ones which God will require of men in the future and which +Messiah will then enable the willing and obedient to comply with by +assisting them up out of their sin and degradation." (B. S. M.) The entire +Word of God will not be opened until after the Church is beyond the veil. +Much of it (perhaps nearly all) will be opened by the Great Company class +during the Time of Trouble, but some of it may wait for the Prophets +themselves. Meantime, all that is necessary for salvation and service has +been provided.--Dan. 7:10. + +And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.--"In the great Day +of the world's trial or Judgment another Book of Life will be opened. A +record will be made of all who, by obedience, show themselves worthy of +everlasting life on the human plane." (B. S. M.) "The First Book of life +is called the Lamb's Book of Life, containing the names of the elect +Church, His Bride. This other Book of Life will be the book, or record, of +those who shall pass the restitutional trial or judgment +satisfactorily."--Z. '00-239. + +And the dead were judged.--"This judgment, or rulership, cannot begin until +Christ, whom Jehovah hath appointed to be the Judge or Ruler of the world, +has come again--not again in humiliation, but in power and great glory: not +again to redeem the world, but to judge [rule] the world in righteousness. +A trial can in no case proceed until the judge is on the bench and the +court in session at the appointed time.--Matt. 25:31."--A. 345. + +Out of those things which were written in the books.--"It is by the Word of +the Lord that men are judged (John 12:48-50); and not by the opinions or +precedents of fellow-men in any capacity. Therefore all should imitate the +noble Bereans who 'searched the Scriptures daily' to see if the things +taught them were true. (Acts 17:11.) 'To the Law and to the Testimony; if +they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in +them.'--See 1 Thes. 5:21; Isa. 8:20."--D. 66. + +According to their works.--"The judgment of that time, the test, will not +be of faith; for knowledge will be universal, and all the darkness and +obscurity created by ignorance and superstition will have passed away. The +test at that time will be of works, whereas the tests of the Church at the +present time are of faith."--B. S. M. + +20:13. And the sea.--The masses of mankind, not under religious +restraint--the condition of the whole world in the time of anarchy due in +its full severity in the fall of 1920. See page 178. + +Gave up the dead which were in it.--Earth's new Ruler will deal first with +those who survive the Time of Trouble, reckoned dead, even though actually +having a small measure of life. When the Lord said, "Let the dead bury +their dead" (Matt. 8:22), He used the same word to describe both classes. +Those under the death sentence are counted by the Lord in the same class +with those upon whom the sentence has been already executed. None but +God's people have "passed from death unto life." (1 John 3:14.) All the +rest of the world, in God's sight, are dead. + +And death.--"From the first, or Adamic death, a resurrection has been +provided. All that are in their graves shall come forth. It was in view of +God's plan for redeeming the race from that first death that in both the +Old and New Testaments it is called a '_sleep_.' "--H. 58. + +And hell.--"The dark, secret condition, the grave, which in the present +time speaks to us of a _hope_ of future life by God's resurrection power +in Christ."--Z. '10-41. + +Delivered up the dead which were in them.--"Thus God tells us through the +Prophet, 'I will ransom them from the power of the grave [_Sheol_]. I will +redeem them from death.... O grave [_Sheol_] I will be thy destruction.' +(Hos. 13:14.) The first or Adamic death shall no longer have liberty or +power over men, as it has had for the past six thousand years; no longer +shall any die for Adam's sin. (Rom. 5:12; Jer. 31:29, 30; Ezek. 18:2.)"--Z. +'10-41. + +And they were judged every man according to their works.--"Since all +mankind will not be raised at once, but gradually, during the thousand +years, each new group will find an army of helpers in those who will have +preceded it. The love and benevolence which men will then show to each +other (the brethren of Christ) the King will count as shown to Him. (Rom. +13:10.)"--Z. '10-39. + +20:14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.--"The +destruction of the first death and Hades commences with the beginning of +the Millennial Reign and continues to its close. Hades (the grave) will be +destroyed when all the dead in it have heard the Lord's voice and come +forth. (John 5:25.) But 'death' will still have hold upon these, since +every ache and pain and every mental and moral imperfection is a part of +the inherited Adamic penalty. The millions awakened will be still under +condemnation, still in death; but in proportion as they render obedience +to the terms of the New Covenant, progress will be made toward health, +perfection and life. On the other hand, those who, after full knowledge, +refuse to accept and personally apply the merit of the sacrifice of +Christ, will remain under condemnation; because their wills consent to +evil, they will progress toward the Second Death. In the case of the +obedient, death will be swallowed up of life. In the case of the +disobedient, death will be swallowed up of the Second Death. (1 Cor. +15:26, 54, 55; Isa. 25:6-8.)"--H. 66. + +AND this is the Second Death; THE LAKE OF FIRE.--"This destruction or death +is called the Second Death in contradistinction to the First or Adamic +death, and not to signify that everything which goes into it dies a second +time. For instance, death (the first or Adamic death), and Hades, the +grave, are to be cast into it, which work will require the entire +Millennium to accomplish it; and in no sense will they ever have been +destroyed before. So also the devil, the beast, and the false prophet, +will never have been destroyed before."--H. 58; Rev. 21:8. + +20:15. And whosoever [was] SHALL not BE found written in the Book of +Life.--The writing, the judging, is still future. + +Was cast into the Lake of Fire.--"The Second Death, during the Millennial +Age, is a part of the utter destruction which will include every improper, +injurious and useless thing. (Isa. 11:9; Psa. 101:5-8.) But the Second +Death, the sentence of that individual trial, will be final: it will never +be destroyed. We rejoice that there is no danger of this, but that Divine +Justice unites with Divine Wisdom, Love and Power, to bring in everlasting +righteousness on a permanent basis."--H. 67; Rev. 19:20; Psa. 50:22. + + ------------------------------------- + + + "A thousand years, earth's coming glory, + 'Tis the glad Day so long foretold; + 'Tis the bright Morn of Zion's glory + Prophets foresaw in times of old. + + "What if the clouds do for a moment + Hide the blue sky where Morn appears? + Soon the glad Sun of Promise given + Rises to shine a thousand years!" + + + + +Revelation 21--The Descending Kingdom + + +21:1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth.--"It may be that this, rather +than 'the Millennium,' is the name which we ought to give to the Golden +Age, of purity and bliss which next awaits the world. The words seem to +include a transformation and glorification of our material globe."--Weym. + +"Paradise, the Garden of God, applicable as a name to Eden, where our +first parents resided, is Scripturally applied to the new earth when +Restitution blessings shall, during the Millennium, have brought it to +perfection. This Paradise of the future is referred to by the Apostles as +'the third heaven,' and as 'a new heavens and a new earth.' (2 Corinthians +12:2; 2 Peter 3:13.) They are not referring to new planets, nor to heavens +ranged one above another, as many have supposed, but to the third of three +great periods of time, beginning with man's creation and extending into +the illimitable future. The first of these periods, termed the first +heavens and earth--the old order of things--passed away with the Deluge of +Noah's day. The second period, 'the heavens and the earth which are now,' +the present order of things, are reserved of God to pass away with a great +symbolic fire of trouble--revolution, etc.--which will utterly destroy the +present spiritual powers and the present social arrangements. (2 Peter +3:6, 7; Galatians 1:4; Zephaniah 3:8, 9.) The third great period is to be +a 'world without end,' under Divine administration. This will be the third +heavens and the third earth, or the new heavens and the new earth, which +will differ from the present condition of things in that they will be +righteous! whereas the present arrangement is imperfect, unrighteous. The +'new heavens' will consist of the new spiritual ruling powers of the +future--Christ the Head, and the Church His Body."--Z. '16-392. + +For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.--"The Scriptures +show us that in this general rupture the nominal church (including all +denominations) will be gradually drawn more and more to the side of the +governments and the wealthy, will lose much of its influence over the +people, and will finally fall with the governments. Thus the heavens +[ecclesiastical rule] being on fire, will pass away with a great hissing." +(A. 333.) Two of the causes that operate to "burn" the present "earth" are +declared to be hunger, and the misrule of beastly governments. (Deut. +32:24) In the end all will be glad to see the unclean heavens pass away +(Job 15:15) rent in twain (Isa. 64:1) and the new heavens planted (Isa. +51:16) which will be heard in their lightest petition to the God of all +grace (Hos. 2:21). "Drop down, ye Heavens from above."--Isa. 45:8. + +And there was no more sea.--"Under the control of the new Heaven--spiritual +powers--the reconstructed social order will be so satisfactory, so +complete, so thorough, that there will be no more dissatisfied masses. +Everything will be reduced to law and order, obliterating the differences +of wealth and power as they now exist."--Z. '16-392. + +21:2. And I, [John] saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem.--"The New Jerusalem +is not 'that great city [government] which ruleth over the kings of the +earth' (Revelation 17:18) but is the new Spiritual Government of the +Millennial Age. It is not reared by men; but, descends from God out of +Heaven. It is for this Kingdom, this Government, that our Lord taught His +disciples to pray, 'Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is +done in Heaven.' "--Z. '16-392; Isa. 52:1; Matt. 5:35; Heb. 11:10, 16; +13:14; Rev. 3:12; 21:10; 11:2; 22:19. + +Coming down [from God] out of Heaven, FROM GOD.--"We are not to think of +this Holy City as being composed of literal stones, but of 'living stones' +(1 Peter 2:4-7; Ephesians 2:19-22.) Neither Christ nor the saints in glory +can be seen of men. But the whole world will quickly be made aware of the +fact that a new Government has been instituted--a government of +righteousness and all power."--Z. '16-392; Heb. 11:10; 12:22; Rev. 3:12; +21:10. + +Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.--"This declaration implies its +beauty, grandeur and perfection, as a bride's adornment on such an +occasion is particular and elaborate to the last degree. Additionally, the +statement reminds us that in the government of the future the world's +judges are to be the saints selected throughout the Gospel Age and +frequently called 'the Bride, the Lamb's Wife.' "--Z. '16-392; 2 Cor. 11:2; +John 3:29; Eph. 5:31, 32. + +21:3. And [I heard] a great voice.--The Lord Jesus, the Father's Word. + +[Out of heaven] WAS saying, OUT OF THE THRONE, Behold the Tabernacle of +God is with men.--"This verse associates this City with the other figure of +a symbolic Temple, which the Lord is now preparing, of which the saints +will constitute the 'pillars.' God will dwell in this Temple, and the +world of mankind will approach God in it to receive the Divine blessings, +as Israel approached the typical Tabernacle and the Temple in their +typical religious services." (Z. '01-199.) "When we think of the Church as +the Temple under construction, it impresses upon us the thought that there +is a future work to be accomplished. Why construct a Temple, and then not +use it? St. Paul says, the Church is God's workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10.) +And His work will be so perfectly accomplished that there will be no need +of rectification or alteration beyond the veil,--beautifully illustrated in +the erection of Solomon's Temple, of which we read that its stones were +prepared at the quarry and then finally assembled for the construction of +the Temple, and that they were so perfectly shaped and marked for their +various places that they came together without the sound of a hammer."--Z. +'15-189; 2 Cor. 6:16. + +And He [will dwell] DWELLETH with them and they shall be His people.--"All +mankind will be treated from the standpoint of reconciliation, the +Propitiation (price) for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) having +been provided at Calvary, and the due time having then come for the +manifestation of Divine favor."--Z. '01-200; Psa. 68:18; Ezek. 37:27; Zech. +8:8. + +[And] God Himself shall be with them, [and be their God].--"It will be the +Kingdom of God, because God's dear Son and His joint-heir, the Church, +will be in absolute accord with the Father, and all that shall be done +under their control will fully and completely represent the Divine will +respecting men. Nevertheless, it will be a separate Kingdom from that of +the remainder of the Universe, as the Apostle Paul indicates. (1 Cor. +15:24, 25, 28.)"--Z. '01-200; Jer. 30:22; 31:33; Ezek. 11:20. + +21:4. And [God] HE shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.--"The wiping +away of tears implies a gradual work, such as we see will be the process +of that glorious time. Man will not be exempt from every weakness and +trial and difficulty at the beginning, but if he will conform to the Laws +of the Kingdom, all cause for distress will gradually pass away, as +restitution blessings will lift him out of death into life."--Z. '01-200; +Isa. 25:8; 65:19. + +And there shall be no more death; neither sorrow nor crying SHALL +BE.--"What a glorious sun-burst of blessing is in these words! What a grand +fulfilment will be there of the Apostle's declaration respecting 'Times of +Restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the +holy Prophets since the world began'! The declaration, however, applies to +the very end of the Millennial Age, and not in full to any previous time +in that Age. (John 5:28, 29.)"--Z. '01-200; 1 Cor. 15:26, 54; Rev. 20:14; +Isa. 35:10; 51:11; 65:19. + +[Neither shall there be any more pain] For the former things are passed +away.--The reign of Satan, sin and death will have ended forever. "To gain +a place in the earthly phase of the Kingdom of God will be to find the +gratification of every desire and ambition of the perfect human heart."--A. +291. + +21:5. And He that sat upon the Throne said, Behold, I make all things +new.--"This expression does not relate merely to rocks and trees, etc., but +to the great work which our Lord undertook; viz., the regeneration of +humanity to the complete perfection contemplated in the original Divine +Plan."--Z. '01-201; Rev. 20:11. + +And He said unto me, Write: for these words are [true and] faithful, AND +TRUE.--"Present conditions seem so contrary to all this grand Restitution +outcome that it cannot be fully believed and trusted by any except those +who have learned to walk with the Lord. To all others these things will +appear untrue, and God will appear unfaithful, and the matters which we +are here discussing will seem 'idle tales,' as fables and golden fancies: +but to us who believe, these promises are precious."--1 Pet. 2:7. + +21:6. And He [said] SAITH unto me, [It is done.] I am Alpha and Omega, the +Beginning and the End.--"It was the Father's good pleasure that the Blessed +One, the Only Begotten of the Father, should accomplish the entire program +of redemption and restitution; and be forever the Associate and +Representative of the Father, through whom and by whom all things should +continue, as He was the one through whom all things were made that were +made."--Z. '01-201; Rev. 1:8; 22:13. + +I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life +freely.--"It is this one who, during the Millennial Age, will extend to all +the willing and obedient the Water of Life, everlasting life--the privilege +of perpetual existence. But they must thirst for it, must desire it; and +this desire must be manifest in obedience to the terms, the laws, upon +which it will be supplied freely."--Z. '01-201; Rev. 22:17; Isa. 55:1; John +7:37. + +21:7. He that overcometh shall inherit [all] THESE things.--These earthly +things.--Acts 3:21. + +And I will be his God, and he shall be My son.--"Those addressed are not +the Bride class, selected during the Gospel Age, (1 John 3:2) but the +sheep class of Matt. 25--such of mankind as during the Millennial Age +become the Lord's sheep and obey His voice. They shall inherit the earth, +the purchased possession--which Jesus will restore at the close of the +Millennium to all the children of Adam who shall have accepted His +gracious favors and been regenerated by Him, and thus become His sons, and +He their God--their Father. (Isa. 9:6)"--Z. '01-201; Zech. 8:8; Heb. 8:10; +Rom. 8:21. + +21:8. But the fearful.--"If any, enlightened by the Truth, and brought to a +knowledge of the love of God, and restored to human perfection, become +'fearful,' and 'draw back' (Heb. 10:38, 39), they, with the unbelievers, +will be destroyed from among the people. (Acts 3:23.)"--A. 107. + +And unbelieving.--Who will not trust God, after all the marvels of His +grace they will have seen and experienced.--Heb. 11:6; Rom. 10:17; John +20:31; John 17:20; 1 Tim. 6:12; Luke 17:5; James 2:17. + +And the abominable.--"Those abominable characters among men, who, knowing +the truth, yet love unrighteousness."--H. 60. + +And murderers.--Slanderers.--Psa. 141:3; Deut. 5:17; Matt. 5:21, 22; +15:18-20; 1 John 3:15; James 3:2-12; James 4:11; Prov. 4:23, 24; Matt. +12:34-37; Eph. 4:31; Psa. 15:1-3; 19:14; 34:13; 101:5; Prov. 12:19; 16:28; +17:4; 26:20-21; Jer. 20:10; 1 Cor. 10:10; James 1:19; Deut. 32:2. + +And whoremongers.--Not at heart faithful to the Lord. + +And sorcerers.--Dreamers, theorists, pseudo-philosophers, endeavoring to +accredit to themselves the great salvation wrought.--Rev. 22:15. + +And idolaters.--"Such as misappropriate and misuse Divine favors, who give +to self or any other creature or thing that service and honor which belong +to God."--H. 63. + +And all liars.--"All who do not love the Truth and seek it, and at any cost +defend and hold it." (H. 63.) "If something is six inches long, let it be +just six inches for six inches."--Z. '12-147. + +Shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and +brimstone.--"The severest punishment inflicted by the Jews upon any +criminal. The corpse (after the man had been stoned to death) was thrown +out into the Valley of Hinnom (Gay-Hinnom) and was devoured by the worm or +the flame."--Weym. + +Which is the Second Death.--"Such company would be repulsive to any honest, +upright being. It is hard to tolerate them now, but in the close of the +Millennial Judgment, when the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall have given +every advantage and opportunity of knowledge and ability, the righteous +will be glad when the corrupters of the earth, and all their work and +influence, shall be destroyed."--H. 63. + +21:9. And there came [unto me].--To the John class, the Church, on this +side of the veil. + +One of the seven angels.--The Seventh. + +Which had the seven vials full.--They are still full after they are poured +out on ecclesiasticism! + +Of the seven last plagues.--The Seven volumes of _Studies in the +Scriptures_. + +And talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee.--See Lu. 4:21. + +The Bride, the Lamb's Wife.--"As a grand lesson of the Divine sovereignty, +and as a sublime contradiction to all evolution theories, God elected to +call to this place of honor (as 'the Bride, the Lamb's Wife and Joint- +heir'--Rom. 8:17), not angels and cherubs, but some from among the sinners +redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb. The continued permission of +evil is for the purpose of developing these 'members of the Body of +Christ' and to furnish them the opportunity of sacrificing their little +and redeemed all, in the service of Him who bought them with His precious +blood; and thus of developing in their hearts His spiritual likeness, that +when, at the end of the Age, they are presented by their Lord and Redeemer +before the Father, God may see in them 'the image of His Son.' "--Col. +1:22; Rom. 8:29; E. _412_, 395; Rev. 19:7; 21:2. + +21:10. And he carried me away in the Spirit.--"God hath revealed them unto +us by His Spirit."--1 Cor. 2:10; Rev. 1:10; 17:3. + +To a great and high mountain.--How similar is the language, recording the +experience of the first and greatest Member of the Church, at the +beginning of His ministry. Concerning the Lord's third temptation we read: +"In this temptation the Lord is taken, not physically, but in the spirit +of His mind, up into a high mountain--a very exalted kingdom. Physically He +was all this time in the desert near Jerusalem; and as a matter of fact +there is neither in that desert nor anywhere in the world a mountain from +which all the kingdoms of the world could be viewed except with the mind's +eye."--Z. '06-43. + + [Illustration] + + St. John's Vision of the Descending Kingdom + + +And shewed me [that great] THE HOLY City, [The holy] Jerusalem, descending +out of Heaven from God.--The city came down from Heaven to earth. If we +went up to Heaven, it would not be found there. If Rev. 21 is to be +literally interpreted, then the whole surface of Palestine is far from +sufficient to hold a city of this size. Besides, its height, length and +breadth were to be equal.--Rev. 21:2. + +21:11. Having the glory [of] FROM God.--The Church has a foretaste of this +glory on this side of the veil.--1 Pet. 4:14. + +[And] her light.--"The Lamb is the Light thereof."--Rev. 21:23; 22:5. + +Was like unto a stone most precious.--"The brightness of His [the Father's] +glory, and the express image of His person."--Heb. 1:3. + +Even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.--A beautiful green-tinted +diamond.--Rev. 4:3. + +21:12 And [had] HAVING a wall great and high.--The pictures here are all +pictures of the Bride. Nevertheless, the wall, the protection of that +Heavenly City, in a special sense represents our Heavenly Father. No +picture of the Bride would be complete that did not include Him who dwells +within us, who is the Author of the Plan, and the Source of all our joys. +Now as to the application of the picture of the wall to the Bride herself, +one of Pastor Russell's coworkers has aptly said: "We are like living +_stones_, in the plural--144,000 stones in one, if you will. There was one +perfect Stone to begin with, and all the others had to be conformed to the +image of that Stone. Men have discovered a way of taking two glasses of +different density and fusing them together, so you cannot tell where the +point of fusion is. And so, with this Little Flock of 144,000, they are +going to be welded together in one--there will be but one mind in that +whole 144,000. There is only one thing they have in view, and that is to +perform Jehovah's will; and they rejoice in doing His will absolutely." + +And [had] HAVING twelve gates.--The twelve mystical tribes of Israel.--Rev. +7:5-8; Ezek. 48:31-34. + +And at the gates twelve angels, and THEIR names written thereon.--The +entire Little Flock; twelve thousand of each tribe, each working together, +under God's direction, as one angel, or messenger. Doubtless certain +special work is reserved for each tribe. All who gain membership in that +tribe will be particularly suited to the work to which they will be +assigned. + +Which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.--Their +names, and the characteristics they signify, are given in Rev. 7:5-8. + +21:13. On the East.--Toward the Sun-rising, toward the Dawn, toward the +Little Flock, specially honored and blessed in their sacrifices on behalf +of the Church. The side of the Amramites.--Num. 3:19; F. 128. + +Three gates.--The mystical tribe of Joseph, Benjamin and Manasseh--Manasseh +taking the place of Dan.--Ezek. 48:32; Rev. 7:5, 7, 8. + +AND on the North.--The side of the Merarites, the Great Company.--Num. 3:33; +F. 129. + +Three gates.--The mystical tribes of Judah, Reuben and Levi.--Ezek. 48:31; +Rev. 7:5, 7. + +AND on the South.--The side of the Kohathites, the Ancient Worthies.--Num. +4:2; F. 129. + +Three gates.--The mystical tribes of Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun.--Ezek. +48:33; Rev. 7:7, 8. + +And on the West.--The side of the Gershonites, the Restitution +classes.--Num. 4:22; F. 129. + +Three gates.--The mystical tribes of Gad, Asher and Naphtali.--Ezek. 48:34; +Rev. 7:5, 6. + +Although the pictures here given are pictures of the Bride, and the gates +apply as above shown, nevertheless these gates also represent the Ancient +Worthies, who during the Millennial Age will be the earthly +representatives of the Church, and, perhaps, exactly 144,000 in number. +Additionally, the Ancient Worthies are _called_ "gates" in Isa. 26:2. "The +gates or entrances of the City, which are twelve in number, are inscribed +with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is in harmony with +what we have learned of the earthly phase of the Kingdom of God that the +Ancient Worthies from the various tribes of Israel, selected during the +Jewish Age, will be the visible representatives of the Heavenly Kingdom in +the earth through whose instrumentality the nations may enter into the +blessings of the Kingdom."--Z. '92-16. + +"The city lies open and accessible to all quarters, and to all quarters +alike."--Luke 13:29. Weym. + +21:14. And the wall of the City had twelve foundations.--"The Lord himself, +is the foundation, 'Other foundations can no man lay than that is +laid--Jesus Christ.' (1 Cor. 3:11.) He is the great Rock, and St. Peter's +confession of Him as such was, therefore, a rock testimonial--a declaration +of the foundation principles underlying the Divine Plan. St. Peter +disowned any pretension to being the foundation-stone himself and properly +classed himself to with all the other 'living stones' (Gr. _lithos_,) of +the Church,--though _petros_, rock, signifies a larger stone than _lithos_, +and all the Apostles as 'foundation' stones would in the Divine Plan and +order have a larger importance than their brethren."--F. 220; Matt. 16:18; +Eph. 2:20. + +And [in] ON them the TWELVE names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb.--"We +are entirely out of accord with the views of Papacy, of the Protestant +Episcopal Church, of the Catholic-Apostolic Church, and of the Mormons, +all of whom claim that the number of the Apostles was not limited to +twelve, and that there have been successors since their day who spoke and +wrote with equal authority with the original Twelve. (2 Cor. 11:13.)" (F. +209.) "We still have with us the gift of Apostles, in that we have their +teachings in the New Testament, so full and complete as to require no +addition; and hence the Twelve Apostles have no successors, and need none, +since there are but 'Twelve Apostles of the Lamb;' they are the twelve +stars; the twelve foundations.'"--John 6:70; E. _229_, 207. + +12:15. And he that talked with me.--Volume VII of _Studies in the +Scriptures_. + +Had a [golden] MEASURING reed of gold.--The Divine Word. + +To measure the City, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.--Surely, +if we can not find the measurement in the Scriptures it is hopeless to +look elsewhere.--Zech. 2:1, 2; Rev. 11:1; Ezek. 40:3. + +21:16. And the City lieth foursquare, and the length is [as large] as the +breadth.--A perfect cube, like the Most Holy of the Tabernacle. + +And he measured the City with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs.--"The +number of 'buildings' in the City seems to be indicated by the +measures--12,000 times 12,000 furlongs equals 144,000,000 square furlongs. +This area contains 144,000 building-lots of one thousand square furlongs +each--which circumstance may well signify that the 144,000, faithful ones +will reign with Jesus during a thousand years (one square furlong +representing a year.") + +The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.--Each view of +the City, from any side, presents to view, Justice, Power, Love and +Wisdom. + +21:17. And he measured the wall thereof.--Its thickness. + +An hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a +man.--The measure of a man, the Man Christ Jesus, is 1,000. His Day is to +be 1,000 years in length. Adam's Day was a thousand years long. The total +measure is 144,000, the number of the Elect. We should expect to find the +number of those rescued during the Millennium shown somewhere in these +measurements; and this we also find. The cubit, in symbolism, is flexible +in length, like the word "day." If we multiply the number of square +furlongs in any wall by the _144 measures of a man_, i. e., 144,000,000 X +144, the result is 20,736,000,000, the estimated number of the sheep class +at the end of the Millennial Age.--Matt. 25:34-40; Z. '05-271. + +That is, of the angel.--As interpreted by the angel. + +21:18. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper.--"The solid fabric +of the wall was jasper; and the city itself was made of gold, resembling +transparent glass."--Weym. + +And the City was pure gold, like unto clear glass.--Of Divine origin, and +made up of those who have the Divine nature. + +21:19. And the foundations of the wall of the City were garnished with all +manner of precious stones.--Mosaic manufacturers make 15,000 colors; and it +is estimated the trained eye can detect a million colors. In selecting and +polishing the 144,000 gems and putting them in place in the Temple God is +preparing a beautiful harmony of characters in infinite variety that will +delight the hearts of all His creatures to all eternity.--1 Chron. 29:2. + +The first foundation was jasper.--Likeness to the Father. See comments on +Rev. 4:3. + +AND the second, sapphire.--Faithfulness. The sapphire of the ancients is +the modern lapiz lazuli, or azure stone, a mineral substance valued for +decorative purposes in consequence of the fine blue color which it usually +presents. It has the appearance of being spotted with gold dust. "The +stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold." (Job. +28:6.) The brilliant spots in the deep blue matrix invite comparison with +the stars in the firmament. The crystals form into units having twelve +equal sides. The blue is the color of faithfulness; the gold shows the +faithfulness towards God; the star-like appearance shows the faithfulness +towards all the Heavenly beings--angels, archangels, and the Great Company; +the crystalline formation shows the faithfulness towards the symbolical +and actual twelve tribes of Israel which, in the last analysis, include +all who shall become heirs of salvation. Those who gain the prize of the +High Calling can be trusted.--1 Cor. 4:2; Luke 16:10-12. + +AND the third, a chalcedony.--Obedience; Submission. A green quartz, found +in the copper mines of Chalcedon. It crystallizes in the twelve-sided and +twenty-four-sided forms of cubic crystalline formation. In the twelve +sided crystals each side is a surface of five equal sides and angles. The +Church's obedience is perfect towards God as indicated in the faces of the +crystals, five being a symbol of Divinity. It is operative towards the +brethren as in the twelve-faced crystals, and towards both phases of the +Kingdom, as in the twenty-four-sided crystals. + +The fourth, an emerald.--Deathlessness. One of the most beautiful of gems, +of a bright green color, without any mixture, crystallizing in long, +hexagonal (six-sided) crystals. The stone loses color when strongly +heated. From those originally imperfect (as shown in the six-sided +crystals) God is creating a race of deathless ones. Nevertheless, though +begotten to the Divine nature, should they cling to the dross of their +fleshly natures too determinedly, so great fires may be applied to burn +away the dross as will destroy the value of the gem. This gem, too, +represents the Church's power to bestow life upon the dead world. The +crystals may be broken or split crosswise. The everlasting life for the +world, which may be made continuous, is nevertheless susceptible of being +broken off at any time for disobedience. + +21:20. The fifth, sardonyx.--Humility; Purity; Martyrdom. An ornamental +stone much used for seals and cameos. It was considered by ancient +oriental authorities that a fine oriental sardonyx should have at least +three strata, a black base, a white intermediate center, and a superficial +layer of red; these colors typifying the three cardinal virtues--humility, +black; chastity, white; modesty or martyrdom, red. + +The sixth, sardius.--Loyalty to Christ. A reddish stone much used by the +ancients as a gem stone; it has been in all ages the commonest of the +stones used by the gem engraver.--Rev. 4:3. + +The seventh, chrysolyte.--Heavenly Wisdom. Greek _Chrysos_, gold, and +_lithos_, stone. The meaning of the term makes it the golden stone. It is +a gem of a golden color, lightly tinted with green. It is very +transparent. "The wisdom that is from Above is first pure."--Jas. 3:17. + +The eighth, beryl.--Love of the Father. A pellucid gem of a bluish green +color, much prized as a gem stone by the ancients. It crystallizes in the +hexagonal system, with sixty-six sides of various sizes and shapes. On +each of the six principal sides are diamond-shaped marks, alternately five +and eight marks to a side, with four marks at the end. The sixty-six sides +represent the sixty-six books of the Bible; the two ends represent the Old +and New Testaments; the diamond shaped marks represent the Heavenly +Father; the three groups of eight each represent the twenty-four +prophecies of the kingdom; five is a symbol of Divinity, and four +represents Justice, Power, Wisdom and Love. + +The ninth, topaz.--Benevolence. It is generally held that the mineral now +called topaz was unknown to ancient writers, and that their topaz is our +peridot. This is the name applied by jewelers to "noble olivine." It is a +dark, decidedly green-colored mineral. Much mystery for a long time +surrounded the locality which yielded most of the peridot for commerce; +but it is now identified with the island of St. John in the Red Sea, +probably the "Topaz Isle" of the ancients. It crystallizes in twenty-six- +sided figures. In some views--i. e., when the Great Company or the classes +that are to be destroyed are taken into consideration--the tribes of Israel +number thirteen; and when Spiritual and Fleshly Israel are considered +separately, the total number is twenty-six. It is not the wish of the +Heavenly Father that any of these should perish, and it is the wish of the +Church to do all humanly and Divinely possible to save the unworthy from +the final consequences of their own willfulness. This spirit will be +exercised to the last limit of love. + +The tenth, chrysoprasus.--Constant, cheerful endurance. The modern +Chrysoberyl is a yellow or green gem stone, remarkable for its hardness, +being exceeded in this respect only by the diamond and the jacinth. It is +not infrequently cloudy, due to microscopic cavities. The hardness +signifies ability to "endure hardness as good soldiers," and the clouds +signify difficulties, troubles, to be overcome. + +The eleventh, jacinth.--Unchangeableness. The modern sapphire, next to the +diamond in hardness; a beautiful blue stone. Many of the crystals are +parti-colored, the blue being distributed in patches in a colorless stone; +but by skillful cutting the deep-colored portion may be caused to impart +color to the entire gem. This stone crystallizes in the most beautiful and +wonderful pattern conceivable, consisting of a six-sided pyramid at either +end, separated by three different sets of surfaces of six each and two +different sets of surfaces of three each. We may think of the two ends as +representing the teachings of the Twelve Apostles, and the twenty-four +surfaces between as representing the twenty-four elders (prophecies +pertaining to the Kingdom of God). God is unchangeable; although the +different operations of His Plan, in different ages, make Him seem +changeable to mankind. But the perfected Plan will be the adoration of all +His creatures. This gem also shows how God can take characters whose +conduct may have been very irregular, and by skillful cutting make them +copies of Himself. + +The twelfth, an amethyst.--Royalty. A stone of a violet color, bordering on +purple, composed of a strong blue and deep red. The name is derived from +the Greek _a_, not, and _methyskein_, to intoxicate, expressing the old +belief that the stone protected its owner from strong drink. It was held +that wine drank out of a cup of amethyst would not intoxicate. It +crystallizes in double pyramids (base to base) of three sides on each +pyramid. Amethyst was Pastor Russell's birth-stone; and behold how perfect +its application! He was true blue in his faithfulness, and fully loyal to +the blood of Christ, as shown by the red. He has the royalty now, thank +God! The cup which he poured never intoxicated with error those who drank +its live-giving draughts from the Fountain of all Truth, our Father's +Word. The six-sided crystallization represents his Six Volumes of +_Scripture Studies_, and this, the Seventh, a summary of all, represents +the stone as a whole. There are over ninety varieties of crystals in +nature. Surely, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." + +The following is William Miller's dream, as given in _The Three Worlds_, +the first of Pastor Russell's books, long since out of print, where it is +told only as a dream. (Jer. 23:28.) It calls to mind a dream of Pastor +Russell's, often told in private. In his early youth he dreamed of +sleeping in an attic. Suddenly he awoke to see the morning sun, just +emerged over the hill-top, blazing directly in his face. He jumped to his +feet with a start, thinking that it must be late. In doing so he stumbled +over several forms still asleep. He was about to reproach himself for thus +rudely awakening them, when he discovered that not one of the sleepers had +been disturbed. The application is evident. "The light shineth in +darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not." Pastor Russell was +awakened by the light of the Sun of the New Day. He tried to waken others, +and succeeded with "just one here, one there;" but the great mass are +still asleep. However, the Dawn comes on apace. Now for William Miller's +dream: + +"I dreamed that God, by an unseen hand, had sent me a curiously wrought +casket, about ten inches long by six square, made of ebony and pearls +curiously inlaid. To the casket there was a key attached. I immediately +took the key and opened the casket, when, to my wonder and surprise, I +found it filled with all sorts and sizes of jewels--diamonds, precious +stones--and gold and silver coin of every dimension and value, beautifully +arranged in their several places in the casket; and thus arranged, they +reflected a light and glory equalled only by the sun. [These jewels are +the beautiful truths which the open casket unfolded to his sight.] I +thought it was my duty not to enjoy this wonderful sight alone, although +my heart was overjoyed at the brilliancy, beauty and value of its +contents. I therefore placed it on a center-table in my room, and gave out +the word that all who had a desire might come and see the most glorious +and brilliant sight ever seen by man in this life. The people began to +come in, at first few in number, but increasing to a crowd. When they +first looked into the casket, they would wonder and shout for joy. But +when the spectators increased, every one would begin to trouble the +jewels, taking them out of the casket and scattering them on the table. + +"I began to think that the owner would require the casket and jewels again +at my hand; and that if I suffered them to be scattered, I could never +place them in their places in the casket again as before, and felt I +should never be able to meet the accountability; for it would be immense. +I then began to plead with the people not to handle them, nor take them +out of the casket. But the more I pleaded, the more they scattered; and +now they seemed to scatter them all over the room, on the floor, and every +piece of furniture in the room. I then saw that among the genuine jewels +and coin they had scattered an innumerable quantity of spurious jewels and +counterfeit coin. I was highly incensed at their base conduct and +ingratitude, and reproved and reproached them for it; but the more I +reproved, the more they scattered the spurious jewels and false coin among +the genuine. I then became vexed in my very soul, and began to use +physical force to push them out of the room; but while I was pushing out +one, three more would enter, and bring in dirt, shavings, sand, and all +manner of rubbish, until they had covered every one of the true jewels, +diamonds and coins from sight. They also tore into pieces my casket and +scattered it among the rubbish. I thought that no man regarded my sorrow +or my anger. I became wholly discouraged and disheartened, and sat down +and wept. [When the 1844 time passed, how perfectly was this fullfilled.] +While I was thus weeping and mourning for my great loss and +accountability, I remembered God, and earnestly prayed that He would send +me help. + +"Immediately the door opened and a man entered the room, when the other +people all left it. Then he, having a dirt brush in his hand, opened the +windows and began to brush the dust and rubbish from the room. I cried to +him to forbear; that there were some precious jewels scattered among the +rubbish. But he told me to fear not, for he would take care of them. Then +while he brushed the dust and rubbish, the false jewels and counterfeit +coin, all rose and went out of the window like a cloud and the wind +carried them away. In the bustle I closed my eyes for a moment. When I +opened them the rubbish was all gone, and the precious jewels, the +diamonds, the gold and the silver coins lay scattered in profusion all +over the room. He then placed on the table a casket, much larger and more +beautiful than the former, and gathered up the jewels, the diamonds, the +coins, by the handful, and cast them into the casket, till not one was +left, although some of the diamonds were not bigger than the point of a +pin. He then called upon me to come and see. I looked into the casket, but +my eyes were dazzled with the sight. The contents shone with ten times +their former glory. I thought that they had been scoured in the sand by +the feet of those wicked persons who had scattered and trod them in the +dust. They were arranged in beautiful order in the casket--every one in its +place--without any visible pains on the part of the man [Pastor Russell] +who cast them in. I shouted for joy; and that shout awoke me." + +21:21. And the twelve gates were [twelve] pearls; every several gate was +of one pearl.--"The peculiar lustre of a pearl is dependent on the fact +that the surface is not perfectly smooth, but covered with the irregularly +sinuous edges of innumerable layers of inconceivable thinness, deposited +one over the other. The distance of these edges from each other varies +indefinitely, the pearls of the finest water having them closest. They are +always, however, too fine to be detected by the naked eye. The edges make +so many steps, so to speak; and the iridescence is produced by the mutual +interference of the rays of light reflected from these thousands of +angles. For their water, or lustre, as distinguished from iridescence, +pearls are indebted to their being composed of thin layers, which allow +light to pass through them, while their numerous surfaces disperse and +reflect the light in such a manner that it returns and mingles with that +which is directly reflected from the exterior. The thinner and more +transparent the constituent layers, the more perfect is the lustre. The +immediate occasion of the production of a pearl appears to be always the +presence of some extraneous substance inside of the shell of the mollusk." +(McC.) The mollusk is the earthly tabernacle; the extraneous substance is +the New Mind. The successive layers are the additions made to it, "precept +upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a +little and there a little."--Isa. 28:13. + +And the street of the City was pure gold, as it were transparent +glass.--There will be but one street in that City, the street which has +been in process of construction throughout the Age. The Prophets tell us +of it.--Prov. 16:17; Isa. 40:3; 49:11; 35:8; 62:10-12. + +21:22. And I saw no temple therein.--No special place of worship, for the +use and benefit of the Little Flock. + +[For] BECAUSE the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it.--The +Bride's whole life is completely wrapped up in the Father and the Son. Her +one consuming wish is to glorify the Lord's dear name. Of what need is any +special place of worship for one who can say, "For to me to live is [for] +Christ [to live]?"--Phil. 1:21. + +21:23. And the City had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine +[in] ON it.--"The sun signifies the light of this Gospel Age; the moon +signifies the typically reflected light of the Gospel in the Law and the +Prophets of the previous Dispensation. The glorified Church will have no +need of the light which in the present time she so much enjoys through the +Word and the Spirit, and the Law and the Prophets. She will have, instead +of these, a much more excellent glory, being, herself, a part of the Sun +of Righteousness." (Z. '01-201.) " 'Then shall the righteous shine forth +as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father'--our Lord Jesus, the Head of the +Church, of course being included. The Prophet mentions the same Sun of +Righteousness, saying, 'The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing +in His beams.'--Malachi 4:2."--Z. '16-393. + +For the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light +thereof.--"We are not to lose sight of the fact that Christ is the Head of +the Church, even as the Father is the head of Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. 11:3.) +Hence the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb will always be an inner Temple in +this great Temple which God has provided for the world's blessing during +Restitution Times."--Z. '16-393; Isa. 24:23; 60:19, 20; Rev. 21:11; 22:5. + +21:24. And the nations [of them which are saved] shall walk [in] BY the +light [of it] THEREOF.--"The word 'nations' here signifies peoples, and is +intended to show that all peoples, not merely the Israelites, will be thus +favored under God's Kingdom. The world will not be divided into +nationalities as at present."--Z. '16-394; Isa. 60:3, 5. + +And the kings of the earth do bring their glory [and honor] into it.--"When +mankind reaches perfection at the close of the Millennial Age, as already +shown, they will be admitted into membership in the Kingdom of God and +given the entire control of earth as at first designed--each man a +sovereign, a king." (A. 296.) "That Kingdom, in which all will be kings, +will be one grand, universal Republic, whose stability and blessed +influence will be assured by the perfection of its every citizen, a result +now much desired, but an impossibility because of sin." (Z. '10-39.) +"During the Millennial Age the kings will be the Ancient Worthies; but +subsequently a New Dispensation will open, under new conditions, in which +mankind (perfected) will be granted the privilege of ruling themselves in +harmony with the Divine Law." (Z. '97-304.) In this verse the Ancient +Worthies are _directly_ referred to; while in verse 26 the rest of mankind +are referred to. Notice the tenses of the verbs "_do_ bring" and "_shall_ +bring"--present and future--in the Millennium and after. + +21:25. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day.--Throughout the +long Millennial Day of a thousand years all who will may seek and find +salvation through the broad gates of the City of God that will then be +wide open. (Isa. 60:11.) Now, "Narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, +and few there be that find it."--Matt. 7:14. + +For there shall be no night there.--"The period in which sin is permitted +has been a dark Night to humanity, never to be forgotten; but the glorious +Day of righteousness and Divine favor, to be ushered in by Messiah, who, +as the Sun of Righteousness, shall arise and shine fully and clearly into +and upon all, bringing healing and blessing, will more than counterbalance +the dreadful night of weeping, sighing, pain, sickness and death, in which +the groaning creation has been so long. 'Weeping may endure for a night, +but joy cometh in the morning.'--Psa. 30:5." (A. 9.) + +The Psalmist explains how the smile of the Father was turned away from +mankind. He describes mankind as "Such as sit in darkness and in the +shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; because they rebelled +against the words of God [by disobedience of His express command] and +contemned [set at naught] the counsels of the Most High. Therefore He +brought down their heart with labor [each sex with its own peculiar kind]; +they fell down, and there was none to help." (Psa. 107:10-12.) This +disobedience brought our entire race into the Valley of the Shadow of +Death (Psa. 23:4); but the Prophets encouraged us to hope for a watchman +who would tell us of the coming of the Day. (Isa. 21:12.) In the Apostle's +time he declared the night was far spent, being then more than two-thirds +gone. (Rom. 13:12.) The event that is to bring in the Day is the rising of +the Sun of Righteousness. (Mal. 4:2.) When here at the First Advent Christ +was the light of the world (John 8:12); and the people in His immediate +neighborhood saw a great Light, shadowing forth His coming glory. (Isa. +9:2.) He declared that we, too, should be lights in the world. (Matt. +5:14.)--"You in your little corner, and I in mine;" and that in the +resurrection all these 144,000 brightly burning candles should be brought +together and with Him constitute the Sun of Righteousness that is to heal +and bless the world. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in +the Kingdom of their Father."--Matt. 13:43. + +The sun rises quietly, like a thief. (1 Thes. 5:1.) When the Morning +comes, the first work is banishing the works of the night. (Ezek. 7:7-12.) +Next comes the opening of the spiritually blind eyes of those that have +physical sight. (Amos 5:18.) Surely, the best time for a great oculist to +open the eyes of the blind is in the day time. (Isa. 35:5.) Now matters +are more or less obscured (1 Cor. 13:12); but the time is coming when the +blind shall be shown a way of life they have not hitherto known. (Isa. +42:16.) Will the Lord show wonders in the dark? (Psa. 88:10.) He will +indeed; and when the nations come forth from the tomb, they will seek Him +that turneth the shadow of death into the morning. (Amos 5:8; Isa. 42: 6, +7.) They will seek Him and will find Him. No wonder, then, that the +Psalmist, looking down the stream of time to that happy Day, exultingly +exclaims, "Then [after full experience with sin and death] they cried unto +the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He +brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their +bands in sunder. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and +for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He hath broken the +gates of brass [that stood between them and perfection], and cut the bars +of iron asunder [that held them in death's prison house]." (Psa. +107:13-16.) "And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, +neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed +away." (Rev. 21:4.) "For there shall be no night there." "Weeping may +endure for a night, but joy cometh in the Morning."--Psa. 30:5; Zech. 14:7. + +21:26. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into +it.--"This rendering of glory to the Kingdom will continue throughout the +entire Millennial Age; for the princes throughout the earth will make +known to the peoples that not in their own name or authority do they rule +and execute judgment and establish righteousness, but in the name of the +glorified Christ, Head and Body, whose representatives they are."--Z. +'16-394. + +21:27. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything [that defileth] +COMMON.--No one who could or would contaminate others by speech or example, +will ever find a place in that City. + +Neither whatsoever worketh abomination.--Nor anything tending in the +direction of pride or sectarianism. + +Or maketh a lie.--Nor anything countenancing the teaching of error for +pleasure or profit.--1 John 2:22. + +But they which are written in the [Lamb's.] Book of THE Life OF +HEAVEN.--"The Lamb's Book of Life we must understand to include only those +who attain to the position of joint-heirship with Christ, those whose +names are written in Heaven during this Gospel Age and who are faithful to +their Covenant. (Psa. 50:5.)"--Z. '16-394; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5, 13:8. + + + + +Revelation 22--The River Of Grace And Truth + + + [Illustration] + + The River Of Life + + +22:1. And he showed me a [pure] River of Water of Life, clear as +crystal.--"One would think that, even with no knowledge of the symbols of +Revelation, no thinking Christian should have any difficulty in realizing +that the book portrays trouble for the Church throughout this Gospel Age +and the triumphant Millennial Reign at its close."--Z. '05-170; Ezek. +47:1-12; Joel 3:18; Zech. 14:8; Psa. 46:4. + +Proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb.--"The Scriptures +nowhere speak of the River of the Water of Life now. There is none, and +can be none until the Heavenly City descends, for the river must flow from +the midst of it, from the Throne. Describing the condition of the Lord's +saints at the present time very differently, the Lord declares that those +who are His have in them a well of water springing up into life +eternal."--Z. '05-172; Ezek. 47:1; Zech. 14:8. + +22:2. In the midst of the street of it.--In the midst of the Highway of +Holiness.--Rev. 21:21. + +And on either side of the River.--Nourished and blessed by the life-giving +Waters of Truth.--Ezek. 47:12. + +Was there the Tree of Life.--The Christ, Head and Body. + +Which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her [fruit] FRUITS every +month.--Twelve kinds of fruit, twelve times a year, for a thousand years--a +total fruitage of 144,000. + +And the leaves of the [tree] TREES were for the healing of the +nations.--"The symbolic picture suggests nourishment and healing for the +sin-sick, starving world, which then may partake freely of all the +blessings and privileges thus symbolized."--Z. '05-171; Rev. 21:24; Ezek. +47:12. + +22:3. And there shall be no [more] curse.--"Instead of the thorn shall come +up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: +and it [the removal of the curse] shall be to the Lord for a name, for an +everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." (Isa. 55:13.) "Upon no +subject is the testimony of the Scriptures more positive, consistent and +conclusive than on this subject of the curse, its effects upon man, the +redemption from it, and its ultimate removal."--E. _421_, 405. + +But the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it.--"A spiritual police +force will have humanity under absolute control. Every misdeed will be +punished as soon as it is determined upon and before it shall have been +put into effect. Likewise, every good act, good word and good thought will +bring a blessing of restitution, health, strength--mental, moral, +physical."--Z. '15-267. + +And His servants shall serve Him.--Beautiful inheritance of the Great +Company class.--Rev. 7:15. + +22:4. And they shall see His face.--This will be worth all they will be +called upon to endure.--Matt. 5:8. + +And His name shall be [in] ON their foreheads.--At present many of this +class do not have clear perceptions of the Father's character. All +misunderstandings will be cleared up shortly. They only await the +departure of the last of the Elijah class, in the spring of 1918. + +22:5. And there shall be no MORE night [there].--Doubtless, at first, the +Great Company's memories of her dark night will be very keen.--Rev. 7:14; +21:23, 25. + +And they need [no] NOT THE LIGHT OF A candle.--Light from the Church in the +flesh. + +[Neither] AND light of the sun.--The Gospel, through the Word. + +For the Lord God [giveth] WILL GIVE them light.--"Blessed are they which +are _called_ unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb."--Rev. 19:9; 7:16-17; +Psa. 84:11. + +And they shall reign for ever and ever.--They--Christ and His Bride, in +whose blest Heavenly courts the Beloved Bridesmaids will always find their +happy station.--Dan. 7:27; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 3:21. + +22:6. And he.--The same angel mentioned in Rev. 1:1; 19:9, 10; representing +Pastor Russell, beyond the veil. + +Said unto me.--The John class, in the flesh. + +These sayings are faithful and true.--"There hath not failed one word of +all His good promise."--1 Kings 8:56. + +And the Lord God of the [holy] SPIRITS OF THE Prophets.--It is still +possible to have the same spirit as filled the Prophets of old, even +though the prophecies themselves have ceased to be miraculously uttered or +interpreted.--1 Cor. 13:8. + +Sent ME His angel to shew unto His servants the things which must shortly +be done.--Especially the events of the immediate future.--Rev. 1:1. + +22:7. AND behold I come quickly.--See Rev. 16:15; 22:10, 12, 20. Jesus is +the speaker. + +Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.--The +Elijah class, who see its clear import and accept the responsibilities +implied.--Rev. 1:3; 3:14. + +22:8. And I John saw these things, and heard them.--Understood them.--Rev. +1:3. + +And when I had heard and seen, I fell down before the feet of the angel +which shewed me these things.--"This may signify that in the end of this +Gospel Age as the whole Church, the John class, comes to see the unfolding +of the Divine Plan, there might be a spirit or disposition amongst them to +do too much honor to the one used of the Lord in communicating to them the +Divine light now due."--Z. '05-173; Judges 13:17, 18. + +22:9. Then saith he unto me, see thou do it not: [for] I am thy fellow- +servant.--"The angel's refusal to accept homage should be a lesson to all +ministers (servants--messengers) of God."--Z. '96-305; Rev. 19:10. + +And of thy brethren the Prophets.--Prophets, in the New Testament use of +the word, refer to Christian speakers. + +And of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.--"God alone +should be worshiped: He is the Author of the great Plan and will be the +Finisher of it. It is brought to our attention now by Him because it is +now 'due time' for His people to come to an appreciation of His plans."--Z. +'05-173. + +22:10. And he saith unto me, Seal not [the] THESE sayings of the prophecy +of this book: for the time is at hand.--"Make no secret," he added, "of the +meaning of the predictions contained in this book; for the time for their +fulfillment is now close at hand."--Weym. + +22:11. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still.--"At the time that the +features of this symbolical Revelation shall come to be understood and +appreciated by the Lord's people, they may know that the time of the +completion is near at hand. We are not to expect that the telling of this +Message will have the effect of converting the world. It was not intended +to do this and will not do it."--Z. '05-173; Dan. 12:10. + +And he which is filthy, let him be filthy still.--"Present Truth, although +full of comfort and encouragement to the Church in respect to their dear +friends who are out of Christ, has no effect whatever upon those who love +sin, who are filthy, who are unrighteous. The unrighteous and the filthy +simply ignore this message and are not moved specially by it."--Z. '05-173. + +And he that is righteous, let him [be righteous] WORK RIGHTEOUSNESS +still.--"To lovers of righteousness, of truth, the revelations of the +Divine Plan now unfolding commend themselves, and intensify their love for +righteousness and appreciation of full consecration to the Lord."--Z. +'05-173. + +And he that is holy, let him be holy still.--"The word seems to denote +development and crystallization of character, immediately preceding the +coming of the great Judge of all." (Weym.) "Love is patient and kind. Love +knows neither envy nor jealousy. Love is not forward and self-assertive, +nor boastful and conceited. She does not behave unbecomingly, nor seek to +aggrandize herself, nor blaze out passionate anger, nor brood over wrongs. +She finds no pleasure in injustice done to others, but joyfully sides with +the truth. She knows how to be silent. She is full of trust, full of hope, +full of patient endurance."--1 Cor. 13:4-7.--Weym. + +22:12. [And] behold, I come quickly.--See Rev. 16:15; 22:7, 10, 20. The +Lord Himself becomes the speaker. + +And My reward is with Me, to [give] BE GIVEN every man.--Every man in +Christ. + +According as his work [shall be] IS.--The Church's work is practically +finished. The reward is given on the basis of the work already done, in +character development and in the natural outgrowth of that +development--works. + +22:13. I am Alpha and Omega, THE FIRST AND THE LAST, the Beginning and the +End, [the First and the Last].--"Our Lord tells us over and over again (See +Rev. 1:8, 11, 17; 2:8; 3:14; 21:6), that He is the Beginning and the +Ending, the First and the Last, of the creation of God."--Z. '93-115. + +22:14. Blessed are they that [do His commandments] WASH THEIR ROBES.--The +Great Company class.--Rev. 7:14. + +That they may have right to the Tree of Life.--Rev. 22:2. + +And may enter through the gates into the City.--"Whose Builder and Maker is +God." (Heb. 11:10.) To these dear brethren we would say, The object of +your trials is to remove the dross (Ex. 30:7; Mal. 3:2) that you may be +fit companions of the Christ. (Ex. 12:8; Heb. 2:17; Rom. 5:3; Col. 1:11.) +Do not think it strange. (James 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:7; 4:12; 5:10.) When you +get the right viewpoint, you will rejoice in your sufferings. (Deut. 13:3; +Psa. 23:4; 119:67.) The trials will not last forever (Psa. 39:1); and in +them all you may hear the songs of deliverance. (Psa. 32:6, 7.) There is +nothing to turn back to (Heb. 10:38); but there is joy untold to look +forward to, and it is nigh.--Rev. 19:9; Psa. 45:14, 15. + +22:15. [For] without are dogs.--There will be no clergy class, as such, in +the Kingdom.--Isa. 56:10; Phil. 3:2; 2 Tim. 3:8, 9. + +And sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolators.--See Rev. +21:8. + +And whosoever [loveth and] maketh AND LOVETH a lie.--The old lies will die +hard; and some may try to carry them far into the Time of Trouble, on the +well-known principle that if a pigeon's brains are removed, and the wound +allowed to heal, the bird will no longer seek its food, though it can +still swing on a perch and ruffle its feathers and show fight. Ere long, +however, the Truth will be so manifest that all must give way before it. + +22:16. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in +the churches.--All down the Age the Church has had this Message; all down +the Age holy men of God have sought to understand its mysteries; all down +the Age it has remained a closed book. But now the Mystery of God is +_finished_; and the object of keeping the book closed is accomplished. God +wished the world to know when the time for the complete removal of error +and for the establishment of His Kingdom would come; and so He enables the +last members of His Church to give the Message. + +I am the Root and the Offspring of David.--"According to the flesh, our +Lord Jesus was, through His mother, the Son, the Branch, the Offshoot or +Offspring of David. It was by virtue of His sacrifice of His undefiled +life that He became the 'Root,' origin, source of life, and development of +David."--E. _150_, 136; Rev. 5:5. + +And the bright and morning Star.--"And I will give him the Morning Star." +(Rev. 2:28.) Christ's gift of Himself to the Bride is the greatest of all +gifts.--Job. 38:7; Psa. 118:22-25. + +22:17. And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come.--"The Gospel Age makes ready +the chaste Virgin, the faithful Church, for the coming Bridegroom. And in +the end of the Age, when she is made 'ready' (Rev. 19:7; 21:2, 9), the +Bridegroom comes; and they that are ready go in with Him to the Marriage. +The Second Adam and the Second Eve become one, and then the glorious work +of Restitution begins. In the next Dispensation, the New Heaven and the +new earth, the Church will be no longer the espoused Virgin, but the +Bride."--A. 98. + +And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst +come.--"Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness for +they shall be filled."--Matt. 5:6; Isa. 55:1. + +[And] whosoever will, let him take of the Water of Life freely.--"Now the +prospective members of the Bride class have the Lord's Spirit in them, 'a +well of water springing up unto everlasting life.' (John 4:14.) By and by +these well-springs brought together in glory with the Lord shall +constitute the source of the great River of Life which shall bless and +heal all nations. By and by the prophecy will be fulfilled: 'He that +believeth in Me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.' " + +22:18. [For] I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the +prophecy of this book.--To all who ever understand it. + +If any man shall add unto these things.--As was done in many instances +during the Dark Ages, even in this very verse.--Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. +30:5, 6. + +God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.--His +penalty will be, when he comes forth from the tomb in the Times of +Restitution, that he will have to read the Seven Volumes of _Scripture +Studies_, and get the matter straightened out in his own mind. + +22:19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this +prophecy.--Shall seek to nullify or minimize its teachings, now that the +time has come for it to be understood. + +God shall take away his part [out of the Book] FROM THE TREE of Life.--He +will not be a part of the life-giving Tree described in Rev. 22:2; not a +part of the Little Flock. + +And [out of] the Holy City, [and from the things] which are written in +this book.--He will not be one of the Lord's jewels, counted worthy of a +place in the New Jerusalem. + +22:20. He which testifieth these things TO BE saith, surely I come +quickly.--The _apokalupsis_ is at hand! See Rev. 16:15. + +[Amen. Even so] come, Lord Jesus.--The union with the Bridegroom draweth +nigh. + +22:21. The grace of [our] THE Lord Jesus Christ be with [you all] THE +SAINTS, Amen.--The first of the saints to whom will be extended the +unmerited favor of a raising up out of death to perfection will be the +Little Flock; the next class of saints to be reached will be the Great +Company; next in order will come forth the Ancient Worthies; and finally +the millions and billions of mankind, until at last Adam, himself, shall +come forth from the prison-house in which he has lain so long, and may, if +he will, receive again by the will of God, as a favor or grace at the +hands of Christ, the unspeakable boon of eternal life. + + ------------------------------------- + + + "The sweet persuasion of His voice + Respects thy sanctity of will, + He giveth day; thou hast thy choice + To walk in darkness still."--Whittier. + + + + + +THE SONG OF SOLOMON + + + + +The Bridal Anthem + + +1:1. The song of songs--The harmony of harmonies--the assembling in one +beautiful picture of many of the most beautiful figures of the Divine +Word. + +Which is Solomon's--Type of Christ in glory, as David was a type of Christ +in the flesh. + +1:2. Let him kiss me--A form of salutation signifying closest fellowship. +"Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss." "Betrayest thou the Son of man +with a kiss?" + +With the kisses--The oft repeated endearments. + +Of His Mouth--Of His Word, the Scriptures. + +For Thy love--Thy caresses, the repeated assurances of guidance, +protection, companionship, love and care. + +Is better than wine--Wine is a symbol of doctrine. "They also have erred +through wine." "They are drunken, but not with wine." "All nations have +drunk of the wine." "I will not henceforth drink of this fruit of the +vine." "Be not drunk with wine." Although a sound faith is essential, yet +of faith, hope and love, the greatest is love; therefore, love is better +than wine. The Lord's assurances of love are even more precious to the +Bride than the precious doctrines so vital to her happiness. + +1:3. Because of the savour--The sweet perfume. + +Of Thy good ointments--The Holy Spirit, the holy anointing oil of the +priesthood. + +Thy name--Christ, which means "Anointed." + +Is as ointment--The holy anointing oil, the Holy Spirit. + +Poured forth--At His baptism upon the Head, at Pentecost on the Body. + +Therefore--Because of their admiration and appreciation of Christ's Holy +Spirit. + +Do the virgins--The pure in heart. + +Love Thee--Seek fellowship with Thee, aspire to learn of Thee, to cultivate +Thy graces, to be near Thee. + +1:4. Draw me--"No man can come to Me except the Father draw him." "All +Thine are Mine." + +We will run--Not sit in the seat of the scornful, nor stand in the way of +sinners, nor walk in the counsel of the ungodly, but run with patience the +race set before us. + +After Thee--The Forerunner. The First-born from the dead. The first to pass +over the narrow way. The Head, that in all things He might have the +preeminence. Not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. + +The King--The Lord Jesus, typified by Solomon. "So shall the King greatly +desire thy beauty." + +Hath brought me--Even in the present life. + +Into His chambers--Into the "Holy," the spirit-begotten condition, the +first heavenly condition; made us to sit down in heavenly places in +Christ. + +We will be glad--"Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous." + +And rejoice in Thee--"And again I say, Rejoice." + +We will remember--Will meditate upon, think of. + +Thy love--Thy caresses, assurances of guidance, protection, companionship, +love and care. + +More than wine.--More even than the doctrines. + +The upright--Those without deceit, guileless, honest. + +Love Thee--Seek fellowship with Thee, aspire to learn of Thee, to cultivate +Thy graces, to be near Thee. + +1:5. I am black--The bride of Moses, Zipporah, type of the Bride of Christ, +was an Ethiopian woman--a Gentile. + +But comely--"The King's Daughter is all glorious within"; her intentions +are pure, spotless in God's sight. + +O ye daughters--Professed children. + +Of Jerusalem--Of the Kingdom of God. The true Church instinctively +recognizes that her detractors are to be found among God's professed +people. + +As the tents of Kedar--Kedar was one of the children of Ishmael, and the +name thus stands for the Ishmaelites, or Bedouins. Their tents are their +homes; and though made of black goat's hair and outwardly stained they are +often luxurious in the interior, being hung with costly tapestries. + +As the curtains--Between the Holy and the Most Holy. + +Of Solomon--Of Solomon's Temple. These curtains, or rather a similar +curtain which hung in Herod's temple, and which was rent in twain on the +day of our Lord's death, was most wonderful, being some thirty feet long, +fifteen feet wide and five inches thick. + +1:6. Look not upon me--Look not _so_ upon me (Leeser); the Bride kindly +expostulates with her critics. + +Because I am black--Because I am somewhat black (Leeser); the Bride does +not deny her imperfections, but is not disposed to admit that she is +altogether worthless. + +Because the Sun--The searching light of the true Gospel which exposes every +defect. + +Hath looked upon me--Judgment must begin at the House of God. The Bride's +sins are open beforehand, known to all men. God's Word exposes the +weaknesses of almost every noble character whose life is there recorded. + +My mother's children--Sitting and speaking against their brother, their own +mother's son. + +Were angry with me--"Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for My +name's sake," etc. "The brother shall betray the brother to death." + +They made me--Elected me, appointed me. + +The keeper--Class-leader, Sunday-school teacher, etc. + +Of the vineyards--Sunday-schools, Christian Endeavor societies, Epworth +Leagues, Young People's unions. + +But mine own vineyard--The cultivation of the fruits of the Spirit. + +Have I not kept--I have been too busy with "church work," to look after my +own best spiritual interests. + +1:7. Tell me--The Bride continues. + +O Thou--Christ. + +Whom my soul loveth--Whom having not seen, we love. + +Where Thou feedest--"Wheresoever the carcase is there will the eagles be +gathered together." + +Where thou--The Good Shepherd. + +Makest Thy flock--The Flock of God. + +To rest--My people have forgotten their resting-place. + +At noon--Where the grass is long and sweet, and where there are +opportunities to draw specially near to the Shepherd. "He maketh me to lie +down in green pastures." + +For why should I be--Why should I longer appear to others to be. + +As one that turneth aside--As one that goeth astray. + +By the flocks--Not _in_ them; for I never was in any other intentionally. I +thought these other flocks _were_ yours. + +Of Thy companions--Other great teachers; heads of other churches; +Antichrist systems. + +1:8. If thou know not--The Heavenly One replies. + +O thou fairest--The Lord does not taunt her with her self-confessed stains. + +Among women--Churches, true and false. + +Go thy way forth--There is something for you to do. + +By the footsteps--He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him. + +Of the flock--Look about you; and when you see those whose lives indicate +that they are true sheep, and when they urge you "Come and see," follow +Nathaniel's example. + +And feed thy kids--Inquiring ones, newly interested, especially if they +manifest any goat-like tendencies. + +Beside the shepherds' tents--Take them to the elders' or deacons' homes for +further instruction in the right ways of the Lord; or, apply the same +principle by bringing the _Scripture Studies_ to their attention, thus +introducing them to the teacher who has answered all our hard questions. + +1:9. I have compared thee--The Lord continues. + +O My Love--"Love one another as I have loved you." + +To a company--144,000. + +Of horses--Fond of their Master, quick to do His bidding, easily guided, +quiet, faithful, temperate, long-suffering. + +In Pharaoh's chariots--The best in the world. + +1:10. Thy cheeks are comely--The Lord continues to shower compliments upon +His Espoused. + +With rows of jewels--Jewels of Divine Truth; the ornaments of a meek and +quiet spirit. + +Thy neck--The yoke-bearing member. "Take My yoke upon you"; a yoke is built +for two--Jesus and one other. + +With chains of gold.--The Divine nature. Each act of loyal burden-bearing +becomes a link in the golden chain. + +1:11. We--My Father and I. + +Will make thee borders--"A House not made with hands eternal in the +Heavens." + +Of gold--The Divine nature. + +With studs of silver--The House will be truly yours; that which is your +own. + +1:12. While the King--The Bride thus speaks of her Lord. + +Sitteth at His table--Breaking the Bread of Life to His Household. + +My spikenard--Devotion, as Illustrated by Mary's alabaster box. + +Sendeth forth the smell thereof--"Did not our hearts burn within us while +He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?" +At such times the fires of Heavenly love burn fiercest. + +1:13. A bundle of myrrh--Wisdom. "In Him are hid all the treasures of +wisdom and of knowledge." + +Is my well-beloved--Christ. + +Unto me--"Who of God is made unto us Wisdom." "We have the mind of Christ." + +He shall lie all night--During this dark time while evil is permitted. + +Betwixt my breasts--I will take the Lord into my bosom, "More dear, more +intimately nigh than e'en the sweetest earthly tie." + +1:14. My Beloved--Christ, on the other side of the veil. + +Is unto me--The Bride, still toiling on this side of the veil. + +As a cluster of camphire--A cooling, fragrant shade, a refuge from the +fierce heat; "as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." + +In the vineyards of Engedi--Located on the shore of the Dead Sea, in one of +the hottest of climates. + +1:15. Behold thou art fair.--The Bridegroom speaks again. + +My love--My Bride to be. + +Behold thou art fair--Beautiful of heart. + +Thou hast dove's eyes--Heavenly wisdom--the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. + +1:16. Behold Thou art fair--"Fairer than the children of men." The Bride +returns the compliment. + +My Beloved--"Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his +life for his friends." + +Yea pleasant--The disciplines are as nothing compared to the joy of your +fellowship. + +Also, our bed--The place of our rest; "let the saints be joyful in glory, +let them sing aloud upon their beds." + +Is green--Our rest will be everlasting. "They rest from their labors." + +1:17. The beams of our house--The covering over us; "the Head of Christ is +God." + +Are cedar--Immortal. + +And our rafters--Wainscoting; the environment on all sides. + +Of fir--Everlasting. Where changes never come. + +2:1. I am the rose--Glorious, beautiful, without a peer. + +Of Sharon--(The Plain). Not seeking exaltation. + +The lily--Pure, fragrant, exquisite. + +Of the valleys--Meek and lowly of heart. + +2:2. As the lily--Pure, humble, defenseless; so the Heavenly One responds. + +Among thorns--Which scratch, tear and wound. + +So is My love--"Continue ye in my love." + +Among the daughters--Nominal church organizations. + +2:3. As the apple tree--The Bride thus refers to Christ. + +Among the trees--With a fruitage greater in variety, color, flavor, +quantity and lasting quality. + +Of the wood--Which run largely to leaves, professions. + +So is my Beloved--"We love Him because He first loved us." + +Among the sons--The other sons of God with whom we are acquainted. + +I sat down--"Come ye yourselves apart, and rest awhile." + +Under His shadow--His protecting love and care. + +And His fruit--His perfect fruitage of love. + +Was sweet to my taste.--"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!" + +2:4. He brought me--Guided me by His Word and providences. + +To the banqueting house--To sup with Him and He with me. + +And His banner--The banner under which He fought the good fight of faith. + +Over me--And under which I also am enlisted. + +Was love--Love of the highest order. + +2:5. Stay me--Nerve me for the war. + +With flagons--The pure doctrines of the Kingdom. + +Comfort me--Strengthen me for the conflict. + +With apples--Spiritual food; bread from Heaven. + +For I am sick of love--Am lovesick, over-sentimental, dreamy, not +sufficiently awake to the fact that true love includes service and +sacrifice. + +2:6. His left hand--His power as illustrated in the guidance of His people +into all necessary Truth. + +Is under my head--Directing my mental faculties. + +And His right hand--His power as illustrated in overruling all things that +would harm me. + +Doth embrace me--"Secure in His tender embrace, I've nothing to doubt or to +fear." + +2:7. I charge you--I must give you this message. + +O ye daughters--Professed children; nominal Spiritual Israel. + +Of Jerusalem--The Kingdom of God. + +By the roes--Which you regard as the loveliest things of earth, as +illustrated by the statuary on your estates. + +And by the hinds--The things which you regard as most full of grace; +therefore typical of your churches, colleges, hospitals, libraries and +charitable institutions. + +Of the field--The world, the present order of things. + +That ye stir not up--Seek not to arouse. + +Nor awake my love--To take charge of earth's affairs. + +Till He please.--For when He does stand up to assume control, "there will +be a Time of Trouble, such as never was," in which all these beautiful +things upon which you have set your heart will be obliterated. + +2:8. The voice of my Beloved--The Church suddenly recognizes the joyful +sound, betokening the Second Presence of her Lord. + +Behold He cometh--"At midnight there was a cry raised. Behold, He cometh!" + +Leaping upon--Dismembering or changing the form of. + +The mountains--The autocratic governments of Spain, Portugal, Sweden, +Russia, Turkey, Persia and China. + +Skipping upon--Shattering old customs and old political parties, and +placing the people more in the ascendency. + +The hills--The less autocratic governments of the United States, Mexico, +Great Britain, France, etc. "The hills melt like wax at the presence of +the Lord." + +2:9. My Beloved is like--In swiftness of movement. + +A roe or a young hart--Swiftly leaping from mountain to mountain; preparing +the world for His coming Reign. + +Behold He standeth--"There standeth One among you whom ye know not." + +Behind our wall.--The wall of our earthly house, unseen by the eye of +flesh. + +He looketh forth--He looketh in. + +At the windows--The windows of the soul, the eyes of the understanding. + +Showing Himself--Revealing the fact of His Second Presence. + +Through the lattice--Parallels and cross references of Holy Writ. + +2:10. My Beloved spake--"Thine ears shall hear a voice behind thee." + +And said unto me--Through the words of the Prophets and the Apostles. + +Rise up, My love--"Awake, awake! put on thy strength." + +My fair one--"Put on thy beautiful garments." + +And come away--From earthly to Heavenly conditions. + +2:11. For lo, the winter--The time of the burning of the tares; "pray ye +that your flight be not in the winter." + +Is past--Will shortly be past. + +The rain--The deluge of Truth. + +Is over and gone.--The Harvest work is all accomplished: will have been +finished at the time here indicated. + +2:12. The flowers--Promise of a new fruitage. + +Appear on the earth--Among the restitution class. + +The time of the singing--The harmonious mating. + +Of birds is come--Of Heaven-sent prophecies and their fulfilments. "Search +ye out and see; not one of these shall want her mate"; i. e., every word +of every prophecy will be fulfilled. + +The voice of the turtle--The turtle-dove; "the congregation of Thy poor" is +thus described by the Psalmist. + +Is heard in our land--The poor begin to take hope; the harbingers of the +New Era are about us on every hand. + +2:13. The fig tree--The Jewish nation. + +Putteth forth--"Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot +forth ... know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh." + +Her green figs--Plans for re-establishment in Palestine. + +And the vines--Of the Father's right hand planting. + +With the tender grape--Bearing the precious fruitage of love, joy, peace, +long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. + +Give a good smell--Yield a sweet perfume to the husbandman. "My Father is +the Husbandman." + +Arise My Love--"Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead." + +My fair one--The queen in gold of Ophir, Daughter of the Great King. + +And come away.--"Forget also thine own people and thy father's house." + +2:14. O my Dove--The Bride addresses her unseen Lord. + +That art in--Directly _in_, fully _in_, guiding, controlling. + +The clefts--The apparent fractures or injuries. + +Of the rock--The Kingdom; the Stone cut out without hands. + +In the secret places--The dark corners of life's experiences, where we halt +trembling and afraid. + +Of the stairs--The stepping stones by which we ascend to the Heavenly City. + +Let me see Thy countenance--"I shall be satisfied when I awake in Thy +likeness." + +Let me hear Thy voice--"The sheep follow Him; for they know His voice." + +For sweet is Thy voice--"Grace is poured into Thy lips." + +And Thy countenance is comely--"I will that they may be with Me where I am, +that they may behold My glory." + +2:15. Take us the foxes--Take away from us the sly faults, originating in +the deceitful mind of the flesh. + +The little foxes--Secret beginnings of sin in the mind. + +That spoil the vines--That prevent us from yielding the fruitage of love so +precious in Thy sight. + +For our vines--"I am the Vine; ye are the branches." + +Have tender grapes--Have begun a fruitage, which is ripening beautifully in +the Father's sight. + +2:16. My Beloved is mine--"The Head can not say to the feet, I have no need +of you." + +And I am His--"If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not +of the body, is it not of the body?" + +He feedeth--Bestows His spiritual favors upon. + +The lilies--"The meek will He guide in judgment; the meek will He teach His +way." + +2:17. Until the day break--Until the Messianic Morning has fully dawned. + +And the shadows--Of the reign of sin and death. + +Flee away--Depart forever. + +Turn my Beloved--Continue to hide Thyself from earthly eyes. + +And be Thou like--In Thy swiftness of movement. + +A roe or a young hart--Leaping from mountain to mountain--kingdom to +kingdom. + +Upon the mountains--Gentile dominions. + +Of Bether--Of divisions, which separate us from Thee and separate Thee from +Thy long-promised Reign. + +3:1. By night--While I was still in the dark in regard to God's great Plan. + +On my bed--My creed bed, the one from which I have now been taken, but in +which many others are still left. + +I sought Him--Sought intimate fellowship with Him. + +Whom my soul loveth--"He that loveth father or mother ... son or daughter +more than Me is not worthy of Me." + +I sought Him--Christ, the Heavenly Bridegroom. + +But I found Him not--Certainly not; how absurd of me to expect to greet the +Bridegroom when I was in bed, sound asleep! + +3:2. I will rise now--This creed bed is uncomfortable; it is "shorter than +that a man can stretch himself on it." + +And go about the city--Interest myself in the activities of Christendom. + +In the streets--Enter into the affairs of its governments. + +And in the broad ways--Plunge into its pleasures--"gay white ways," etc. + +I will seek Him--Try to find the place of rest. + +Whom my soul loveth--For which my soul longs. "We who have believed do +enter into rest." + +I sought Him--Sought rest of heart in all these ways. + +But I found Him not--"All that my soul has tried left but an aching void." + +3:3. The watchmen--Of nominal Zion; the clergy. + +That go about the city--Christendom, Babylon. + +Found me--Drew me under their influence. + +To whom I said--Having become deeply interested in the subject of the +Lord's promised Return. + +Saw ye Him--Have you discerned the fact of the Bridegroom's Presence? + +Whom my soul loveth--There was no reply, for the reason that "His watchmen +are blind; they are all ignorant: they are all dumb dogs; they cannot +bark." + +3:4. It was but a little--"He is not far from us." + +That I passed from them--Became unbound, unfettered. + +But I found Him--Was made acquainted with the proofs of the Parousia. + +Whom my soul loveth--We ought to live for Him who died for us. + +I held Him--"Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." + +And would not let Him go--"I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me." + +Till I had brought Him--Till I had accompanied Him. + +Into my mother's house--The antitypical Sarah tent. + +And into the chamber--Heaven itself. + +Of her that conceived me--The Sarah Covenant; the Oath-bound Covenant. + +3:5. I charge you--I must give you this message. + +O ye daughters--Professed children. + +Of Jerusalem--The Kingdom of God. + +By the roes--Which you regard as the loveliest things of earth, as +illustrated by the statuary on your estates. + +And by the hinds--The things which you regard as most full of grace; +therefore typical of your churches, colleges, hospitals, libraries and +charitable institutions. + +Of the field--The world, the present order of things. + +That ye stir not up--Seek not to arouse. + +Nor awake my Love--To take charge of earth's affairs. + +Till He please--For when He does stand up to assume control, "there will be +a Time of Trouble such as never was," in which all these beautiful things +upon which you have set your heart will be obliterated. + +3:6. Who is this that cometh--The Lord's professed people thus speak of the +evidences of the Lord's Second Presence. + +Out of the wilderness--The Time of Trouble having come, they recognize that +the long-promised Second Coming of the Lord is an accomplished fact. + +Like pillars of smoke--Terrible in majesty, definite, personal, intangible. +"I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and +pillars of smoke." + +Perfumed with myrrh--Anointed with Wisdom. + +And frankincense--Praise to Jehovah. + +With all powders--All ingredients of the holy anointing oil, type of the +Holy Spirit. + +Of the merchant--The apothecary; the Heavenly Father. "God gave not the +Spirit by measure unto Him." + +3:7. Behold His bed--The place of His ultimate rest and ours. + +Which is Solomon's--Christ's, in glory. + +Threescore valiant men--The sixty centuries during which evil has been +permitted. + +Are about it--Standing between the people of God and the rest which He has +promised. + +Of the valiant--Invincible, immovable. + +Of Israel--Of the people of God. All the centuries belong to God; they are +His servants, working out His sovereign will. + +3:8. They all hold swords--Since the slaughter of Abel, all the centuries +have been filled with bloodshed. + +Being expert in war--War has prevailed throughout the earth during all that +time. + +Every man hath his sword--Every century has its implements of war. + +Upon his thigh--Ready for use upon the slightest provocation. + +Because of fear--The present world-war is due to mutual fear and distrust. + +In the night--The time of the permission of evil; the time for dark motives +and dark deeds. + +3:9. King Solomon--Christ, in glory. + +Made Himself a chariot--_Appiryon_, palanquin; a magnificent vehicle +provided for a queen's reception and her entrance into the royal city, and +in which the King goes forth to meet her; typified by the chariot of fire +which bore Elijah away from earthly scenes: the magnificent spectacle with +which this Age will end.--See page 63. + +Of the wood of Lebanon--The saints. The typical temple was built, in part, +of cedar and fir timber cut from Mt. Lebanon. + +3:10. He made the pillars thereof--The corner posts, just outside the place +of greatest honor. + +Of silver--The Great Company. + +The bottom thereof--The canopy overhead; "that in all things He might have +the preeminence." + +Of gold--The Divine nature. + +The covering thereof--The seat; the Throne of the Royal Priesthood. + +Of purple--Royalty. + +The midst thereof--The heart of it. + +Being paved with love--Love of the highest order--love for enemies. + +For the daughters--The professed children; nominal Spiritual Israel. + +Of Jerusalem--The Kingdom of God. + +3:11. Go forth--"Come out of her," out of Babylon. + +O ye daughters of Zion--My people; God's people. + +And behold King Solomon--Get clear views of Christ. + +With the crown--The Crown of Life; the Divine nature. + +Wherewith His mother--The Sarah Covenant. + +Crowned Him--With glory and honor. + +In the day--Pentecost. + +Of His espousals--When the antitypical Eliezer was received by the +antitypical Rebecca. + +And in the day--Now at hand, praise the Lord! + +Of the gladness of His heart--When the marriage of the Lamb takes place. +"Blessed is he that is called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." + +4:1. Behold thou art fair--The Lord addresses His Bride anew. + +My love--"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life +for his friend." + +Behold thou art fair--"So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty." + +Thou hast dove's eyes--The Heavenly wisdom. + +Thy hair--Woman's hair was given her for a covering, and it is her glory. +The righteousness of Christ is the Bride's covering, and it is her glory. + +Is as a flock of goats--Thick, luxuriant. + +That appear from Mt. Gilead--The flocks of goats on Mt. Gilead are of +unusual size to this day. + +4:2. Thy teeth--Masticators, grinders, assimilators of spiritual food. + +Are like a flock--In glistening array. + +That are even shorn--When the lips are parted. + +Which come up from the washing--Cleansing by salivation. + +Whereof every one bear twine--Whereof they come forth in pairs. + +And none is barren--None is without its mate. + +Among them--The teeth are perfect in form and number, illustrating the +Bride's ability to feed upon the strong meat which "belongeth to them that +are of full age." + +4:3. Thy lips--"O Lord open Thou my lips!" "My mouth shall praise Thee with +joyful lips." + +Are like a thread of scarlet--As the scarlet thread of redemption runs +through the Divine Word, so it is with you, and on your lips--the all- +absorbing theme of life. + +And thy speech is comely--"My speech shall distil as the dew." + +Thy temples are like--Thy mind, the mind of the New Creature, may be +properly compared to. + +A piece of pomegranate--The pomegranate curiously combines the flavors of +all fruits. It thus well illustrates the New Mind, which, under the +influence of the Holy Spirit, brings to perfection the fruitage of love, +the sum of all the Christian graces. + +Within thy locks--Behind thy veil; concealed by the veil of the flesh. + +4:4. Thy neck--Willingness to bear burdens. + +Is like the tower of David--David was a type of the Church militant. + +Builded for an armory--Designed to accommodate a great number. + +Whereon there hang a thousand--"One shall chase a thousand." + +Bucklers of shields of mighty men--"I can do all things through Christ, +which strengtheneth me." + +4:5. Thy two breasts--"The breasts of her consolations, whereof ye may suck +and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted." + +Are like two young roes--The Scriptures, the Word of God, quick and +powerful. + +That are twins--The Old and New Testament Scriptures are identical in +origin, spirit and purpose. + +Which feed among the lilies--"The meek will He guide in judgment; the meek +will He teach His way." + +4:6. Until the Day--The Millennial Day. The Bride is the speaker. + +Break--Has fully dawned. + +And the shadows--Of the Valley of the Shadow of Death in which I now walk. + +Flee away--Are gone. + +I will get me--In spirit. + +To the mountain of myrrh--The Kingdom of Wisdom. + +And to the hill of frankincense--Praise, heart adoration. + +4:7. Thou art all fair--Blameless, faultless. The Lord responds. + +My love--His love is commended to us in that "while we were yet sinners +Christ died for the ungodly." + +There is no spot--You have kept your garments unspotted from the world. + +In thee--"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our +sins and to cleanse us." + +4:8. Come with Me--To our Heavenly inheritance. + +From Lebanon--From your present unfinished condition. The typical temple +was built, in part, of cedar and fir timbers from Lebanon; but they had to +be hewn and finished before they could be used. + +My spouse--My espoused Bride. + +With Me from Lebanon--You are but following in the path I trod. + +Look from the top of Amana--The view from this peak is said to be +indescribably grand. Look away to Heaven. + +From the top of Shenir--(Peak or pointed.) Look beyond the sharp +experiences of the present. + +And Hermon--(Rugged or abrupt.) Look beyond the unkind words and deeds you +now encounter. + +From the lions' dens--You are now in the lions' dens, but look beyond them. +Satan goes about as a roaring lion; but no lion shall be there. + +From the mountains--Kingdoms of this world. Look beyond them. + +Of the leopards--Papacy and those of her spirit. "And the beast which I saw +was like unto a leopard." + +4:9. Thou hast ravished My heart--Taken it away. + +My sister, My spouse--The Bride of Christ is His sister. His Father is +their Father. His mother, the Sarah covenant, is their mother. "We, +brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the Promise." + +With one of thine eyes--With thy singleness of vision. "If thine eye be +single, thy whole body shall be light."--Matt. 6:22. + +With one chain of thy neck--With thy one bond of servitude; consecration to +the service of the Great King. + +4:10. How fair is thy love--How various and beautiful are its forms of +expression. + +My sister, My spouse--My Father's Daughter, My espoused Bride. + +How much better is thy love--The ways in which you show your devotion to +me. + +Than wine--Than thy doctrines, some of which, in the past, have been badly +mixed. + +And the smell--The sweet fragrance. + +Of thine ointments--The anointing oil; the Holy Spirit. + +Than all spices--Than all other virtues. + +4:11. Thy lips, O My spouse--My beloved Bride to be. + +Drop as the honeycomb--Distil a dropping of pure honey; sweet and helpful +words. + +And the smell--The sweet perfume. + +Of thy garments--The robe of Christ's righteousness. + +Is like the smell--The life-giving odors. + +Of Lebanon--The cedar and fir trees of Lebanon. + +4:12. A garden enclosed--A heart-garden, shut out of sight of all but its +owners. + +Is My sister, My spouse--My Father's daughter, My espoused Bride. + +A spring shut up--"It shall be in you a well of water springing up unto +everlasting life." + +A fountain sealed--Sealed with the King's own signet, until the time comes +that all the well springs are brought together in the first resurrection, +to constitute the fountain from which will flow the River of the Water of +Life. + +4:13. Thy plants are--The plants in your heart-garden are illustrated by. + +An orchard of pomegranates--The pomegranate curiously combines the flavors +of all fruits and thus well represents love, the sum of all the Christian +graces. + +With pleasant fruits--Pleasing characteristics. + +Camphire--Rest, trust, confidence. + +With spikenard--Fragrant devotion, as illustrated by Mary's alabaster box. + +4:14. Spikenard and saffron--Fragrant devotion and long-suffering. + +Calamus and cinnamon--Knowledge and understanding. + +With all trees of frankincense--Praise, heart adoration. + +Myrrh and aloes--Wisdom and patience. + +With all chief spices--All the remaining elements of Christian character. + +4:15. A fountain--In the midst. + +Of gardens--Beautiful, clear, sparkling, life-giving. + +A well of living waters--Invigorating the whole world in the New Age. "The +water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up +unto everlasting life." + +And streams from Lebanon--Pure, refreshing. + +4:16. Awake O North wind--Storms of adversity. The Bride speaks. + +And come thou South--Balmy breezes. "Some days are bright and sweet with +praise, some with accepted pain." + +Blow upon my garden--My heart-garden, in which I seek to develop the fruits +most pleasing to my Lord. + +That the spices thereof--The aroma of good deeds, kind words and noble +thoughts. + +May flow out--Manifest itself to the Lord and to others. + +Let my Beloved--Bridegroom, Christ. + +Come into His garden--Come into my heart. + +And eat--Appropriate to His use and pleasure. + +His pleasant fruits--The fruits of love, which He has cultivated within me. + +5:1. I am come--The Lord responds. + +Into My garden--I have accepted your invitation to come in and make My +abode with you. + +My sister, My spouse--My Father's Daughter, My espoused Bride. + +I have gathered My myrrh--Wisdom; generally the result of bitter +experience. Myrrh means bitter. + +With My spice--The fragrant and sweet ingredients of the Holy Spirit. + +I have eaten--Accepted, appropriated, consumed. + +My honeycomb--The sacrificers themselves. + +With My honey--With the sacrifices of praise which they offered. + +I have drunk My wine--Taken note of the doctrines you teach. + +With My milk--Noticed also the manner and spirit with which you present the +milk of the Word to those not so far advanced. + +Eat, O friends--The Lord addresses the needy world. + +Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved--"He, every one that thirsteth, +come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; +yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." + +5:2. I sleep--"While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept." +The Foolish Virgin class is here represented as speaking. + +But my heart waketh--At heart the Foolish Virgins are loyal to the Lord. + +It is the voice of my Beloved--She recognizes the evidences of the Lord's +Second Advent. + +That knocketh--"Behold, I stand at the door and knock." + +Saying Open to me--"If any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come +in to him." + +My sister, My love--The Foolish Virgins are children of the same Father, +and are also born of the Sarah Covenant, but the Lord does not address +them as His spouse. + +My dove, My undefiled--The Great Company class are pure in their hearts +intentions. + +For My head--"As one who has vowed a vow of a Nazarite to separate himself +unto Jehovah." + +Is filled with dew--Freshness, vigor. "Thou hast the dew of Thy youth." + +And My locks--"All the days of his separation there shall no razor come +upon his head. Till the days be fulfilled in the which he separateth +himself unto Jehovah, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the +hair of his head grow." + +With the drops--Experiences. + +Of the night--My consecration to Jehovah has been steadfast throughout the +world's dark night of sin. + +5:3. I have put off--Temporarily laid aside. The Foolish Virgins reply. + +My coat--The wedding robe which You provided. + +How shall I--How can I see to. + +Put it on--I am in the midst of the dark night of the Time of Trouble. + +I have washed my feet--I am a church member, in good and regular standing. + +How shall I defile them--Why should I leave my creed bed and obey Your call +to come out of Babylon? + +5:4. My Beloved--In His great love and pity for me. + +Put in His hand--Exerted His mighty power. + +By the hole of the door--Rattled the time-lock. + +And my bowels--My heart. + +Were moved for Him--Was stirred to action, but too late to go in with Him +to the wedding. + +5:5. I rose up--Roused myself to activity. + +To open to my Beloved--Just as the Harvest was past. + +And my hands--Holding the keys to the Bible, the _Studies_. + +Dropped with myrrh--Wisdom, gleaned from the _Scripture Studies_, till then +neglected. + +With sweet smelling myrrh--A knowledge of all the precious things of +Present Truth. + +Upon the handles--The lines of prophetical evidence. + +Of the lock--The time features of the Lord's Plan. + +5:6. I opened to my Beloved--After the Harvest work was finished. + +But my Beloved--True to His word. + +Had withdrawn Himself--"And they that were ready went in with Him to the +marriage." + +And was gone--And the door was shut. + +My soul failed when He spake--I lacked the love, faith and hope to obey +promptly. + +I sought Him--"Many shall strive to enter in but shall not be able when +once the Master of the House hath risen up and shut to the door." + +But found Him not--"I am He that shutteth and no man openeth." + +I called Him--"Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter +in." + +But He gave me no answer--No hope of being His Bride and Joint-heir. + +5:7. The watchmen--Watchmen in nominal Zion, the clergy of the nominal +church. + +That went about the city--Christendom. + +Found me--Observed my course in accepting Present Truth and withdrawing +from their systems. + +They smote me--"With arrows, even bitter words." + +They wounded me--Wounded my reputation. + +The keepers--Civil authorities. + +Of the walls--The Governments, the bulwarks of Christendom. + +Took away my veil from me--Were instigated to destroy me, to cause me to +pass into death. + +5:8. I charge you--The Foolish Virgin class continues. + +O daughters of Jerusalem--O all who profess to love Him. + +If ye find my Beloved--If you yourself expect to be of the Bride class. + +That ye tell Him--In my behalf. + +That I am sick of love--Hungering for His companionship, longing to see His +face, despite the fact that I did not open to Him promptly. + +5:9. What is thy Beloved--The Lord's professed people, now in nominal Zion, +speak. + +More than another beloved--Why is Christ any more to you than He is to me? + +O thou fairest among women--The Lord's professed people in nominal Zion +begin to awake to the fact that the last of the spiritually-minded ones +are leaving them. + +What is thy Beloved--To you. + +More than another beloved--To another. + +That thou dost so charge us--We would like to understand the reasons why +you are so deeply concerned, and why you persist in saying, "The Harvest +is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." + +5:10. My Beloved is white--"Holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from +sinners." The Foolish Virgin class responds to the Lord's professed people +in nominal Zion. + +And ruddy--A reference to His pierced side. "He was clothed in a vesture +dipped in blood." + +The chiefest--The standard-bearer or chieftain. + +Among ten thousand--Among ten thousand warriors. + +5:11. His head--"God gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church +which is His Body, that in all things He might have the preeminence." + +Is as the most fine gold--"Who only hath immortality." + +His locks are bushy--His consecration is perfect and complete. + +And black as a raven--And He remained steadfast in it unto death. + +5:12. His eyes--Wisdom. + +Are as the eyes of doves--Pure, peaceable, gentle. + +By the rivers of waters--By the channels of truth. + +Washed with milk--Primary elements of the Truth. + +And fitly set--All in perfect harmony. + +5:13. His cheeks--His countenance towards me. + +Are as a bed of spices--The personification of every virtue and every +grace. + +As sweet flowers--Towers of perfumes (margin), flowers trained upon +trellises; shedding a beauty and fragrance compelling the attention of +all. + +His lips like lilies--His speech modest, beautiful and sweet. "Never man +spake like this Man." + +Dropping sweet smelling myrrh--Distilling Heavenly wisdom. "My speech shall +distil as the dew." + +5:14. His hands--As in rolling or unrolling a scroll or parchment. + +Are as gold rings--Conform to the shape of the roll. "Thou art worthy to +take the roll and to open the seals thereof." + +Set with the beryl--Love of the Father. See page 335. + +His belly--The word signifies the whole body, from shoulders to thighs. + +Is as bright ivory--A beautiful vision. + +Overlaid with sapphires--Faithfulness. See page 334. "And they saw the God +of Israel, and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a +sapphire stone." + +5:15. His legs--The members that have been carrying on the work of the +Body. + +Are as pillars of marble--"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the +Temple of My God." + +Set upon sockets--Feet, the foot members. + +Of fine gold--"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him!" + +His countenance--Smile of favor. + +Is as Lebanon--Pure, invigorating, refreshing. + +Excellent as the cedars--Everlasting life. + +5:16. His mouth--His Word. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every +word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." + +Is most sweet--"All bare Him witness and wondered at the gracious words +that proceeded out of His mouth." + +Yea, He is altogether lovely--It is impossible to describe all His +excellencies; He is the sum of all that is to be desired. + +This is my Beloved--This is the One I love supremely. + +And this is my Friend--"I've found a Friend, O such a Friend!" + +O daughters of Jerusalem--O you who are nominally His. + +6:1. Whither is thy Beloved gone--After the door is shut, those who have +been nominally Christ's begin to give heed to the message of the Foolish +Virgins. + +O thou fairest among women--O most spiritually-minded amongst us. + +Whither is thy Beloved turned aside--We realize that He has entirely +withdrawn Himself from us. + +That we may seek Him with thee--Show us in the Word how He is now to be +found. "All that a man hath will he give for his life." + +6:2. My Beloved--The Foolish Virgin class, now thoroughly aroused to the +facts, explain to the Lord's professed children in nominal Zion. + +Is gone down--His Second Advent is accomplished. + +Into His garden--He has taken His Bride to Himself. + +To the beds of spices--To accept from her heart-garden the fragrant and +sweet ingredients of the Holy Spirit. + +To feed in the gardens--To receive to Himself the precious fruits love, +joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self- +control. + +And to gather lilies--To take the humble sweet ones home; to gather the +wheat class into the Heavenly garner. + +6:3. I am my Beloved's--The Great Company can not forget that they are +precious in the Lord's sight. + +And my Beloved is mine--"Fade, Fade, each earthly joy, Jesus is mine." + +He feedeth among the lilies--"The meek will He guide in judgment; the meek +will He teach His way." + +6:4. Thou art beautiful--At heart. The Lord again addresses His Bride. + +O My love--"Love one another as I have loved you." + +As Tirzah--A delight. + +Comely as Jerusalem--"The City of the Great King." + +Terrible--In the conquest of evil. + +As an army with banners--To an opposing host. + +6:5. Turn away thine eyes from Me--Observe the Lord's modesty and humility. + +For they have overcome Me--How the Lord delights to express His +appreciation of the virtues of His Bride, despite the fact that they are +all but feeble reflections of His own! + +Thy hair--Righteousness. Woman's hair was given her for a covering, and it +is her glory. The righteousness of Christ is the Bride's covering, and it +is her glory. + +Is as a flock of goats--Thick, luxuriant. + +That appear from Mt. Gilead--The flocks of goats on Mt. Gilead are of +unusual size to this day. + +6:6. Thy teeth--Masticators, grinders, assimilators of spiritual food. + +Are as a flock--In glistening array. + +Which go up from the washing--Cleansing by salivation. + +Whereof every one bear twins--They come forth in pairs. + +And there is not one barren--None is without its mate. + +Among them--The teeth are perfect in form and number, illustrating the +Bride's ability to feed upon the strong meat which "belongeth to them that +are of full age." + +6:7. As a piece of pomegranate--The pomegranate curiously combines the +flavors of all fruits. It thus well illustrates the New Mind, which, under +the influence of the Holy Spirit, brings to perfection the fruitage of +love, the sum of all the Christian graces. + +Are thy temples--Thy mind, the mind of the New Creature. + +Within thy locks--Behind thy veil; concealed by the veil of the flesh. + +6:8. There are threescore queens--Nominal church organizations openly +joined to earthly heads. + +And fourscore concubines--Even more are secretly violating their pledges of +spiritual virginity. Altogether the census shows about 150 sects. See page +160, where all the principal sects are enumerated. + +And virgins without number--Foolish Virgins, really pure at heart. + +6:9. My dove, My undefiled--The Virgin Bride of Christ. + +Is but one--"That they may be one, as We are." + +The only one--To share the glory, honor and immortality of Christ. + +Of her mother--The Oath-bound Covenant. + +She is the choice one--The specially favored one. + +Of her that bore her--The antitypical Sarah. + +The daughters--Professed children of God. + +Saw her--Discerned her, at the time of the manifestation of the Sons of +God. + +And blessed her--Called her blessed. + +Yea the queens--Those openly affiliated with worldly churches in union with +worldly governments. + +And the concubines--Those secretly thus affiliated. + +And they praised her--Acknowledged, in the end, that her course was right +and her exaltation merited. + +6:10. Who is she--The Bride. + +That looketh forth--Beams resplendent. + +As the morning--The Millennial Morning. + +Fair--Pure, just, holy, good. + +As the moon--"The law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but +after the Spirit." + +Clear--Glorious, light-giving. + +As the Sun--"Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom +of their Father." "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." + +And terrible--In the conquest of evil. + +As an army with banners--To an opposing host. + +6:11. I went down--Following the exaltation of the Bride. Christ speaks. + +Into the garden of nuts--The heart-gardens of the Foolish Virgin class. A +garden of nuts does not as quickly yield its treasures as a garden of +spices, to which the Bride's heart garden is likened. + +To see the fruits of the valley--Of the class that had not risen with the +Bride to the Pisgah heights of faith and hope and love. + +And to see whether--As a result of their experiences in the Time of +Trouble. + +The vine flourished--Their characters had been properly affected. + +And the pomegranates budded--To see whether there is promise of the fruits +of the Spirit coming to perfection. + +6:12. Or ever I was aware--I knew not how it was. + +My soul--Filled with love and pity for them. + +Made me like the chariots--Swiftly speeding to them to bless and help them +in their hour of extremity. + +Of Amminadib--Of My willing people, the Bride. + +6:13. Return, return--"Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal +your backslidings." + +O Shulamite--(Uneven one), you who have been uneven in your love, hope and +faith. + +Return, return, that We--My Father and I. + +May look upon thee--Smile upon thee; bestow blessings. "With gladness and +rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the King's palace." + +What will ye see--You who study the matter. + +In the Shulamite--The Foolish Virgin class. The answer is that you will +see. + +As it were the company--The Great Company. + +Of two armies--"A great multitude which no man can number." + +7:1. How beautiful are thy feet--"How beautiful upon the mountains are the +feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace." The Lord again addresses +His Bride. + +With shoes--"Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace." + +O Prince's daughter--Daughter of the King, Jehovah. + +The joints--"The whole Body, fitly joined together and compacted with that +which every joint supplieth." + +Of thy thighs--(Softness) gentleness, tenderness. + +Are like jewels--"They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day +when I make up My jewels." + +The work of the hands--"For we are His workmanship." + +Of a cunning workman--"As for God, His work is perfect." + +7:2. Thy navel--Umbilical cord; by which you are joined to the Oath-bound +Covenant, the Sarah Covenant; the cord of faith. + +Is like a round goblet--Generous in capacity. + +Which wanteth not liquor--Is full of the Divine promises. + +Thy belly--Spiritual digestive tract. + +Is like a heap of wheat--Solid spiritual food. + +Set about with lilies--Flowers of humility. + +7:3. Thy two breasts--"The breasts of her consolations, whereof ye may suck +and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted." + +Are like two young roes--"The Scriptures, the Word of God, quick and +powerful." + +That are twins--The Old and New Testament Scriptures are identical in +origin, spirit and purpose. + +7:4. Thy neck--Willingness to bear burdens. + +Is as a tower of ivory--Purity and strength. + +Thine eyes--Wisdom, Heaven-sent. + +Like the fishpools in Heshbon--Pure, deep. + +By the gate of Bath-Rabbim--Calm and strong. + +Thy nose--Scent for spiritual food. + +Is as the tower of Lebanon--Lofty, high, noble. + +Which looketh toward Damascus--"Visions of beauty rise before us." "He that +lacketh these things is blind and can not see afar off." + +7:5. Thine head upon thee--Thy reasoning faculties. + +Is like Carmel--(Crimson.) "Come now and let us reason together, saith the +Lord; though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; +though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool." + +And the hair of thine head--Thy righteousness. Woman's hair was given for a +covering, and her glory. The righteousness of Christ is the Bride's +covering, and her glory. + +Like purple--Royalty. The robe of Christ's righteousness, which the Bride +now wears, will ultimately become the robe of the Queen. + +The King is held--Bound, captive. + +In the galleries--The happy prison-house of the charms of His Bride. + +7:6. How fair--Beautiful at heart. "The King's daughter is all glorious +within." + +And how pleasant--When the New Creature is in full control. + +Art thou, O beloved--"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" + +For delights--For one with whom to enjoy the Father's favors and blessings +throughout eternity; heirs together of the grace of life. + +7:7. This thy stature--The stature of the fulness of Christ. + +Is like a palm tree--Tall, upright. + +And thy breasts--"The breasts of her consolations." + +To clusters of grapes--Suggestive of food and refreshment for the hungry, +when they shall suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted. + +7:8. I said--The world, in the Messianic Age, is the speaker. + +I will go up to the palm tree--"And many people shall come and say, Come +and let us go up to the House of the Lord." + +I will take hold--Lay hold of eternal life. + +Of the boughs thereof--The members bending over to lift me out of the miry +clay and the horrible pit. + +Now also thy breasts--Feeding and helping the famishing world in the New +Age. + +Shall be as clusters of the vine--Giving life and health. + +And the smell of thy nose--Thy scent for spiritual things and the blessed +results that follow. + +Like apples--Food for the hungry. + +7:9. And the roof of thy mouth--Where the praises of Jehovah reverberate. + +Like the best wine--The new wine of the Kingdom. + +For my Beloved--Christ will then be the world's Beloved, also. + +That goeth down sweetly--"I will not henceforth drink this fruit of the +vine till I drink it new with you in the Kingdom." + +Causing the lips--"Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust." + +Of those that are asleep--In death. + +To speak--Shall the dead arise and praise thee? + +7:10. I am my Beloved's--The Bride speaks again. + +And His desire is towards me--"So shall the King greatly desire thy +beauty." + +7:11. Come My beloved--The Lord addresses His Bride after the Time of +Trouble. + +Let us go forth--On our great mission of love and mercy. + +Into the field--Into the world, which needs us so much. + +Let us lodge--Take up our temporary dwelling-place. + +In the villages--"Have thou authority over ten cities!" "The tabernacle of +God is with men." + +7:12. Let us get up early--In the dawn of the New Age. + +To the vineyards--The hearts of mankind in general. + +Let us see if the vine flourish--If men are beginning to draw nigh to God. + +The tender grape appear--If there is promise of an ultimate fruitage +pleasing to the Father. + +And the pomegranates appear--If there are evidences that love, joy, peace, +long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, are going to abound. + +There--When you see with what infinite patience and wisdom and love I +cultivate the heart-gardens of men. + +Will I give thee--Cause thee to appreciate fully. + +My loves--The love with which I have loved thee. + +7:13. The mandrakes give a smell--The regeneration of the world is nigh. + +And at our gates--The Ancient Worthies are the gates by which the +restitution classes will come to the Mediator. + +Are all manner of pleasant--Agreeable, attractive, pleasing. + +Fruits new and old--The virtues which the Bride cultivated and others +especially appropriate to the changed conditions of the New Age. + +Which I have laid up--As a part of the much-diversified Plan of the Ages. + +For thee, O My beloved--For thy enjoyment. + +8:1 O that Thou--My Lord and Head. The Bride addresses her Lord. + +Wert as my brother--Not so immeasurably above me in character and station. + +That sucked the breasts of my mother--So that we would be on an equality +with each other. + +When I should find Thee without--Beyond the house of flesh. + +I would kiss Thee--Would feel free to express in Thy presence the great +love I feel. + +Yea I should not--Under such circumstances. + +Be despised--By the critics who now blame me for presuming to so high a +station as to be Thy Bride. + +8:2. I would lead thee and bring thee--But now it is Thou alone that are +competent to lead. + +Into my mother's house--The antitypical Sarah tent. + +Who would instruct me--"They shall be all taught of God." + +I would cause Thee to drink--Accept, appropriate, enjoy. + +Of spiced wine--Doctrines flavored with the Holy Spirit. + +Of the juice of my pomegranate--The pomegranate curiously combines the +flavors of all fruits. It thus well illustrates the fruitage of love, the +sum of all the Christian graces. + +8:3. His left hand--His power as illustrated in the guidance of His people +into all necessary truth. + +Should be under my head--Directing my mental faculties. + +And his right hand--His power as illustrated in overruling all things that +would harm me. + +Should embrace me--"Secure in His tender embrace, I'd have nothing to doubt +or to fear." + +8:4. I charge you--I must give you this message. + +O daughters of Jerusalem--Professed children of God. + +That ye stir not up--Seek not to arouse. + +Nor awake my Love--To take charge of earth's affairs. + +Until He please--For when He does stand up to assume control, "there will +be a Time of Trouble such as never was," in which all the earthly +organizations upon which you have set your heart will be obliterated. + +8:5. Who is this--The Heavenly Father thus speaks of the Bride. + +That cometh up--That cometh forward into prominence. + +From the wilderness--At the end of 1260 years of wilderness hiding and +papal supremacy. + +Leaning upon her Beloved--Upon her Lord. + +I raised thee up--"It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?" + +Under the apple tree--Under Christ, the Author and Finisher of your +salvation. + +There thy mother--The antitypical Sarah. + +Brought thee forth--"Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring +forth?" + +There she brought thee forth--The Oath-bound Covenant accomplished its end. + +That bare thee--From earthly to Heavenly conditions. + +8:6. Set me as a seal--Indelibly impressed. The Bride beseeches her Lord. + +Upon Thy heart--Thine infinite love. + +As a seal upon Thine arm--Thine infinite power. + +For love--Such love as I have for Thee. + +Is strong as death--"Neither death nor life shall be able to separate us +from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." + +Jealousy--The fear that I may not, after all, prove acceptable to You, as +Your Bride. + +Is cruel as the grave--Sheol, oblivion. + +The coals thereof--The weaknesses of my fallen flesh. + +Are coals of fire--Burned into my very soul. + +Which hath a most vehement flame--These burning thoughts of my +imperfections will be with me as long as I am in this tabernacle. + +8:7. Many waters--Nor angels nor principalities. + +Cannot quench love--The Father reassures the anxious Bride. + +Neither can the floods--"Nor things present nor things to come." + +Drown It--Extinguish it. + +If a man--The Man whom I have ordained. + +Would give all the substance of his House--All His own glorious station +with me on the Throne of the Universe. + +For love--In exchange for the love you have manifested for Him throughout +the dark night of your earthly career. + +It would utterly be condemned--Despised by the courts of Heaven. + +8:8. We--The Lord and His Bride together speak. + +Have a little sister--The Foolish Virgin class, born of the same Father and +the same antitypical Sarah, the Oath-bound Covenant. + +And she hath no breasts--Is not fully developed. + +What shall we do--What will be the Divine arrangement? + +For our sister--The Great Company class. + +In the day--The close of the Time of Trouble. + +When she shall be spoken for--Called to render up her account. + +8:9. If she be a wall--Bulwark of truth, on the One Foundation. + +We will build upon her--"Other foundation can no man lay." + +A palace of silver--Give her a place with the Great Company class. + +And if she be a door--By which men and women have found the Lord and the +Truth. + +We will inclose her--Give her an environment. + +With boards of cedar--Everlasting life. + +8:10. I am a wall--The Bride thus refers to herself as having been a +staunch defender of the Truth. "Lo, we have left all and followed Thee." +What then shall we have? + +And my breasts--Unlike the Foolish Virgins. + +Like towers--"Whereof ye may suck and be satisfied milk out and be +delighted." + +Then--Because I reached the development of character He desired. + +Was I in His eyes--The eyes of the Bridegroom. + +As one that found favor--Peace (margin). + +8:11. Solomon--Christ. + +Had a Vineyard--For growing the fruitage of love. + +At Baalhamon--(Lord of the multitude.) A reference to the Messianic Reign, +in which Christ will be Lord of all. + +He let out the vineyards--Gave the immediate care. + +Unto keepers--The Ancient Worthies, "whom Thou mayest make princes in all +the earth." + +Every one--Of the keepers. + +For the fruit thereof--The kind of fruitage expected. + +Was to bring--Present, offer. + +A thousand pieces of silver--Yield a rich return of truth and praise from +the hearts cultivated. + +8:12. My vineyard--The same vineyard. + +Which is mine--We are made joint-heirs with Christ. + +Is before me--Will take a thousand years to till. + +Thou, O Solomon--Christ. + +Must have a thousand--Tributes of praise. + +And those that kept the fruit thereof--The Ancient Worthies. + +Two hundred--A fifth as much, as their portion. + +8:13. Thou--The restitution classes, address their Lord. + +That dwellest in the gardens--The heart-gardens of the redeemed race. + +The companions--The Great Company; the companions that followed the Bride. + +Hearken to thy voice--Have entered with joy into the King's palace. + +Cause me to hear it--O Lord, I see there is hope to _me_. I _also_ would be +Thine. Show _me_ Thy will. + +8:14. Make haste, my Beloved--The restitution classes continue. + +And be Thou like--In thy swiftness of movement. + +To a roe or to a young hart--Leaping from mountain to mountain, kingdom to +kingdom. + +Upon the mountains--The various divisions of the Kingdom of God during the +Messianic Reign. + +Of spices--Good deeds, kind words and noble thoughts. "And I will make all +my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted." "The kingdoms of +this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He +shall reign for ever and ever." Amen. + + + + +The Heavenly Bridegroom + + + That He is mine and I am His, Oh! wondrous thought. + I am so poor, so weak, so lowly, can there aught + Of worthiness in me be found, that He should love + And seek me for His Bride? I hear His voice, "My Dove, + Thou art all fair, My Spouse, there is no spot in thee; + Thy speech is comely, better is thy love to Me + Than wine! Thine eyes as Heshbon's fish-pools, and like flocks + Upon Mount Gilead are thy spiced and flower-decked locks. + The winter's past, My Dove, come, come with Me away, + Far spent the night, make ready for thy nuptial day!" + My heart responds, "Throughout the many-centuried night + I've longed for Thee. I've waited for the dawning light; + And I have laid Thee like sweet myrrh upon my breast, + Thine arm beneath my weary head hath brought me rest. + Thou whom my soul doth love, Thy countenance is fair + To see within the secret places of the stair; + Thy head is like fine gold, how beautiful Thy feet! + Thine eyes as doves' eyes, and Thy lips with honey sweet. + I rise, my Lord, I leave my father's house, behold + My Robe of Righteousness, my raiment of wrought gold! + Oh! wealth of love divine, that claims me for Thine own. + Oh! miracle of grace, to seat me on Thy Throne. + Oh! glorious future hopes, Oh! bliss beyond compare, + Through all eternity Thy love and work to share!" + + --G.W.S. + + June 25, 1917. + + + + + +THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL + + + + +Ezekiel 1--God's Character And Plan + + +1:1. Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in +the fifth day of the month, at I was among the captives by the river of +Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.--Christ +promised that at His Second Advent He would raise up a "faithful and wise +servant," or "steward," who should watch and give forth in due season meat +for the Household of Faith. This one should be given charge of all the +Storehouse, the Word of God, to bring out of it things new and old. (Matt. +24:44-47; Luke 12:42-44.) The Prophet Ezekiel types this servant. As +Ezekiel was among the Lord's people, the Hebrews, in captivity in literal +Babylon, this servant was among those in captivity in Mystic Babylon, +beside the great river Chebar ("Joining"), the stream of commerce which +joins the nations, on which Christendom is founded, and from which she +draws her support, as did in a literal sense Babylon from her great river, +Euphrates. In the early seventies Charles Taze Russell found himself +engaged in commerce, but earnestly studying the Word of God, and striving +to teach what he found therein. In fulfilment of the Divine promise the +Heavenly things were opened to him (Matt. 3:16), and he saw the +significance of the visions, prophecies, given in olden times by the +Almighty. He was given a crystal-clear understanding of the character of +Jehovah. + + [Illustration] + + Ezekiel's Vision By The River Of Chebar + + +1:2, 3. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king +Jehoiachin's captivity, the Word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel +the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river +Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.--Men do not raise +themselves up to become great and honored agents in God's outworking of +the Divine Plan of the Ages (Luke 18:14; Eph. 3:11); but now and then +throughout the centuries Jehovah Himself (1 Cor. 12:18) has raised up +Christian men to carry forward one step or another of His purposes. God +made special use of St Paul, St John, Arius, Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe, +Martin Luther and Charles T. Russell. The significance of the word Ezekiel +is "God is strong," and epitomizes the faith and the message of Pastor +Russell. He shows the power of Jehovah to save His people now (Acts +15:14), and later to save all the willing and obedient of mankind. (Acts +15:17.) As Ezekiel was the son of Buzi, "Contemned of God," Pastor Russell +was born the child of a nominal religious system which is unfaithful to +Jehovah. Pastor Russell, by the faithful carrying out of his vow of +consecration to Divine service, was accepted as a true priest of the +Almighty. He sacrificed himself and all that he had until, in October, +1916, he died penniless, but rich in the things of God. Chosen expressly +by God to declare the message of Present Truth to the last, or Laodicean +age, of the Church, the hand, power, of Jehovah was upon him. + +1:4. And I looked and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great +cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it; and out +of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the +fire.--As a young man Charles T. Russell was looking intently to see what +might be discerned in the Word of God. "Watch," said the Master. Pastor +Russell took for his motto, "I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon +the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me." (Hab. 2:1) He +called his semi-monthly publication, "THE WATCH TOWER"; and, firm in the +belief that the Second Advent took place in 1874, he included as a sub- +title, "And Herald of Christ's Presence." The north symbolizes the +spiritual phase of the Kingdom of God. (Isa. 14:13; D. 653.) Pastor +Russell beheld coming, permitted by God, a great Time of Trouble, a +whirlwind of warfare, revolution and anarchy. (Jer. 25:32; Psa. 58:9, 10; +D. 528.) It was the cloud accompanying the approach to human affairs of +Him for whose Kingdom many have so long prayed. "Clouds and darkness are +round about Him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His +Throne, a fire goeth before Him and burneth up His enemies round about." +(Psa. 97:2) A conflagration, beginning with world war, is upon the earth, +developing into revolution and anarchy. Fire symbolises the last of these +misfortunes. (Dan. 7:11) The situation is complicated, infolding, +perplexing. None of the national leaders understand the situation. To the +poor world, in gross darkness, and lying "in the wicked one," the cloud is +full of darkness (Isa. 60:2), of gloominess (Joel 2:2; Zeph. 1:15); but to +those who are taken out of the world and into Christ, it is full of +brightness and hope--a white cloud, with a silver lining. In the bright +light of the dawning Day of Christ the faces of the Lord's people light up +with joy as they see these things coming to pass; for their "deliverance +draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28)--the deliverance, too, of the whole world from +the kingdom of Satan, the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), into the +glorious Kingdom of God, the other side of the trouble. With the +understanding of God, His work, plan and purpose, there shone forth the +amber, golden glow of the Divine presence, and of the true character, +nature and glory of the Almighty God of Love. The Father Himself is +supervising the troublous commotion, bruising to heal (Hos. 6:1), and +"shortening the days."--Matt. 24:22. + + [Illustration] + + One Of The Living Creatures + + +1:5. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living +creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a +man.--Out of the contemplation of the cloud of trouble, the worldwide +commotion, the destructive anarchy, and of the golden amber glow of God's +presence, came a wonderful understanding of something long misunderstood +and misrepresented--the character of God. As the vision showed "four living +creatures," so the Divine character was seen by the Laodicean steward to +consist of four active principles (Rev. 3:14); Justice, Power, Love and +Wisdom. The four have the likeness of a perfect man. + +1:6. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.--Each of +the four attributes has four characteristics or attributes; and each has +the Word of God (wings--Rev. 12:14), in the Old and New Testament, in two +different ways of operation (two pairs). + +1:7. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was +like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of +burnished brass.--The feet members of Christ, embodying the Divine +attributes on earth, are righteous (straight) in Christ's righteousness, +pure, unblemished in God's sight, holy, acceptable, living sacrifices (the +calf is a type of unblemished sacrifice); and they shine with the imputed +perfection of the Man Christ Jesus. + +1:8. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four +sides: and they four had their faces and their wings.--The hand is symbolic +of power and of execution of purpose. Overshadowed by the Word of God is +the Divine power (hand) to execute the thing purposed, operating through +human channels, through the power of men. He shows the qualities of the +Divine mind through man. Shielded, protected, sustained by the Word +(wings)--(Psa. 61:4), the work of the Almighty goes on through "the +foolishness of preaching." (1 Cor. 1:21.) Men and women are "coworkers +with God." (2 Cor. 6:1.) The hands (powers) of man are instruments for the +operation of infinite Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom. + +1:9. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they +went; they went everyone straight forward.--The wings (Psa. 91:4; Rev. +12:14) are perfectly joined together in unity of purpose and action. +Straight on to the end ordained of God goes His Word, upholding and +strengthening.--Isa. 46:10, 11. + +1:10. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, +and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of +an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.--The +character of Jehovah possesses four fundamental attributes, each composed +of all the others. The four faces or features of the living creatures +represent the four attributes of God, each inseparable from the others, +and in each operate each and all of the four. Divine Justice operates in +the fulness of Power, Love and Wisdom. In the fall of man into sin, +unbending Justice enforced death for disobedience. Love delayed the +execution of the sentence upon Adam 930 years (Gen. 5:5), that Wisdom +might impress upon the erring human son an indelible lesson of the +exceeding sinfulness of sin (Rom. 7:13) and the extent of the penalty, +death, that man, by said experience, might "know evil." (Gen. 3:5.) Divine +power will raise man from the dead, that he may learn to "know good" and +experience the fulness of the Father's Love and Wisdom. All who are +willing and obedient, who consecrate fully to God's will, shall enjoy +"pleasures forevermore" (Psa. 16:11) in the sunshine of Divine favor. The +unwilling and disobedient shall suffer the full penalty of Justice in the +Second Death (Rev. 21:8), "utter destruction" (2 Thes. 1:9), final and +eternal obliteration. (Psa. 37:10.) The face of a man symbolizes the +quality of Love, in the character image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:27), +the God of love. (1 John 4:8.) The ox represents Power (Rev. 4:7); for no +animal is stronger, or more patient in the exercise of strength. The +majestic lion is God's Justice, roaring its message of death, and +executing all that oppose its voice. (Psa. 89:14.) No other creature is so +far-sighted, or soars so high as the eagle. The eagle symbolizes Wisdom, +far-seeing, ordering all the affairs of the Almighty along the lines of +Justice, Power and Love. + +1:11. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two +wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their +bodies.--Each pair of wings (Rev. 12:14) symbolizes a separate function of +God's Word; one pair to fly with, to carry forward the Plan in the spirit +realm, the powers of the air (Eph. 2:2), the other to uphold "all things +by the Word" (Heb. 1:3) and to cover and protect.--Psa. 91:4. + +1:12. And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to +go, they went; and they turned not when they went.--Not with wavering, as +darkened minds imagine, proceeds the Divine Word, but "without +variableness or shadow of turning." (Jas. 1:17.) Wheresoever the mind, or +Spirit, of Jehovah sends forth His Word, thither straight onward go +perfect Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom. + +1:13. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was +like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up +and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of +the fire went forth lightning.--God's Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom glow +with the light of wisdom. The understanding of God's attributes makes +every quality of the Almighty to glow with a wondrous illumination to +anyone given to see the "visions of God" first perceived clearly by the +Laodicean Servant. "Thy Word is a lamp" (Psa. 119:105), shedding light in +the darkness, effecting a personal local illumination. The Word is a lamp +to the "feet" members of Christ. (Eph. 1:23.) Up and down, everywhere, +throughout all the Divine qualities, wherever manifested, spreads the +illumination now shining through the Lamp, the Word. + +1:14. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a +flash of lightning.--In the operation of Divine Justice, Power, Love and +Wisdom are sudden gleams of Heavenly wisdom upon great problems, such as +now light up the dark clouds of the Time of Trouble. + +1:15. Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the +earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.--The word "cycle," or +"wheel," is familiar in bicycle, motorcycle, and in cycle as applied to +epochs. The Divine attributes operate upon human society, the symbolic +earth, in cycles, or ages (Eph. 3:11), and in the mechanisms of ages by +which God's Plan is carried forward, His character, or face, is seen. + +1:16. The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour +of a beryl: and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their +work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.--Pliny says of the +beryl or chrysolithos, "It is a transparent stone with a refulgence like +that of gold." Says Smith's Bible Dictionary, "The ancient chrysolithos, +or modern topaz, appears to have a better claim than any other stone to +represent the _tarshish_ of the Hebrew Bible." Gold is symbolic of things +Divine. These golden cycles are the Divinely appointed ages in connection +with the four attributes of Deity. The Divine operations are not in one +simple age, cycle, or manner of operation, but cycle within cycle, age +within age, many operations working together "manifold" (Eph. 3:10), like +a vast and complicated machine. + +1:17. When they went, they went upon their four sides; and they turned not +when they went.--Divine Justice conflicts not with Divine Love, nor with +Wisdom nor Power, but all qualities are in simultaneous operation. They +proceed along lines planned ages ago.--Jas. 1:17. + +1:18. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and +their rings were full of eyes round about them four.--"As the heavens are +higher than the earth, so are My ways (plans) higher than your ways." +(Isa. 55:9.) The Plan of the Ages reveals the lengths, breadths, heights +and depths of the purposes of God, and fills the reverent soul with awe. +The Plan of God is full of the infinite Wisdom (eyes--Psa. 32:8) of its +Author.--B. 305. + +1:19. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and +when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were +lifted up.--Whenever God's attributes operate they are in accordance with +the Divine Plan; sometimes the Divine qualities are exercised towards +celestial things and sometimes towards things terrestrial.--1 Cor. 15:40. + +1:20. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their +spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the +spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.--The Spirit, or Power of +God, is in all His attributes and in all their operations. + +1:21. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and +when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over +against them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.--In +whatever direction the Divine Spirit is to act, whether in earthly things +or among spirit beings, thither the operations of the Spirit go in the +cooperative action of all God's attributes. When an age is finished and +one attribute ceases its action, they all cease. + +1:22. And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living +creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over +their heads above.--The firmament in the air or atmosphere (Gen. 1:20), and +symbolizes the powers of spiritual control. Above the attributes of God +and controlling their operations is the Divine will. The expression of +God's will during the time indicated by the vision is the Christ, Head and +Body. "All power in Heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:18) is given unto +Christ, and will be shared by His Bride and Joint-heir. (Rev. 20:4.) "The +terrible crystal"--literally "the reverential ice"--suggests the reverence +due to the ruling Christ Head and Body, and their own reverential attitude +towards the Father. The color is that of ice, clear as crystal, pure, +unmixed "truth in the inward parts" (Psa. 51:6), characterizing the new +ruling powers in the spiritual phase of the Kingdom of God. + +1:23. And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward +the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one +had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.--Beneath, subject to the +direction of the Christ, Head and Church triumphant, are the wings (Word +of God--Rev. 12:14). Whenever Divine Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom are in +action, the Word of God points straight up to the Father as the Source of +every good thing. + +1:24. And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise +of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the +noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings.--The sound of +the Father's Word is as the voice of great waters (Rev. 1:15), mighty +truths, in "the voice of speech," for the benefit of His children. It is +the voice of God, too, when spoken by His people. When Divine Justice, +Power, Love and Wisdom operate upon human society, then the Word of God is +in full harmony therewith. + +1:25. And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, +when they stood, and had let down their wings.--It is through the reigning +Christ, Zion, that the voice of Jehovah shall sound forth. "The Lord will +roar from Zion." (Amos 1:2.) "Out of Zion shall go forth the Law." (Isa. +2:3.) Through The Christ sounds forth the Word of God bespeaking to the +world infinite Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom. + +1:26. And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness +of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness +of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a Man above upon +it.--"THE HEAD OF CHRIST IS GOD." (1 Cor. 11:3.) Above the triumphant +Christ, Head and Body, is the Throne of Almighty God. "The Son [is] +subject to Him that put all things under Him." (1 Cor. 15:28.) The Throne +represents the dominion of God. As the blue sapphire (symbolic of +faithfulness), so is the rulership of the Almighty. "God is faithful." (1 +Cor. 1:9.) In the contemplation of the watchers, the faithfulness, +unchangeableness of God, is seen shining through the Christ, the +firmament, like the soft blue of the sapphire stone. Man is in the image +and likeness of God. Reigning over all is One whom men can understand, a +Deity whose perfect Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom elicit complete +consecration. God is seen to be not a ferocious demon, belying His own +command of love, but a just, reasonable, loving God, able to save all the +willing and obedient. Jesus, the friend of sinners, was and is the perfect +image of the Father. + +1:27. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round +about within it, from the appearance of His loins even upward, and from +the appearance of His loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance +of fire, and it had brightness round about.--"God dwelleth in light whereto +no man can approach." (1 Tim. 6:16.) Radiant is the Almighty with the +golden glow of the Divine nature. "Our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. +12:29); only the perfect can stand in His presence; for all dross, not +refinable (Mal. 3:2, 3), is consumed by Justice. The essence of the Divine +Revelation is Love, the golden light radiating in every direction from Our +Father. "He that loveth his brother abideth in the light" (1 John 2:10), +in the Divine love-light that surrounds the Throne and pervades the entire +spirit realm. This love is the light of the world, to light men unto God. + +1:28. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of +rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the +appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I +fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.--The Throne and +He that sat thereon were surrounded by all the colors of the rainbow. +(Rev. 4:3.) The love spirit finds fruitage in character fruits. So the +light of our Father is divisible into the warm red of love, the glowing +blue of faithfulness, the brilliant green of immortality, the royal purple +of kingship, for those on any plane who are worthy of that honor, etc.--the +manifestation of every good character fruit and every good purpose for the +blessing of all His creatures. (John 15:8; Gal. 5:22.) The glory of God is +not a display of blinding light to terrify men; but it is to do good, to +manifest to the uttermost His character of love. When the watchman of the +Laodicean age discerned the Divine character and Plan he fell upon his +face (Rev. 1:17), in reverential worship and in complete consecration to +do the will of his Father in Heaven. There sounded forth and through him, +from the pages of God's Word (Isa. 30:21), the voice of the Sublime One +who has been speaking to Christendom during this dawn of the Golden Age. + + + + +Ezekiel 2--The Rebellious House And The Book + + +2:1. And He said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will +speak unto thee.--It is a mark of favor to stand before a king. (Prov. +22:29.) Those who stand before rulers receive commissions, are invested +with authority and power. + +2:2. And the spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon +my feet, that I heard Him that spake unto me.--"The words which I speak, +they are spirit." (John 6:63.) When the full import of the Word was +discerned, Pastor Russell took a firm stand. The spirit, power, influence +of God entered into him, never to leave. He stood firmly, before God, +before his friends, and before all the hostile hosts of Mystic Babylon the +Great. + +2:3. And He said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of +Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against Me; they and +their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very +day.--Pastor Russell's work was largely among professing Christians--not +slum work, Christian work among the professedly non-Christians, or a +revivalistic work calling to repentance and conversion. This was not the +work appropriate to the Harvest of the Christian Age. John the Baptist +announced the First Presence of Messiah, and began the harvesting of +Jewry, and was not sent to the heathen, but to the Lord's people, the +Jews, to acquaint them with the First Advent, expose those withholding the +keys of knowledge (Luke 11:52), and warn of the impending destruction of +Jerusalem and Judea in A. D. 70 and 73. (Matt. 3:7; 24:2.) A like work was +to be accomplished in Spiritual Israel, Christendom, after the Lord's +Second Advent in 1874. The man raised up, "set upon his feet," and given +wisdom, grace and power for the task, was Pastor Russell. + +2:4. For they are impudent children and stiff-hearted. I do send thee unto +them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.--Few things +are more trying than a family of impudent children. Forwardness in evil- +doing and evil-speaking was one of the characteristics of the Hebrew +people. They violated the Word of God and justified the violation. (Matt. +15:5.) By impudent--hard faced--tradition they made void the Word of God. +The effrontery of the "Christian" era has been unsurpassed. Possessing +greatest light, they have sinned most grievously. The Word said, "He that +is begotten of God sinneth not" (1 John 3:9); yet John Tetzel was, and in +some countries Roman Catholic priests still are, selling indulgences to +commit sin. Professing "Christians" keep Christianity out of their affairs +with the phrase, "Business is business." + +2:5. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for +they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a +Prophet among them.--The work of Ezekiel among the Hebrews in captivity +proved a thankless task. He was rejected by both those in captivity and +those remaining at Jerusalem under Zedekiah. His following was almost +nothing. But he witnessed faithfully, and no Hebrew could say that he had +not been cautioned of danger and warned of impending catastrophe. Whether +the clergy and people of Christendom wished to heed Pastor Russell or not, +they certainly heard his words. (Z. '03-436.) His work was peculiarly +prospered. Against difficulties it grew and extended beyond the wildest +dreams, until it compassed the civilized world. In the face of the united +opposition of Protestant and Romanist clergy, the steward of Almighty God +accomplished the most gigantic preaching work ever done by one man. "I +cannot open the morning paper without Pastor Russell staring me in the +face," said a prominent minister. In the newspapers, in the theatres, on +the bill-boards, in billions of tract pages distributed gratis, in +millions of home libraries, in the questions of inquiring church members, +it was evident everywhere that a great preacher was faithfully sounding +forth a trumpet message. With a voice of many waters, reverberating like +thunder throughout the world, spoke Pastor Russell; and ere long "they +shall know that there hath been a Prophet [preacher] among them." + +2:6, 7. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of +their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell +among scorpions; be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their +looks though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak My words, +unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; for they +are most rebellious.--Fearlessness characterized Ezekiel and Pastor +Russell, both outcasts among the "best" people. Pastor Russell was thrust +by the church people into a wilderness condition, amid the briers of +opposition and reproach. Though the thorns of persecution crowned his +head, he was never afraid of words nor of angry looks. (Jer. 1:8-10.) "I +would rather see him stoned to death," said a Wilkes-Barre, Pa. preacher, +in answer to a kindly invitation to come and hear Pastor Russell preach. +"He ought to be skinned alive, and his hide stretched on a door," remarked +a Chicago "divine" to another "divine," coming out from one of Pastor +Russell's addresses. A scorpion has a great swelling, formidable looking +head, but it stings with its tail. (Rev. 9:5, 10.) Ecclesiasticism is made +up of organizations whose heads utter boastful, swelling words, but which +do injury through their followers. The sting of a scorpion--of the +followers of synods and popes--is through poisoned words. Every great +reformer has had some turn on him who were very close to him. Not from +outside did Pastor Russell suffer most. A few from among his own +household, whom he had befriended, helped, pushed, advanced, struck at him +to ruin him and destroy his influence and his work. It is characteristic +of the scorpion to sting and poison in the dark corners of a man's own +home. "Be not afraid, though thou dost dwell among scorpions." + +2:8. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou +rebellious like that rebellious house; open thy mouth, and eat that I give +thee.--The attitude of the rebellious Christian was not that of God's +chosen servant. Never did he rebel against the Divine leading, nor seek to +pervert the Word of God. "My flesh is meat (food) indeed." (Jno. 6:55.) +"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out +of the mouth of God." (Matt. 4:4.) Whatever the word or message that came +from the Father's lips through the inspired pages of the Bible, the +Laodicean steward was to appropriate, assimilate.--Rev. 10:9. + +2:9. And when I looked, behold, a hand was sent unto me; and lo, a roll of +a book was therein.--The Divine hand sent from God is the Divine power, +support, upholding and advancing the interests of whatever is in the hand. +"The book therein" is the Divine Plan of the Ages, Present Truth, +especially as relating to the impending downfall of Christendom in the end +of this Age. Ancient books were written on a continuous sheet, rolled up. +The sheet was often written on both sides. The writing outside could be +plainly read until covered by the rolling, but that inside was entirely +hidden from view. Present Truth, the Divine Plan of the Ages, contains +features which are plain to any one who looks at them; such as those +relating to the earthly features of God's Plan--the evil in the earth, the +clashing interests of rich and poor, and various other elements of the +present order of things, the great war, and the approach of a better order +of things after the present troubles are over. Present Truth, "the roll of +the book," also contains hidden, deep truths, discernible only to those +who have the Holy Spirit. It possesses features impossible for natural +men, not anointed with the Spirit, to perceive. "The natural man +perceiveth not the things of the Spirit, neither can he know them; for +they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor. 2:14.) Many thousands of +consecrated Christians are upheld, comforted and rejoiced by the deep +things of God, made clear for the first time in centuries by the "roll of +the book." + +2:10. And He spread it before me; and it was written within and without; +and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.--What an +honor to be the person before whom the Almighty would clearly spread out +His purposes,--the honor which came to Pastor Russell, and with it a +witness work of vast extent and responsibility! The purpose of Present +Truth is to inform the Lord's people and the people of the world, as far +as they may listen, concerning the significance of the times. All classes +profit more or less from the warning of Pastor Russell, as the message +goes broadcast throughout the world. It comes with a different +significance to Church and to world. To the Church it is a trumpet call of +truth (Rev. 10:2-7), to get ready quickly for deliverance, resurrection +glory, honor and immortality. To the world, the worldly-minded, the +Present Truth is something to be dreaded. (Isa. 28:19.) This world, age, +state of affairs, is in process of destruction. The destroying agencies, +as portrayed in the Scriptures (1 Kings 19:11, 12; Z. '04-249; Z. '98-207, +208) are world-wide war, then revolutions on an unprecedented scale, and +finally universal anarchy--savagery. The significance of anarchy is +appreciated by but few. It means an utter absence of government, first the +paralysis, and ultimately the ceasing, of the governmental functions which +now afford protection, peace and safety to property and life. As matters +progress to the climax, as disaster after disaster overtakes human effort, +and disintegration descends into the dissolution of law and order, the +whole earth will be "filled with violence". (Gen. 6:11; Micah 6:12); and +men's hearts will utterly fail. (Luke 21:26.) Picture the worst +revolutions ever known; this trouble will outdo them all. Paint the +darkest picture, and none will be as black as the sable pall of this +dreadful night, this reign of terror already settling down upon mankind. +Truly, "mourning, lamentation and woe" were the burden of God's Prophet +Ezekiel, as he foresaw the destruction of his beloved city, Jerusalem--and +of Pastor Russell, as he foreknew the desolation of a world! + + + + +Ezekiel 3--Pastor Russell's Divine Ordination + + +3:1. Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this +roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.--The Prophet was to find +something. As Ezekiel ate the book in the hand of God, so the "faithful +and wise servant" of this day absorbed, assimilated, the Plan of the Ages +which was in the power (hand) of the Almighty. Pastor Russell searched +diligently to find all that he could of the purposes of God. As he +understood, he was to go speak to "the House of Sons" (Heb. 3:6), all the +children, sons of God--to nominal Spiritual Israelites. + +3:2. So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that roll.--"I never +knew any one so willing to do the will of God," said the private secretary +and traveling companion of Pastor Russell. He was eager to learn all he +could about the Heavenly Father's will. It was not of himself that he +learned and taught the Divine Plan; but God Himself caused him to learn, +believe and teach. + +3:3. And He said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy +bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in +my mouth as honey for sweetness.--No mere casual scanning of Present Truth +would suffice. The man of God was to be filled with the great Message. +(Rev. 10:9, 10.) "The sweetest story ever told" (Psa. 19:10; 119:103) +brought inexpressible peace. It sweetened the experiences of a life of +sacrifice. Whoever eats, assimilates Present Truth, finds every heart +question answered, every doubt silenced. He learns "the peace of God that +passeth understanding" (Phil. 4:7), and a sweetness as of honey in the +promises, plans, and purposes of the Father of Love. + +3:4. And He said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of +Israel, and speak with My words unto them.--From apostolic days to today +all to whom the Spirit gives utterance begin to speak (Acts 2:1-18) +because constrained to do so, because they "love to tell the story." To +Ezekiel, and to the greatest preacher of modern times, came a readiness of +speech, when Jehovah Himself gave them His Spirit, and commanded to "get +thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with My words unto them." + +3:5. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard +language, but to the house of Israel.--Present Truth was not to go to the +heathen, the drunkards, unbelievers, but to the Christian people of the +world, the spiritual House of Israel. + +3:6. Not to many people of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose +words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they +would have hearkened unto thee.--If the Message of Present Truth had been +sent to the heathen with its glad tidings for all, they would have turned +from devil worship, to worship the true God. (Matt. 11:21, 23.) On two +occasions the trumpet sound was heard by "people of a strange speech and +of a hard language." Pastor Russell passed through Japan and India on a +round-the-world tour. In Japan the people requested that he stay. It was +the message they had longed for. In India the natives heard him gladly. In +eastern and southern Africa a believer in Present Truth found his way from +Nyassa to the Cape, and many thousands of natives embraced the Truth and +were baptised. + +3:7. But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not +hearken unto me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and +hardhearted.--Christendom has never hearkened unto God. They hear and do +not. (Jas. 1:22.) They are forgetful hearers of the Word. (Jas. 1:25.) +They know their Master's will and do it not. (Luke 12:47.) Because they +hear not God, they heed not the Word of God when brought to them by His +servants. + +3:8. Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy +forehead strong against their foreheads.--Whatever situation Pastor Russell +faced, God made him more than equal to it. This last and most illustrious +of the reformers never asked for money; yet he had enough entrusted to him +to carry on the work. Champions of Christendom met him on the debating +platform; each encounter widened and strengthened the witness for Present +Truth. He faced the modern enemies of Reformation with books by tens of +millions, and they were unable to combat their power. "To read the +_Studies in the Scriptures_," admonished a Southern preacher to his flock, +"is to believe them." No argument could be devised to stem the flood of +Truth, only a ban on the reading of the books. In innumerable places +priestcraft caused the public burning of the books. Practically every home +in America, England, Germany, Sweden, Australia, and other Protestant +countries was reached by a deluge of free tracts. Such a tracting of the +world with billions of pages, was never known. The enemies of Truth were +wholly unable to check the spread of knowledge. A further situation faced +was the production of the free Photo-Drama of Creation, seen and heard by +twelve millions. No answer could be put forth by clerical foes of truth, +but baseless, cruel libels on the private life of one of God's noblemen. +Audiences by the thousands listened to Bible lectures by Pastor Russell +and by hundreds of public speakers, and their voice is still heard all +over the world. Stinging assaults of slander were ignored by a man of +destiny, who had too much of God's work to do to pay attention to the +yelpings of little men--of the D. D.'s of Christendom (Isa. 56:10), who +love slumber, but who snarl and bite when disturbed in their dreams of +"peace, peace" (Jer. 6:14), social and civic gospels, church unity, and +evangelistic raids on the pockets of the masses. Not a situation or a +person but was faced victoriously.--Isa. 54:17. + + [Illustration] + + Pastor Russell in the Critics' Den + + +3:9. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead; fear them +not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious +house.--The forehead is symbolic of wisdom. A man of high forehead, as was +Pastor Russell, is of a high type of intellect. Pastor Russell's mind was +made strong against opponents of the Reform which is ushering in the +everlasting Kingdom of Messiah. It is impossible for error to withstand +truth. (Luke 21:15.) As in apostolic days, believers in Present Truth call +themselves "in the Truth" (2 Pet. 1:12), the teachings of the Word of God +are termed "the Truth" (1 John 3:19), and those who believe them are known +as "Truth people." (3 John 4.) The mind of Pastor Russell was filled with +Truth. Crystal clear, with hard, irresistible logic, the Present Truth, +which constituted his wisdom and understanding, was the hardest +proposition ecclesiasticism ever encountered. (Isa. 50:7.) The mind of +God's steward was as adamant. Adamant is literally, in Hebrew, "a diamond +point." With diamond hardness (Rev. 4:3), the Present Truth cuts its way +through all opposition, though the opposing thought be hard as flint. The +diamond is the most crystal clear of stones, and represents the truth in +irresistible form. It is futile to oppose the mind of any Present Truth +believer, for truth is irrefutable. To those who have it, it imparts the +mind of an intellectual giant--the mind of Christ, of God. (1 Cor. 2:16.) +Their foreheads are made as diamond. In the light of the sun the diamond +sparkles with indescribable beauty. It breaks the sunlight up into its +component parts and reflects and refracts in prismatic flashes of rainbow +colors. The sun is the Gospel of Divine Love and its embodiment, Jesus +Christ. The component parts of Christian love are the character fruits. +"The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, +goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." (Galatians 5:22-3.) The minds, +wisdom, characters of God's true people are full of manifestations of the +shining upon them of the glorious Gospel of the Son of Righteousness--full +of the beauty of righteousness. The minds of God's saints are made as the +diamond in its excelling hardness and sunlit radiance. + +3:10. Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, all My words that I shall +speak unto thee receive in thine heart and hear with thine ears.--Like +Ezekiel, Pastor Russell was to hold back, pervert, or wrest _nothing_. + +3:11. And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy +people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; +whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.--It was to be a +message for the Lord's people in captivity to the king of this world. +Satan, bound in Mystic Babylon the Great, the governmental-ecclesiastical- +commercial system of Christendom. + +3:12. Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great +rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.--Through +the begetting of the Holy Spirit we are raised up to walk in newness of +life (Rom. 6:4), to sit with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6), in the +Spirit-begotten condition. The Spirit raised Pastor Russell up to an +understanding and appreciation of Heavenly things. (Matt. 3:16.) At +Pentecost the place where the Apostles were sitting was filled with a +rushing sound as of a mighty wind, and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts +2:2.) The mighty rushing sound represented Pastor Russell's receiving a +rich endowment of the Spirit of God, to whose leadings he was fully +consecrated and to whose influence and guidance he wholly devoted his +life. The words of Christ and of God are contained in the Bible, written +thousands of years ago, behind in the stream of time. It was in the Word +of God, behind him in time (Isa. 30:21), that Pastor Russell perceived the +rushing sound, the utterances of the Holy Spirit. The message of the Bible +has been perverted by Catholic and Protestant misunderstandings into +anything but a glorious and blessed Gospel. It is a thing to be dreaded, +if the glory of God is to eternally torment the vast majority of humans. +But the Message of Truth sounded forth by Pastor Russell declares the +grace of the Gospel which is to reach every man, woman and child (1 Tim. +2:6) with its blessed influence, power, wisdom and love, so that all +creation in due time may join in a mighty paeon of praise. "Blessed be the +glory of Jehovah from His place."--Psa. 106:48. + + [Illustration] + + The Clergy Would Censor The Bible + + +3:13. I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that +touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a +noise of a great rushing.--Many Christian ministers have had glimpses of +the Word of God, knowledge of some details of the Plan, some measure of +the Holy Spirit; but to Pastor Russell, God's messenger to the last stage +of the Church, was given a superabundance of gifts, to set the things of +God in order (Isa. 44:7), to proclaim an harmonious understanding of all +the Divine purposes for mankind and of some for the angels. (Eph. 3:10.) +He heard the full harmony of "the song of Moses and the Lamb." (Rev. +15:3.) To him the wings (Rev. 12:14), the Word of God, Old Testament and +New, sounded their Glad Tidings, a message whose parts "touched one +another," were in complete touch, full harmony. He heard for the first +time since Apostolic days the Plan of God, "the noise of the wheels +[cycles, ages]." He heard the manifestations of the operation of the Holy +Spirit, the "noise of a great rushing," and was filled with the Spirit in +a measure beyond the portion of most Christian men. His patience with the +stupid and erring was godlike and his love-lit face was an inspiration. + +3:14. So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in +bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong +upon me.--"God hath taken you out of the world" (John 17:16); raised "to +sit with Christ in Heavenly places." (Eph. 2:6.) The Spirit took Pastor +Russell away from earthly aims and raised him up to the plane of +sacrificing priesthood. He turned from commercial pursuits to devote his +life to the Heavenly Message. He tasted the bitter herbs of persecution, +of suffering with Christ; and amid ostracism and persecution he lived the +life of Christian service. He carried on his work in fervency of spirit; +for the power of God was upon him, strengthening him with might in the +inner man (Eph. 3:16), and with wisdom to deliver, in the face of the +determined opposition of priestcraft, the trumpet message announcing the +Presence of Christ--the sound of the Seventh Trumpet, the trump of +God.--Rev. 10:7. + +3:15. Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the +river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat and remained there astonished +among them seven days.--Future historians will record, as most remarkable, +the mental, moral and spiritual bondage in which professing Christians +were held during the Gospel Age, through the machinations of priestcraft, +under the king of the age, Satan himself. Pastor Russell came with his +message, in a day of supposed enlightenment, to a people bound hand and +foot. Tel-abib in Hebrew is "Hill of Grass" (from "Tel," hill, and "Abib," +sprouting, budding). Abib was another name for Nisan, the first month of +the Hebrew sacred year, corresponding to April. In type or symbol a place +represents a condition, or a stage in historic development. The "hill of +budding," the beginning of the sacred year, symbolizes the dawn of the +Times of Restitution, the "Millennial Dawn." The Millennium (Rev. 20:3, 4, +7) began in 1874, with the Return of Christ. It was at about that time +that Pastor Russell came to his fellow-Christians with the beginning of a +better understanding of the Bible, "the vision of God." It was, as it +were, the budding-time of the good promises of God for the blessing of all +peoples. The Christian people lived on and by the stream of commercial, +social and economic intercourse that feeds and supports Christendom, +Babylon. + +3:16. And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the Word of the +Lord came unto me, saying.--In a time prophecy a day in the prophecy +usually signifies a year in fulfillment. For seven years after Christ's +Return in 1874--until 1881--Pastor Russell, although he knew much of God's +Plan, was in some degree in the same condition as other Christians in +imperfect understanding of God's Word. In 1881 a former associate, Mr. +Barbour, of Rochester, N. Y., who had been a faithful fellow-watcher, +developed into the "Evil servant" of Matt. 24:48-61 and Zechariah 11:17, +and produced a work on the Hebrew Tabernacle types in opposition to the +fundamentals of true Christianity. Pastor Russell desired the truth on the +subject. He gave himself up to prayer and study of this matter alone. For +days he struggled with the problem and wrestled with God in supplication. +At length the matter cleared up. He then wrote "_Tabernacle Shadows of the +Better Sacrifices_." of which 1,500,000 copies have since aided Christians +to understand the deeper things of the Word and to make complete +consecration unto death. This was in 1881, at which time he also published +"_Food for Thinking Christians_," a work embodying much afterwards +expanded into the six volumes of "_Studies in the Scriptures_." The same +year, 1881, is prophetically marked at the time for the final withdrawal +of favor from the churches, a favor which had begun to be withdrawn in +1878--the year in which the clergy were cast off as representatives of the +Divine Word, and when Pastor Russell began his work by the publication of +50,000 copies of "_Object and Manner of the Lord's Return_." In 1873 the +stewardship of the things of God, the teaching of Bible truths, was taken +from the clergy, unfaithful to their age-long stewardship, and given to +Pastor Russell. In the interim, until 1881, the new steward was setting +the things in order, getting the truths of the Bible in logical and +Scriptural form for presentation, until the last great item of the Hebrew +Tabernacle types, was ready. Then, in 1881, he became God's watchman for +all Christendom, and began his gigantic work of witness. + +3:17. Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; +therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me.--The +function of watchmanship was not given until 1881. (Jer. 6:17; Isa. +21:6-12.) Faithfulness in individual watching during a trial period of +seven years was rewarded by the bestowal of the office of the greatest +servant whom the Church of God has had since the Apostle Paul. "Whosoever +will be chief among you let him be your servant." (Matt. 20:27.) Pastor +Russell at all times served the Church in great things and small. No +request was too insignificant to get his careful attention. Rich and poor +alike were faithfully served in every possible way. This work prior to +1881 was a great work for any ordinary man, but insignificant compared +with what was to follow. By 1884 the watchman's work had grown to such +proportions as to cause the founding of THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT +SOCIETY. This is the agency through which God's appointed watchman has +delivered his message to Christendom. Pastor Russell paid no attention to +the words or opinions of man, however learned or pious, whether men of +modern days or the "early fathers" of post-apostolic times. He listened to +the word direct from the mouth of God, spoken by holy men of old as moved +by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21.) Ezekiel was raised up shortly before +the destruction of Jerusalem to warn the Hebrews of the impending +calamity. Pastor Russell's warning to Christendom, coming direct from God, +has been of the imminent collapse of the present "Christian" civilization +in a welter of war, revolution and anarchy, to be succeeded by the early +establishment of the Kingdom of God. In all his warnings he claimed no +originality. He said that he could never have written his books himself. +It all came from God, through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. + +3:18. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest +him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to +save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his +blood will I require at thine hand.--Pastor Russell saw and revived the +teaching of the Word of God that death is death. "All have sinned." (Rom. +3:23.) "Death passed upon all." (Romans 5:12.) "The wages of sin is +death." (Rom. 6:23.) "There is none righteous." (Rom. 3:10.) "The dead +sleep in the dust." (Isa. 26:19.) "Their thoughts perish." (Psa. 146:4.) +He taught clearly the Word of God first enunciated to Adam, "Thou shalt +surely die." (Gen. 2:17.) Man is not inherently immortal. At death he is +dead, unconscious, asleep until the resurrection, not "more alive than +ever," as taught by a blinded and apostate priestcraft. Man, soul and +body, is not a being whom God cannot destroy. "Fear Him who is able to +destroy both soul and body." (Matt. 10:28.) To all erring mankind Pastor +Russell was directed by God to reiterate the Divine penalty for sin, as +death, and not eternal torment. This was a fundamental part of the message +both of Ezekiel and of Pastor Russell. + +3:19. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, +nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast +delivered thy soul.--Pastor Russell faithfully warned the wicked. He +published a complete exposition of the Bible statements regarding the +Adamic death--3,000,000 copies of a pamphlet, "What Say the Scriptures +About Hell," quoting all Bible passages mentioning Sheol and Hades, the +death state. He scarcely ever spoke in public without dwelling on this +cardinal tenet, that the dead are dead. To the very best of his ability he +taught Christendom the truth. By faithful testimony he delivered himself +from liability. + +3:20, 21. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, +and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: +because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his +righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood +will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the righteous +man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely +live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.--Another +cardinal teaching of God's Word, clearly taught by Pastor Russell, is the +nature of the eternal punishment to be visited upon the incorrigible +backslider. Clergy, bishops and popes have taught for centuries on this +subject an irrational combination of extreme symbolism with gross +literalism, as suited their ambition to exercise worldly power and hold +the masses in subjection--minds, bodies and pocketbooks. They have +interpreted one symbolism symbolically and the next literally. They have +said that the "Lake of Fire" and the "torment" are literal, but that the +"beast" and the "false prophet" are symbolic (Rev. 19:20), even though it +involved the absurdity of a symbolic beast going into a literal lake of +fire! Blind and deaf to those who have pointed out the unreasonableness of +such foolishness, they have turned savagely upon those that have the +Truth. In eighteen centuries they have killed fifty million adherents of +Christ, and persecuted innumerable others. It is impossible to compute the +number that they will do to death in this, the close of the Gospel-Age +Harvest, when governmental protection shall be withdrawn from lovers of +truth, except that, this time, they will get _all_ such! + +An important feature of Pastor Russell's teaching is that the Scriptural +punishment of the incorrigibly wicked is not life in torment but oblivion, +annihilation, the "second death" (Rev. 21:8); that every one is, either in +this life or after the resurrection, to be brought to a full knowledge of +the Truth (1 Tim. 2:4); to receive some measure of the Holy Spirit; that +those who incur the extreme penalty for sin will be only those who +backslide beyond recovery. In full conformity with Ezekiel's prophecy +Pastor Russell taught that "when a righteous man doth commit iniquity, he +shall die"--the Second Death. + +3:22. And the hand of the Lord was there upon me; and He said unto me, +Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.--Ezekiel +was impelled by the Holy Spirit to depart from the river Chebar with its +teeming activities. Pastor Russell's consecration led him to separate +himself from commercial activities and to give his life to the service of +God. The hand of the Lord was upon him to do this. The Lord's people, the +Hebrews, mingled with the Chaldeans, living in the plain--literally "vale" +or "valley." Pastor Russell turned from ordinary avocations to all the +people dwelling in the Valley of the Shadow of Death (Psa. 23:4); and in +that condition God communed with His true Watchman. Pastor Russell has +been known to pass entire nights in prayer, and go about his work the next +day as though nothing unusual had taken place.--Rev. 3:14. + +3:23. Then I arose, and went forth into the plain; and, behold, the glory +of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: +and I fell on my face.--Continually the vision was before Pastor Russell of +the character, plan and work of the Almighty. Daily he renewed his +covenant of consecration and daily sought to carry it out. + +3:24. Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake +with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.--A thought +possesses propulsive power, and must result in action unless hindered by +an opposing thought. The Spirit, thoughts, words of God were continually +entering, from the Bible, into Pastor Russell's mind and setting him into +action. All who have set themselves apart to do the will of God and have +received the Holy Spirit, are members of Christ, in the House of Sons +(Heb. 3:6), the Royal Priesthood. In the consecration of the typical +priesthood, the priest shut himself in the Tabernacle for seven days. +(Lev. 8:33.) (Seven symbolizes completeness.) So Christ and those in Him +abide continually in the antitypical Holy, the spirit-begotten condition. +Pastor Russell lived in the Spirit from his consecration to his death. + +3:25. But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and +shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them.--Each +forward step in any branch of knowledge renders institutions based on past +partial knowledge functionless; and consequently the adherents and +beneficiaries of such institutions oppose the march of events. The clergy, +trying to stem the tide of Truth, to uphold an effete ecclesiasticism +tottering to its fall, put every restraint upon the influence of Pastor +Russell; but the bands upon him served also to bind the tares more tightly +into the organization bundles. (Matt. 13:30.) In fulfillment of the +prophetic parable the bundles are to be destroyed in the anarchy about to +ensue. Church members have been urged to get rid of every scrap of paper +bearing the Message of Present Truth; the Truth has been preached against +in practically every church in the English, German and Swedish speaking +world; people have been warned against reading the Truth; Truth people +have been discharged or refused employment; in Europe they have been +imprisoned at hard labor; some have been done to death by firing squads; +they have been forbidden to hold meetings. Neither Pastor Russell nor his +fellow-believers were permitted to utter the Bible Truth before the +congregations of ecclesiasticism. It was not to go out among "them," and +his greatest work was the deepening of the spirit of consecration among +those of the "House of Sons." + +3:26. And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that +thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover; for they are a +rebellious house.--It is impossible to witness spiritual things to the +carnally-minded (1 Cor. 3:1; John 16:12). But Pastor Russell never +refrained from speaking or publishing the Word of God. The Bible teaches +that the service of God must be of a willing heart. It is a privilege +which may be accepted or rejected, as the hearer desires. Yet to the +worldly, Pastor Russell was as "dumb", for they would not hear. + + + + +Ezekiel 4--The Papal And Protestant Sieges + + +4:1. Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and +portray upon it the city, even Jerusalem.--In Ezekiel's days, in Chaldea, a +book was a collection of inscribed tiles. The Laodicean servant was to be +a writer of books. In many articles and chapters on the kingdoms of this +world and their judgment and fall, and that of their ecclesiastical, +political and business systems, Pastor Russell portrays Christendom, +typically spoken of as Jerusalem. It bore the Lord's name, but was defiled +by the evil practices of its inhabitants. (C. 295.) As a type, Jerusalem +represents particularly the ecclesiastical phase of Christendom. + +4:2. And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a +mount against it, set the camp also against it, and set battering rams +against it round about.--Ecclesiasticism was to experience prolonged siege +by a class symbolized by Ezekiel. The siege was to be conducted by Truth, +encompassing the stronghold of the nominal city of God. Beleaguered +ecclesiasticism was to go through experiences like that of a besieged city +shut off from its province, shorn of its actual dominion, while nominally +retaining it, cut off from the supplies that had flowed from the tributary +peoples. In addition to the slow weakening of a close besiegement, it was +to withstand occasional assaults, make sorties and go through a period of +warfare, with only one possible end, the utter destruction of the city. +The besieged city was surrounded on every side with a line of military +works, trenches, palisades and forts, collectively called a fort; from +which, especially from the principal center of offense, it was continually +harassed by wearing-down activities and assaulted by surprise attacks. So +ecclesiasticism was to be surrounded and placed on the defensive, by +strongly entrenched and fortified enemies. "God is our fortress." (2 Sam. +22:2.) It was to be done by a class of progressive and liberty-loving +Christians in revolt against and attack upon the intolerance, +superstition, and tyranny of priestcraft. + +Ancient cities were surrounded by high walls, with frequent towers for +watchmen, spearmen, bowmen and slingmen. The walls, in emergencies, were +lined with such fighters and with throwers of boulders and firebrands. The +attack was made upon a weak point in the wall; and an earthen mound or +mounds was cast up to furnish an elevation from which to equalize for the +besiegers the advantages of the defenders. The walls of ecclesiasticism +are its defense of creeds and of formalism and, not least of all, of the +civil powers and the men who stand as a bulwark against attack. A "mount" +symbolizes a government. (Dan. 2:44, 45.) The nation (mount) was +organized, militant Protestantism. The camp is the temporary abiding place +of those who are fighting on the Lord's side. (Heb. 13:13.) A battering +ram was a device for battering down the wall of a city to make a breach +for the attack of the soldiery. Ecclesiasticism has surrounded itself with +walls of living stones, soldiers, police and other officers of the civil +powers who protect the churches and church people (Isa. 59:10), educators +to build up belief in ecclesiasticism, writers to write articles and +books, and a host of other adherents and supporters. In the siege of +ecclesiasticism the Lord's yeomen have attacked aggressively with books, +newspapers, missionaries, lectures and education; seeking to loosen and +dislodge some of the living stones surrounding organized error.--Jer. 6:6. + +4:3. Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of +iron between thee and the city; and set thy face against it, and it shall +be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to +the house of Israel.--An iron pan, literally a "thin plate," was between +besieging Protestantism and beleaguered ecclesiasticism. "They were holpen +with a little help" (Dan. 11:34). The civil powers were to stand as a wall +of iron protecting the Lord's people from the persecuting power of ruling +priestcraft. No breaches could be made in the wall. It was a "wall of +iron." "No evil shall befall thee." (Psa. 91:10.) "Greater is He that is +for thee than all these that be against thee." (2 Kings 6:16.) Iron, as in +the iron claws and teeth of the beast of Daniel, symbolizes the agencies +of an irresistible power. Turning the face toward or against anything was +a mark of favor or of disfavor. (Psa. 104:29.) The Lord's people were +resolutely to disfavor established ecclesiasticism and to besiege it from +the Reformation to the close of the Harvest. When Ezekiel sees another +doing something it usually signifies another than Pastor Russell doing it, +but may signify Pastor Russell seeing himself, or the Ezekiel class. The +Ezekiel prophecy types and symbolizes Pastor Russell or the Reformer class +seeing Pastor Russell or the Reformer class or some member of that class +doing the thing typed or symbolized. Here, the Protestant class from the +Protestant Reformation down through the Harvest period, is seen +systematically and effectually besieging established ecclesiasticism. The +house of Israel ordinarily meant the Hebrew nation, the nominal fleshly +house of Israel. The Hebrews were divided into the ten tribes (Israel), +thoroughly infected with Pagan beliefs and practices, and the two tribes +(Judah), holding more closely to Jehovah. In antitype, when both Israel +and Judah are mentioned, and the prophecy is intended for an antitypical +fulfillment, Israel signifies the Papacy and Judah signifies established +Protestantism. Here the sign was to be the whole nominal house of +Israel--all professing Christians, Catholics and Protestants.--Z. '05-179. + +4:4. Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house +of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie +upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity.--In verses 4 to 6 Israel and Judah +are included in the same picture, and signify Papacy and established, +corrupted Protestantism. The left side was a sign of less favor. Romanism +kept on in sin and kept adding, multiplying evil deeds, until iniquity +should come to the full (Gen. 15:16). A day in prophecy signifies a year +in fulfillment. (Num. 14:34.) Ezekiel here represents the reformer class +which had to endure the iniquities of Papacy, both by persecution and by +the shame of seeing professed Christians believing grossest error. The +iniquity of Papacy, the house of Israel, lay in the fact that the +Reformers had shown them insistent proofs of their wrong course, and yet +they continued in their own way, heedless of the Divine warnings. Hence +less favor has been felt by Jehovah toward them than toward Protestantism. + +4:5. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to +the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so shalt thou bear +the iniquity of the house of Israel.--Upon the reform element was laid the +burden of seeing the dupes of Papal priestcraft continually learning and +living error. This was a burden upon conscience, and was repugnant to the +enlightened mind of the reform element, known for centuries, in name at +least, as Protestant. Priestcraft of the larger division of Christendom +was to be under attack for 390 years, during which time the besieging +element, the reformers, were to be protected from Papacy by the "iron +wall" of the civil powers. This began in 1528 and ends in 1918. The year +1528 is one of the turning points of history. Protestantism in England and +in Germany was in the balance. The sudden rise of Charles V of Germany to +great power had emboldened Pope Clement to side with Charles. He induced +the Emperor to support a measure designed to limit the spread of +Protestantism, to be followed by its utter destruction. Under the proposed +law no Protestant was to convert a Romanist to the reformed faith, nor +would it be allowable for Protestantism to spread to other countries. It +meant for all Protestants an end such as the Huguenots came to in France, +the suppression of the Renaissance with its "increase of knowledge" (Dan. +12:4), and the end of the prosperous and comparatively enlightened +civilization of modern times. The future of the whole world, and of the +Divine Plan, was at stake! A general war was barely avoided to destroy +Lutheranism. Philip Landgrave of Saxony discovered the plot, took arms, +and in 1528 forced indemnity from a Catholic bishop. Other princes of +Germany stood with Philip. + +To quote from Dr. Peter Bayne, LL. D., the historian ("Martin Luther"), +page 486: "These (the princes of the reformed faith) were inflexibly +determined that the decree of the majority should not be assented to. +Philip of Hesse, John of Saxony, Markgraf George the Pious of Brandenburg- +Anspach, the Dukes of Lunenburg and Brunswick, the Prince of Anhalt, and +the representatives of Strasburg, Nurnberg and twelve other free cities, +entered a solemn protest against the prospective revolution. They were +called _Protestants_! All, to this hour, who claim that Truth shall be +unveiled, and that no Pope, or Kaiser, shall congeal the ever-advancing +stream of progress and improvement, may take an honorable pride in tracing +their spiritual descent to the intrepid Philip and the magnanimous and +simple-hearted John." (p. 481): "How thoroughly is the whole pageant of +that war, 1528, erased from the memory of the present generation! And yet +the effect of those events is not yet exhausted; nor would it be possible +for any one without forming some comprehension of them, to understand how +link added itself to link in the evolutionary chain of modern history." + +Thus Germany set up the iron wall of civic defense between the besieging +Protestants and beleaguered Papacy. In England, too, the other great +empire which has stood as an iron wall between the reform element and +Papacy, the break with Rome began to take form in 1528. This was the year +when Pope Clement appointed his legates, Correggio and Wolsey, to conduct +the divorce trial of Queen Katherine of Aragon, at the behest of Henry +VIII. (Rev. 8:8, 9.) As God raised up a willful, stubborn Pharaoh when He +purposed to deliver the Hebrews from Egypt, so He raised up the lustful +Henry VIII as the agent through whom the break should come between England +and Rome. "The natural result" [of Henry's divorce proceedings], says A. +F. Pollard, the historian, in his "Henry VIII," "was the separation of +England from Rome." Thus did Divine wisdom use "the wrath of man to praise +Him" and cause the "iron wall" of the civil, military and naval powers of +the British Empire, Germany, and of the United States, to stand an +impregnable barrier against the persecuting power of Great Babylon. Safe +behind the iron wall, the reform element was able to live and grow in its +camp and to keep up its siege of Roman Catholic priestcraft. + +4:6. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, +and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have +appointed thee each day for a year.--The right side signifies less disfavor +than to Papacy. The house of Judah represents Protestantism, the +Protestant churches. Until 1878, when cast off by the returned and present +Messiah, Protestantism enjoyed Divine favor, just as the two tribes, +collectively called Judah, did as compared with the idolatrous ten tribes +of Israel. After 1874 the Present Truth took the form of a general +overhauling of creeds and the announcement of Christ's Second Presence. +This was unanimously rejected by the Protestant churches; and organized +Protestant ecclesiasticism from 1878 on for forty years became the Judah +of this type, besieged on every side by the reform element, under the +leadership of the steward of Divine Truth, Pastor Russell. Until 1918, +Hebrew reckoning, beginning in the fall of 1917, the civil powers continue +as a "wall of iron," protecting the Lord's people in their witness against +error.--Rev. 3:14; B. 66, 91. + +4:7. Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and +thine arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it.--The +Ezekiel class, the true Protestant reform class, during the 390 and the 40 +years set themselves to the attack upon priestcraft. Pastor Russell seldom +spoke without some words of objection to or warning about ecclesiasticism. +The arm symbolizes power (E. _50_, 47) and the uncovering of the arm is as +when a man takes off his coat in attacking a task. The siege was to be +carried on with energy. The reform element was to preach continually, not +condoning or excusing priestcraft, but directly and pointedly attacking +it. + +4:8. And, behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee +from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege.--God +bound His true people to this work. The reform element were not to change +their attitude, but continually to keep at the attack upon ecclesiastical +corruption until the siege should end in 1918. The Hebrew year 1918, +begins in October, 1917. + +4:9. Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, +and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread +thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy +side; three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.--These grains +represent different grades of spiritual food, each kind of food to be +eaten by the kind of Christian represented by the food. Wheat represents +the true Gospel of the Kingdom, as in the parable of the sower (Matt. +13:1-30), and is the food of the Little Flock. Barley among the Hebrews +was little esteemed, for it was the price of an adulteress. (Hos. 3:2.) It +signifies the spiritual food of a class guilty of spiritual adultery, +unhallowed alliance with the world in the bringing forth of "strange" +children. (Hos. 5:7.) Beans, lentiles, millet and fitches represent grades +of food inferior to wheat (which contains every element to support life) +and inferior even to barley. Their continued use as foods, causes physical +deficiencies, weaknesses and disease. Lentiles are usually cultivated for +fodder. Millet is still inferior. Symbolically it represents Christians +who "have no depth of earth." (Matt. 13:5.) Vetches, sometimes called +"tares" or "prickly spelt," are a very poor food. Their prickly nature +suggests a type of hard-to-get-along-with Christians, and the kind of +mental, moral and spiritual food that produces them. In with some of the +true wheat, in established churchianity, as shown by verse 16, were to be +gathered Christians of various degrees of development, each eating the +kind of food corresponding to his Christian development, the wheat class +assimilating the best of the Divine Word, and so on down to those who +absorbed the poorest grade of spiritual provender, some of it food usually +regarded as fit only for animals. This was the food the various classes +should subsist on, each according to his capacity, from 1528 to 1918, and +from 1878 to 1918. + +4:10, 11. And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty +shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it. Thou shalt drink also +water by measure, the sixth part of a hin: from time to time shalt thou +drink.--A shekel was half an ounce; twenty shekels were ten ounces. A hin +was a gallon and a half. The sixth part of a hin was one quart. This was +the daily ration, a starvation allowance. They were not to feed on it +continuously, but on Sundays, or two or three times a week--"from time to +time." The people would, as a class, have a scanty spiritual subsistence +during the siege period. + +4:12. And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with +dung that cometh out of man, in their sight.--Cakes, made of this mixture, +were used by the very poor in times of scarcity, depicting the scarcity of +spiritual food among the followers of ecclesiasticism. The poor, not +having stones or ovens, baked their bread or cakes on heated stones or in +the fire, or roasted them by placing them between layers of dung, which +burns slowly. Only the dung of animals was used ordinarily. No insult or +defilement was greater than to turn a man's house into a receptacle for +human excrement. (Deut. 23:12-14.) Our Lord associated human dung with +"that which defileth a man." (Matt. 15:11.) Luther spoke of the "dunghill +of Roman decretals." The human dung signifies human traditions, clerical +additions to the Word of God. + +4:13. And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their +defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.--The spiritual +food, poor as the mixture was, was to be thoroughly defiled. + +4:14. Then said I, Ah Lord God! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: +for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of +itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my +mouth.--This typifies the heart desire of the reformer class to keep clear +of defiling errors. + +4:15. Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's +dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith.--The spiritual food would +be unsavory enough. + +4:16. Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff +of bread in Jerusalem; and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; +and they shall drink water by measure; and with astonishment.--The type +enacted by Ezekiel was intended to depict spiritual conditions in +ecclesiasticism, Romish after 1528 A. D. and Protestant after 1878 A. D., +in Jerusalem (churchianity), the besieged city, where there would be a +famine of the Word of God. As prophecies often have a literal as well as a +symbolic fulfillment, this refers also to the straitness of the siege of +literal Jerusalem and to the literal scarcity of food in the Time of +Trouble upon Christendom, with its high cost of living, food dictators and +food tickets.--Lev. 26:26. + +4:17. That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with +another, and consume away for their iniquity.--Like as people on poor food +in starvation quantities weaken and die, so Christians weaken and die +spiritually on the diet provided by priests and clergy. + + + + +Ezekiel 5--The Severed Hair Calamities + + +5:1. And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's +razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take +thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.--This is located "after the +days of the siege" of Jerusalem, or in antitype after Romanism's and +Protestantism's siege is ended in 1918. It had a literal fulfillment in +606 B. C. and is to have a literal and a symbolic fulfillment in and after +1918. It depicts the several kinds of troubles upon Christendom, and the +causes provoking them. The shaving of the head represents the affliction +of Christendom. (Isaiah 3:17, 20, 24; Jer. 7:29.) The shaving of the beard +was part of the ceremonial treatment of a leper (Lev. 14:8, 9), and +signifies that after 1918 Christendom will be treated by outraged Justice +at a moral leper, unclean with incurable iniquity, the perverseness, +which, in the face of continual preaching of the Gospel, led up to the +recent wars. + +Ezek. 5:2, 12, 16, 17, relate to features of the destruction of literal +Jerusalem in 606 B. C. and 70-73 A. D. and of Christendom in 1914 to 1918 +A. D. Since in verse 12 a third part of the persons were to suffer death +or affliction, the hair in verses 1, 2 and 3 signifies the people in +Jerusalem--Christendom. In Samson's case the hair represented his strength; +and here the hair cut off signifies that the people who are the strength +of Christendom shall be cut off in the brief but terribly eventful period +beginning in 1918 A. D. A third part are "burned with fire in the midst of +the city." Fire symbolises destruction. One large part of the adherents of +ecclesiasticism win die from pestilence and famine. (Deut. 32:24.) In +5:16, 17 the shafts of hunger are represented as the evil arrows of +famine. The staff is that upon which one leans; the staff of bread is the +food supply of Christendom. In 1916 there was already a 25 per cent. crop +shortage throughout the world, presaging worse conditions to come. In +verse 18 the evil beasts sent upon Christendom are the savage "Christian" +governments of the world (Deut. 32:24), which, by unheard-of barbarity in +war, are bereaving the people by millions and causing bloodshed +unparalleled in history. + +5:2. Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when +the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and +smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the +wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.--A third part of the hair was +to be smitten with a knife. See 5:12. This represents people not +definitely in or under ecclesiasticism, but associated with it, favoring +it, and benefiting from it These are to be smitten with the sword drawn +for destruction of life in the Time of Trouble. A considerable portion of +the people will be separated by the winds of warfare and commotion from +all connection with churchianity. These have been connected with, +sympathizers with, or beneficiaries from churchianity. This class also +will be involved in the bloodshed of the "great tribulation."--Matt. 24:21; +Rev. 7:14. + +5:3, 4. Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy +skirts. Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, +and burn them in the fire; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all +the house of Israel.--To bind in the skirts is a symbol of close +affiliation. A few adherents of churchianity will affiliate themselves +with those believing Present Truth, but so searching will be the +circumstances of the trouble period that none not at heart "in Present +Truth" (2 Pet. 1:12) will be able to remain in the protection +overshadowing the Lord's people. These few will be separated, and finally +become involved in the destruction upon all supporters of, sympathizers +with and beneficiaries of churchianity. Not one shall escape; it will be +upon "all the house of Israel." Babylon's conflagration will be hastened +by the adherents here described. After 1918 the people supporting +churchianity will cease to be its supporters, be destroyed as adherents, +by the spiritual pestilence of errors abroad, and by the famine of the +Word of God among them. The Sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17), which is the +Word of God, will be wielded in the hands of "Present Truth" believers in +such a manner as to cause conscientious supporters of ecclesiasticism to +cease to be supporters. + +5:5. Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the +midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.--God, through +the increase of knowledge, the Renaissance, and the dynamic power of +belief in the Word of God, has set up Christendom on a pinnacle of power +in the midst of the heathen nations or the world. + +5:6. And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the +nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: +for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked +in them.--God taught Christendom the principles of Justice and gave her His +law of Divine, self-sacrificing love--"A new law, that ye love one +another." (John 13:34.) Relatively to the light of Christendom and +heathendom, Christendom is far the more wicked; for, having the +instructions, exhortations and examples of the Bible, she has both refused +them and not walked in them. + +5:7. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye multiplied more than +the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in My statutes, +neither have kept My judgments, neither have done according to the +judgments of the nations that are round about you.--Christendom under the +blessing of God has multiplied in material things and in knowledge more +than heathendom, and yet has not only not walked in God's Law of Love, but +has not lived up to the standards of righteousness and justice of the +heathen. Chinese are more reliable in business engagements than are +Christians. Some tribes in Africa are more moral sexually than are whites, +and explorers have noted the natural kindness of the negroes of Nyassa and +Soudan. + +5:8. Therefore thus saith the Lord God: behold, I, even I, am against +thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the +nations.--Because of Christendom's wickedness against light, God is against +this system calling itself by Christ's holy name, and will execute upon it +judgment of such unprecedented awfulness as to constitute a lasting lesson +to "uncivilized" peoples. + +5:9. And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I +will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations.--The +punishments come because of churchianity's illicit union of church and +state, termed spiritual "fornication" (Rev. 17:2); her licensing of +liquor, vice and crime; her doctrines of devils (1 Tim. 4:1), such as +eternal torment, inherent immortality and Trinity; her desolating +abomination in the Romish mass (Matt. 24:15); and her Phariseeism in the +face of wilful butchery of millions. + +5:10, 11. Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, +and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in +thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds. +Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord God; Surely, because thou hast +defiled My Sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine +abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall Mine eye +spare, neither will I have any pity.--The Hebrew sanctuary or temple typed +the Christian Sanctuary class, the Church of living stones (1 Pet. 2:5), +the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16, 17.) True Christianity, pure +in apostolic days, was defiled (2 Chr. 36:14) with practices and doctrines +detestable and abominable to God, until now it is termed "the great +whore," (apostate church of Romanism) and the daughters "harlots" +(Protestant churches). (Rev. 17:5.) Divine Justice will not spare nor +pity, until upon Christendom has been visited all the righteous blood of +hundreds of millions of victims of her long centuries of unchristian wars +and persecutions. + +5:12, 13. A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with +famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall +fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into +all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. Thus shall Mine +anger be accomplished, and I will cause My fury to rest upon them, and I +will be comforted: and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in +My zeal, when I have accomplished My fury in them.--Job hoped for the time +when God's wrath should be past. (Job 14:13.) The wrath of God will be +over forever when this trouble time is past. (Isa. 10:25.) Divine Justice +will be comforted, will rest, having accomplished its sentence of death, +with the accompaniments of sickness, sorrow, tears and degradation, +mental, moral and physical, upon the human race. + +5:14-17. Moreover I will make thee waste, and a reproach among the nations +that are round about thee, in the sight of all that pass by. So it shall +be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the +nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee +in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the Lord have spoken it. +When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for +their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will +increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread: So will +I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and +pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword +upon thee. I the Lord have spoken it.--Christendom is to be laid waste by +war, revolution, anarchy, famine (Luke 21:26), and pestilence, from end to +end. Her vaunted and envied eminence will pass, through self-destruction, +due to false ideals of honor, into a desolation causing the taunts and +reproaches of the heathen, and being to the heathen nations a cause of +astonishment and source of instruction. The fury of God's anger against +her appears in the expression "in anger and in fury and in furious +rebukes." + + + + +Ezekiel 6--Sword--Famine--Pestilence + + +6:1-4. And the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy +face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say, +Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord +God to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys; +Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your +high places. And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be +broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.--This +chapter relates to the Divine wrath, after 1918 A. D., upon the +governments, symbolically called "mountains and hills," and the rivers, +the denominations. + +6:5-7. And I will lay the dead carcasses of the children of Israel before +their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars. In all +your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places +shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, +and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, +and your works may be abolished. And the slain shall fall in the midst of +you, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.--All state churches are to be +destroyed, literally by the sword, and by the truth about them in the Word +of God, the Sword of the Spirit. (2 Ki. 23:13-22.) At the tops of the +hills and mountains, the governments, are the altars, the centers of the +nation's worship. Great sacrifices are made by the masses to maintain +these altars. + +6:8. Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape +the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the +countries.--Heathendom will be the safest place on earth in the time of +Zion's travail! (Jer. 44:28.) + +6:9. And they that escape of you shall remember Me among the nations +whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their +whorish heart, which hath departed from Me, and with their eyes, which go +a whoring after their idols: and they shall loathe themselves for the +evils which they have committed in all their abominations.--God has +completely broken relations with the churches, which with heart and eye +have "departed from Me." + +6:10. And they shall know that I am the Lord, and that I have not said in +vain that I would do this evil unto them.--After the trouble is over, the +survivors will have a thousand years in which to recognize the hand of +God. + +6:11. Thus saith the Lord God; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy +foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel: +for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the +pestilence.--The attitude of the Lord's true people, "the mourners in Zion" +(Isa. 61:3), is that of righteous indignation against the abominations of +Christendom. + +6:12. He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near +shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die +by the famine: thus will I accomplish My fury upon them.--In spite of the +manifest judgments of God, the devotees of Mystic Babylon, "Christians," +will not turn to God but, while doing reverence and rendering service to +their altars and idols, will be overtaken by literal sword, famine and +pestilence (Jer. 15:2) and by the spiritual Sword of the Spirit, by +starvation from the lack of God's Word, and by pestilential +doctrines.--Psa. 91:6, 7. + +6:13. Then shall ye know that I am the Lord, when their slain men shall be +among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all +the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every +thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their +idols.--In the Roman and Greek churches the idols, images and ikons are +literal. There are other idols in all the churches--power, prestige, social +position, clerical honor, gold, worldly education, etc. As in the +Tabernacle types, zealous, obedient sacrifice caused a "sweet savor" to +rise to God, so the same service raises a sweet savor to the idols of +Christendom. The "green trees" and "thick oaks" were favorite objects of +idolatry (Jer. 2:20; Hos. 4:13), and typed the worship of prominent +preachers and other men.--Psalm 37:35. + +6:14. So will I stretch out My hand upon them, and make the land desolate, +yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their +habitations; and they shall know that I am the Lord.--Christendom is to be +made more desolate than the wilderness surrounding Palestine, wiped off +the face of the earth, to make way for the New Order of things, "the world +to come" (Heb. 2:5), "wherein dwelleth righteousness."--2 Pet. 3:13. + + + + +Ezekiel 7--Dawn Of The Evil Day + + +7:1-6. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Also, thou son +of man, thus saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel; An end, the end +is come upon the four corners of the land. Now is the end come upon thee, +and I will send Mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy +ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. And Mine eye +shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity; but I will recompense thy +ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee; and +ye shall know that I am the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God; An evil, an +only evil, behold, is come. An end is come, the end is come; it watcheth +for thee; behold, it is come.--Chapter 7 includes what Ezekiel saw in type +and what the Ezekiel class now sees in antitype--the destruction of the +symbolic earth (the social order), and the causes therefor; the escape of +the remnant who will pass alive through the trouble into the better order +of things; the defilement and destruction of God's "ornament," +Christendom; and the binding and destruction of the rule of wicked might. +Pastor Russell's mission, in large part, was to advise Christendom of its +impending end, in the time of world-wide trouble. It is the Divine +judgment upon the nations. They reap as they have sown. In times past God +winked at the iniquity of men (Acts 17:30); but now evil shall receive its +just recompense in the wrath of long-insulted Justice. It will be a period +of unmixed evil upon Christendom, the purpose of which will be to +demonstrate to men's certain knowledge that "thy God reigneth." (Isa. +52:7.) There will be no chance of escaping from destruction, though the +nations--as in cases of Germany, the Allies and the United States--earnestly +seek in vain for some way of securing peace. The trouble is due to the +dawning of the Day of Christ, the Millennium. It is the Day of Vengeance, +which began in the world war of 1914 and which will break like a furious +morning storm in 1918.--Lam. 4:18. + +7:7-9. The morning is come unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the land: +the time is come, the day of trouble is near, and not the sounding again +of the mountains. Now will I shortly pour out My fury upon thee, and +accomplish Mine anger upon thee; and I will judge thee according to thy +ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations. And Mine eye +shall not spare, neither will I have pity; I will recompense thee +according to thy ways and thine abominations that are in the midst of +thee; and ye shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth.--The chiefest +sufferers will be those setting affections on earthly things, earth +dwellers and earth lovers. Steep mountain valleys are full of echoing +sounds, falling trees, dislodged rocks, avalanches, landslides, +waterfalls, or the thunders of local storms. Earth's nations have been +resounding for centuries with local wars, seditions, revolutions, famine +and pestilence. (A. 318.) These passed away; but the present commotion and +impending revolution and anarchy will not cease, but will spread and +increase until this order of things is destroyed. + +7:10. Behold the Day, behold it is come: the Morning is gone forth; the +rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.--"Pride goeth before destruction." +(Prov. 16:18.) Human pride [among kaisers, clergy, labor leaders, and +capitalists], has budded, blossomed forth into acts that will bring +destruction. The rod is a symbol of authority. Organized authority is +perverted from its Divinely appointed function of restraint and punishment +of crime into a ruthless rule of might and bloodshed. + +7:11. Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness; none of them shall +remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs; neither shall there +be wailing for them.--Those who rule by violence shall be utterly rooted +out of the earth in the Time of Trouble, unhonored and unwept (Jer. +16:4-6), accursed for the evil they have wrought. The clergy, for whom +many would even have died in the past, but who have preached the people +into this war and into the world's ruin, will become objects of popular +hatred. + +7:12. The time is come, the Day draweth near; let not the buyer rejoice, +nor the seller mourn; for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.--The +year 1918, with its fearful revolutions and succeeding anarchy, is at the +door. + +7:13. For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they +were yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, +which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the +iniquity of his life.--This indicates the languishing and eventual decline +and cessation of business. (Isa. 33:8.) Symbolically, it represents the +ceasing of the clergy from "selling" religion and the people from buying. +"Success consists in knowing how to be discreetly dishonest" is now a +common rule of practice; but the time is at hand when iniquitous practices +and precepts will no longer profit any. + +7:14. They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth +to the Battle; for My wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.--There are +other trumpets than the trumpet of Truth. Established error has its +trumpet message. Ecclesiasticism, capitalism, and governments together +have blown the trumpet of the Divine right of kings, magnates, and clergy, +of the civic-betterment gospel and of "preparedness." Labor leaders have +rallied the people to fight for their unions. Trumpet messages will summon +the people of the world to yet other strife. But so furious and heart- +breaking will be the trouble that none will have the spirit to respond. +There is a hint here that conscription will meet with opposition. + +7:15. The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he +that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, +famine and pestilence shall devour him.--Worldly people in Christendom, not +professors of Christianity, will be pressed into the active fighting of +the Time of Trouble and will perish. (Deut. 32:25; Jer. 14:18.) Those in +the city refer to the professors of Christianity--church members. + +7:16. But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the +mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for +his iniquity.--There will be survivors of the Time of Trouble who will live +on into the Millennium proper. Those of dove-like character will be most +likely to survive. The dove has a mournful note. This class will +appreciate their iniquity, repent of it and pray for forgiveness and +deliverance.--E. _231_, 212. + +7:17. All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.--The +hands symbolize power. The people of Christendom will realize their +helplessness. The extremity of the situation will weaken the +strongest.--Zeph. 1:14; A. 315. + +7:18. They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall +cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their +heads.--In mourning for their dead, men's minds and hearts will revolt at +the horrors of the calamity. All will realize with shame that by +drunkenness with Babylon's mixed teachings (Rev. 17:2) they have brought +the trouble on themselves. In grief the Hebrews shaved the head.--Isa. +3:24. + +7:19. They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be +removed; their sliver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in +the day of the wrath of the Lord; they shall not satisfy their souls, +neither fill their bowels; because it is the stumbling-block of their +iniquity.--With the demonetization of silver, gold has become as a thing +unclean (is losing its purchasing power). All forms of money, bonds, +stocks and valuables will be worthless when governments are gone and whole +nations are starving. (D. 45.) There was a literal fulfillment of this +Scripture in 1898 when in Italy a miller who had publicly thanked the +Virgin for dear bread, literally threw gold and silver to a crowd in the +streets in a vain endeavor to pacify them. They demanded his life and took +it.--Z. '98-331. + +7:20. As for the beauty of His ornament, He set it in majesty; but they +made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things +therein; therefore have I set it far from them.--"Jerusalem is a crown of +glory and a royal diadem". (Isa. 62:3.) Christianity, the embryonic +Kingdom of God, was originally "His ornament," in the apostolic age of the +Church. Literal images were set up by the Hebrews in secret places, and to +this day are worshipped by Romanists literally. Romanists and Protestants +alike worship the images of world-power, wealth, state-church affiliation, +clergy lordship, eternal torment, human immortality and trinity, all alike +detestable to a jealous God. The actual ornament of God, His jewel, His +diadem, is the true Church, composed mostly of the poor, rich in faith +(Jas. 2:5)--of the reform element who since 1878 have been withdrawing from +ecclesiasticism and coming to God. + +7:21. And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and +to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall pollute it.--The +nominal jewel, churchianity, has become the prey of clerical and social +anarchists.--D. 550. + +7:22. My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute My secret +place; for the robbers shall enter into it, and defile it.--The secret +place is the condition of consecration, which an apostate clergy pollute +by misrepresentations, such as that bravery in battle, suffering in the +trenches, devotion to a falling order of things (Hab. 2:13), win a place +in Heaven--won only by loyal devotion to God's Word, and by the spirit- +begotten alone. "I am the Door. He that entereth in by another way is a +robber."--John 10:1. + +7:23. Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is +full of violence.--Bind, unite them together, let the Divinely (!) +appointed clergy and the governments for which they stand sponsor, make +common cause. (D. 550.) Christendom is full of the beastly crimes of the +most barbarous warfare ever known. A city symbolizes a government. + +7:24. Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall +possess their houses: I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease; +and their holy places shall be defiled.--Macaulay, the English historian, +spoke of America as destined to be destroyed by its own Huns and Vandals, +the unassimilated, uncivilized elements, especially of the cities. The +anarchistic masses will literally live in the houses of the erstwhile +rulers and prominent people. The display of power and magnificence of the +strong one, Satan, the alleged eternal-torment God, and the devil- +worshipers of Christendom shall cease. Literally, the churches, Y. M. C. +A.'s, monasteries and convents, supposedly holy, will be defiled by the +impious. + +7:25. Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be +none.--There shall be no peace with God, or peace among the conflicting +elements of society. + +7:26. Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; +then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish +from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.--Literally "accident upon +accident" will befall the affairs of Christendom. (Jer. 4:29.) The people, +wild with perplexity, will seek to the clergy for an understanding of the +world-holocaust; but the true Law, the Word of God, has departed from a +clergy more learned in church politics and money-raising schemes than in +the Bible. The ancients, the "reverends," college professors and savants +do not know what counsel to give to meet the crisis.--Isa. 29:9-14. + +7:27. The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with +desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled: I +will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I +judge them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.--Satan shall mourn the +downfall of his power, as will the heads of the savage, beastly +governments under his control. (Matt. 4:8, 9.) "The exalted one" or +prince, Satan's chief representative among men, is the pope; and he, with +his princes, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests and clergy, shall +see the desolation due to their work. + + ------------------------------------- + + + "O thou of little faith, who dost thou fear? + The tempest hath no power when I am near; + Will not the angry waves be still at My command? + Step out, I'll hold thy hand, + Then, wherefore dost thou fear?" + + + + +Ezekiel 8--Molech, The Torment Deity + + +8:1. And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the +fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah +sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me.--Chapters +8 to 24 continue the recital of the sins of Jerusalem, Christendom, and +the Divine punishment to be inflicted on her. Chapter 8 refers literally +to the temple, and its defilement by the seating of an idol of Baal at the +door near the Brazen Altar, by the desecration of its interior with +symbols of Egyptian heathenism and by the practicing of heathen worship +within the temple. This types the condition of the spiritual Temple of +God, "which Temple ye are", the Church of God, originally pure and holy, +but defiled by the clergy with pagan practices. The type refers back to 2 +Chronicles 33:1-9, where King Manasseh established heathen worship +throughout Palestine, set up a carved image in Solomon's temple and "made +Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err and to do worse than the +heathens whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel." This +resulted in Manasseh's overthrow at the hands of the Assyrians. The name +Manasseh means "causing forgetfulness." He typed Satan, the god of this +world, who, by his lying deceptions has made professing Christians forget +God. Satan's chief "angel of light" is the pope of Rome, ably seconded in +keeping the people in the dark by the cardinals, bishops, priests, monks +and sisters of apostate Rome and by the bishops and ministers of an +apostate Protestantism. These keep "their people" from real Bible study, +and encourage them in their forgetfulness of God and their individual +obligations to God, the Word of God, to fellow-Christians and to the +world. The house is the House of the Sons of God, the consecrated. The +elders, chosen by the people, represented all the people. The Protestant +clergy continually sat before the Lord's steward, could not pick up a +paper that they did not see his sermons in it; but they would not hear his +words, and they rejected him and the truths which he so plainly and so +kindly stated. + +8:2, 3. Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from +the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even +upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber. And He +put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the +spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in +the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that +looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, +which provoketh to jealousy.--Through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, +the Ezekiel class is now taken up mentally into the powers of spiritual +control, to discern the significance of the evil done by Satan and the +clergy. They are brought to Jerusalem the anti-typical, to consider +established priestcraft. They are brought to the door of the inner gate, +the gate of the altar between the people's court and priest's court--(the +same as the Tabernacle court.) They are brought to the antitypical Temple, +to the Chord of God, to the Lord's people--"Ye are the Temple of God". (1 +Cor. 3:16.) "I am the Door" (John 10:9.) The Door represents Christ, +through whom all that enter must come. The North symbolizes the seat of +Divine government, the spiritual phase of the Kingdom. (Isa. 14:13.) The +Door, Christ, looks toward, tends toward spiritual things. Those that +enter through Christ are expected to look forward from the condition of +belief to that of full consecration, the spirit-begotten condition. In the +Door, in the very place of Christ, Manasseh, type of the devil, and an +apostate clergy set up an idol, an image of the Devil himself. Those who +thereafter entered the court had to worship the image, typing that under +clergy rule all entering the church, the condition of belief, had to do +honor to Satan, whose seat of chief power is at Rome, and whose influence +spreads wherever the clergy class is found. + +The word "Baal" means "Lord." The clergy have set themselves as lords over +God's heritage (1 Pet. 5:3), the Church. By perversion of the plain +meaning of literal Bible statements, they have set up in the place of God +the deity of the Devil. This God of Romanism and Protestantism is not one, +but three; he inflicts tortures eternal; his favor can be bought for +money; he dwells in earthly buildings (Acts 7:48), which are consecrated +to him; he teaches the direct opposite of the Word of God--that the dead +are alive; he favors spiritual adultery--the union of the church with the +governments of this world; he fosters lordship of the clergy class. The +clergy's God is plainly not Jehovah, but the ancient deity, hoary with the +iniquities of ages--Baal--the Devil himself. God pity the clergy, who have +so long deceived themselves and the people with their "carved image, the +work of their own hands!" "I am jealous for Zion with a great jealousy." +(Zech. 1:14.) "I, Jehovah, thy God, am a jealous God." (Ex. 20:5.) There +is little wonder that the literal typical Baal of the Jews and the anti- +typical eternal-torment God of the clergy should provoke Jehovah to +jealousy. + +8:4. And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to +the vision that I saw in the plain.--The usual place of the Shekinah Light +was in the Most Holy between the cherubim above the golden Mercy Seat. It +was from this glory that fire came out at times like lightning to consume +and destroy iniquitous offenders. (Lev. 10:2.) It bodes ill for the +devotees of the eternal-torment god that the glory of Jehovah has come out +against them. + +8:5, 6. Then said He unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way +toward the North. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the North, and +behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the +entry. He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? +even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that +I should go far off from My sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou +shalt see greater abominations.--It is needless to look for abominations +far off when such an abomination has been set up by "impudent children" at +the very door of the Church. + +8:7. And He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold +a hole in the wall.--In Solomon's temple the court of the priests was +surrounded not by a simple wall, but by a row of rooms or chambers where +the priests and Levites stayed. The hole in the wall was an opening or +window into one of the chambers. + +8:8. Then said He unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall, and when I had +digged in the wall, behold a door.--The wall was the wall of secrecy, +misrepresentation and deception, by reason of which the pagan practices +and beliefs of various classes of professed Christians were hidden from +publicity and consequent popular judgment. A little was known about them, +represented by the little hole in the wall. It is the work of the Ezekiel +class to dig through the wall and throw the light on these hidden things. +The time has come for judgment, and for everything that is done in a +chamber to be proclaimed from the housetops. (Luke 12:3.) Once the wall of +secrecy is dug through, the door is open to see whatever transpires. + +8:9. And He said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that +they do here.--The court typifies the condition of faith--tentative +justification. The chambers surrounded the court. They symbolize the +condition of those who profess faith and justification, but whose lives +and beliefs contradict their professions. + +8:10. So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and +abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed +upon the wall round about.--To the Egyptians, artistic portrayals of +creatures had a religious significance. All kinds of living creatures were +worshipped. Chief of these was the bull Apis, which symbolized life and +especially the power of procreation. The devotees of the antitype are +never so happy as when giving life to new spiritual offspring. The +children thus begotten are mostly tares. But few of them have the life +that comes from consecration to the Word of God. The revivalist and the +clergy care little for any begotten of the Word of God and do little to +help them grow up in Christ. They grow, if at all, like starved, neglected +children. As the service of this worship could be conducted only by the +regular priests of Egypt, so the antitypical work can be done only by the +man-made clergy class of the world (Egypt) and those "ordained" by them. +Among the creeping things, objects of worship, was the fly--the evangelist. +(Rev. 16:2.) The prince of the flies was Beelzebub. Flies breed in and +feed upon the "dung hill of Popish decretals" and other "traditions of +men." They never get far above earthly things, but circulate in the lower +strata of the air--ecclesiasticism. They bite and annoy both worldly people +and the Lord's people, as did the plague of flies in Egypt, and are +specially persistent in the humid condition of a rain--a downpour of Truth. +These, like all clergy-approved workers, are looked up to, worshipped by +the people of Christendom. Other creeping things that fly signify +degrading of forbidden beliefs and practices, attractive, garbed in the +cloak of religion, under church auspices, as typed by their flying in the +air, ecclesiastical powers; but they are displeasing to God and tending +toward death. + +8:11. And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house +of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, +with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went +up.--Worshipping the pictured images were the elders, or ancients, +appointed by and representing all the people of Jerusalem. Jaazaniah was a +Levite, typical of a believer in Christ. The word Shaphan means "sly", and +suggests the slyness of the adherents of wrong beliefs. Jaazaniah means +"God is listening," and signifies the fact that whatever "Christian" +sinners may say, God is actually paying attention. The censer was used to +carry the fire in which incense was burned. (Rev. 8:3.) It types the +bearing of the fiery trials signified by the fire. The devotees of error +suffer in its behalf, as Truth people suffer for the Truth. Incense types +the heart's best endeavors, here wrongly directed by many professing +Christians in the service of Satan, as were Saul's in persecuting +Christians. (Acts 22:3, 4.) Tares are often more devoted to their errors +than are the Lord's people to the Truth. "The children of this world are +wiser in their generation than the children of light." (Luke 16:8.) It was +unlawful for a Hebrew to burn incense, except as in the regular temple +service. It is an abomination for a professing Christian to put forth his +heart's best endeavors except in the service of God. + +8:12. Then said He unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients +of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his +imagery? for they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the +earth.--These departures from true Christian belief are carried on "in the +dark." (John 3:19.) Every tare, imitation Christian, has his own peculiar +beliefs and practices in "the chamber of his imagery," his mind. Because +God knows how to defer retribution until the Day of Judgment (2 Pet. 2:9), +these unwise ones delude themselves that the All-Seeing One does not see. +Those not familiar with the Divine Plan of the Ages, seeing the conditions +of savage war trending into worse things, apparently have the delusion +that the Lord has forsaken the earth. + +8:13, 14. He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see +greater abominations that they do. Then He brought me to the door of the +gate of the Lord's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there +sat women weeping for Tammuz.--Tammuz means "perfect (tam) by burning" +(muz). He was a heathen god whose death was lamented annually by women +idolaters. He was the god of fire worship, the same as Molech, to whom +children were burned alive. He types the eternal-torment-purgatory God, +who perfects (supposedly) by the fires of purgatory. The women weeping for +him typify the once-virgin churches, who honor the alleged hell-fire god +and lament the ones in the fire. There is a unity of heathen religions +with apostate "Christianity" which stamps them all as pagan. The original +heathen god was Nimrod, "the mighty hunter" of Gen. 10:8-14, where is +related the origin of Babylon and Ninevah. Nimrod led men and women from +the true religion of devout Noah into gross sensuality and neglect of the +worship of Jehovah. He was beloved by fallen women. For his iniquitous +influence, Nimrod was condemned to death by the council of judges; and his +dead body was cut into pieces, which were sent to all parts of the +inhabited world, with the threat of death to any who practiced his evil +ways. Nimrod married his own mother, Semiramis, so that, in a sense, he +was his own father and his own son. Here was the origin of the Trinity +doctrine. + +Nation Father-Husband Son The Woman + +Asia Decius Cybele +Assyria Winged bull +Babylonia Lord of Heaven +Babylonia Ninus Tammuz Queen of Heaven +Chaldea Bal Ishtar +Chaldea Cahna-Bel The Seed + (Cannibal) +Chaldea Molech Ashtaroth +Chaldea Zoroaster The Seed of the + Fire +China Child Madonna +Egypt Apis bull Cow of Athor +Egypt Osiris Horus Isis +English The Devil +Greece Bacchus Rhea +Greece Capricornus Astarte +Greece Kissos Mother of gods +Greece Kronos Aphrodite +Greece Orion Babe Ceres +Greece Saturn Venus +Greece Plutus Irene +India Vishnu Christina +India Tsi Eswara +Italy Pope Virgin Mary +Japan Child Madonna +Nineveh Nimrod Nimrod Semiramis +Palestine Baal +Persia Sun Moon +Persia Sun God +Persia Child Madonna +Philistia Dagon +Rome Jupiter Jupiter Puer Fortuna +Scandinavia Woden Thor Frieda +Thibet Child Madonna + +The practices of Nimrod were continued in secret by Semiramis; and as +every caution had to be taken, the things done were veiled in mystery. +Each act and person was represented only in symbols known to the +initiated. Here originated the various secret societies, with their blood- +curdling oaths of secrecy--Masonry, Oddfellowship, Jesuitism, Knights of +Malta, and so on. These are lineal descendants of the "mysteries" of pagan +sensuality, all of them abominations to God. Semiramis, to further her +schemes, pretended that Nimrod, the father-son, had been raised from the +dead in the form of the sun, which thus became an object of worship. She +represented herself as the moon, which was also adored. This was the +original Trinity--Nimrod the father, Nimrod, or Tammuz, the son and +Semiramis the mother, the power, or spirit, back of all. As the people +multiplied and scattered they took with them this heathen Trinity which +appears in various nations in the partial list shown on the preceding +page. + +These under inspiration of the Devil, put the false seed of the +woman--Nimrod, Tammuz, etc.,--in the stead of the true Seed, pushed Jehovah +aside, then into the background, and then out altogether. The Devil, +through the Pope of Rome, substituted forms of paganism for the simplicity +of true Christianity. "Such things are," says Cardinal Newman, "the very +instruments and appendages of demon worship," but "sanctified by adoption +into the church." Roman Catholicism is a heathen religion. Protestantism +also worships Molech, the fire god, Tammuz, the deity of torture, whom +popes, cardinals, bishops, priests, clergy, ministers, and laymen unite in +honoring and worshipping under the delusion that they are worshipping +Jehovah, God of Abraham, the true God of the Bible. However, ignorantly, +"they worship devils."--1 Cor. 10:20. + +8:15, 16. Then said He unto me, Hast thou seen this, O Son of man? turn +thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And He +brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and behold, at the +door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were +about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, +and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the +east.--In the court itself (1 Ki. 6:36), in the very presence of the blood- +bought sacrifice, these men were gathered. Only priests and Levites might +be in this court. They typified the believers and spirit-begotten ones of +the Christian Church. They were divided into about twenty-five courses or +sections and served in rotation. These typed the divisions of Christians +into about twenty-five principal denominations. In the United States these +are Adventists, Baptists, Brethren (Dunkards), Catholics (Greek), +Christian, Churches of Christ Scientist, Churches of God, +Congregationalists, Disciples of Christ, Evangelical, Friends, German +Evangelical Protestant, German Evangelical Synod, Latter Day Saints, +Lutherans, Scandinavian Evangelical, Menonites, Moravians, Methodists, +Pentecostals, Presbyterians, Protestant Episcopals, Reformed, Salvation +Army, and United Brethren. With their backs toward the Temple of the Lord +(Jer. 2:27), these treat with contempt and scorn the little company of +God's true saints, rich in faith, "the Temple." To turn the back is a +gross insult. Their faces are toward the east. (Jer. 8:2.) All these +denominations worship the fire-god, the sun, the heathen god whose +identity with paganism appears foregoing. + +8:17. Then He said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O Son of man? Is it a +light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which +they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have +returned to provoke Me to anger; and, lo, they put the branch to their +nose.--So lightly do modern Babylonians, apostate religionists, regard +their abominable beliefs, that they will not even give consideration to +the presentation of the truth about Jehovah and His Divine Plan of the +Ages. It is the church--clergy and members--who brought on the barbarous +world-war. They could have stood like a rock for peace; but the clergy, +with devilish exhortations, urged their fellow-savages to bloodshed. The +Divine judgment has gone against them and soon will swallow them up in the +earthquake (revolution) and fire (anarchy) of the Time of Trouble. The +last clause should read. "They send a stench to My nostrils." + + [Illustration] + + Destructive Criticism Of The Bible + + +8:18. Therefore will I also deal in fury; Mine eyes shall not spare, +neither will I have pity: and though they cry in Mine ears with a loud +voice, yet will I not hear them.--The fury of "Christians" in this savage +war will be visited upon them in the succeeding revolution and anarchy. +When the real Time of Trouble is on, after the war, Christendom will +realize the terrible truth that it is the punishment of Divine Justice--and +will pray mightily to God. Their prayers cannot be favorably answered +(Prov. 1:28) until "the great tribulation" (Rev. 7:14) has finished its +work of "bruising to heal."--Hos. 6:1. + + ------------------------------------- + + + "In the world despised, neglected, + Deemed its refuse and its dross, + She whose Lord the earth rejected + Shares His sorrow, bears His loss." + + + + +Ezekiel 9--The Man With The Inkhorn + + +9:1. He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that +have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying +weapon in his hand.--Chapter 9 depicts the slaughter of the idolaters of +Jerusalem. It types the literal slaughter of the spiritual idolaters of +Christendom in the Time of Trouble, and also their destruction as tares +(Matt. 13:40) by the Word of Truth, which will manifest their true +condition and cause them to cease the pretense of being Christians. The +picture corresponds to the harvesting of wheat and tares by the sickle of +Truth (Rev. 14:15), and the burning of the tares. There is a two-fold +significance here--those having material charge of Christendom, and those +having spiritual charge (D. 527.) The first class comprises the rulers of +the great nations; the second class, the feet members of the Little Flock +(Luke 12:32)--"All things are yours." (1 Cor. 3:21); "Inheritors of the +Kingdom" (Gal. 5:21); "Given charge of all His goods" (Luke 12:44), the +Bible truths. The first class has as weapons the armies and navies. The +second has the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. + + [Illustration] + + Seats Free And No Collection Was Never Babylon's Slogan + + +9:2. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which +lieth toward the North, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and +one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his +side: and they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.--The six with +earthly weapons are the rulers of the six great nations--Russia, Germany, +Austria, France, England and Italy. The six with the Sword of the Spirit +symbolize all the Elijah class, the six, with one other, making up the +seven, the complete number. These have their commission from "the north," +from the seat of Divine Dominion, from God Himself. Practically all Bible +translators and commentators agree that the one with a writer's inkhorn by +his side was not one of the six, but a seventh, garbed as a priest, or as +a clerk or officer in an army of the East. The linen signifies the imputed +righteousness of Christ, (Rev. 19:8.) The writer's inkhorn symbolizes that +the seventh man's function was to write. God identified him thus: When THE +WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY was at Allegheny, Pa., an open Bible +was to be painted on one of the large front window of the office. A sign +painter, not in the Truth, painted the open Bible; and without instruction +from any one, of his own volition, he painted the Bible as open at +Ezekiel, Chapter 9. The man in linen was the Laodicean servant, the Lord's +faithful and wise steward, Pastor Russell. When Pastor Russell saw this, +he turned pale. Ezekiel seeing the man in linen, types Pastor Russell +thereafter seeing himself to be the antitype of that man--one of the most +prolific writers of the Age, and the only one to write and publish widely +the glad tidings of the actual Second Presence of Christ. The seven men +stood beside the brazen altar--there, in connection with God's Plan, based +upon the Ransom sacrifice to receive their Divinely appointed commission. + +9:3. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, +whereupon He was, to the threshold of the house. And He called to the man +clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side.--One of the +four living creatures is here designated a "cherub." This one was Justice, +about to operate upon the iniquities of ecclesiasticism. The threshold of +the house refers to the door of the Holy, the condition of the spirit- +begotten. "The spirit of glory and of God is upon thee." (1 Pet. 4:14) The +message was to sound forth from the Lord's consecrated people during the +Harvest of the Gospel Age, from 1878 to 1918. + +9:4. And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through +the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that +sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst +thereof.--The center of Christendom is the nations of the United States, +Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia and Scandinavia. Hither and +thither, traveling and preaching for nearly forty years Pastor Russell +obeyed this command; and through the printed page of books, tracts and +newspapers he went into every corner of the world. "Set a mark", literally +"set a '_tav_' upon the foreheads." The "_Tav_" was the twenty-second +letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and in its earlier form had the shape of a +cross ({~DAGGER~}). The forehead signifies the intellect (Rev. 7:3; 14:1). Pastor +Russell's great work was to imprint indelibly in the minds of certain ones +the truth about the Cross, the sacrifice of the Christ, Head and Body, and +the part of the Church therein. It was the duty of the clerk or officer of +an oriental army to mark the people, either for slaughter or to be left +untouched. The "mourners in Zion" (Isa. 61:3) are those faithful ones in +Christendom that appreciate that conditions are evil in churchianity, +perhaps without understanding just how. All these are to be marked in +their minds with the knowledge of the Present Truth. + +9:5. And to the others He said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through +the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity.--After +Pastor Russell's writings have reached an individual, the other members of +the Elijah class, the "Truth people," approach him with the Sword of the +Spirit, the Word of God. This is to each individual a "savor of life to +life, or of death to death." (2 Cor. 2:14-16.) Those not believing Present +Truth will become only the more confirmed in error. (2 Thes. 2:11.) They +will be smitten by the Sword of the Spirit, which in them will operate at +this time to destroy any pretense of being Christians, and cause them to +take their proper stand as worldings--to be destroyed as tares. In this, +God's "strange work" (Isa. 28:21), the Word of God will operate seemingly +without pity, to separate the people into two classes, in Present Truth or +out of it. In a literal sense the rulers of this evil Age will pitilessly +carry the Sword throughout the lengths and breadths of Christendom. + +9:6. Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children, and +women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My +Sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the +house.--Here are depicted the savagery of the revolutions and the anarchy +succeeding the great war. Though they are to be literally martyred, the +consecrated in Present Truth cannot be hurt of either slaughter weapon; +their hopes and their treasures are in Heaven (Matt. 6:20), and no earthly +calamity can in any wise work them ill. Symbolically the Sword of the +Spirit will do no harm to mature Christians--"men,"--but many young or +undeveloped believers, not having the Holy Spirit, regardless of sex, will +fall as tares, as will all of the idol worshipers of Christendom. The +literal trouble will begin with a revolutionary outburst of anarchy +against the churches and the clergy (1 Pet. 4:17), as responsible for the +trouble because of having preached the people into the war, in the face of +innumerable Scriptures against fighting with carnal weapons (Matt. 5:39, +44; John 18:11; 2 Cor. 10:4) and of those teaching Christians to love one +another and to forgive trespasses (Luke 6:27-38), personal or national. +(Rom. 12:17-21.) The Sword of the Spirit will begin its work with the +sanctuary class, the professing Christians (1 Pet. 4:17). It will begin +with "the ancient men", the representatives of the people--the clergy, +doctors of divinity, priests, bishops and other ecclesiastics. + +9:7. And He said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the +slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.--Typically +the house of God was defiled by a dead body. The Temple, the Body of +Christ, the true Church, is defiled by the presence in it of any one who +has become spiritually dead. The priests and Levites alone might enter the +priests' court; and this types that many professing to be consecrated +Christians will lose all claim to being followers of Christ--be slain +religiously. So many will thus lose belief that Christendom will be filled +with them. Literally the sanctuaries and the streets of Christendom will +be filled with the slain of the Time of Trouble. + +9:8. And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, +that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt Thou +destroy all the residue of Israel in Thy pouring out of Thy fury upon +Jerusalem?--It will almost seem that none in Christendom will escape alive; +and, indeed, "Except those days be shortened, no flesh should be +saved."--Matt. 24:22. + +9:9, 10. Then said He unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and +Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full +of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the +Lord seeth not. And as for Me also, Mine eyes shall not spare, neither +will I have any pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.--On +account of the light of the Gospel of Love they possess, both Romanism and +Protestantism are guilty to an extraordinary degree before God. +Christendom, through its savage wars, is drenched with blood. Churchianity +is full of wilful sin. God will seem to have left the social order to its +own destruction. + +9:11. And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by +His side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as Thou hast commanded +me.--Pastor Russell was faithful to his great task of writing and +publishing the Truth and imprinting the "_tav_" of Present Truth in the +minds of the spirit-begotten. In October, 1916, he died, and beyond the +veil has, ere this, undoubtedly, reported in the presence of Christ that +he has done the work he was given to do. + + ------------------------------------- + + + "Faithful when with tears thine eyes were dim, + Faithful when joys' cup o'erflowed its brim; + Faithful when God seemed to veil His face, + Faithful when He crowned thy work with grace, + Faithful till was fled life's fleeting breath, + Eager hands were folded still in death." + + + + +Ezekiel 10--Scattering Coals Of Fire + + +10:1. Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head +of the cherubim there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as +the appearance of the likeness of a throne.--Verses 1, 8-11, 12, 14-22 are +explained in Chapter 1. The repetition of the symbols of the Justice, +Wisdom, Love and Power of God, of the wings (Word of God), of the wheels, +and the wondrous light, are assurances that in the anarchous destruction +of Christendom, our Father is acting wisely, justly, lovingly and in +accordance with His Word and Plan for the good of mankind.--T. 125. + +10:2. And He spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in +between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals +of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city. And he +went in in my sight.--Ezekiel, typing Pastor Russell, sees himself as +acting in the manner here described. He was to go in between the wheels, +to do his work in accordance with the Divine Plan, to act under the +dictates of the Divine Justice, "the cherub." The coals of fire are +symbolic of the fiery trials, distress, "great tribulation," with which +Christendom will be overwhelmed in the last period of the Time of Trouble, +and the prophecies of these events. (Rev. 8:5.) These Divinely permitted +troubles have the approval of Divine Wisdom, Justice, Love and Power, as +necessary from every viewpoint, and the inevitable retribution of a long- +forbearing God. Pastor Russell was to do this work,--"fill his hand," with +all his might, to devote himself wholly to this task. Over the whole world +was scattered the warning of impending trouble.--D. 57. + +10:3. Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man +went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.--The cherubim stood by the +nominal Temple class--to inquire and visit the offences of Christendom. The +house was on their left, the place of disfavor. When no priests were in +the Holy, it was filled with a cloud. In 1 Kings 8:10 and in 2 Chron. +5:11-14 the cloud filled the Holy, and the priests were unable to serve +there because of it. When the cloud filled the Court, no one could see to +serve in it. This types that in the Harvest period, from 1878 to 1918, +while Pastor Russell was dispensing as part of the "food in due season" +the impending downfall of Christendom, those who had been serving in the +believing Court condition--clergy and other church workers--were no longer +permitted to do so. It corresponds to the passing of the stewardship from +the clergy to Pastor Russell in 1878. This applies also to verse 4, where +the presence of the cloud also types the presence of Jehovah to visit +punishment for wickedness.--B. 138. + +10:4. Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and stood over +the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and +the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory.--Pastor Russell +saw more clearly than any one in this end of the Age the glorious Gospel +of God in the Ransom for all (Court and altar). + +10:5. And the sound of the cherubim's wings was heard even to the outer +court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.--Here is +indicated the sounding forth of the Word of God through Pastor Russell's +proclamation of Present Truth. The inner Court typed the condition of +faith and justification, and the outer Court typed the condition of those +not fully believing, nor directly serving God. The preaching and writings +of Pastor Russell were heard by all classes of believers and unbelievers. +It was the voice of Jehovah, represented as almighty to save, that was +heard throughout the world. + +10:6. And it came to pass that when He had commanded the man clothed with +linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the +cherubim; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.--In the Divine Plan +of the Ages Pastor Russell was to find clearly indicated the great +tribulation then close at hand. + +10:7. And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim +unto the fire that was between the cherubim, and took thereof and put it +into the hands of him clothed with linen; who took it, and went +out.--Justice gave to Pastor Russell the knowledge of impending troubles, +to go out and publish to Christendom. + +10:8. And there appeared in the cherubim the form of a man's hand under +their wings.--The work of witness here depicted is carried out by human +beings, under the power and protection of the Word of God. + +10:9-11. And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubim, one +wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the +appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone. And as for +their appearance, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in +the midst of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides; +they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked +they followed it; they turned not as they went.--See Chapter 1 for +explanation. The leading face in the head was the man's face, typical of +Divine Love. This is the dominating attribute of God's character, +directing the course of the other three. + +10:12. And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their +wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels they +four had.--Every part of the Divine character, as well as every operation +of the Divine attributes and of the human beings through which God acts is +full of Wisdom.--B. 305. + +10:13. As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O +wheel.--Very emphatic was the Divine directing of the attention toward the +wheels--the Divine Plan of the Ages. Pastor Russell always directed the +Bible student's mind toward the great Plan. + +10:14-22. And every one had four faces; the first face was the face of a +cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face +of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. And the cherubim were +lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar. +And when the cherubim went, the wheels went by them: and the cherubim +lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also +turned not from beside them. When they stood, these stood; and when they +were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also; for the spirit of the +living creature was in them. Then the glory of the Lord departed from off +the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim +lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when +they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at +the door of the east gate of the Lord's house, and the glory of the God of +Israel was over them above. This is the living creature that I saw under +the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the +cherubim. Every one had four faces apiece, and every one had four wings; +and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. And the +likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of +Chebar, their appearance and themselves: they went every one straight +forward.--See explanation of these verses in Chapter 1. (Hos. 9:12) "Yea, +woe also to them when I depart from them." + + + + +Ezekiel 11--The Wicked Counsel + + +11:1. Moreover the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate +of the Lord's house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the +gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah, the son of Azur, and +Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.--The east gate types +Christ, the entrance to true Christianity. (John 10:9.) At the door of the +gate were the leading sects, Jaazaniah, the son of Azur (helper) types the +idea that by self-help man can please God. Pelatiah (Jah delivers), the +son of Benaiah (Jah is intelligent), types the belief that earthly wisdom +will deliver the world from its difficulties. (1 Cor. 1:21.) These were +"princes among the people"--very popular ideas. + +11:2. Then said He unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise +mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city.--These teachings have +actuated many of the erroneous beliefs and wicked acts of nominal +Christians. + +11:3. Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the +caldron, and we be the flesh.--Ecclesiasticism's thought is that the Time +of Trouble is not near, and the destruction of Christendom is not to be +thought of. (1 Thes. 5:3.) "Let us build houses" is an expression implying +confidence in the permanence of things as they are. (2 Pet. 3:4.) "This +city is the caldron, and we be the flesh" (Jer. 1:13) is a proverb, here +applied to the iron sides of the caldron keeping away the fire, or in +antitype civil and military powers, protecting from actual anarchy (fire), +however hot things may become. + +11:4, 5. Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man. And the +Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak: Thus saith the +Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that +come unto your mind, every one of them.--The false teachings of the clergy +are nothing new. Every one of them is the old worship of Nimrod and Baal. + +11:6. Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the +streets thereof with the slain.--There never was a war that a clergy did +not preach "their people" into it, and multiply the slain. Furthermore, +the number is legion of those who would have liked to gain spiritual life, +but the clergy have discouraged (John 7:48), and in millions of cases +caused their actual death. + +11:7. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Your slain whom ye have laid in +the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city the caldron: but I will +bring you forth out of the midst of it.--Another sense in which the +Jerusalem Jews used this proverb was that the Jews taken captive into +Babylon were worthless, and they in Jerusalem were the valuable flesh +remaining. (Mi. 3:3.) God here tells that the only ones to remain in +Christendom will be the literally dead, or those who are dead to the +claims of Mystic Babylon. These have the best chance of surviving the +trouble. The walls, defences, military and police, will be broken down by +war and revolution; and nothing can save the adherents of ecclesiasticism +from their fate. + +11:8. Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a Sword upon you, saith +the Lord.--The devotees of established priestcraft fear both the literal +sword and the Sword of the Spirit. The armies of the nations will be in +open revolt against the established powers, religious, political and +economic. Also the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, will cut through +all pretense and bring about the death of religion in all not begotten of +the Holy Spirit. + +11:9. And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into +the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.--Christendom +win fall literally into the hands of revolutionists and anarchists, +Industrial Workers of the World, Syndicalists, Socialists, unfriendly to +established systems, and spiritually into the power of the Word of God in +the hands of His "strangers." (1 Pet. 1:1; 2:11,) a "just recompense of +reward." (Heb. 2:2.) + +11:10, 11. Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of +Israel, and ye shall know that I am the Lord. This city shall not be your +caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will +judge you in the border of Israel.--The Jews taken captive out of Jerusalem +were tried and slain at Riblah (a bare place) outside of Palestine, +typifying that the destroying judgments on Christendom will come upon her +after her institutions have gone to pieces, and she is desolated. + +11:12. And ye shall know that I am the Lord: for ye have not walked in My +statutes, neither executed My judgments, but have done after the manner of +the heathen that are round about you.--The people of Christendom will +finally appreciate that their distress is a punishment from God, because +of not having followed the plain injunctions of the Bible, having +mistaught the Word of God, and having lived no better than unbelievers. + +11:13. And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah, the son of +Benaiah, died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, +and said, Ah Lord God! wilt Thou make a full end of the remnant of +Israel?--While Pastor Russell's reasonable and Divinely appointed teachings +are doing their good work throughout Christendom the idea that human +wisdom, Prussian culture, etc., can save the old order of things, will be +seen lifeless. + +11:14. Again the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying.--Verses 14 to 25 +are the message of comfort and hope to those who are now out of harmony +with ecclesiasticism. + +11:15. Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy +kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the +inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the Lord: unto us is +this land given in possession.--The Jews in captivity were despised by +those remaining in the "holy" city, Jerusalem. They type the people of +Christendom who honestly own themselves to be of the world and are +despised by the "best people," the educated, religious "holy" +Churchianity. "Get you far from the Lord" is the attitude of the tares +toward those who do not pretend as much, but who are often much better in +God's sight. The "best people" not merely own most of the earth now, but +expect to own Heaven too--with the now worldly people forever consigned to +a devil-imagined hell of eternal torment. + +11:16. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them +far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the +countries, yet will I be to them as a little Sanctuary in the countries +where they shall come.--God especially favors the honest-hearted, humble- +minded, however far they may now be from Him in outward appearance. Christ +avoided the Scribes and the Pharisees, but freely associated with the +publicans and sinners. + +11:17. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from +the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been +scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.--In the coming Kingdom +God will gather first the outcasts from their condition of disfavor, even +from the dead, and will give them possession of the earth before the +proud-minded ecclesiastics are permitted to return from the dead. This is +to have also a literal fulfillment on Fleshly Israel.--Z. '94-76. + +11:18. And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the +detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from +thence.--The common people, free from the perverse influence of +priestcraft, in Christ's Millennial Kingdom will abolish all the clergy- +fostered ideas and practices now so abominable to God. + +11:19. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within +you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give +them a heart of flesh.--They will be single-hearted to serve God and do His +will alone. (Jer. 32:39.) From having the spirit or mind of natural men +they will be given the Holy Spirit, when God "pours out His Spirit upon +all flesh." (A. 333; Z. '03-171.) From being hard-hearted they will become +tender-hearted, forgiving one another even as God, for Christ's sake will +forgive them.--Eph. 4:32. + +11:20. That they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do +them: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.--They will keep +God's Law of Divine love. The "best people," who now regard themselves as +God's people, in the Age to come will learn that God opposes the proud and +favors the humble. + +11:21. But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their +detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon +their own heads, saith the Lord God.--Those who at heart love established +ecclesiasticism are counted as having the heart, mind or will of the +author of priestcraft, the Devil. "Ye generation of serpents (devils), how +scarcely shall ye escape the condemnation of Gehenna (Second +Death)."--Matt. 23:33. + +11:22, 23. Then did the cherubim lift up their wings, and the wheels +beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. And +the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon +the mountain which is on the east side of the city.--God, and Divine favor, +has ceased to be in or with Christendom (D. 527), but is upon and with the +true Kingdom (mountain) of God (A. 318), toward the east (Zech. 14:4), the +antitypical Mount of Olives.--D. 653. + +11:24, 25. Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by +the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision +that I had seen went up from me. Then I spake unto them of the captivity +all the things that the Lord had shewed me.--These things seen in the +Scriptures are now preached and published to the captives in Mystic +Babylon. + + + + +Ezekiel 12--Christendom's Blind Flight + + +12:1, 2. The word of the Lord also came unto me saying, Son of man, thou +dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and +see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not; for they are a rebellious +house.--In Chapter 12:1-16 is depicted the blind flight of Christendom into +revolution and anarchy. Pastor Russell and his co-workers once dwelt in +the midst of the rebellious nominal house, or church, of God, with eyes +blinded and ears made deaf by their spiritual defection.--Matt. 13:13. + +12:3. Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and +remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to +another place in their sight: It may be they will consider, though they be +a rebellious house.--He found in the Bible the Truth of God, which exhorts +to "come out of her, O My people" (Rev. 18:4); and in obedience, he came +out of his church home into a condition of separateness, by every means of +publicity (in their sight) drawing the attention to his removal, in the +hope that those left behind might turn truly back to God. + +12:4. Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as +stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as +they that go forth into captivity.--In their estimation, he did this as one +taken by the Evil One. + +12:5. Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.--He +dug through the creeds walls and thus "came out of her." + +12:6. In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it +forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the +ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.--To them +he was one not knowing whither he went, with eyes blinded; whereas his +action and his publishing of the Truth was but God's way of beseeching +Christendom and warning her of her own fate. + +12:7. And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as +stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine +hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder +in their sight.--Pastor Russell and the Truth people did this with their +limited power (hand), and laboriously (upon shoulder) made their way with +their goods, the precious Truths, "out of her." + +12:8-9. And in the morning came the word of the Lord unto me, saying, Son +of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto +thee, What doest thou?--The nominal church (home) of Spiritual Israel have +often inquired of Pastor Russell and of the Truth people, "What doest +thou?" + +12:10. Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; This burden concerneth +the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among +them.--The import of the answer concerns the exalted class (prince, exalted +one), the lords in Christendom, the clergy, and all professing Christians +that are with them. + +12:11. Say, I am your sign, like as I have done, so shall it be done unto +them: they shall remove and go into captivity.--What has been, is a lesson +for them; as the Royal Priesthood has done, so shall it be done unto them; +they shall move down from their exalted place and go into captivity to the +laborite and revolutionary elements. The Jews were literally to go into +captivity into ancient Babylon, which they did. + +12:12. And the prince that is among them shell bear upon his shoulder in +the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry +out thereby; he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his +eyes.--As to the Jews, their ruler Zedekiah was by night to try to escape +from Jerusalem, but he should not see the way. Regarding Christendom's +clergy, they shall at the close of their day, abandon Christendom in the +time of revolution, to save what they can for themselves, and "get out of +her." They shall find a still more worldly way out of their creed walls +and shall be self-blinded to the real condition of society (the earth). + +12:13. My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in My +snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet +shall he not see it, though he shall die there.--Like a snare shall +revolution, in the guise of freedom for all, come upon them; and, utterly +blind to the significance of world events, they shall be forced into +revolution and anarchy, and there shall this lordly class come to its end. +(Hos. 7:12.) The literal application upon King Zedekiah is of course +understood; for he went to Babylon, but never saw it, because his eyes +were put out. + +12:14. And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help +him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.--God will +scatter in war, tumult and confusion and in error; all that adhere to the +clergy class, and all their congregations (bands); and against them shall +He direct weapons of war and the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit. + +12:15. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall scatter them +among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.--And they shall +appreciate that Jehovah is God, when this has come. + +12:16. But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, +and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations +among the heathen whither they come: and they shall know that I am the +Lord.--From among them God will leave a few manly believers, who shall +escape the sword, the famine, literal and of the Word, and from the +pestilential errors; that they, as then faithful members of the Great +Company, may explain to the revolutionists and anarchists the Truth about +the Divinely forbidden doctrines and deeds of the clergy, and their +following. + +12:17, 18. Moreover the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, +eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with +carefulness.--The Lord's people were to eat, drink and live with great +economy. + +12:19. And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord God of the +inhabitants of Jerusalem and the land of Israel; They shall eat their +bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her +land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of +all them that dwell therein.--They were to say to the people of +Christendom: "God says to the clergy and people of nominal Spiritual +Israel, the churches: You shall eat your food by measure, and with +economy--on the food-ticket plan--and drink your Truth with amazement at the +famine; for Christendom is to be desolated of its people, because of the +violent wars, and the revolutions and anarchy of the people." + +12:20. And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land +shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.--The governments +(cities) shall be destroyed and the social order desolated in anarchy; and +they shall feel the outworkings of Jehovah's purposes upon them. + +12:21, 22. And the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, what +is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are +prolonged, and every vision faileth?--Nominal clergy and Christians say +concerning the Bible, that this Age will last for thousands of years and +that Bible prophecies fail of fulfillment--2 Pet. 3:4. + +12:23. Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God; I will make this +proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; +but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every +vision.--God says that He will make their saying to cease; for close at +hand is the Time of Trouble and of the Kingdom of God, and the fulfillment +of prophecy. + +12:24. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering +divination within the house of Israel.--There shall be no more, in the +churches, delusive theories of the everlasting welfare of Christendom or +of evolution, or immortality, or flattering prediction of peace, +peace.--Lam. 2:14. + +12:25. For I am the Lord; I will speak, and the word that I shall speak +shall come to pass; It shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O +rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord +God.--Jehovah's Word shall come to pass promptly, in the present day.--Isa. +55:11. + +12:26, 27. Again the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, +behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for +many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.--The +clergy say that Pastor Russell's predictions of early trouble and the +setting up of the Kingdom are for hundreds or thousands of years to come, +and about things that are far off.--Amos. 6:3. + +12:28. Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, There shall none +of My words be prolonged any more, but the Word which I have spoken shall +be done, saith the Lord God.--Jehovah says that none of the words spoken +through His servant Pastor Russell, shall wait any longer for fulfillment, +but the things shall come as spoken. + + ------------------------------------- + + + "Sometime, when all life's lessons have been learned, + And sun and stars forevermore have set, + The things which our weak judgment here has spurned-- + The things o'er which we grieved with lashes wet-- + Will flash before us out of life's dark night, + As stars shine most in deeper tints of blue; + And we shall see how all God's plans were right, + And how what seemed unkind was love most true." + + + + +Ezekiel 13--The Gaps In The Wall + + +13:1, 2. And the Word of the Lord came unto me saying, Son of man, +prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto +them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the Word of the +Lord.--God's Word is to write and speak against the preachers of +Christendom that say things originating in their own imaginations; let +them listen now to the Words of Jehovah. + +13:3. Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow +their own spirit, and have seen nothing.--Woe to the foolish preachers, who +as blind leaders have seen nothing respecting today's crisis in the Word +of God, or in the signs of the times! + +13:4. O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.--O +Christendom, thy preachers will be like cunning foxes, finding profit in +the desolation of their country! + +13:5. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the +house of Israel to stand in the battle in the Day of the Lord.--They have +not preached God's Truth to fill up the breaches among Christendom's +defenders, or to build up the broken-down forsakers of Christendom's moral +and spiritual defenses, to enable Christendom to have strength to stand +before God in the Time of Trouble. + +13:6. They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: +and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that +they would confirm the Word.--They have taken and taught fallacious and +delusive theories of evolution, destructive criticism of the Bible, the +Divine right of kings and of clergy, and preached their people into savage +warfare, saying it was the Word of God, when God has not said it; and they +have made others believe their lies. + +13:7. Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying +divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith it; albeit I have not +spoken.--They have misrepresented Jehovah. + +13:8. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have spoken vanity, +and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord +God.--Wherefore God is against them. + +13:9. And Mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that +divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, neither shall +they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they +enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord +God.--God will stretch out His hand against these preachers. They shall not +be in the Church triumphant (Heb. 12:23), nor shall they be written as +members of the spirit-born Great Company; nor shall they enter the +Heavenly phase of the Kingdom. + +13:10. Because, even because they have seduced My people, saying, Peace; +and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it +with untempered mortar.--Because the clergy have deceived and ruined +Christendom (Micah 3:5-7) proclaiming peace when there was no peace (Jer. +6:14); and when one of them would build up a slight wall of workers of +earthly, civic, social betterment, the others would bind it together with +the binder of self-interest, not with truth (water) or love. + +13:11. Say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall +fall; there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, +shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.--It shall fall; there shall be +an overflowing downpour of the water of Truth; and hard truths, great hard +facts shall fall upon the wall; and gigantic wars and world wide commotion +shall tear to pieces the preachers' earthly-civic-social defense. + +13:12. Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where +is the daubing wherewith ye daubed it?--Behold, when Christendom's slight +defense against the forces of evil, is fallen, it shall be inquired of the +clergy, "Where is that worthless, loveless, selfish binder wherewith you +inefficiently cemented together its members?" + +13:13. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I will even rend it with a +stormy wind in My fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in Mine +anger, and great hailstones in My fury to consume it.--Therefore God says: +I will destroy your defense with a furious storm of war and revolution, +with a flood of Truth and great hard facts. + +13:14. So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered +mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof +shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the +midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.--So will I break down +your flimsy defenses of selfishness; they shall fall and you shall be +buried in their fall. + +13:15. Thus will I accomplish My wrath upon the wall, and upon them that +have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say unto you, The wall is +no more, neither they that daubed it.--The defense of Christendom exists no +more, neither they that plastered it with showy self-interest. + +13:16. To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, +and which see visions of peace for her when there is no peace.--Namely, the +preachers of Christendom who preach peace when there is no peace. + +13:17. Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of +thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou +against them.--God directs true Christians to set their faces against the +man-made churches, which preach things of their own imagining. + +13:18. And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows +to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt +souls! Will ye hunt the souls of My people, and will ye save the souls +alive that come unto you?--Woe to the churches (women) that practice +superstition (sew amulets about their elbows--an oriental method of +incantation), and wear veils of mystery to ensnare men. + +13:19. And will ye pollute Me among My people for handfuls of barley and +for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save +the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to My people that hear +your lies?--Shall they continue to profane and prostitute My name among My +people, for the price of the spiritual fornication of church-state union +(barley was the customary offering for an adulteress) and for the weekly +collections offering, to discourage, persecute and kill the godly? + +13:20. Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against your +pillows, wherewith ye there hunt to make them fly, and I will tear them +from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to +make them fly.--God will strip the churches of the power of their +superstitions, and will let the people go out of the bondage. + +13:21. Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver My people out of your +hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted, and ye shall +know that I am the Lord.--Their veil of mystery will He tear away, and +deliver His people, the Great Company, out of bondage. + +13:22. Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom +I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he +should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life.--Wherefore +the churches shall no more hold forth delusive hopes. + + + + +Ezekiel 14--Insincere Inquirers + + +14:1. Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before +me.--There will come certain of the clergy of Christendom to the Truth +people to listen and inquire. + +14:2, 3. And the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, these +men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of +their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by +them?--God's Word for them will be that these men have insincerely set up +in their hearts their idols of gold, power, etc., and with a pretended +face-to-face sincerity, have retained their iniquitous stumbling block of +love of sin. Should God be inquired of at all by such men? + +14:4. Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord +God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his +heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, +and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh, +according to the multitude of his idols:--Every man in the nominal church +that insincerely clings to his idols and to his love of iniquity, and yet +comes to one of God's people, Jehovah will answer not with words, but with +the retribution deserved for his idolatry. + +14:5. That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they +are all estranged from Me through their idols.--God will treat the nominal +Christian church in a manner like their own insincere hearts, because by +the idols they serve they are all estranged from their love for Him.--2 +Thes. 2:11, 12. + +14:6. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; +Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from +all your abominations.--Say first to them: Repent of your evil deeds, turn +away from your idols, O Christendom, and resolutely turn your faces unto +Him, and from superstition, error, and from practices which are abominable +to His standards. + +14:7. For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that +sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from Me, and setteth up his +idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before +his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me; I the +Lord will answer him by Myself.--Every church member and every one +associated with him, who ceases to love God supremely, sets his heart upon +other subjects of love or worship, clings to iniquitous practices, and +then comes to the Truth people to find what God says, verily Jehovah +Himself will answer him--with deeds, not with words merely. + +14:8. And I will set My face against that man, and will make him a sign +and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and ye +shall know that I am the Lord.--God will thoroughly disfavor that man, and +make him an example and a by-word; He will cut him off from a place among +His people. + +14:9. And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the +Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand upon him +and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel.--And if any +preacher--even one of the Truth people--shall get so wrong in heart that he +is deceived in what he says (Jer. 20:7), Jehovah will "send him a strong +delusion that he should believe a lie," and will be against him and will +destroy him from the midst of His people. + +14:10. And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the +punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that +seeketh unto him.--Both shall bear the same punishment for their +iniquity--the preachers and the man that listens to him. + +14:11. That the house of Israel may go no more astray from Me, neither be +polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be My +people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord God.--Professed Christian +people shall stray no longer from Him, nor become unclean spiritually +through their wrongdoing, but may truly be God's people, and He their God. + +14:12, 13. The Word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, +when the land sinneth against Me by trespassing grievously then will I +stretch out Mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread +thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from +it.--When a whole country sins against God with grievous, willful sin, then +will He exercise His power against it, and cut off the necessary supply of +material (Lev. 26:26) and spiritual food--send a famine of food and of the +Word of God upon it, and cut off all life from it. + +14:14. Though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job, were in it, they +should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord +God.--Though in that country were the three most upright men of history, +Noah, Daniel and Job--typing here the Little Flock, the Great Company, and +the Household of Faith--they should by their righteousness save but their +own lives. + +14:15. If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil +it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the +beasts.--God has caused savage governments to overrun Christendom with +military and naval forces, and to ruin and desolate it, so that no manly +independent man can exist there. + +14:16. Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, +they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be +delivered, but the land shall be desolate.--Though these three classes be +in Christendom, they shall deliver no one but themselves; they only shall +be delivered, but Christendom shall be desolated. + +14:17. Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through +the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:--God has brought upon +Christendom destroying weapons (Lev. 26:25), and the Sword of the Spirit +is to go through Christendom and cut off all that can be cut off, and no +one shall save aught but himself. + +14:18, 19. Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord +God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be +delivered themselves. Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour +out My fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast.--God will +permit a pestilence, both of literal disease and of pestilential errors in +Christendom, in wrath to take away life. + +14:20, 21. Though Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, as I live saith the +Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughters; they shall but +deliver their own souls by their righteousness. For thus saith the Lord +God; How much more when I send My four sore judgments upon Jerusalem--the +sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence--to cut +off from it man and beast.--Christendom is so corrupt that God is sending +upon her His four dreadful punishments--the sword, the famine, the savage +government and the pestilence--as His destroyers! + +14:22. Yet behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought +forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, +and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted +concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning +all that I have brought upon it.--There shall be left from the anarchy a +few who shall be brought through into the Kingdom as samples of +Christendom's pollution. They will live among those who have suffered in +Christendom's trouble, and amid the blessed Kingdom influences by contrast +the others shall see their continued evil ways and doings. And they will +cause everyone to feel satisfied, content, over the trouble God is +bringing upon Christendom. + +14:23. And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their +doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I +have done in it, saith the Lord God.--When the others see their evil ways +and doings, they will be content as to the need of the Time of Trouble, +for they shall realize that not without good cause shall God have done all +that He will do to Christendom. + + + + +Ezekiel 15--Fit For Fuel Only + + +15:1-8. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, What is +the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the +trees of the forest? Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will +men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into +the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst +of it is burned. Is it meet for any work? Behold, when it was whole, it +was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, +when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned? Therefore thus saith the +Lord God, As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have +given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. +And I will set My face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and +another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the Lord, when +I set My face against them. And I will make the land desolate, because +they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord God.--Ecclesiasticism, which +imagines itself to be the true vine (John 15:1) with the sects as +branches, is a wild vine (Rev. 14:18), unable to support itself and +clinging like a parasite upon others for support. It brings forth no +character fruitage, is unfit for any Divine purpose, is slender, half- +charred by the assaults of Higher Criticism, and fit only to be +destroyed.--Psa. 80:8-16. + + + + +Ezekiel 16--Unfaithfulness Of God's People + + +16:1-5. Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, cause +Jerusalem to know her abominations, and say, Thus saith the Lord God unto +Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father +was an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite. And as for thy nativity, in the +day thou was born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water +to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye +pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; +but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the loathing of thy person, +in the day that thou wast born.--Chapter 16 is an amplification of the +symbolic description of Babylon the Great (Jerusalem), ecclesiasticism +(Rev. 17), as a once virgin but now apostate woman (church). The peoples +of whom the church was composed were originally heathen (16:3), in and of +the world (field). + +16:6-8. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own +blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said +unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. I have caused thee to +multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, +and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and +thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. Now when I passed +by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and +I spread My skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto +thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou +becamest Mine.--God through Christ loved these people and espoused them, He +caused the church to grow beautiful. + +16:9-12. Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy +blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with +broidered work, and shod thee with badger's skin, and I girded thee about +with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with +ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. +And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a +beautiful crown upon thine head.--He anointed them with the Holy Spirit +(16:9, oil), clothed them with the robe of Christ's righteousness (Matt. +22:11) with the embroidery of character fruits (Psa. 45:14), and gave them +precious ornament of Divine (golden) promises, put a jewel (pure, diamond- +sparkling Truth--1 Cor. 3:12) on their forehead (minds--Rev. 7:3), golden +earrings in their ears (ears to hear Divine things--Gen. 24:22), and a +beautiful crown on their head (tentative kingship).--Rev. 2:10. + +16:13. Thus was thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of +fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and +honey, and oil; and thou wast exceedingly beautiful, and thou didst +prosper into a kingdom.--He gave them the purest and best food from the +Word of God (Psa. 147:14); and they became beautiful in the beauty of +holiness (Psa. 110:3), and prospered even unto inheritance of the Kingdom +of Heaven.--Col. 1:13. + +16:14. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty; for it +was perfect through My comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the +Lord God.--They became renowned for their holy, kindly characters; +obtainable through sacrificial suffering.--Heb. 2:10. + +16:15. But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot +because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that +passed by; his it was.--The spirit of fornication in a church is the desire +to form a union with any world-government (Rev. 18:3); this spirit was +manifested to every government.--Isa. 1:21. + +16:16. And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places +with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon; the like things +shall not come, neither shall it be so.--The high places are the tops of +mountains, the rulers of governments; there the church displayed her +greatest attractions, and induced the spiritual fornication of +governments, to an extent never to be witnessed again. + +16:17. Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of My gold and of My silver, +which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst +commit whoredom with them.--She took the Divine treasures of Truth, and +shaped and distorted them into the form of traditions of men. + +16:18, 19. And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them; and +thou hast set Mine oil and Mine incense before them. My meat also, which I +gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast +even set it before them for a sweet savour; and thus it was, saith the +Lord God.--The spiritual food of the Word of God was spiced with human +errors; such as Divine right of kings and clergy, immortality, Trinity and +eternal torment, preached in a way to please the ruling powers and serve +their unholy purposes.--Hos. 2:8. + +16:20, 21. Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou +hast borne unto Me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be +devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter? That thou hast slain My +children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for +them?--The Church gave the children of God, begotten of the Word, to endure +doctrines of hell fire (Jer. 7:31) and fiery trials in the warfares of +governments. + +16:22. And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not +remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast +polluted in thy blood.--In her pride of place, the church forgot the +heathendom from which her members had been raised. + +16:23-25. And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto +thee! saith the Lord God.) That thou hast also built unto thee an eminent +place, and hast made thee a high place in every street. Thou hast built +thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be +abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and +multiplied thy whoredoms.--Woe, woe, distress, trouble and destruction to +such an apostate, who in every conspicuous way (Isa. 57:7) served the +interests of the god of this world, made her "virtues" detestable to +thoughtful men, and offered herself for state-church union to every +government (street), state, city and town! + +16:26. Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy +neighbors, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke Me +to anger.--She united herself with the most worldly people, great in +earthly things. + +16:27. Behold, therefore I have stretched out My hand over thee, and have +diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them +that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy +lewd way.--God has now, since 1878, brought the powers of judgment against +the apostate church and caused a famine of the Word of God within church +doors. He has given her over to the encroachments of church daughters of +aggressive worldliness and doctrines of devils (Philistines)--Christian +Science, Theosophy, New Thought, Higher Criticism and Spiritism. Even +these churches, founded on doctrines of devils, are ashamed of the +worldly, self-debasing ways of the professedly orthodox Church of Christ. + +16:28, 29. Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because +thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet +couldest not be satisfied. Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication +in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied +herewith.--The Church has even sought union with the forces (Assyrians) +destined to overthrow Christendom--Socialism, Communism, Industrial Workers +of the World, Trade Unions, Syndicalists, revolutionists, +anarchists,--insatiable in her desire for power. + +16:30-34. How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing thou doest +all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman, in that thou +buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine +high place in every street; and hast not been as a harlot, in that thou +scornest hire, but as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh +strangers instead of her husband! They give gifts to all whores; but thou +givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come +unto thee on every side for thy whoredom. And the contrary is in thee from +other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit +whoredoms; and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto +thee, therefore thou are contrary.--How despicable is the attitude of the +professed church! ... lower even than an harlot! For a harlot has some +self-respect and gives herself only for gifts in return; but the +"Christian" church has offered inducements to every possible kind and +grade of governmental power to enter into Divinely condemned union of +church and state.--Hos. 8:9. + +16:35-37. Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord: Thus saith the +Lord God; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness +discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols +of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst +give unto them. Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom +thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them +that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, +and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy +nakedness.--Therefore God will cause the governments, with which the +apostate church has made alliance, to hate and burn her with fire.--Rev. +17:16. + +16:38-40. And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed +blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy. And I +will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine +eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee +also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked +and bare. They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall +stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.--By +Moses' Law women that broke wedlock were stoned to death; in earlier days +they were burned alive; and the guilty men also were killed. (Lev. 20:10, +14, 27.) Ecclesiasticism will be smitten down with the stones of hard +facts, and be destroyed in the fires of anarchy, "with the fire of God's +Jealousy." (Zeph. 3:8.) She shall be stripped of her tinsel and gilt +(imitation immortality), her purple (imperial) and scarlet (bloody) +colors, and of her real and imitation jewels of Truth. The masses, +incensed by vain sacrifices and privations of a world-war, will despatch +her. + +16:41. And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments +upon thee in the sight of many women; and I will cause thee to cease from +playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.--Her houses +(denominations) will be wiped out in the anarchy. She will receive her +terrible judgments in the wondering sight of many heathen religions +(women). + +16:42, 43. So will I make My fury toward thee to rest, and My jealousy +shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet and will be no more angry. +Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted +Me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way +upon thine head, saith the Lord God: and thou shalt not commit this +lewdness above all thine abominations.--Not till ecclesiasticism has +perished from the face of the earth will God's fury and jealousy cease its +retributions. + +16:44, 45. Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb +against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter. Thou art thy +mother's daughter, that loatheth her husband and her children; and thou +art the sister of thy sisters, which loathed their husbands and their +children: your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite.--The +Hittites, Amorites, Samaritans and Sodomites were all worshipers of Baal +and Astarte, under one name or another, and were adepts in the heathen and +immoral beliefs and practices of that religion, typical not of fleshly but +of spiritual uncleanness, as explained in foregoing pages. The true +Church's father was our Father, her mother the Sarah Covenant of Grace, +and her espoused husband, Christ. Ecclesiasticism's parentage, as becometh +the "dwellers in the summits," the proud "best" people, was the proud, +self-sufficient one, the Devil (John 8:44.) Romanism and Protestantism are +begotten, not by the Word of God, but by the words of pride, of +selfishness, of earthly ambition. Her mother was of the Hittites, a +commercial people, descendants of Ham, under Divine disapproval; her +spiritual mother was the false promises of human tradition, which would +barter a Divine promise for an earthly meal; she loves compromise, and +knows not principle. "Like mother, like daughter." + +16:46. And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell +at thy left hand; and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, +is Sodom and her daughters.--Samaria and Sodom were worshipers of Baal. +With like parentage, ecclesiasticism is a sister religion with the heathen +religions, even acknowledging in many volumes the unity of all religions, +herself included. Samaria, the ten apostate tribes, mingled the religion +of Jehovah with that of Baal--a fit religious sister of the "nominal +church," which reads the Bible and serves the god of selfishness. Samaria +elsewhere types not merely ecclesiasticism's sister, but churchianity +herself. Sodom, here named Jerusalem's (ecclesiasticism's) sister +religion, is directly identified as churchianity in Rev. 11:8--"The great +city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was +crucified." It types professed Christianity in its lowest phase. + +16:47. Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their +abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou was corrupted +more than they in all thy ways.--As though the ill-fame of Sodom were not +enough, (apostate) Christianity has excelled her in corruption; Sodom's +literal depravity was "a very little thing" to ecclesiasticism's ways. + +16:48-50. At I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, +she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. Behold, +this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and +abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she +strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and +committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw +good.--Sodom's greatest depravity (A. 111, 112) was a result of depraved +sexuality in connection with the religion of Baal. "This dreadful +'consecration' spread over Phoenicia, Syria, Phrygia, Assyria and +Babylonia. Ashtaroth, the Greek Astarte, was its chief object." Its +antitype in the churches was, for national, state or municipal rulers, +under guise of advancing religion, to cause their tributary governments to +become "Christianized." Whole nations were thus "Christianized" and +baptized--the peoples of savage governments. Through a letting down of the +bars of immorality, spiritual and fleshly, this ministered to the beastly +propensities of rulers and of others. The clergy, from Pope to class +leader, prostituted religion for the pleasure and profit of association +with the rich and powerful. Rulers were assured of the "Divine right of +kings," and received homage, as God's representatives. The people were led +to believe that death for rulers was entrance to Heaven, and thousands +died in the exhilaration--mistaken for religious uplift--of self-sacrifice +in their behalf. Ministers of Satan masquerading as angels of light, +preached these falsities and millions believed them, and for their own +good, and the good of the world which they have corrupted, God is about to +take them away.--Z. '95-56. + +16:51, 52. Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast +multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy +sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done. Thou also, which +hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast +committed more abominable than they; they are more righteous than thou; +yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast +justified thy sisters.--As Jerusalem's moral corruption justified Sodom and +Samaria, so ecclesiasticism's moral and spiritual depravity have justified +those elements in Christendom typed by Samaria and Sodom. The clergy, and +their churches, because of pride of being the "best people", have been +more abominable than those of baser sort.--Psa. 119:113; Prov. 6:17; 8:13; +16:18. + +16:53-55. When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom +and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then +will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them. +That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all +that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them. When thy +sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and +Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou +and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.--In the resurrection +of the dead, "just and unjust" (Acts 24:15), Jerusalem, in shame, will +face Sodom and Samaria, confounded and abased by the fact that her evil +practices justified, excused and "comforted" Sodom and Samaria. Likewise +ecclesiasticism, the clergy and their following of "best people", will be +in shame over the fact that their iniquity was an incentive to the evil +doing of the baser elements of Christendom. + +16:56-59. For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day +of thy pride. Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of thy +reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are round about her, the +daughters of the Philistines, which despise thee round about. Thou hast +borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the Lord. For thus saith +the Lord God; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast +despised the oath in breaking the covenant.--Among a proud and corrupt +"best" people it was a tabooed subject even to mention the depravities of +the "worser kind"; but in the last two score years of merciless +"muckraking" and publicity of "Christian" criminality in choir lofts, +Sunday School rooms, church "studies", belfries, orphan asylums and +convents, "the wickedness was discovered" of clergy and church people, and +so widely published that the heathen religions (daughters of Syria and of +the Philistines) have come to know about it and to despise so-called +"Christianity." Christendom has despised its vow of consecration to God +and the Covenant of Grace, by which "We, as Isaac was, are the children of +the Promise." (Gal. 4:28), and under which she was betrothed to Christ. +God will deal with Christendom in like manner as Christendom has dealt +with God. + +16:60. Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with thee in the days of +thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting +covenant.--Nevertheless, "God is faithful", (1 Cor. 1:9); and as He made a +covenant with the church in the pure and faithful days of her youth, He +will remember that covenant, and in the Times of Restitution will make +with all people, through the Jews, the New Covenant, everlasting, under +which there will be showers of blessing.--Ezek. 34:26. + +16:61. Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt +receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them +unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.--When the people of +Christendom, come back from the dead to life on the earth they will +remember their evil, faithless ways, and experience deepest shame when +people of the baser sort are given to them as daughters, to love and +cherish in the Lord.--D. 633. + +16:62. And I will establish My covenant with thee: and thou shalt know +that I am the Lord.--The coming blessings are not for any faithfulness of +Christendom, but because God is faithful. + +16:63. That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy +mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for +all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.--Then the once apostate +people, at last returned to "the Bishop and Shepherd of their souls" (1 +Pet. 2:25), will realize the fullness of God's eternal goodness and love, +and come into the peace of God (Phil. 4:7)--a peace that will be +eternal.--A. 111; Z. '94-46. + + + + +Ezekiel 17--Parable Of The Eagles + + +17:1, 2. And the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, put +forth a riddle, and speak a parable, unto the house of Israel.--Chapter 17 +pictures ecclesiasticism as a king, his partial captivity to the forces +destined to destroy him, his turning for support to the forces of worldly +wisdom and power, the failure of the attempted alliance, and his final +downfall. + +17:3. And say, Thus saith the Lord God, A great eagle with great wings, +long-winged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon +and took the highest branch of the cedar.--The Assyrians (a great eagle) +with great wings, long-winged, full of feathers (strong of wing, +powerful), which had divers colors (many varieties and phases of +appearance) came to Lebanon (the Hebrew kingdom) and took the highest +branch of the cedar (carried King Jehoiachim captive). In antitype this +signifies: The power destined to destroy Christendom (anarchy, Nihilism, +Socialism, and their wisdom expressed in schools of thought tending to +destroy respect for Christendom) like an eagle (wise one) with great wings +(impressive words) long-winged (far-reaching), full of feathers (full of +argument), has quietly made its way into Christendom since 1878 and taken +captive the highest ones, many of the leading class of Christendom (the +Cedar) with doctrines of Evolution, Socialism, and Higher Criticism, all +destructive of the existing order of things. + +17:4. He cropped off the top of his twigs, and carried it into a land of +traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.--These were taken captive by +these systems of thought into a condition where the Heavenly ideals of the +church were abandoned for mere trafficking for position and power, and in +human, earthly theories and philosophies. + +17:5. He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful +field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.--The +remaining people of ecclesiasticism, more lowly, the seed from whom had +once sprung the ruling classes, will be planted in rich, deep soil, well +saturated with waters of the great truths of fraternity, equality and +liberty. + +17:6. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose +branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it +became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.--The new +ecclesiasticism, fostered by revivalists, evangelists, social and civic +workers and other earthly reformers, will grow and flourish into a form of +ecclesiasticism, low, never far above earthly things, whose numbers +(branches) tended toward anarchous systems of thought, and whose roots, +fundamental philosophy, will be under the sway of the same. + +17:7, 8. There was also another great eagle with great wings and many +feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot +forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of +her plantation. It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it +might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be +a goodly vine.--But the new, low-born ecclesiasticism, alarmed at the +anarchous trend of thought, shall turn toward another great system of +wisdom (an eagle) equally of demoniacal origin; i. e., conservative, +worldly wisdom tending to uphold the present unholy state of affairs. + +17:9. Say thou, Thus saith the Lord God: Shall it prosper? shall he not +pull up the roots thereof, cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? It +shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or +many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.--The time of God's Kingdom +having come, God purposes to uproot the new ecclesiasticism. Its character +fruitage, being of the spirit of this world, must be cut off and withered +in the fiery trials of this tribulation time. Its promise (leaves) shall +wither away, even as it has withered wherever the great war has touched. + +17:10. Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly +wither, when the east wind toucheth it? It shall wither in the furrows +where it grew.--From the east, the direction of the rising Sun of +Righteousness comes a wind, a teaching, Present Truth, that shall touch +the new ecclesiasticism and wither it in a time when there is "perplexity +and distress of nations, men's hearts failing them for fear of the things +coming on the earth" (Luke 21:24, 25)--the social +order--ecclesiasticism--"the vine."--Rev. 14:18. + +17:11, 12. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me saying, Say now to +the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, +Behold, the King of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king +thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon.--The +king of Babylon, Satan, has already come to ecclesiasticism and taken +captive the ruling class, the prominent clergy. + +17:13. And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, +and hath taken an oath of him; he hath also taken the mighty of the +land.--He holds the chief ones captive by reason of their agreement with +his modern, false, religious, social and economic teachings. + +17:14. That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, +but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.--As a result +ecclesiasticism will not be able to rise above earthly things nor lift +itself up to combat anarchous systems of thought. If it could do so, it +might not be overthrown immediately, but might continue to stand for yet a +little while. + +17:15. But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt +that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall +he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be +delivered?--Ecclesiasticism has rebelled by crying out to the established +wisdom of this world (Egypt), relying upon strong, conservative worldly +doctrines (horses) and many supporters of the reactionary ideas, to save +it from complete overthrow. + +17:16. As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the king +dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he +brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.--As God lives! +In the condition of lawlessness, wherein Satan, the king of anarchy, +liveth, who elevated ecclesiasticism to its place of power, there, in +anarchy, in the midst of lawless hosts, shall ecclesiasticism perish. + +17:17. Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make +for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off +many persons.--Neither shall worldly wisdom, with its mighty following, +accomplish anything for ecclesiasticism in its death struggle with +anarchy, not even by raising up governmental support (mounts) nor by the +united efforts of the strongest elements of this world's might. + +17:18, 19. Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, +he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not +escape. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely Mine oath +that he hath despised, and My covenant that he hath broken, even it will I +recompense upon his own head.--Ecclesiasticism has been faithless to +Jehovah and will be faithless to its newly acquired philosophy. + +17:20. And I will spread My net upon him, and he shall be taken in My +snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and will plead with him there for +his trespass that he hath trespassed against Me.--Like a snare, a net, +shall the Time of Trouble come upon ecclesiasticism; and it shall not +escape destruction at the hands of anarchy. + +17:21. And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, +and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall +know that I the Lord have spoken it.--Millions that abandon churches and +clergy in the trouble shall fall physically by violence, and be slain +spiritually by the Sword of the Spirit; and those that escape death shall +be scattered in the world-wide commotion (winds) far from the systems they +once supported. They shall know that God has spoken truly, when the day of +anarchy shall come. + +17:22. Thus saith the Lord God: I will also take of the highest branch of +the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young +twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon a high mountain and +eminent.--Thus says the Lord God: One of the highest branches of +ecclesiasticism is Judaism. I will establish Judaism. I will take, in +Judaism, one of its young and tender aspirations--Zionism--and will plant +it, establish it at the very pinnacle of the coming Kingdom of God--the +Jews ruling, through the resurrected Ancient Worthies--Abraham, Isaac, +Jacob, etc.--over the earthly phase of that Kingdom.--Psa. 45:16; Heb. +11:10. + +17:23. In the mountains of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it +shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar; and under +it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches +thereof shall they dwell.--It shall branch above all nations (boughs) and +bear character fruit unto life eternal. (John 4:36.) It shall be the +desire of all nations (Hag. 2:7) (a goodly cedar). Under it shall dwell in +peace all the truly wise ones of earth. + +17:24. And all the trees of the field shall knew that I the Lord have +brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the +green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken +and have done it.--All the people (trees) of the world (field) shall know +that the Lord has brought down nominal ecclesiasticism and exalted the +Ancient Worthies, has dried up "Christianity" and given vitality to +Zionism and Judaism. + + + + +Ezekiel 18--"The Soul That Sinneth" + + +18:1, 2. 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?--The Word of God came to be clearly understood by Pastor Russell as +to the equity of Jehovah's dealings with man in condemning all to death. +Both Jews and Christians have asked, "How is it just to visit the sins of +the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations?" "Why +have the children's teeth been set on edge by the fathers' eating the sour +grape of sin?"--H. 59; E. _334_, 309. + +18:3. As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more +to use this proverb in Israel.--The doubters queried, "Doth not the son +bear the iniquity of the father?" (18:19.) They complained, "The way of +the Lord is not equal" nor just. (18:25.) Pastor Russell, expounding the +Word of God, demonstrated clearly that God's way is just (18:25); that +man's ways are unequal, unjust (18:29); and that God takes no "pleasure at +all that the wicked should die, but rather that he should turn from his +ways and live." (18:23-32.) The time will soon be when the scornful +proverb shall no longer possess any force.--H. 46. + +18:4. Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the +soul of the son is Mine; the soul that sinneth, it shall die.--In the +earthly phase of the thousand-year probationary Kingdom of God the equal +justice of God will be manifest, father and son will be treated alike, no +one dying for a parent's sin; but each soul that sinneth shall die for his +own sin.--E. _354_, 331; A. 128. + +18:5-9. But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, And +hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the +idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, +neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, and hath not oppressed any, +but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, +hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a +garment; he that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any +increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true +judgment between man and man, hath walked in My statutes, and hath kept My +judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord +God.--The Father of equal love will beseech each sinner to repent and turn +from his transgression, that iniquity, wilful sin, be not his ruin. +"Wherefore turn yourselves and live ye." (Ezek. 18:30, 32.) The days of +death from Adamic and parental imperfection will be over; each one will be +solely responsible for his own life or death. To clearly explain the +changed situation the several cases are presented. If a righteous man +continue in a righteous course he shall live eternally. + +18:10-13. If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that +doeth the like to any one of these things, And that doeth not any of those +duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his +neighbour's wife, hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by +violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the +idols, hath committed abomination, hath given forth upon usury, and hath +taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all +these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.--If a +man's son is a wilful sinner, "he shall surely die; his blood shall be +upon himself." + +18:14-18. Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins +which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like, that hath +not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols +of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife, neither +hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled +by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the +naked with a garment, that hath taken off his hand from the poor, that +hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed My Judgments, hath +walked in My statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he +shall surely live. As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, +spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his +people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.--If the wicked man have a +good, upright son, the good son shall live; but the father shall die. + +18:19-23. Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the +father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath +kept all My statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. 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. But if the wicked will turn from all his +sins that he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which +is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his +transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto +him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any +pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not +that he should return from his ways, and live?--The wicked man who turns to +righteousness shall not have his former sins held against him; but he +shall live. + +18:24-30. But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and +committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the +wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done +shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in +his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Yet ye say, The way of +the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; is not My way equal? +are not your ways unequal? When a righteous man turneth away from his +righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his +iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man +turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that +which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he +considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath +committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Yet saith the house of +Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not My +ways equal? are not your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O house +of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, +and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be +your ruin.--The righteous man who turns to iniquity shall die. + +18:31, 32. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have +transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye +die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that +dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.--This +will be true of individuals as soon as the last member of the spirit- +begotten Body of Christ has died. And it is true now--and has been true +since 1878--of the institutions of "this present evil age," which have been +in Divine judgment since 1878. If ecclesiasticism, "the house of Israel," +would cast away all their transgressions, and gain a new heart and a new +spirit, they would abide forever; but they will never change their evil +ways; their destruction will be their own wilful act--"Why will ye die?" + + + + +Ezekiel 19--The Lion's Whelps + + +19:1. Moreover, take thou up a lamentation for the princes of +Israel.--Chapter 19 has the form of a dirge. It represents in antitype the +downfall, in the Time of Trouble, of ecclesiasticism pictured first, as +two roaring lions which are taken captive; and secondly, as a vine +destroyed by fire of internal origin. The princes of Israel are the +clergy. + +19:2. And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, +she nourished her whelps among young lions.--As the father and the mother +of Isaac were Abraham and Sarah, and the spiritual father and mother of +the true Church are Jehovah and His Covenant of Grace (Gal. 4:22-28), so +the spiritual father and mother of ecclesiasticism, priestcraft, are the +Devil and his covenant with death. (Gen. 3:4; Isa. 28:18.) "The Devil +goeth about like a roaring lion." (1 Pet. 5:8.) Their nourishment has been +"doctrines of devils." + +19:3. And she brought up one of her whelps; it became a young lion, and it +learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.--Ecclesiasticism divided into +two classes; one higher, richer, more educated than the other--"one of her +whelps." They learned to devour men, make them their prey. + +19:4. The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they +brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.--The unbelieving peoples +heard them; they, the clergy, were taken in the pit of corrupt doctrine; +they were captivated, taken captive, into worldliness, the wisdom of this +world, of "Egypt." + +19:5. Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then +she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.--Another class +of ecclesiasticism was developed, under the same false covenant with +death, into a full-fledged lion, an embodiment and child of the eternal +torment, trinity, inherent-immortality teachings. + +19:6. And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and +learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.--This was the popular +evangelist well trained in catching men and shekels. + +19:7. And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; +and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his +roaring.--The revivalists caught men by thousands, and "the fulness +thereof," great contributions for a few weeks of noisy evangelism. + +19:8. Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, +and spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.--Then the +"unconvertible" people, anarchists, Socialists, etc., spread the net of +their teachings. The people, indignant at their sufferings from wars and +high cost of living, declined further support. + +19:9. And they put in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of +Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be +heard upon the mountains of Israel.--Revolution and anarchy will place a +complete restraint upon the revivalists, and bring them to their end. + +19:10. Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she +was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.--The false +covenant-mother of ecclesiasticism is a system of thought, in the very +blood; it is part and parcel of the existence of ecclesiasticism. It is +"the vine of the earth," of Rev. 14:19. This system of error was once +fruitful in gaining adherents. + +19:11. And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, +and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in +her height with the multitude of her branches.--The vine had seeming strong +authority for the rulership "of them that bare rule," the clergy, "lords +over God's heritage." (1 Pet. 5:3.) To a mighty and lofty height did the +vine of the earth grow. + +19:12. But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, +and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and +withered; the fire consumed them.--But in the fury of the world-wide war +she will be "cast down to the ground." The truths arising from the +presence of the dawning Sun of Righteousness will dry up the support of +her fruit (church members). Her authority--rod--will be broken, withered, +and destroyed in anarchy. + +19:13. And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty +ground.--In a world of hostile doctrines of Socialism and anarchy, in a +world-wide drought of the water of the Word of God, the old system of +sophistries will soon be in the wilderness condition, in a state of +complete ostracism. + +19:14. And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured +her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is +a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.--The savage application in +the world-wide war of the rod of the Divine authority of rulers will cause +revolt, revolution and anarchy to spring up, like a fire, which will bring +to an utter end the denominational clusters, the fruit of the vine of the +earth. + + + + +Ezekiel 20--The Hypocritical Ecclesiastics + + +20:1. And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the +tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to +inquire of the Lord, and sat before me.--The elders of Israel came to +confer with Ezekiel, but he would not be interviewed by them, because of +their idolatrous tendencies. The Hebrews had always had such propensities. +God had refrained from destroying them in order to preserve His own good +name among the heathen peoples; but now He was about to punish them, until +the appointed time should come when He would regather them. The +destruction of Judaism is here pictured as a fire in a forest. This +chapter introduces another group of prophecies against Christendom, ending +with Chapter 24. Some of the prominent ecclesiastics will read up or +consult Pastor Russell and his writings, and the "Truth people," +ostensibly to learn what they can. + +20:2, 3. Then came the Word of the Lord unto me, saying, Son of man, speak +unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are +ye come to inquire of Me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be +inquired of by you.--Present Truth will refuse any favorable answer to +ecclesiasticism. + +20:4. Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them +to know the abominations of their fathers.--Instead, it will pronounce +judgment upon them. It will cause them to realize the abominations in +doctrine and in life of professed Christians, as a result of the teachings +of the Dark Ages. + +20:5. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God: in the day when I chose +Israel, and lifted up Mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and +made Myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up Mine +hand unto them, saying, I am the Lord your God.--First viewed as God's +people "in the world," Egypt, God chose them, made Himself known to them, +and lifted up for them the hand of His power.--Z. '94-357. + +20:6. In the day that I lifted up Mine hand unto them, to bring them forth +of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with +milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.--He promised to bring them +in the resurrection, if faithful, into the "mansion" prepared for +them--Heaven itself, the most glorious condition in God's Universe. + +20:7. Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of +his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord +your God.--God had told them to cast away all filthiness of the flesh and +the spirit (2 Cor. 7:1), to do away with the desire of things seen with +the fleshly eyes (1 John 2:16), and no longer to defile themselves +spiritually with cravings for earthly power. But while professing Christ's +name, they rebelled in their heart against God, and would not listen to +Him. + +20:8. But they rebelled against Me, and would not hearken unto Me: they +did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did +they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out My fury upon +them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of +Egypt.--Over and over, throughout the Gospel Age, God was indignant enough +to bring destruction upon them; but He did not, in order that His name and +reputation might not come into disrespect among the worldly people, who +were taught by professing Christians that God was with them. + +20:9, 10. But I wrought for My name's sake, that it should not be polluted +before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made Myself +known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt. +Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought +them into the wilderness.--God's Word views professing Christians also as +in the wilderness condition of separateness from and ostracism by the +worldly--as "brought forth out of the land of Egypt." + +20:12. Moreover also I gave them My sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and +them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifieth them.--He +gave them the privilege of entering in advance of the world into His +sabbath (Millennial) rest--the rest of peace with God by faith, of +justification freely given through the blood of the Son of God. The Lord +Himself set them apart for His holy service. + +20:13. But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness: they +walked not in My statutes, and they despised My judgments, which if a man +do, he shall even live in them; and My sabbaths they greatly polluted: +then I said, I would pour out My fury upon them in the wilderness, to +consume them.--As a class, professed Christians have rebelled against being +in the wilderness condition of separateness from and ostracism by the +worldly. They have lived not according to the Law of Divine Love, but have +despised the opportunities of the trial period. They have despised the +Scriptural doctrine of the Millennium, and have made a common thing of the +rest of faith by introducing all kinds of penances, masses, alms, and +other deeds whereby to earn the peace with God, freely offered through +faith in Jesus' atoning Sacrifice. Often was God indignant enough to +destroy them. + +20:14. But I wrought for My name's sake, that it should not be polluted +before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.--But for His own +name's sake, not theirs, God refrained from permitting the Time of Trouble +to come before the appointed time, that the people of this world might not +belittle Him and His protecting power. + +20:15, 16. Yet also I lifted up My hand unto them in the wilderness, that +I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with +milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; because they despised My +judgments, and walked not in My statutes, but polluted My sabbaths: for +their heart went after their idols.--Yet the Word of God has made it plain +that those in the wilderness condition who have not given their whole +heart to God shall not be changed to the spirit nature and brought to the +Heavenly plane of being. + +20:17-21. Nevertheless Mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither +did I make an end of them in the wilderness. But I said unto their +children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, +neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: I +am the Lord your God; walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do +them; and hallow My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, +that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. Notwithstanding, the +children rebelled against Me; they walked not in My statutes, neither kept +My judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; +they polluted My sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out My fury upon them +to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness.--God did not at once +destroy those in the wilderness condition, but gave the same fatherly +admonition to those who succeeded them, all in vain. + +20:22-24. Nevertheless I withdrew Mine hand, and wrought for My name's +sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose +sight I brought them forth. I lifted up Mine hand unto them also in the +wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them +through the countries; because they had not executed My judgments, but had +despised My statutes, and had polluted My sabbaths, and their eyes, were +after their fathers' idols.--God repeated His forbearance, in not +scattering them back into the world, nor destroying them. + +20:25. Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and +judgments whereby they should not live.--At last God gave them up "to their +own heart's desires" (Psa. 81:12), to "worship the hosts of heaven," their +own pulpit stars (Acts 7:42), who "changed the truth of God into a lie," +into "human traditions," and "worshipped and served created things rather +than the Creator" (Rom. 1:25)--following evil statutes, "customs," and +enduring worldly trials and temptations, bringing them, not life, but +death. + +20:26. And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass +through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them +desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord.--God gave +them up to doctrinal pollutions, in that they believed in and worshipped +the eternal torment god, Moloch, the Devil, and singed, scorched +spiritually, with the fear of "the hot place," all their children, those +young in nominal Christianity. (Jer. 32:35.) This caused them to be +desolate, deserted, abandoned by the true God, like the heathen without +God--though not that God might ultimately destroy them; for in the Times of +Restitution they will by contrast appreciate the true God. + +20:27-28. Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say +unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Yet in this your fathers have +blasphemed Me, in that they have committed a trespass against Me. For when +I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up Mine hand to +give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, +and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the +provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, +and poured out there their drink offerings.--The Christian's course was +typed by the experience of the Hebrews in the land of Canaan (Isa. 57:5), +in the blessedness of Divine favor and in the abundance of God's gifts. +When brought into this condition of favor, instead of being thankful and +giving their whole hearts to God in devoted consecration, the great mass +of professing Christians committed the same abominations that the heathen +were guilty of--union of church with worldly power, making the high ones +the heads of the church, as the King of England and the Czar of Russia; +doing homage to all of earth's great ones (the thick trees); rendering +service and obedience (sweet savor) to traditions of men; and preaching +(pouring out) strong doctrines, intoxicating wine of their mixed teachings +(drink offerings). + +20:29. Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And +the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.--In verse 29 Ezekiel speaks +with contempt of the Hebrew apostasy. He uses a play upon words, not +apparent in the English translation. He asks them, "Mah ba" (Where go?), +and answers, "Ba-mah" (the high places) is the name to this day. Pastor +Russell frequently spoke with contempt--deserved, from the Divine +viewpoint--of the "high-place," nominal church, her clergy and her laity, +always going to the "high ones." + +20:30. Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; +Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom +after their abominations?--Again, in the phase of captivity in "Babylon," +the Lord's people were guilty of doctrinal and moral pollution and of +illicit union of church and earthly power. + +20:31. For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass +through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto +this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, +saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.--God will not even +listen to the prayers of such professed Christians. + +20:32. And that which cometh into your mind shall not be all, that ye say, +We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood +and stone.--Their heart's real desire to become good-fellows in the world's +fellowship (Jer. 44:17) shall fail. + +20:33. As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with +a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you.--God +began at the appointed time, 1914, to punish the accumulated sins of +Christendom "with a mighty hand (power) and with a stretched out arm" +(Christ present the Second time, Isa. 53:1), and with fury poured out "a +great Time of Trouble such as never was" (Dan. 12:1), and which the Lord +declared would never require a repetition. + +20:34. And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out +of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a +stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.--But even this tribulation +will be done in a Father's love and for the good of His erring children, +to cleanse them. Through this trouble God will search out all professed +Christians, make them manifestly separate from the openly worldly.--Z. +'94-76. + +20:35. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there +will I plead with you face to face.--God will bring them into a wilderness +condition of separateness from the world and of ostracism and persecution +by the revolutionary and anarchistic masses, and face to face He will +plead with the nominal church to forsake evil and idolatry. + +20:36. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land +of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God.--As He did with the +Hebrews in their trial time in the Wilderness of Sinai. + +20:37. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you +into the bond of the covenant.--God will cause His people, all those not +utterly devoid of the Holy Spirit--"the Great Company" in the churches--to +pass under the rod of correction and to resume their fidelity to their vow +of consecration. + +20:38. And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that +transgress against Me: I will bring them forth out of the country where +they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye +shall know that I am the Lord.--He will permit conditions of persecution by +Socialists, revolutionists, syndicalists, nihilists and anarchists, +against persons professing Christianity ("the religion that got the world +into trouble"), such that every person not possessing the Holy Spirit will +renounce all pretense of being Christian and will get out of the +deplorable condition (country) wherein the true Christians will be. This +outcast class, being entirely "of the earth, earthy," shall not enter the +spiritual phase of the Kingdom. + +20:39. As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, +serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken +unto Me: but pollute ye My holy name no more with your gifts, and with +your idols.--Let who will then serve their idols; but they shall no longer +associate themselves with God's children, nor falsely bear the name of +Christ, nor pollute God's holy name nor His Church with their presence or +their practices. "If the Lord be God, _follow Him_; if Baal, follow +_him_." + +20:40. For in Mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, +saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in +the land, serve Me: there will I accept them, and there will I require +your offerings, and the first fruits of your oblations, with all your holy +things.--God wounds to heal. In the real "high places," the Kingdom of God +now at hand, planned for man's blessed restitution, all who are truly +God's shall serve Him, some in the spiritual phase of the Kingdom, some in +the earthly phase. (Mal. 3:3, 4.) There God will accept all comers, "The +Spirit and the Bride say, Come ... and whosoever will, let him take of the +Water of Life freely" (Rev. 22:17.) There God will accept their offerings +of themselves in heartfelt consecration, and the first and best of their +offerings and all their possessions, then hallowed by the influences of +the Kingdom of Love. + +20:41. I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from +the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been +scattered, and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.--God will +accept their heart's best endeavors (incense), when He gathers His +children--His spirit children and His earth children--out from the prison- +house of death, and out from the dark shadows of a world-wide heathenism. +Then God win be seen to be holy, sanctified, in His children, in the sight +of all the Satan-blinded idolaters of earth. + +20:42. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into +the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up Mine hand +to give it to your fathers.--God's children, who have not known Him as He +is, will know Him then as the God of infinite Justice, Wisdom, Love and +Power,--when they shall be established in the Kingdom, in whatever phase +they are fitted for--the Kingdom whose earthly phase God promised to give +to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the Ancient Worthies (Psa. 45:16), and +whose Heavenly phase He covenanted to give to the spirit class of the +Gospel Age.--Heb. 11:40. + +20:43. And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein +ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for +all your evils that ye have committed.--Then those who have not loved the +God of Love as they should shall remember their former ways and loathe +themselves for the evil done against such Love Divine. + +20:44. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought with you +for My name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to +your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.--They will +humbly, thankfully and with fervent gratitude and love know that Jehovah, +who is Love (1 John 4:8), dealt with them, for the carrying out of His all +holy purposes, and not as Justice might have called for in connection with +their ways. + +20:45, 46. Moreover the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, +set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and +prophesy against the forest of the south field.--The words of Ezekiel +return to the impending destruction of Jerusalem--of Christendom. Pastor +Russell was to speak, as from the Divine viewpoint (the North) against the +multitudes (trees in the forest) in the earthly phase (the south) of the +Kingdom of God, already established invisibly by God in 1878-1914. +Jerusalem (ecclesiasticism) was in a southerly direction (belonging to the +earth, earthy), from the Prophet's point of view. + +20:47. And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the Lord; Thus +saith the Lord God; Behold I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall +devour every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all +faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.--God permitted +in 1914 the kindling of the present unquenchable conflagration of war, and +of revolution and anarchy to come. Righteous (green tree) and wicked (dry +tree) alike are to suffer in the fiery trials of the trouble time. All who +are of the earth, earthy (of the south, earthly phase of the Kingdom), but +who pretend or claim to be of the spiritual phase, to have the Holy Spirit +(look toward the north, the spiritual), are to be burned, as the tares are +burned after the gathering of the wheat into the Heavenly garner.--Matt. +13:30. + +20:48. And all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it: it shall +not be quenched.--All mankind will understand, before the Time of Trouble +is over, that "the strange work" is of Jehovah. + +20:49. Then said I, Ah Lord God! they say of me, Doth he not speak +parables?--The people of ecclesiasticism, misled by the clergy, are unable +to understand Pastor Russell's teachings regarding the trouble, or to get +the Divine viewpoint. + + ------------------------------------- + + + "There are great truths that pitch their shining tents + Outside our walls, and though but dimly seen + In the gray dawn, they will be manifest + When the light widens into perfect day." + + + + +Ezekiel 21--The Thrice-Doubled Sword + + +21:1, 2. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set +thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and +prophesy against the land of Israel.--The Lord has drawn the sword against +Jerusalem and sharpened and pointed it in fury. (21:1-17.) The king of +Babylon (Satan) uses divination as to the route by which to bring the +sword against Jerusalem; the Jews deride such a method (21:18-24), but the +Hebrew crown is to be overturned. (21:25-57.) The Ammonites (aggressive +worldly believers), too, are to be given to the sword.--21:28-32. + +21:3. And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I am +against thee, and will draw forth My sword out of its sheath, and will cut +off from thee the righteous and the wicked.--Jehovah is against +Christendom, has drawn against it both the literal weapons of war, in +warfare and revolution, and the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. +(Eph. 6:17.) He will cause both righteous and wicked to die in the Time of +Trouble; and by His Word He will bring about conditions such that all +wicked professing Christians will abandon all pretense of Christianity, +and the righteous will "come out of her" (Rev. 18:4) and be gathered as +wheat into the Divine garner--Heaven. + +21:4. Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the +wicked, therefore shall My sword go forth out of his sheath against all +flesh from the south to the north.--Cannon, rifle, shot, shell, bomb and +torpedo shall be unleashed and turned against all flesh, from those of the +earthly (of the south) to those having the Holy Spirit (of the north). The +Word of God will be taken out of its sheath of mystery and plainly show +the meaning of this trouble, and that it is to be upon all. + +21:5. That all flesh may know that I the Lord have drawn forth My sword +out of its sheath: it shall not return any more.--All the people shall know +that the trouble has come from Jehovah, and that its consummation is a +certainty. + +21:6. Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and +with bitterness sigh before their eyes.--Pastor Russell and the Truth +people have carried a heavy heart burden in this message of the ills +coming upon Christendom. + +21:7. And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighed thou? +that thou shalt answer, For the tidings, because it cometh. And every +heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall +faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall +be brought to pass, saith the Lord God.--For the days are near when even +the strongest shall falter. + +21:8, 9. Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, +prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, A sword, a sword is +sharpened, and also furbished.--Modern weapons of destruction are brought +to a hitherto unknown efficiency, as is the Sword of the Spirit in the +hands of the "feet" members of Christ.--Isa. 52:7. + +21:10. It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it +may glitter: should We then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of My Son, +as every tree.--The weapons of war will make a frightful slaughter among +men; and the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, will cause millions to +cast off Christianity. It glitters with flashes of enlightenment reflected +from the risen Sun of Righteousness, which to its idolatrous enemies are +gleamings of trouble and distress. Who could rejoice over the trouble? Not +the Lord's people; for it presages the destruction of the power (rod) of +all professing to be of the Son of God, together with all their +institutions. + +21:11. And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this +sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the +slayer.--It is given, bright and sharp, to be swung in the hand of skillful +slayers. + +21:12, 13. Cry and howl, son of man; for it shall be upon My people, it +shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword +shall be upon My people: smite therefore upon thy thigh. Because it is a +trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, +saith the Lord God.--The destruction by the weapons of war and by the Word +of God shall be upon "My [professed] people," upon all the clergy +(princes). Fear shall take hold of churchianity. + +21:14. Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands +together, and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the +slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth +into their privy chambers.--Pastor Russell was to give expression to the +final wrath of Jehovah. The destruction will be of double severity three +times--in war, revolution and anarchy. The Sword of the Spirit was to be +wielded by Pastor Russell twice three times, in his six volumes of +_Studies in the Scriptures_. The weapons of destruction will pursue all +the great ones of earth, penetrating into all their most secret places. +The Sword of the Spirit will search out all the lords of God's heritage (1 +Pet. 5:3), the clergy, exposing their inmost ideas contrary to Jehovah and +His Plan. + +21:15. I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that +their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made +bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter.--The point of the sword against +ecclesiasticism, revealing its true nature and imminent fall, is the +present exposition of the prophecies of Revelation and Ezekiel. The Hebrew +says that it is made "lightning brightness." It is an illumination of the +whole Babylonish system, for ages wrapped in the mystery of types and +symbolisms. How gladly the clergy would have destroyed these two books of +the Bible, had they known what they taught! + +21:16. Go thee one way or the other, either on the right hand, or on the +left, whithersoever thy face is set.--Wheresoever Pastor Russell and the +Truth people set their face to go, it is authorized for them by the Lord. + +21:17. I will also smite Mine hands together, and I will cause My fury to +rest: I the Lord have said it.--God will manifest His anger and cause His +fury to rest upon ecclesiasticism. + +21:18, 19. And the Word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, Also, thou +son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon +may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a +place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.--There were two ways +that the weapons of war, revolution and anarchy might strike; in either +way the blow would come from Satan, the king of anarchy. It was to come +from Riblah, the fork of the roads. Riblah means "desolate." Since 1878 +the worldly churches, and since 1914 the worldly governments, have been +"left desolate" (Matt. 23:38) and subject, the one to desolation by the +Sword of the Spirit, the other to desolation by carnal weapons. + +21:20. Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, +and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.--The sword might go east of Jordan +against the Ammonites (Amos 1:14; Jer. 49:2), or west of Jordan, directly +at Jerusalem, first of all. It might strike the Great (Rabbath) Company +(Rev. 7:9) of "fellow companions" (Psa. 45:14) (Ammonites), or directly +and first strike against churchianity (Judah) and ecclesiasticism +proper--"the fenced off," exclusive, superior, "best" people, hitherto so +thoroughly defended from harm. + +21:21. For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the +head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he +consulted with images, he looked in the liver.--The forces that will +overthrow Christendom are thoroughly under the influence and guidance of +evil spirits--as is suggested by the shuffling of arrows named for the two +cities, by the consulting of idols (theories), and by the looking in the +liver (spiritism), by interpretation. The Devil chooses bitter words +(arrows) (Psa. 64:3), consults evil spirits (images), and is guided even +in his opposition to Jehovah by his own interpretations of +Scripture.--Matt. 4:6; 2 Cor. 11:14. + +21:22. At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint +captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with +shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, +and to build a fort.--The proof from the Scriptures shows that the evil +spirits directed that the revolutionary and anarchistic movement should +proceed first to the destruction of Christendom. The ex-Czar of Russia was +a spiritualist, and maintained mediums for consultation. Kaiser Wilhelm of +Germany, for years prior to the great war, followed the guidance of a +demon which spoke to him clairaudiently, urging him to his present course. +A surprising number of prominent men consult spirit mediums. The voice of +the spirits was for war by every conceivable means, nation against nation, +but destined to effect the desolation of ecclesiasticism as well. + +21:23. And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to +them that have sworn oaths: but He will call to remembrance the iniquity, +that they may be taken.--In the sight of those that have sworn allegiance +to ecclesiasticism's god, the father of lies, this true prediction of the +downfall of the nations will seem an erroneous expectation--as it has +appeared to all the great ones of Christendom. They have thought that this +war would be as other wars. But the end of the Age (world) has come; and +ecclesiasticism's iniquities shall no longer go unpunished. + +21:24. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have made your +iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so +that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are +come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.--Universal muck- +raking by Socialists, Anarchists, magazine writers, social surveyors and +reformers has caused Christendom's forgotten iniquities to be freshly +remembered, and her transgressions uncovered, so that there is no +department--commercial, financial, political or religious--in which her +sinful practices do not appear. These things God has permitted to be made +manifest that she may be taken red-handed. + +21:25. And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when +iniquity shall have an end.--The profane and wicked prince of the Jews was +Zedekiah, their last king. (A. 248; Z. '04-343.) The antitype is +churchianity's lordly class, the clergy, profaning the holy Temple of God, +the Church, the Body of Christ, with doctrines of devils (1 Tim. 4:1), as +wicked in the sight of God as were their prototypes, the scribes, doctors +and Pharisees, with their hypocritical pretense of holiness. Their time +has come--1918--when iniquity in the House of the Sons of God shall have an +end. + +21:26. Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: +this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is +high.--Thus says Almighty God: Remove the mitre (mistranslated "diadem"). +The mitre was a band of linen about the forehead, typing the righteousness +of Christ, supposed to be in the minds of the clergy, but no more actually +in them as a class than in whited sepulchres. (Matt. 23:27.) The king wore +a golden crown on his head, held there by a white linen mitre. (A. 248; B. +76, 79; Z. '98-359.) The clergy, the lords of God's heritage, have crowned +themselves with the rulership of earth, in the person of the pope and in +the general desire of clergymen to rule in the affairs of men, a lordship +based upon their supposed righteousness (mitre). This great crisis will +not be like the temporary setbacks of ecclesiasticism in past centuries. +The lowly, revolutionary, anarchistic masses will exalt themselves to +power in the Time of Trouble, and the lofty clergy shall be utterly +abased.--Matt. 23:12. + +21:27. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, +until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.--In warfare, +revolution and anarchy Jehovah will triply overthrow Christendom until +Christ in great power will take the crown and rule the affairs of +earth.--E. _147_, 133; A. 248; B. 76, 79; Z. '05-253; H. 61. + +21:28. And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God +concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, +The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to +consume because of the glittering.--Nor will the openly worldly, professing +Christian escape, for war, revolution and anarchy are abroad--"the sword is +drawn"--to consume the worldly, too. + +21:29. While they see vanity unto thee, while they divine a lie unto thee, +to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose +day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.--Destruction will come +even when the worldly-wise are mistakenly asserting that it will not come +nigh them. + +21:30. Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in +the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.--The +tribulation shall not be quieted--the sword shall not "return unto his +sheath;" for God will condemn the worldly Christian also, in the condition +of unbelief wherein they have been. + +21:31. And I will pour out Mine indignation upon thee; I will blow against +thee in the fire of My wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish +men, and skilful to destroy.--God will pour out His wrath upon the worldly +professing Christians. He will blow upon them fiery blasts of war, +revolution and anarchy. They shall be delivered into the hands of a +revolted soldiery, brutal, destructive, pitiless, skilled in the arts of +slaughter, taught by Teutons and Allies to know the utmost efficiency in +war. The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, too, will be in the hands +of consecrated ones, seemingly but not actually cruel, skilled through +Divine power to use it with telling effect. + +21:32. Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst +of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the Lord have spoken +it.--Institutions Divinely condemned shall be as fuel for the fires of +bloody anarchy and pass into oblivion. The war is the melting-pot of +ecclesiasticism. + + ------------------------------------- + + + "Beautiful hands are they that do + The work of the noble, good and true, + Busy for them the long day through; + Beautiful faces--they that wear + The light of a pleasing spirit there, + It matters little if dark or fair; + And truly beautiful in God's sight, + Are the precious souls who love the right." + + + + +Ezekiel 22--The Melting Pot Of War + + +22:1-4. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Now, thou son +of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt +shew her all her abominations, then say thou, Thus saith the Lord God; the +city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh +idols against herself to defile herself. Thou art become guilty in thy +blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which +thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come +even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the +heathen, and a mocking to all countries.--In Chapter 22 the various +iniquities of Jerusalem are related. (22:1-12.) Their punishment is +described under the figure of a melting-pot. (22:13-22.) Christendom, and +especially ecclesiasticism, is guilty of bloodshed and of defiling +paganism. This, by a natural process, has brought about a situation which +could not continue. The present outbreak of evil and trouble, in view of +the lofty pretenses of the past, has made paganized Christendom a byword +among acknowledgedly pagan peoples.--D. 72. + +22:5. Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock +thee, which art infamous and much vexed.--The unbelievers, both in and out +of "Christian" countries, scoff at "Christendom"--now defiled of name and +"full of tumult." + +22:6. Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power +to shed blood.--In Christendom all the rulers, in the mania for war, have +used every power to promote bloodshed. The spiritual rulers have, by false +teachings, destroyed the spiritual hopes of millions.--Luke 11:52. + +22:7. In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of +thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they +vexed the fatherless and the widow.--They have dealt unjustly by the +classes needing help. Spiritually they have despised our Father and His +Covenant of Grace, and oppressed those who are His pilgrims and strangers +in the world.--1 Pet. 1:1. + +22:8. Thou hast despised Mine holy things, and hast profaned My +sabbaths.--They have despised the holy teachings of God's Word, respecting +the seventh thousand-year Day of rest, and have attempted justification by +works instead of in the rest of faith. + +22:9. In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat +upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.--In the +churches are gossipers, evil speakers, assassins of reputation. In them +are some that feast at the tables of devils (1 Tim. 4:1; 1 Cor. 10:21), +like lords or rulers at the heads of the nations; they long for unhallowed +church-state union. + +22:10, 11. In thee have they discovered their fathers' nakedness; in thee +have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution. And one hath +committed abomination with his neighbor's wife; and another hath lewdly +defiled his daughter-in-law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, +his father's daughter.--They have not only made state-churches in every +possible direction, but have been in vast numbers guilty of sexual +immorality. + +22:12. In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury +and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion, +and hast forgotten Me, saith the Lord God.--They have used the gifts of God +for evil purposes, even to slay God's holy martyrs; they have even +practised extortion upon those close to them. This they have done because +they have forgotten the Lord. + +22:13. Behold, therefore I have smitten Mine hand at thy dishonest gain +which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of +thee.--God has shown plain signs of anger against ecclesiasticism's +hypocrisy and her spirit of murder. + +22:14. Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days +that I shall deal with thee? I the Lord have spoken it, and will do +it.--Her heart must fail her, and her powers weaken, before an abused +conscience, in the days when God will deal with her iniquities. + +22:15. And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the +countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.--He will scatter +the ecclesiastics and by fiery trials consume the uncleanness out of +ecclesiasticism. + +22:16. And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of +the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.--She shall be +profaned, desecrated and destroyed in the sight of earth's nations. + +22:17, 18. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, the +house of Israel is to Me become dross; all they are brass, and tin, and +iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of +silver.--Ecclesiasticism, clergy and laity alike, are to the just and holy +God become as the refuse of the baser metals in a fiery furnace of +affliction; they are the dross of the Great Company (silver). (Jer. 6:30.) +The baser metals type degrees of earthly natures; brass (human +perfection), tin (tares, begotten of error), iron (savage worldly power), +and lead (sin, iniquity). + +22:19. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye are all become dross, +behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.--God will +gather the corrupt peoples and the nations of Christendom. + +22:20. As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into +the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I +gather you in Mine anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there, and +melt you.--This great conglomeration of persons of all shades of baseness +shall be gathered as into a blast furnace, where God will permit +indescribable troubles to afflict them; and there He will leave them. + +22:21. Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of My wrath, +and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.--They are to be melted in +heart and spirit in the fiery afflictions of His wrath. + +22:22. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be +melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the Lord have poured +out My fury upon you.--As the Great Company of God's spirit-begotten +children have suffered by the millions, so shall it be with the clergy and +laity, who profess Christianity without its spirit. + +22:23, 24. And the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, say +unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the +day of indignation.--Christendom in this Time of Trouble is without the +cleansing, refreshing showers of the water of God's Word. + +22:25. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a +roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken +the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the +midst thereof.--Among the clergy there is a conspiracy against the Truth. +The "Federation of the [so-called] Churches of Christ in America," like a +very devil (roaring lion), will yet tear to pieces the Present Truth +people, will put many to death, and cause some weaker ones to lose their +spiritual lives. They will take and destroy the literature containing the +precious Bible truth. Literally the preachers by preaching the men into +war have made widows by the millions. + +22:26. Her priests have violated My law, and have profaned Mine holy +things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither +have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have +hid their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.--The Roman +Catholic priests--and the Protestant clergy--have violated the Law of Divine +Love; have polluted God's truths with pagan teachings, have shown no +difference between those cleansed by the blood of Christ and those still +in their sins, have denied the Bible teaching of the Millennium (Rev. +20:2-7), have hidden the Sabbath rest of justification by faith, and have +promoted a money-grabbing system of penances and masses for sin and of +collections, which discredits and profanes God's name. + +22:27. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, +to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.--The +ecclesiastics, "wolves in sheeps' clothing" (Matt. 7:15), tear their prey, +the Body members of Christ, shed blood in persecution, and destroy +spiritual life--all to acquire money to perpetuate their infamous, +paganized religion.--Micah 2:9-11. + +22:28. And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing +vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when +the Lord hath not spoken.--The preachers of Protestantism have whitewashed +the whole crowd of ecclesiastics, imagining empty doctrines of Evolution +and Higher Criticism, and lying to the people by giving their own theories +as God's Word. + +22:29. The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, +and have vexed the poor and needy; yea, they have oppressed the stranger +wrongfully.--The laity of both Romanism and Protestantism have oppressed +the poor in spirit, have robbed those needing God's help of what comfort +they had, and have wrongfully oppressed the "pilgrims and strangers" (Heb. +11:13) among them. + +22:30. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, +and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; +but I found none.--God promised not to destroy Sodom if there should be ten +righteous men in it; He will seek for even _one_ who is righteous in +Christ's righteousness, in ecclesiasticism, to make up the wall of her +goat-fold, and stand in the gap, that He should not destroy her; but He +will find not one! + +22:31. Therefore have I poured out Mine indignation upon them; I have +consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their own way have I recompensed +upon their heads, saith the Lord God.--Therefore ecclesiasticism is doomed +to extinction. + + + + +Ezekiel 23--Two Apostate Church Systems + + +23:1, 2. The Word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, +there were two women, the daughters of one mother.--Chapter 23 describes +the church-state unions of the Roman Catholic church, pictured as an +unchaste woman, Aholah, and of the Protestant church, her unchaste sister, +Aholibah, and the destruction of both in the Time of Trouble by the +nations with which they have made unions.--Jer. 3:6-10. + +23:3. And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in +their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the +teats of their virginity.--Both of these churches have always catered to +worldly ideas and people, and even in their youth were guilty of unions of +church with state. + +23:4. And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her +sister: and they were Mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were +their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.--Their names are +significant. Aholah means "her own tent." God is not in Romanist +ecclesiasticism at all; it has its own tabernacle, called (Acts 7:43) "the +tabernacle of Moloch." Satan himself dwells in and actuates the Papal +system. Aholibah means "My tent is in her." God's Tabernacle, the true +Church, has been among the Protestants chiefly. In this picture, an +unchaste Protestant ecclesiasticism is designated "Jerusalem." They both +have sons--prominent ones--and daughters--sectarian churches. + +23:5. And Aholah played the harlot when she was Mine; and she doted on her +lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors.--The Romish church dates back to +apostolic days, when she was God's Church [Mine]; but she fell in love +with her neighbors, the rulers of that brutal age, and sought temporal +power. + +23:6. Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them +desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.--The leaders and rulers +in worldly affairs were apparently faithful (clothed in blue, typical of +faithfulness), and seemed desirable and attractive to be associated with. +They were men of thought and men of action, riding hobbies of vain +philosophies. + +23:7. Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were +the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their +idols she defiled herself.--The Church associated with them for gain of +worldly power, set her affections on them, instead of on things Above, and +defiled herself with their pagan ideas. + +23:8. Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth +they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and +poured their whoredom upon her.--Nor did she give up her worldliness when +she took up oriental asceticism. + +23:9, 10. Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into +the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted. These discovered her +nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the +sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment +upon her.--The rulers discovered the naked, unprotected condition of +Romanism; and by hundreds of thousands poured in from the East, literal +Tartars, Vandals, Huns and Turks, and the pagan ideas from the same +sources, and slew the sons and daughters of Romanism with the literal +sword, as well as her children spiritually. Among the Pagan religions +(women) Romanist "Christianity" became a name and a byword; for the +invaders had executed the judgment of God upon her. + +23:11. And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her +inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her +whoredoms.--Protestantism began in comparative purity, but later on +developed an inordinate love for temporal power. Even more than Papacy she +tried in every nation to "run things." + +23:12. She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains and rulers +clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them +desirable young men.--She, too, set her affections on popularity with +earth's rulers, great and small, conservative, radical and revolutionary. + +23:13-17. Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way. +And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men portrayed upon +the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, girded +with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, +all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of +Chaldea, the land of their nativity: and as soon as she saw them with her +eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea. And +the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her +with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was +alienated from them.--God saw that both churches, Romish and Protestant, +were of like tendency to church-state union, especially Protestantism; for +she never saw or heard of a great worldly man, even down to the local +leaders of the smallest rural communities, that she did not desire their +influence and help--particularly their money--and systematically invited +them to connect themselves with a church, quite regardless of whether or +not they remained worldly. So much did the prominent people in every place +crowd into the Protestant churches and try to "boss" things, that the rank +and file even of ecclesiastics and of the less prominent supporters of +ecclesiasticism grew sick of them. + +23:18. So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then +My mind was alienated from her, like as My mind was alienated from her +sister.--The newspaper writers, Socialists, anarchists and muck-rakers, +exposed the worldliness of the Protestant churches; and God Himself, from +1878 on, has been alienated from them. + +23:19-21. Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the +days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. +For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, +and whose issue is like the issue of horses. Thus thou calledst to +remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the +Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.--Protestant ecclesiasticism multiplied +her worldly alliances; and the prominent and wealthy, "of the earth, +earthy," filled the churches with tares, worldlings, desirous of profiting +by association with prominent people. + +23:22. Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will +raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I +will bring them against thee on every side.--Therefore, O Protestantism, +thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will raise up, in warfare and revolution, +the worldly people in you, of whom you are already sick, and bring them +against you on every side. + +23:23. The Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, +and all the Assyrians with them; all of them desirable young men, captains +and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses.--The +worldly, the worldly-wise (Chaldeans), the officers (Pekod), princes +(Shoa), and rulers (Koa), and all the discontented and anarchistic with +them shall come against you, riding hobbies destructive to you. + +23:24. And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, +and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and +shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and +they shall judge thee according to their judgments.--They shall war against +thy welfare with organizations of their own (chariots), with leaders +(riders, mistranslated wagons), with a systematic plan of operation +(wheels), and with a great following of revolutionists; and they shall +condemn thee by their own perverted ideas of justice. + +23:25. And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal +furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy +remnant shall fall by the sword; they shall take thy sons and thy +daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.--Unknown to +Protestantism, God's jealousy has been excited by her worldliness; and He +will permit the masses to deal with her in fury; they will destroy her +spirituality, taking away her ability to discern spiritual things (nose), +and to hear (ear) the Word of God. They will force Protestantism's sons +and daughters into service in war and revolution; and the remnant will be +destroyed in the ensuing anarchy. + +23:26. They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy +fair jewels.--Protestantism shall be stripped of her robes of self- +righteousness and of her imitation jewels--those not truly Christianized; +for they will cast off all pretense of religion. + +23:27. Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom +brought from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes +unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.--Being no longer attractive or +useful to the ruling powers, she will perforce cease her advances toward +the grasping of worldly power. + +23:28. For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will deliver thee into the +hand of them whom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whom thy mind is +alienated.--All law-abiding people, and especially Protestant +ecclesiasticism, hate and fear the lawless forces destructive of society; +but into the cruel hands of such shall they be delivered. + +23:29. And they shall deal with thee hatefully, and shall take away all +thy labour, and shall leave thee naked and bare; and the nakedness of thy +whoredoms shall be discovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.--These +evil forces shall deal hatefully with Protestantism, take away all the +results of her work, and strip her completely, because of the ultimate +evils wrought by union of church and state. + +23:30. I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring +after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols.--God +will do this because Protestantism has sought and made church-state +unions, and has been polluted with worldly ideas and practices. + +23:31. Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore, will I give +her cup into thine hand.--She has walked in the way of Papacy; therefore +will God give to her also Papacy's cup of tribulation.--Jer. 25:15. + +23:32. Thus saith the Lord God: Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup deep +and large; thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it +containeth much.--Protestantism shall drink deep and large the measure of +Romanism's cup of trouble; it contains much. As a result of wars and +devastation brought on by worldliness, in the face of boasted godliness, +Protestantism shall be scorned and derided by the whole world.--Rev. 9. + +23:33. Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of +astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister +Samaria.--Protestantism shall be intoxicated with the war spirit (Jer. +13:13), and later stupefied with amazement at the ruinous results of her +own course, ending in the same cup of trouble, utter ruin, as confronts +her sister-church, Catholicism. + +23:34. Thou Shalt even drink it and suck it out, and thou shalt break the +sherds thereof, and pluck off thine own breasts: for I have spoken it, +saith the Lord God.--Protestantism shall drain the cup of desolation and +sorrow and shall suck out the very dregs. (Isa. 30:14.) It shall be broken +up in anarchy, and shall lose all the features that made it attractive to +this world's governments for purposes of union of church and state. + +23:35. Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast forgotten Me, +and cast Me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy +whoredoms.--Because she has forgotten the Lord and cast Him out of her +mind, Protestantism shall endure unaided by Him the results of her own +evil course. + +23:36. The Lord said moreover unto me: Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah +and Ahollbah? yes, declare unto them their abominations.--In Verses 36 to +49 Romanism and Protestantism are together jointly condemned. + +23:37. That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and +with their Idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their +sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour +them.--They have both effected church-state unions. They have blood guilt, +for wars, and for causing the spiritual death of multitudes. They have +given their hearts to idol doctrines. They have caused God's children to +endure fiery troubles, and have scorched, scarred and burned their +religious lives with the eternal torment theory. + +23:38. Moreover this they have done unto Me; they have defiled My +Sanctuary In the same day, and have profaned My sabbaths.--They have +defiled God's Sanctuary, the Church, with soul-destroying doctrines in the +same Day, the Gospel Age. They have derided the Millennium, and have +substituted works for the rest of faith, as the basis of justification +before God. + +23:39. For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they +came the same day Into My Sanctuary to profane it; and lo, thus have they +done in the midst of Mine house.--They would slay their people in war and +the same day go to worship God, even in the midst of God's Sanctuary, the +Little Flock of the true Church. + +23:40. And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto +whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came; for whom thou didst wash +thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments.--They +sought for union with and sent preachers to prominent men, at heart in a +condition far from God; for them they "whitewashed" themselves, made their +wisdom (eyes) attractive with worldly philosophies, and adorned themselves +with the imitation jewels of courtesy, tact and politeness. + +23:41. And satest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, +whereupon thou hast set Mine Incense and Mine oil.--They took their seat +upon a stately creed-bed, adapted to worldly, regal purposes, with a table +of religious food, teachings, philosophies, not of God, where they gave +their hearts' best endeavor and prostituted what measure of the Holy +Spirit they had to worldly ends. + +23:42. And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her; and with the +men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, which put +bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.--With +the ecclesiasticism of Papacy and Protestantism was the voice of a +multitude of worldly church members, thoroughly at ease in apostate Zion. +(Amos 6:1.) Among the church members were men of the blackest character +(Sabeans, descendants of Ham, disfavored of God), who belonged outside the +pale of religion, who adorned themselves with seeming character jewels and +crowns of inherent immortality, not of God, but of Plato. + +23:43. Then said I unto her that was old in adulteries, Will they now +commit whoredoms with her, and she with them?--It seemed impossible that +the churches should unite with such evil men, to gain influence and power. + +23:44. Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth +the harlot: so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah, the lewd +women.--Nevertheless, both Romish and Protestant ecclesiasticism did so. + +23:45. And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of +adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they +are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands.--But men with a sense of +decency, justice and the fitness of things will condemn both churches, +Romish and Protestant, as adulteresses were judged among the Hebrews--stone +them to death with hard facts, and by the ravages of revolution and +anarchy. + +23:46. For thus saith the Lord God, I will bring up a company upon them, +and will give them to be removed and spoiled.--God will bring up against +them a great rabble of people with a keen sense of outraged +justice--Socialists, trades-union men, laborites, social democrats, +nihilists and anarchists. Also a multitude of God's children, begotten of +the Holy Spirit, will rise up against these apostacies. + +23:47. And the company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them +with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and +burn up their houses with fire.--This multitude will down ecclesiasticism +with hard facts, and destroy her with material weapons and with the Sword +of the Spirit, the Word of God. The anarchists will literally slay church +members by millions; and the sons of God will by His Holy Word cause them +to cease their pretense of being Christians. + +23:48. Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women +may be taught not to do after your lewdness.--Thus will the Lord cause the +desire for the union of churches with worldly power to cease out of human +society, that all religious bodies may learn forever to avoid this +abominable practice. + +23:49. And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear +the sins of your idols: and ye shall know that I am the Lord God.--Thus +shall ecclesiasticism's faithless apostasy be recompensed upon her when +she suffers the results of the sinfulness of loving other mighty ones than +Jehovah, and thus shall she learn the supremacy of God in the affairs of +men. + + + + +Ezekiel 24--The Boiling Caldron + + +24:1, 2. Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of +the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, write +thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set +himself against Jerusalem this same day.--It was in the fall of 1916--a year +and seven months before the city was to be smitten in the spring of +1918--that the forces of laborism, revolution and anarchy, began to assert +themselves against the established order of things in Christendom--the +siege of the city began. + +24:3. And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, +Thus saith the Lord God: Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into +it.--Jerusalem is likened to a boiling caldron from which meat is taken; +then it is set empty on the fire and the rust burned out. Ezekiel's wife +dies; but he suppresses his feelings, and, after the ordinance for a +priest, makes no mourning for the dead--a picture of the dumb sorrow of the +Hebrews on the destruction of Jerusalem. The prophecy of this chapter was +uttered on the same day that the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, "came, +he and all his host, and pitched against it; and they built forts against +it round about; and the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king +Zedekiah." (2 Kings 25:1, 2.) Its antitype is that on or about November 1, +1916, the date of Pastor Russell's death, ecclesiasticism began to enter +upon its life-and-death struggle, materially, with the forces of laborism +and anarchy, and religiously with the consecrated children of God, whose +work from then on was increasingly to bear witness to the apostasy and +imminent destruction of churchianity. Ecclesiasticism, rebellious against +her God, is as an organization, like a caldron of brass (copper), typing +that many of its members believe the Word of God. It is set amid the fiery +troubles of revolution and anarchy. There is water in it, symbolic of what +Truth there is in ecclesiasticism.--Jer. 1:13. + +24:4. Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, +and the shoulders: fill it with the choice bones.--In it are gathered the +great and prominent (good pieces), and also the strong ones (bones) of her +flock. + +24:5. Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and +make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein.--The social +elements will grow hot in the Time of Trouble until the truths in +ecclesiasticism make it exceedingly warm for her members. Then the heated, +excited, troublous condition will be transmitted, and as the truths warm +up, will get all the church members into exceedingly hot water, even the +strongest ones. + +24:6. Wherefore thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, to the +plot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it +out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.--Woe to Christendom, +ecclesiasticism, bloody in the blood of soldiers, peasants, workingmen, +martyrs and saints, by the millions, and blood guilty for the spiritual +hopes of millions, extinguished by her false doctrines. Her rust (R. V.) +is in her. Bring out her leading members, one by one, indiscriminately, +into captivity to the forces of revolution. + +24:7. For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a +rock; the poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;--Her infamy +of blood is in her very substance. She has not been able to conceal it, +but it is exposed to full view in "the top of her rock," in the kings and +the kaisers, her heads in church-state union. + +24:8. That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set +her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.--The fury +of a revolted soldiery and populace will rise up against the heads of the +governments, who are also heads of the churches, to take vengeance upon +ecclesiasticism's sins. + +24:9. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the bloody city! I will +even make the pile for fire great.--Innumerable will be the opponents of +churchianity, and blazing hot their wrath. + +24:10. Heap on the wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it +well, and let the bones be burned.--Heap up the fires of discontent and +anarchy, consume the tares in Christendom, as tares. Thicken the broth (R. +V.), boil it down until the very bones, the strong church members, cease +to be such. + +24:11. Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may +be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, +that the scum of it may be consumed.--Then ecclesiasticism, the clergy +class, with emptied pews, shall sit amid the fiery trouble and be +consumed, that their corruption may be done away. + +24:12. She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not +forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire.--She has wearied even the +preachers with the dishonesty of preaching things not believed in, and yet +they did not cast out her doctrinal corruption, which shall be fuel for +the fire of anarchy. + +24:13. In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou +wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, +till I have caused My fury to rest upon thee.--Her corruption was in her +desire to become prominent and powerful through the power of earth's great +ones. God purged her of these things to some extent through godly +preachers and reformers; but she was not purged in heart and quickly +reverted to the things Divinely proscribed. Since 1878 God has made no +further attempt to reform ecclesiasticism; and she shall not be purged, +but the fury of God's jealousy shall rest upon her. + +24:14. I the Lord have spoken it; it shall come to pass, and I will do it; +I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according +to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the +Lord God.--God Himself has spoken this and will do it. He will not go back, +neither spare, nor change His Plan; but in just recompense for her doings +shall the Socialists and anarchists condemn her. + +24:15, 16. Also the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, +behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet +neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.--God +took away from Pastor Russell the desire of his eyes, her whom he loved, +with a stroke, or "plague" of spiritual error, which completely separated +them. By the Mosaic ordinance a priest on the death of father, mother, or +wife, was to show no special sign of grief, but was to remain in the +Tabernacle, or Temple, and attend as usual to the service of God. Pastor +Russell, as a member of the great High Priest and as Christ's +representative in the world, the sole steward of the "meat in due season," +suffered deeply, but shed no tears. + +24:17. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of +thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not +thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.--Rather, he made no mourning for +her that was to him as dead, but continued in the work of the sacrificing +priesthood. He was sustained in his affliction, not by human aid, but by +the consolations of his Father's Word. + +24:18. So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife +died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.--He continued his +addresses and writings to the Lord's people; his wife became to him as one +dead: and he continued uninterruptedly in the work of the ministry. + +24:19. And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these +things are to us, that thou doest so?--Why was Pastor Russell caused by his +Father to endure the fiery trials and ecclesiastical falsehoods in +connection with this incident of his life? + +24:20, 21. Then I answered them, The word of the Lord came unto me, +saying, Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I +will profane My Sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of +your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your +daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.--God gives the reason. +It was as a picture or parable of what is to happen to Christendom. Until +1878 the nominal church had been in a sense God's sanctuary or Temple; but +He was from then on, culminating in 1918, to remove it with a stroke or +plague of erroneous doctrines and deeds Divinely permitted. The Church was +the strength of Christendom, that about which its life centered, and +around which its institutions were built. It was the desire of the eyes of +the people, that which all Christians loved. Nevertheless, God was to make +manifest the profanation which ecclesiasticism had made of the Christian +Church, and to cause the church organizations to become to Him as one +dead, an unclean thing, not to be touched, or mourned. And the "children +of the church" shall perish by the sword of war, revolution and anarchy, +and by the Sword of the Spirit be made to see that they have lost their +hope of life on the spirit plane--that "the door is shut." + +24:22. And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor +eat the bread of men.--So universal and dreadful will be the troubles that +the dead will literally lie unburied and unwept. There can be no mourning +for the dead in a period when the living are overwhelmed by troubles worse +than death. + +24:23. And your tires shall be upon your heads: and your shoes upon your +feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your +iniquities, and mourn one toward another.--The mourning will be an inner +sorrow of a people stupefied by terrible experiences, who pine away and +without outward expression sink together into the fellowship of helpless +grief. + +24:24. Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done +shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord +God.--Thus the silent sorrow at Pastor Russell's heart was to be a sign to +Christendom. The sorrowful experiences of Pastor Russell in this +connection shall later on be those of all Christendom; "and when this +cometh" they shall know that Jehovah God is supreme, and back of all the +judgments of the trouble time. + +24:25, 26. Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take +from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their +eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their +daughters. That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to +cause thee to hear it with thine ears?--Also, in the year 1918, when God +destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by millions, it +shall be that any that escape shall come to the works of Pastor Russell to +learn the meaning of the downfall of "Christianity." + +24:27. In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and +thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; +and they shall know that I am the Lord.--Pastor Russell's voice has been +stilled in death; and his voice is, comparatively speaking, dumb to what +it will be. In the time of revolution and anarchy he shall speak, and be +no more dumb to those that escape the destruction of that day. Pastor +Russell shall "be a sign unto them," shall tell them the truth about the +Divine appointment of the trouble, as they consult his books, scattered to +the number of ten million throughout Christendom. His words shall be a +sign of hope unto them, enabling them to see the bright side of the cloud +and to look forward with anticipation to the glorious Kingdom of God to be +established. Then "they shall know the Lord." + + ------------------------------------- + + + "Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, + As the swift seasons roll! + Leave thy low vaulted past! + Let each new temple, nobler than the last, + Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast, + Till thou at length art free, + Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea." + + + + +Ezekiel 25--Recompense Upon The Tares + + +25:1, 2. The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, set +thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them.--Chapter 25 +foretells that after the fall of apostate ecclesiasticism in revolution, +in 1918, the end of the various discordant non-Christian elements of +Christendom, hostile to true Christianity, which will seek to profit by +her fall, will come. The Ammonites (25:1-7) and the Moabites (25:8-11), +both children of Lot--who was himself a type of the Great Company class--are +a type of a class brought into being by their father, the Great Company +class (Lot), while he was in a state of drunken stupor from mixed +doctrines, through Lot's daughters, type of the worldly churches of the +Great Company. The Edomites, descendants of Esau, represent a class who +sell their birthright to sonship of God for a mess of pottage, worldly +advantage (25:12-14); and the Philistines, a people who migrated from +Egypt, and aggressively preyed upon the Jews, type of a class of +aggressive, middle-course, professing Christians who prey upon true +Christians. The message begins with words against the Ammonites, types of +those believing worldlings who were brought into the churches by the more +or less faithless Great Company, and who in an aggressive and predatory +fashion as Jesuits, persecuting Romish priests, and Protestant clergy and +their kind persecuted the true Christians. The Ammonites are described as +"fierce marauders, crafty, cruel, predatory." The Ammonites worshipped +Baal, under the name Chemosh, the god of fire and of fornication, type of +the eternal-torment-purgatory god, the encourager of the spiritual +adultery of church-state union. + +25:3. And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God; Thus +saith the Lord God; Because thou saidst, Aha, against My Sanctuary, when +it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and +against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity.--When God's true +Church shall be persecuted in the world-war and revolution, and true +Christian faith shall be desolated, and the multitude of those that praise +God (Judah, praise) shall go into captivity to the infidel revolutionists, +the persecuting, world-loving church members (Ammonites) will he glad of +it. + +26:4. Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a +possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their +dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy +milk.--God will deliver this class unto the anarchists, to possess them, +and make themselves at home with their property, and to make away with +their doctrines (milk). + +25:5. And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a +couching place for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.--And I +will make the lordly clergy class (Rabbah, great) waste and abandoned. + +25:6. For thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, +and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite +against the land of Israel.--Because they shall rejoice greatly, in their +despite against Christianity. + +25:7. Behold, therefore I will stretch out Mine hand upon thee, and will +deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen: and I will cut thee off from the +people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will +destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.--Therefore God will +stretch out His hand against them, and deliver them to be despoiled by the +infidel anarchists in their midst. He will cut them off as a class, cause +them to cease and destroy them, and they shall know that He is God. + +25:8. Thus saith the Lord God: Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, +the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen.--The Moabites ("Seir" +should be omitted) were the civilized part of the descendants of Lot, born +of incest, of a drunken father, Lot, and worshippers of Baal, while +acknowledging Jehovah. They typed a church membership begotten by the +mixture of truth and error, by the Great Company class, through their +world-loving churches (daughters of Lot), and worshipping the eternal- +torment God, imagining him to be Jehovah, and practicing the spiritual +harlotry of union of church and state. Moab was "a nation high spirited, +wealthy, populous, civilized, and of wide reputation and popularity." They +type a like class. + +25:9. Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, +from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, +Beth-jeshi-moth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim.--God will cause this class to +be attacked in the anarchy (Beth-jeshimoth, place of desolation), on two +grounds, their apostate clergy (Baalmeon, lord of the habitation) and +church-state system (Kiriathaim, double city). + +25:10. Unto the men of the east with the Ammonites, and will give them in +possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the +nations.--The anarchists will also overcome the aggressive class +(Ammonites). + +25:11, 12. And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know +that I am the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God; Because that Edom hath dealt +against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, +and revenged himself upon them.--The professedly Christian "Edomites" (D. +14-19)--nominally believers in God (descendants of Abraham), but +worshipping a variety of gods of power, wealth, and worldliness, +especially the eternal-torment God--(Josephus says the Edomites worshipped +Cese, the destroyer)--will help greatly in pulling down Christianity. + +25:13. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I will also stretch out Mine +hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it +desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.--God will +stretch His hand against this class (Edom-Idumea) and from end to end they +shall fall by the weapons of destruction, and by the Sword of the +Spirit.--Isa. 34:5, 6; Jer. 49:7-17. + +25:14. And I will lay My vengeance upon Edom by the hand of My people +Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to Mine anger and according to +My fury; and they shall know My vengeance, saith the Lord God.--The Truth +people shall declare what God will do to this class in His furious +anger.--Isa. 15:1-9; Jer. 48:1-47. + +25:15. Thus saith the Lord God; Because the Philistines have dealt by +revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it +for the old hatred.--The worldly professing Christians (Philistines, +emigrants from Egypt) persecute God's true people, and shall in the +revolution despitefully aid in destroying Christianity.--Joel 3:4. + +25:16, 17. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will stretch out +Mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethim, and +destroy the remnant of the sea coast. And I will execute great vengeance +upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, +when I shall lay My vengeance upon them.--God will, through the anarchists, +stretch out His hand against this class, and will cut off those that carry +out persecution and death upon His people (Cherethim, executioners), and +all worldly professing Christians as such, including those that border on +anarchy (sea coast). + + + + +Ezekiel 26--Downfall Of Philosophy + + +26:1. And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the +month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying.--Chapter 26 depicts +ecclesiasticism in the guise of an elaborate system of philosophy. The +name Tyrus signifies "Rock;" and human philosophy, particularly Greek +Platonic philosophy, is the real rock foundation of ecclesiastical +teachings. Any true ecclesiastic, when driven by the Word of God from his +untenable errors, claims sanction for them by reference to the philosophy +of Plato and the inherent immortality of man, etc. + +26:2. Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she +is broken that was the gates of the people; she is turned unto me; I shall +be replenished, now she is laid waste.--This system and its adherents will +manifest their essentially non-Christian nature when Christendom +(Jerusalem) falls at the hands of the revolutionists in 1918. Philosophy, +Higher Criticism, will rejoice that ecclesiasticism, which claimed to be +the gateway to God for the people, is broken. They will imagine that the +adherents of a Christianity that has failed will turn to philosophy, and +that the adherents of philosophy will be increased now that +ecclesiasticism is desolated. Human philosophy will seem to be the sole +refuge of the people of Christendom. + +26:3. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O +Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea +causeth his waves to come up.--Because Christendom has borne the name of +Christ and had the oracles of God, therefore God is against philosophy and +will cause the many nations of Christendom to come up against established +philosophy, as a sea of anarchy, with the discontented masses attacking, +wave after wave, endlessly. + +26:4. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her +towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of +a rock.--The anarchists shall destroy the walls of defense, composed of the +adherents to human philosophy, and shall break down the loftiest and +strongest organizations, its towers of defense. God will remove the last +vestiges of human adherence to Christendom's system of philosophy. + +26:5. It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the +sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God: and it shall become a spoil +to the nations.--In the anarchy, human philosophy shall be utterly +abandoned--deprived of all its former supporters, by whole nations of +anarchists. + +26:6. And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the +sword: and they shall know that I am the Lord.--The religious organizations +(daughters) founded on philosophy, which are in the world (field), shall +be wiped out; and in the Kingdom their former adherents shall come to know +Jehovah as He is. + +26:7. For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus +Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with +horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much +people.--Jehovah God declares that against human philosophy (Tyrus) and its +systems and adherents, He will array Satan--the king of this evil world, +ruler of mystic Babylon, "the gateway to Bel," to devil worship, king over +the kings and other children of disobedience. He shall be permitted to +come by God Himself (the North) (Jer. 1:14), with teachings (horses) of +anarchy, with institutions based upon such teachings (chariots), with +leaders and teachers riding these hobbies (horsemen), with an organised +following (companies) and with many people following after anarchy in +unorganized mobs (much people). + +26:8. He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he +shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up +the buckler against thee.--With weapons of destruction (swords) anarchy +shall seek to destroy the philosophical churches and other religious +organizations (daughters) in the world (field) and shall systematically +besiege them. + +26:9. And he shall set engines of war against thy walls and with his axes +he shall break down thy towers.--Anarchy shall make war against their +defenders (walls), and with keen, strong, cutting arguments (axes), shall +break down philosophy's strongholds (towers). + +26:10. By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover +thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the +wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men +enter into a city wherein is made a breach.--Anarchistic teachings (horses) +without limit shall fill the air with confusion (dust); philosophy's +defenders (walls) shall fear and quake at the tumult (noise) of the +leaders and teachers of anarchy (horsemen), and of their systematic plans +(wheels) of destruction, and of the anarchistic organizations (chariots), +when Anarchy shall pour its forces through the great ones (gates) of +Philosophy, for the great ones will become channels (breaches) for the +inpouring teachings of anarchy. + +26:11. With the hoofs of his horses shall be tread down all thy streets: +he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go +down to the ground.--With the impact (hoofs) of doctrines (horses) of +destruction, anarchy shall beat down all the orderly ways (streets) of +philosophy. Anarchy shall destroy the adherents of philosophy with weapons +of destruction, and the learned and mighty colleges and universities +(garrisons) shall go down in failure and ruin. + +26:12. And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy +merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant +houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the +midst of the water.--And the anarchists shall spoil the ideals (riches), +and stop the teaching (merchandise) of philosophy; they shall break down +the defense of philosophy's adherents (walls), and destroy the pleasing +philosophical organizations (pleasant houses). They shall engulf the +believers (stones) and supporters (timbers) in the rising tide of anarchy. + +26:13. And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of +thy harps shall be no more heard.--And God will cause the noise of +philosophy's siren songs, her falsely pleasant teachings (songs) to cease; +and the utterance of her melodious books (harps) shall be no more heard +forever. + +26:14. And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place +to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the Lord have +spoken it, saith the Lord God.--Philosophy, falsely so-called, shall be +utterly desolated, and shall be built up no more forever; for Jehovah God +has spoken it. + +26:15. Thus saith the Lord God to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the +sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the +midst of thee?--The world will be full of revolutionary republics (isles), +devoid of Christian principles and following man-made ideas; these +republics shall be shaken to their foundations, when anarchy begins its +dread slaughter of men and of systems. + +26:16. Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, +and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall +clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and +shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee.--Then shall the +rude rulers of the revolutionary, half-anarchistic republics lose their +positions of power (thrones), and lay aside their honors (robes), and +discard their works of revolution (broidered garments); they shall be +filled with dread and with trembling, and shall marvel at the downfall of +their socialistic and revolutionary philosophies. + +26:17. And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How +art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned +city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause +their terror to be on all that haunt it!--They shall lament; for the great +systems of human philosophy shall be destroyed, where abode polished +cosmopolitan men of the world (seafaring men), the renowned system of +thought which was strong among all peoples (in the sea), even in the midst +of a world of restless, discontented masses. + +26:18. Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles +that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure.--Now shall the +revolutionary republics (isles) tremble in the year of philosophy's +downfall; the republics in the midst of the anarchistic peoples (sea) +shall be in trouble with the failure of the system of man-made philosophy. + +26:19. For thus saith the Lord God; When I shall make thee a desolate +city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the +deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee.--For God will utterly +desolate philosophical teachings; when He brings up the sea of anarchy +upon them, and engulfs them in the tidal wave. + +26:20. When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, +with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the +earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that +thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the +living.--God will bring human philosophy down to destruction, without an +adherent and in disgrace and reproach (into the pit), in order that He may +establish His glorious truth in the Kingdom of resurrection and of life. + +26:21. I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more: though thou +be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord +God.--God will make human philosophy a wasted, desolated thing (a terror); +never shall it exist any more; though men and devils should seek to +reestablish it, never shall it be found again, saith Jehovah God. + + + + +Ezekiel 27--Philosophy's Utter Ruin + + +27:1. The Word of the Lord came again unto me, saying.--In Chapter 27 +Christendom, regarded as an independent system of pagan philosophy, is +represented as a gallant ship. Its component parts are represented +symbolically (27:4-7), as are its mariners and pilots (27:8-9). In verses +9 to 25 the figure reverts to a mercantile city, and the sources of its +articles of trade. It is again pictured as a ship, which is steered by its +mariners into an angry sea, and wrecked.--Verses 26 to 36. + +27:2. Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus.--The man-made +system of Pagan philosophy must fall. + +27:3. And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, +which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord +God: O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty.--O Christendom, thou +that hast the entree to the ears of the peoples (sea), which art a +salesman (merchant) of philosophical doctrines for the people of many +revolutionary republics, thus says the Lord God: O Christendom, +ecclesiasticism, thou hast regarded thy pagan philosophies as perfect, +faultless and beautiful. + +27:4. Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders have +perfected thy beauty.--Thou, as an independent pagan religious organization +or system, belongest among the disobedient children (sea) of the world. +Thy philosophers, doctors of divinity, professors and writers, have +perfected thy seemingly beautiful philosophy. + +27:5. They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir; they have +taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee.--They have made as thy +fundamental supporters (boards) believers in everlasting human life (firs, +evergreen trees), in high stations in society (Mount Senir, or Hermon, +"pointed rock" was in Benjamin, one of the Hebrew tribes, and type of the +Great Company). They have taken as the support (masts) of thy seeming +righteousness (linen sails) earth's greatest men and the rulers, believers +in inherent immortality (cedars), picturing them as from the loftiest, +purest sources. (Lebanon, a great mountain range, means "white, snowy."). + +27:6. Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; the company of the +Ashurites have made thy benches of ivory, brought out of the isles of +Chittim.--The prominent tares, leaders (oaks), whom other tares follow and +worship, and who are fruitful in producing more tares (Bashan means +fruitful), are the mechanism (oars) for making thee move and progress +among the people. The company of free-thinkers (Ashurite means freemen) +have made thy white (supposedly righteous) seats (ivory signifies +dreams--of immediate spirit life when they die) to be the seats (seats of +the mighty), of the rowers who work the oars. + +27:7. Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou +spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah +was that which covered thee.--Thy ensigns, banners, sails, over thee, to be +driven by the winds of error, are false righteousness (linen), with +innumerable works of self-righteousness (broidered work), and of +worldliness (Egypt); thou wast covered with the faithfulness (blue) and +royalty (purple) of the worst of earth's pagan peoples (Elishah, descended +from Javan, European, the most cruel and ferocious people of earth, as +shown by their history, including this furious world-war.) + +27:8. The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners; thy wise men, +O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots.--The adherents of the belong- +to-a-church or go-to-hell idea (Zidon meant "fortress," and the idea is +the fortress of ecclesiasticism), and the supporters of the falsely +comforting refuge of Platonic immortality of the soul (Arvad means refuge, +and Platonic heathen philosophy is the refuge of philosophic Christendom) +were thy mariners, the ones who "worked" thy oars; thy philosophers (wise +ones), from Plato to Nietsche, charted thy evil course, and were the real +"sky-pilots" for the rowers to row by. + +27:9. The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy +calkers; all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to +occupy thy merchandise.--The doctors of divinity (ancients of Gebal) (Psa. +83:7) and the creed builders said enough on both sides of any question for +theological authorities (calkers) to keep the people (sea) from getting on +the inside, or having any real participation in thy affairs. In the middle +of verse 9 the figure changes back to that of the prosperous mercantile +city that Tyre was. All the independent religious and philosophical +churches and other organizations (ships) of the sea (peoples and nations) +with their sky-pilots (mariners) were in thee, O Christendom, thou +aggregation of confused and contradictory philosophies, to receive, hold +and disseminate thy teachings, doctrines, traditions, fables and +philosophies (merchandise). + +27:10. They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men +of war; they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy +comeliness.--Believers in the hell-fire superstition (Persians were fire +worshippers), and middle-course, conservative worldly men of sin (the +people of Lud and Phut were dark-skinned men, living probably west of +Egypt, type of worldly compromisers with sin) were in thine army, those +that fight the bad fight of error for thee; in thee they hung the shield +of credulity (faith) and the helmet of a false salvation; they extolled +the loveliness of thy philosophy. + +27:11. The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about, +and the Gammadim were in thy towers; they hanged their shields upon thy +walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect.--The believers in +human immortality, thy philosophic refuge (Arvad means "refuge") with +thine army just mentioned were the wall of thy defense and thy watchmen, +college professors, economists (the Gammadim are thought to mean watchmen +or guards) were in thy watch towers; upon thy walls, in the minds of thy +supporters (walls) they hanged their shields of credulity; they have made +thy philosophies and sophistries seem perfectly beautiful. + +27:12. Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds +of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.--Thy +preachers (merchants, trading in philosophy for gain) were a hard +proposition (Tarshish means hard), with an abundant supply of teachings +regarded worth while by the world; with worldly truth--silver--with strong +earthly authority--iron--with actually worthless philosophies (tin was as +the dross of silver) and with downright wicked doctrines (lead symbolized +wickedness--Zech. 5:7-8) they taught and preached (traded) in thy preaching +places (fairs). + +27:13. Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the +persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.--Believers in Greek +philosophy (Javan represented the Greek race), and believers in the most +far-fetched and uncouth ideas, such as monkey-born evolution (Tubal and +Meshech were the remotest and rudest of nations), were thy preachers +(merchants). They sold men into bondage to sin, and presented teachings of +human perfection (brass) attainable otherwise than through Christ. Brass +should be translated copper, and signifies perfect human nature.--T. 18. + +27:14. They of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and +horsemen and mules.--The representatives of the rudest and crudest ideas +(Togarmah) preached in thy churches with doctrines (horses) and with +followers of the doctrines and with mixed human and spirit nature ideas +(mules). + +27:15. The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the +merchandise of thine hand: they brought thee for a present, horns of ivory +and ebony.--Men of low ideals (Dedan means low) were thy preachers; many +revolutionary republics (islands) were thy preaching places; they +presented thee with dreams, visions (ivory) of power (horns), good and bad +(ebony). + +27:16. Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of +thy making: they occupied in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, and +broidered work, and flat linen, and coral, and agate.--Believers in +doctrines of lofty self-righteousness (Syria signifies high land) were thy +preachers; they traded for gain in philosophies of eternal life (emeralds) +without Christ's purchase, with teachings of self-kingship (purple), with +works of self-mastery (broidered work), with self-righteousness (linen), +with an imitation ransom (red coral), and imitation character jewels +(agate). + +27:17. Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded +in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and +balm.--With thine errors were mingled God's Truth to make up thy mixed +doctrines. Some of thy preachers were really believers in the Bible (of +Judah and Israel), taught the wholesome spiritual Bible truths (wheat), +good teachings for the natural man (Pannag means millet), and teachings +about Christ's Second Coming (honey), the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit +(Rev. 10:9, 10), and the balm of the comfort of the Word of God.--Rom. +15:4. + +27:18. Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy +making, for the multitude of all riches; in the wine of Helbon, and white +wool.--Thy preachers (merchants) were among the chiefest of the lofty, +self-righteous, lordly ones (Damascus was capital of Syria, the high +land), trading in all varieties of thy doctrines and philosophies, +especially the mixed doctrines (wine) of earthly prosperity (Helbon, +fruitfulness) and in natural human righteousness (white wool). + +27:19. Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright +iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market.--Apostate Christians (Dan +was the seat of idolatry and types a class once spirit-begotten but fallen +away) and Grecian pagans (Javan represented the Greeks) preached in thy +church gatherings; lordship, authority (iron), the claim of apostolic +authority (cassia, deputyship), and a claimed knowledge of the Bible +(calamus) were in thy churches (markets). + +27:20. Dedan was thy merchant in precious clothes for chariots.--Preachers +of low ideals (Dedan, low) preached that thy church organizations +(chariots) should be made presentable by being robed in the embroidery of +many works, church fairs and suppers, institutional work, and civic and +social service (chariot clothes or robes). + +27:21. Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they occupied with thee in +lambs, and rams, and goats: in these were they thy merchants.--Thy +preachers, with claims of consecration, separateness (Arabia, wilderness), +and all the powerful right reverends, fathers, and other lords (Kedar, +powerful), they traded (exchanged from one church to another) their +converts (lambs), old church members (rams), and out-and-out tares +(goats). + +27:22. The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants: they +occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious +stones, and gold.--The preachers in captivity (Sheba, captivity) to Satan, +and those who tremble at Satan's word (Raamah, trembling) set forth a +counterfeit of the Holy Spirit (principal spices, Exodus 30:23), all kinds +and degrees of self-development of character (precious stones), and the +alleged inherent spark of the Divine (!) in man (gold). + +27:23. Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and +Chilmad, were thy merchants.--The preachers of New Thought, Theosophy, +Christian Science and other phases of Spiritism, self-styled, strong and +enlightened (Haran), set up and distinguished (Canneh), and believers in +delightful delusions (Eden, delight), are in captivity (Sheba, captivity) +to Satan, and really without hope of Kingdom honors (Chilmad, level, +plain, without mountains). + +27:24. These were thy merchants in all sorts of things, in blue clothes, +and broidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords, and +made of cedar, among thy merchandise.--These self-reliance preachers set +forth the robes of a counterfeit faithfulness (blue), fruitless works of +self-improvement (broidered work), and organizations (chests) offering an +imitation righteousness (rich apparel), bound with cords of free-thought +love and a delusive hope, and represented as having eternal life (cedar). + +27:25. The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast +replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.--The mighty +independent religious sects (ships of Tarshish--Isa. 3:16) did preach of +thy philosophies and thou wast richly supported (replenished) and made of +great reputation (glorious) among the peoples and nations (seas). + +27:26. Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath +broken thee in the midst of the seas.--The picture changes back to a +gallant ship. Thy strong preachers (rowers) have steered thee into angry +seas (anarchy); the doctrines (winds) from the presence of Christ the Sun +of Righteousness (east wind) have broken thy power in the midst of a time +of anarchy (seas). + +27:27. Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy +pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men +of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of +thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin.--Thy +philosophies, thy churches, thy doctrines, thy preachers, thy +philosophers, thy Doctors of Divinity (sky-pilots), thy church members, +all thy church workers, and all the multitude that come to church, shall +fall in the anarchy in the day of thy ruin. + +27:28. The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy +pilots.--Those affiliated with thee shall quake at the shoutings and +threatenings of thy sky-pilots. + +27:29. And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of +the sea, shall come down from their ships, they shall stand upon the +land.--All those that work, the influential church members, the preachers, +and all the sky-pilots of the anarchistic masses (sea) (Rev. 18:17-18), +shall abandon their independent organizations or their heathen religions, +and shall try to find more solid ground to stand on than thou wast on. + +27:30. And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry +bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow +themselves in the ashes.--They shall speak against thee, and cry out with +bitterness against thee, they shall show signs of grief. + +27:31. And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them +with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and +bitter wailing.--It was a custom in ancient times for those who had +suffered great calamities to shave their heads. The Lord promises such an +occasion for weeping to Zion, His professed people.--Isa. 3:24. + +27:32. And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and +lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in +the midst of the sea?--In their bemoaning the downfall of so-called +"Christian philosophy" they shall lament over thee, saying, What +organization was ever like Christendom, like her who has been destroyed in +anarchy? + +27:33. When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many +people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy +riches and of thy merchandise.--When thy philosophies were accepted by the +masses, thou didst satisfy many people. Thou didst enrich materially and +mentally the rulers and the clergy-lords of society with thy innumerable +philosophies and thy doctrines. + +27:34. In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of +the waters, thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall +fall.--When thou shalt be broken and engulfed in the roaring waves of +anarchy, thy doctrines shall cease and all thy supporters shall fall. + +27:35. All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and +their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in their +countenance.--All the people of the revolutionary republics shall marvel at +thy fall, and the rulers of that brief era shall be troubled and afraid of +meeting thy fate in the anarchy. + +27:36. The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a +terror, and never shalt be any more.--The preachers (merchants) then taking +their place among the unbelieving masses shall scoff at thee; thou shalt +be a "worn-out and wasted thing" (literal) and never shalt thou exist any +more. + + ------------------------------------- + + + O bliss of the purified! bliss of the free! + I plunge in the crimson tide opened for me; + O'er sin and uncleanness exulting I stand, + And point to the print of the nails in His hand. + + O bliss of the purified! Jesus is mine; + No longer in dread condemnation I pine; + In conscious salvation, I sing of His grace, + Who lifteth upon me the light of His face. + + O Jesus, the crucified! thee will I sing, + My blessed Redeemer, my God and my King; + My soul filled with rapture shall shout o'er the grave, + And triumph o'er death in the "Mighty to save." + + + + +Ezekiel 28--Destruction Of The Devil + + +28:1. The Word of the Lord came again unto me, saying.--Chapter 28:1-10 +depicts the destruction of priestcraft by the sword of revolution and +anarchy and by the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. + +28:2. Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; +Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a god, I sit in +the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not +God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God.--To the exalted +class, the clergy (prince) of Christendom, as a system of paganized +philosophy: Because of thy pride of heart, thou hast said through thy +chief representative, the Pope of Rome, I am as a god, I am the vice- +gerent of Jehovah, my seat is "upon many waters" (Rev. 17:1), upon +"peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues" (Rev. 17:15), yet thou +art man-made, man-ordained, and not of God, not Divinely ordained, even +though thou set thine heart to pose before the people as Divinely +ordained. + +28:3. Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can +hide from thee.--Behold, thou thinkest that thou art wiser than Daniel (Z. +'05-280); that through supposed Divine inspiration, the confessional and +the universal clergy-spy system, there is nothing in Heaven or earth which +thou dost not know. + +28:4. With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee +riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures.--With thy false +philosophy and thy misunderstanding thou hast acquired riches, much gold +and silver into thy treasury--many, too, of both Little Flock (gold) and +Great Company (silver) into bondage. + +28:5. By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick has thou increased thy +riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches.--By scientific +suppositions of infidel Evolution and Higher Criticism, and by good +salesmanship of these worthless goods, thou hast heaped up wealth; and +thou hast become proud, because of thy riches of materials, doctrines and +membership. + +28:6. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast set thine heart +as the heart of God.--Therefore Jehovah says, Because thou hast set thyself +up in pride to be as God, claiming to represent Him on earth as God's +vice-gerent. + +28:7. Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of +the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy +wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.--I will bring upon thee +paganized anarchists, strangers to thy theories, the terror of the +nations--and also My pilgrims and strangers, the sons of God, those whom +thy philosophy dreadest; and the anarchists shall turn their weapons of +destruction against thee, and the sons of God shall smite with the Sword +of the Spirit thy falsely beautiful philosophy, and shall expose the real +pollution of thy wisdom. + +28:8. They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths +of them that are slain in the midst of the sea.--They shall bring thee down +to a dishonored oblivion, and materially and religiously thou shalt die +the deaths of those slain in the roaring waves of anarchy. + +28:9. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou +shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee.--Though +thou sayest to the anarchy that shall slay thee materially and to Him that +shall destroy thee religiously, "I represent God!"--yet thou shalt be seen +to be man-made and not ordained by God, in the power of the destroyer +appointed by Jehovah. + +28:10. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of +strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God.--Thou shalt die the +deaths of the wicked by the hand of the anarchists, and be destroyed +religiously as one of unclean conscience (uncircumcised) at the hand of +the sons of God, My strangers and pilgrims in the earth (1 Pet. 1:1); for +Jehovah hath spoken it. + +28:11. Moreover the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying.--Verses 11 to 26 +deal with the destruction of the Devil, pictured as the King of Tyrus. + +28:12. Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the King of Tyrus, and say +unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom +and perfect in beauty.--Satan, the Devil, the father of lies and king over +Christendom's system of pagan philosophy, is by nature the summation of +perfection, the personification of Wisdom (Wisdom was one of the cherubs) +and by nature perfect in the beauty of holiness.--Z. '03-135. + +28:13. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was +thy covering: the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, +and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: +the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in +the day that thou wast created.--Thou wast in the garden of Eden at the +fall of man. Every good fruit of character wast thine adornment (Rev. +21:18-21); with this perfection of character endowment thou wast created. + +28:14. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so; +thou wast upon the Holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in +the midst of the stones of fire.--Before thy fall thou wast appointed the +care-taker (coverer) of the innocent pair in Eden. Thou wast the +embodiment of Wisdom (cherub), and endowed with the Holy Spirit +(anointed); and I so made thee. Thou wast in high position in the holy +heavenly Kingdom of God (Eph. 6:12); thou hast had thy course of life +among God's holy angels (Isa. 14:13)--stars, fiery stones. + +28:15, 16. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast +created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy +merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou +hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of +God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the +stones of fire.--By their multitudinous trading in mixed doctrines +(merchandise) "for revenue only" thy adherents, demons and clergy, have +filled thy following with violence and warfare; and thou hast sinned unto +death. Therefore I will cast thee as polluted out of the Kingdom of God +(A. 318); and I will destroy thee from amongst My holy angels. + +28:17. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast +corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness; I will cast thee to the +ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.--Thou +becamest proud because of thine endowment of beauteous character. Thou +hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy conceited teaching of +counterfeit wisdom (brightness); I will humble thee to the dust, and +expose thy real character. + +28:18. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine +iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick: therefore will I bring forth +a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee +to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.--Thou +hast defiled the churches of Christendom by thine iniquitous doctrines and +the teaching of them. Therefore I will utterly destroy thee with +annihilation, and thy following with anarchy, in the sight of all that +behold thee, in Heaven and on earth. + +28:19. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at +thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.--All shall +marvel at thy destruction; thou shall become wasted, devastated (a +terror), and never shalt thou exist any more. + +28:20. Again the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying,--Verses 20 to 26 +relate to the destruction of organized Churchianity. + +28:21. Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against +it.--Zidon meant "fortress"; and the fortress of churchianity since the +third century A. D. has been the doctrine that, to be saved, men must +belong to a church organization. The King of Zidon typed the Devil. + +28:22. And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O +Zidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee; and they shall know +that I am the Lord, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall +be sanctified in her.--God says, I am against thee, organized churchianity, +and I will be glorified and made holy in thee, only when I have executed +retribution and justice upon thee. + +28:23. For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; +and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her +on every side; and they shall know that I am the Lord.--For I will afflict +thee with literal and spiritual sickness and death (shed blood). + +28:24. And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of +Israel, nor any grievous thorn of all that are round about them, that +despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord God.--The adherents +to the church-organization idea have persecuted and dispersed both Jews +and Christians, but they shall do so no more. + +28:25, 26. Thus saith the Lord God; When I shall have gathered the house +of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be +sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in +their land that I have given to My servant Jacob. And they shall dwell +safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they +shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those +that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the Lord +their God.--The Jews shall enjoy God's earthly blessings, and the true +Christians His Heavenly blessings, when He has executed justly earned +judgments upon the people that have adhered to or taught the belong-to-a- +church-or-go-to-hell idea.--Z. '94-76. + + + + +Ezekiel 29--The Egyptians A Type + + +29:1. In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the +month, the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying.--Chapters 29 to 32 are +directed against Egypt, its king and people, and against the surrounding +peoples. Egypt was divided into Upper and Lower Egypt, and was known as +Mizraim, which meant "Middle Country," and typed organized, entrenched and +enthroned middle-course worldliness. The word Egypt means "that binds or +oppresses," and signifies the bondage of the Lord's people to the +oppressive, enslaving spirit of the world--the spirit that slew our Lord +(Rev. 11:8), and has enslaved and slain millions of God's saints. Chapter +29:1-7 represents worldliness as a crocodile, the dragon of Revelation +12:3, etc. + +29:2. Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and +prophesy against him, and against all Egypt.--This message is against +Satan, the Devil, the king of this present evil world, and against all +worldliness. + +29:3. Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, +Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his +rivers, which hath said. My river is mine own, and I have made it for +myself.--Jehovah says, I am against thee, Satan (Pharaoh means the sun, the +god of the sun worshipper, the Devil), the great wicked dragon, also +called Pagan Rome (later Papal Rome), that dwells in the midst of the +church denominations (rivers, channels of Truth), and says, The church +system is mine own, and I (not God) made it for my own purposes. + +29:4. But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy +rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst +of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy +scales.--God will bind thy utterances (jaws) with a chain (hook means chain +or ring) (Rev. 20:1), and will cause thy active worldly church members and +other adherents in thy churches (rivers) to adhere to thy protecting +doctrines (scales) and will alienate thy churches from thee (corresponds +to drying up Euphrates) and from all thy active supporters. + +29:5. And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the +fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not +be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the +beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.--And I will cause thee +to be forsaken (in the wilderness), thee and all thy adherents (fish). +Thou shalt fall unprotected into the hands of a cold, cruel world (open +fields), not to be established again in power, but to be destroyed by the +evil revolutionary governments (beasts) of the world (field), in world- +wide revolution, and by wicked criminals, jail birds (fowls) and +anarchists. + +29:6. And the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because +they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.--The worldly people +who have been no real support to either Jews or true Christians (Isa. +36:6; Z. '95-144), shall realize that Jehovah is the Lord. + +29:7. When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend +all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and +madest all their loins to be at a stand.--When they in their weakness +sought some aid of thee, thou didst roughly abuse them; and didst try to +destroy them in persecution. + +29:8, 9. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring a sword +upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee. And the land of Egypt +shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the Lord: +because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it.--And +worldliness shall be destroyed, and the people shall know Jehovah as He +is; because Satan said, The churches are mine. + +29:10. Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I +will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of +Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia.--I am against thee and thy +churches, and will utterly destroy worldliness from end to end. + +29:11, 12. No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall +pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years. And I will +make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are +desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be +desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, +and will disperse them through the countries.--Christendom shall be +uninhabited and desolate for forty years after its devastation. + +29:13. Yet thus saith the Lord God; At the end of forty years will I +gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered.--After +forty years God will gather into the Kingdom the scattered worldly people. + +29:14. And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them +to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and +they shall be there a base kingdom.--And will bring them back from the dead +into their own country, where they shall be insignificant. + +29:15. It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt +itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they +shall no more rule over the nations.--This has been literally fulfilled +upon Egypt, which for many centuries has not enjoyed self-government. + +29:16. And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, +which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after +them: but they shall know that I am the Lord God.--Neither Jews nor +Christians shall ever again look to the worldly people (Egypt), (Isa. +30:1-5) for help; for the sight of the worldly will make them remember +Christendom's iniquity. + +29:17, 18. And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the +first month, in the first day of the month, the Word of the Lord came unto +me, saying, Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to +serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every +shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the +service that he had served against it.--The forces of anarchy's king, the +Devil, will perform a great service in the Divine Plan of the Ages, but +there will be nothing in it for the anarchists. + +29:19. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will give the land of +Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her +multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the +wages of his army.--Jehovah will give worldly Christendom to anarchy: and +this shall be the material reward of the forces of anarchy. + +29:20. I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he +served against it, because they wrought for Me, saith the Lord God.--God +will give worldly Christendom to anarchy, for its labor in serving the +interests of God's plans against pagan religion masquerading as +Christendom, because in doing so anarchy will do its part. + +29:21. In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud +forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; +and they shall know that I am the Lord.--During the Time of Trouble God +will cause the power (T. 42) of the Jews to bud forth in Zionism, and make +known the glad tidings of the Kingdom, taught in _Studies in the +Scriptures_.--Isa. 19:1-25. + + + + +Ezekiel 30--Pharaoh's Two Arms Broken + + +30:1, 2. The Word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of Man, +prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God, Howl ye, Woe worth the +day.--Thus saith Jehovah: Weep, and cry! O woeful day! + +30:3. For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; +it shall be the time of the heathen.--The day is near, the day of Jehovah, +a gloomy day--the time of infidel anarchy!--Joel 1:15; Zeph. 1:7. + +30:4. And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in +Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her +multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down.--The weapons of +anarchy and the Sword of the Spirit shall come against worldly +Christendom. Great distress shall be upon non-church members (Ethiopia, +black) socialists, laborites and revolutionists, when Christendom's slain +shall fall literally and spiritually, when her multitude shall abandon +her, and when her foundations--social, economic, moral and religious--shall +be broken down in war, revolution and anarchy. + +30:5. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and +Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by +the sword.--The worst peoples, darker religiously and morally--the +socialists, laborites and revolutionists, in touch with worldly +Christendom--shall fall with Christendom by literal weapons and by the Word +of God. + +30:6. Thus saith the Lord; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the +pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they +fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord God.--All supporters of worldly +Christendom shall fall; her pride of power shall be humbled; from end to +end of Christendom shall they fall. + +30:7. And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are +desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are +wasted.--Worldly Christendom shall be utterly desolated. + +30:8. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have set a fire in +Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed.--They shall know that +Jehovah permitted anarchy to start in Christendom, and will recognize Him, +when they see that all their helpers are destroyed. + +30:9. In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the +careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the +day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh.--At the time of Christendom's fall, the +message from God shall be borne by independent religious organizations to +the too-confident socialists, laborites, and revolutionists that shall +make them afraid of anarchy, and great distress shall ensue upon them, as +in Christendom's fall. + +30:10. Thus saith the Lord God; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to +cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.--God will make the +multitude of adherents to worldly Christendom to cease adhering to her, by +the power of revolution and anarchy and their instigator, the Devil. + +30:11. He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be +brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against +Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.--Satan and his followers--devils +and humans--the most terrible of all the nations--the anarchists--shall +destroy Christendom's worldly order of things. They shall attack +Christendom with their weapons and fill the land with their slain--as will +the Sword of the Spirit with those slain spiritually. + +30:12. And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of +the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by +the hand of strangers: I the Lord have spoken it.--God will cause the +denominations to become dry of members and of money, will give the order +of things over into the power of the wicked anarchists, and will desolate +Christendom's order of things and all belonging to it, literally by the +power of anarchists, strangers to the existing order of things, and +spiritually by the sons of God. + +30:13. Thus saith the Lord God; I will also destroy the idols, and I will +cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a +prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of +Egypt.--God will destroy Christendom's idols of love of gold, power, etc +(Jer. 43:12, 13), and will cause these gods to cease among the more +prosperous people of Christendom (Noph was the Delta and richer part of +Egypt); and there shall be no more an exalted class, a worldly clergy +class, in Christendom; but God will put in her fear and failing of heart. + +30:14. And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and +will execute judgments in No.--God will make the upper classes (Pathros, +upper Egypt), desolate, will permit anarchy and destruction to start among +them (Zoan, capital of Egypt), and will execute retributive judgments upon +the leaders of the upper classes (No, capital of Upper Egypt). + +30:15. And I will pour My fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt; and I will +cut off the multitude of No.--God will pour His fury upon Papacy, the +strength of worldly Christendom, and will cut off the multitudes that +support the upper classes. + +30:16. And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall have great pain, and No +shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily.--God will let +anarchy start in Christendom. Papacy shall have great distress; the upper +classes shall be rent asunder, and the lower classes shall suffer daily +distress. + +30:17. The young men of Aven and of Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword: and +these cities shall go into captivity.--The young men who follow +Christendom's vain show (Aven, vanity), and her honors (Pi-beseth, very +exalted), shall fall by the sword of anarchy; for these things shall come +to their end in anarchy. + +30:18, 19. At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall +break there the yokes of Egypt: and the pomp of her strength shall cease +in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go +into captivity. Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt: and they shall +know that I am the Lord.--For the lower classes also (Tehaphnehes, in Lower +Egypt), it shall be a dark day when God breaks the bondage imposed by +worldly Christendom. Her pompous power shall cease. A cloud of trouble +shall cover her, and her churches (daughters) shall be taken and lost in +anarchy. + +30:20, 21. And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, +in the seventh day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, +saying, Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, +lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to +make it strong to hold the sword.--Ecclesiasticism, Satan's right arm shall +be broken, never to be healed. The Lord's time for their punishment has +come. + +30:22. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against Pharaoh +king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was +broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.--God is against +Satan, the mighty king of worldliness, and will break also the civil +powers, and make him powerless to use his sword. + +30:23. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will +disperse them through the countries.--God will scatter the worldly people +among the anarchists. + +30:24. And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put My +Sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh's arms, and he shall groan +before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man.--God will strengthen +the civil and philosophic (infidel, anarchistic religions) powers of +Anarchy; and anarchy shall both use the Bible (God's Sword) and shall +wield the sword of earthly weapons, as His own sword; and this evil order +of things, with powers broken down, shall utter its dying groans of +distress. + +30:25. But I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms +of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I +shall put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall +stretch it out upon the land of Egypt.--But this order of things, with +powers broken, and the anarchistic state of affairs with strengthened +power, shall realize that it is of Jehovah's might, when anarchy grows in +power and attacks the existing order of things. + +30:26. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse +them among the countries; and they shall know that I am the Lord.--And the +worldly peoples scattered everywhere, shall by the fulfillment of this +prophecy know that Jehovah rules in the affairs of men. + + ------------------------------------- + + + "Mine eyes can see the glory of the presence of the Lord; + He is trampling out the winepress where his grapes of wrath are + stored; + I see the flaming tempest of His swift descending Sword: + Our King is marching on. + + "I can see His coming judgments, as they circle all the earth, + The signs and groanings promised, to precede a second birth; + I read His righteous sentence, in the crumbling thrones of earth: + Our King is marching on." + + + + +Ezekiel 31--Christendom Not To Endure + + +31:1, 2. And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, in +the first day of the month, that the Word of the Lord came unto me, +saying, Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his +multitude; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?--Chapter 31 represents +Christendom as a cedar tree which is cut down. It opens with a message +respecting Satan (Pharaoh, the sungod) king of worldly Christendom (Egypt) +and her multitudes. What comparison could be made of her greatness! + +31:3. Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and +with a shadowing shroud, and of a high stature; and his top was among the +thick boughs.--Behold, Satan and his counterfeit Christian system (tree; +"Assyrian" should probably read "teashur," a box-tree), thought of as +never to end (cedar, type of man with eternal life), and as a righteous +kingdom (Lebanon, a mountain, white, snowy), having as members (branches, +like the branches of Christendom) the great, the evil and the good, +worldly people, with protecting power (shadowing shroud) and very +prominent, with the greatest people at the very top. + +31:4. The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her +rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto +all the trees of the field.--The peoples and the secular truth (waters) +made Satan's system great; the great nations and the apparently profound +truths of liberty, fraternity and equality, made it prominent, with its +roots (plantings) nourished by nations and sects (rivers) and sending out +national and denominational influences throughout all the systems of the +world. + +31:5. Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, +and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of +the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.--Therefore Christendom's +prominence was exalted above everything like it in the world; and its +mighty members were increased in number and made of far reaching +influence, because of the multitude of their people and of their +teachings. + +31:6. All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under +his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and +under his shadow dwelt all great nations.--All the jail-birds (fowls) of +the powers of spiritual control, made their church organizations (nests) +among its members; and under the power of its membership (branches) did +all of the governments (beasts) of this world (field) bring forth their +progeny; and under its defense (shadow) dwelt all nations. + +31:7. Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: +for his root was by great waters.--Thus was it magnificent in its +greatness, and in the extent of its ramifications; for it was rooted in +great peoples and in great secular truths. + +31:8. The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees +were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his +branches; not any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his +beauty.--In Christendom's egotism there was nothing equal to her in this +age or the next. + +31:9. I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches; so that all +the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.--Christendom +felt itself the envy of everything, present and to come. + +31:10. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast lifted up +thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and +his heart is lifted up in his height.--Because of Christendom's self- +exaltation and pride. + +31:11. I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of +the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his +wickedness.--God will deliver Christendom into the power of the god (el, +mighty one) of the heathen, the Devil himself; He shall surely deal +vengeance to her; He will drive her out of existence. + +31:12. And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and +have left him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are +fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all +the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left +him.--The anarchists, the terror of the nations, will lay her low; upon the +kingdoms (mountains), and among the people (valleys) her members +(branches) will fall, and be broken off by her seceding denominations; all +the people of this order of things will leave her protection, and abandon +her. + +31:13. Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the +beasts of the field shall be upon his branches.--The jail-birds of +ecclesiasticism, and all the revolutionary governments of this state of +affairs, shall profit by her ruin and through her members (branches). + +31:14. To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt +themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick +boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height, all that drink +water; for they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the +earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the +pit.--No other earthly system may follow her proud example; for all of them +are delivered, as systems, into death, to a dishonored place among the +lowest in society. + +31:15. Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when he went down to the grave +I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the +floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed; and I caused Lebanon to +mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.--In the year +1918, when Christendom shall go down as a system to oblivion, (Sheol) to +be succeeded by revolutionary republics, God will cause mourning. He will +restrain and defer for a brief period the threatening waves of anarchy. He +will cause the nations to mourn for Christendom, and all the man-made +systems (trees) of the world (field) to become weak on account of her +fall.--E. _392_, 372. + +31:16. I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast +him down to hell (Sheol) with them that descend to the pit: and all the +trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall +be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.--God will cause the nations +to shake with gigantic revolutions, when He shall cast worldly +Christendom, as an organized system, down to oblivion (as He did the Jews +in the Dives parable). + +31:17. They also went down into hell (Sheol) with him, unto them that be +slain with the sword; and they that were in his arm, that dwelt under his +shadow in the midst of the heathen.--But they also shall go down to +oblivion (Sheol) (E. _392_, 372), with Christendom, as well as those that +were her power, that dwelt under her defense among the people. + +31:18. To whom art thou thus like in glory in greatness among the trees of +Eden? yet thou shalt be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the +nether parts of the earth; thou shalt lie in the midst of the +uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and +all his multitude, saith the Lord God.--Though worldly Christendom is +unsurpassed in glory and in greatness among other systems, yet shall she +be brought down to be one of the most disesteemed grades of the social +order; she shalt be counted as one of the ungodly. The Egyptians practiced +circumcision, typical of worldly Christendom's counterfeit ease of +conscience through belief in error. This is said of Satan, the god of +Christendom and all his multitude. + + + + +Ezekiel 32--Christendom's Utter Downfall + + +32:1, 2. And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in +the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, +saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and +say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a +whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst +the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers.--In Chapter 32 +Christendom's destruction is depicted in several ways: as the catching of +a sea monster (32:1-6); as the putting out of her light (32:7-8); also, in +addition the downfall of her systems (32:9-10) as a worldly system +destroyed by anarchy (32:11-16); as the going down of worldly Christendom +to oblivion (32:17-21); as the fall into oblivion of the anarchists +(32:22-23); of the Eastern mysticism in Christendom (32:24-25); of her +worst classes (32:26-28); of the worldly religious people (32:29); of the +church organization of ecclesiasticism (32:30), and of Christendom's king, +Satan, and all his multitudes. (32:31-32.) The message begins with a +lamentation over Satan (Pharaoh), king of worldly Christendom (Egypt), and +his visible representatives, the apostate clergy. Among the nations they +are as a lion in power and ferocity (lion also symbolizes the Devil); and +as a monstrous power (whale) among the peoples (seas); they came with +their sects (rivers), and muddied the Truth (waters) with their earthly- +minded members, the clergy (feet), and filled their churches (rivers) with +worldliness. + +32:3. Thus saith the Lord God; I will therefore spread out My net over +thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in My +net.--God will gradually bring the Time of Trouble upon Christendom like a +snare, as a movement toward liberty for the people, through a multitude of +progressives, radicals, revolutionists and anarchists; and these shall +ensnare her unknowingly in the great tribulation, and bring her up out of +favor with the people (out of the sea.) + +32:4. Then will I leave thee upon the land, I will cast thee forth upon +the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon +thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee.--Then God +will leave her defenseless against the whole world, and will cause the +worst classes (birds) of an apostate Christianity (heavens) to feed upon +her, and will cause the evil revolutionary governments (beasts) of the +whole earth to fill themselves up with her former members. + +32:5. And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys +with thy height.--And her prominent members shall die, and of her lesser +people a great number. + +32:6. I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, +even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.--The loss of +life shall extend to her highest government officials and rulers +(mountain); and the churches shall be full of her dead. + +32:7, 8. And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make +the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon +shall not give her light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark +over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord God.--When God +shall put out Christendom's light in 1918, He will blind the minds of +ecclesiasticism (heaven) (A. 318), and deprive their pulpit stars of +wisdom from the true apostolic stars, the Apostles. (D. 591). He will +darken the understanding of the Gospel (sun) of Jesus Christ (D. 590) with +the cloud of the Time of Trouble; and the light (truth) of the Mosaic Law +shall not shine forth in her. + +32:9. I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy +destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not +known.--God will also trouble the hearts of many other peoples, when He +shall visit the same Time of Trouble upon other nations, where the clergy +had no sway. + +32:10. Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall +be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish My Sword before them; +and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the +day of thy fall.--Yea, He will make many nations to marvel at Christendom's +fall; and their rulers shall fear and quake on account of her destruction, +when they are threatened with destruction by anarchy. Every moment shall +every man of them tremble for his life. + +32:11. For thus saith the Lord God; The sword of the king of Babylon shall +come upon thee.--The destructive weapons of the Devil, the King of +Confusion (Babylon), of Anarchy, shall be turned against worldly +Christendom. + +32:12. By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the +terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of +Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed.--By the weapons of +a mighty, revolted soldiery will God cause their multitudes to fall, even +all the terrible men of all Christendom; and the anarchists shall take as +their spoil the pomp of the nations, and all the adherents of the nations +of Christendom shall cease to support them. + +32:13. I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from beside the great +waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs +of beasts trouble them.--God will destroy all of the ferocious governments +from beside the great nations (waters); neither shall worldly men trouble +the people any more, nor the down-treading oppression of savage +governments make them trouble. + +32:14. Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run +like oil, saith the Lord God.--Then will God give the people peace (deep +waters), and make their course to run with quiet smoothness. They shall +know the deep things of God, and have the Holy Spirit. + +32:15. When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country shall +be destitute of that whereof it was full, when I shall smite all them that +dwell therein, then shall they know that I am the Lord.--When God shall +have made worldly Christianity desolate, and worldliness shall be +destitute of its prosperous worldlings, when He shall have smitten with +the great tribulation all that are at home in their worldliness, then, in +the better days to come, shall they know Him as He is. + +32:16. This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her: the +daughters of the nations shall lament her: they shall lament for her, even +for Egypt, and for all her multitude, saith the Lord God.--The heathen +religions (daughters) shall lament worldly Christendom's downfall, and the +downfall of her adherents. + +32:17, 18. It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day +of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me saying, Son of man, +wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the +daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with +them that go down into the pit.--These verses depict the mourning for the +multitudes of worldly Christians, tares, when they and worldly Christendom +and the churches (daughters) of the great powers (nations) are cast down +to the disesteemed lower strata of the social order, with those that die a +disreputable death (pit). + +32:19. Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the +uncircumcised.--Worldly Christendom has imagined herself of unsurpassable +desirability, but she shall go down to oblivion, with those regarded as +polluted (uncircumcised). + +32:20. They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: +she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes.--Her +populace shall fall by weapons of destruction, and by the Sword of the +Spirit; she is delivered to destruction. They shall draw her as a system, +and her adherents, as adherents, away for burial! + +32:21. The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of +hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, +slain by the sword.--The one strong among Christendom's great men, no +longer men of power, and those that helped her shall speak of her +downfall, in their fallen condition (Sheol); they shall have fallen from +high positions, and be as men outcast and polluted, reduced to lowliness +by the might of anarchy, and by the Sword of the Spirit.--E. _392_, 372. + +32:22, 23. Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: +all of them slain, fallen by the sword: Whose graves are set in the sides +of the pit, and her company is round about her grave; all of them slain, +fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.--The +revolutionists (Asshur, Assyria, the revolutionary anarchists) in +multitudes shall go down to oblivion, dead literally or dead to their +order of things. + +32:24. There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave; all of +them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into +the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of +the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the +pit.--There in oblivion shall be buried New Thought, Christian Science, and +other forms of Oriental religion or Mysticism (Elam, Persia, home of +Mysticism), and the multitude of their believers, ceased then to be +mystics; all fallen by the literal sword or by the Sword of the Spirit. + +32:25. They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her +multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, +slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the +living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: +he is put in the midst of them that be slain.--The anarchists shall put +Mysticism to rest in destruction. + +32:26. There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are +round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though +they caused their terror in the land of the living.--There shall be the +worst classes of Christendom, the anarchists themselves, in oblivion, all +in disrepute, destroyed in the destruction they wrought. + +32:27. And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the +uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and +they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall +be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land +of the living.--And they shall not be mentioned, not even with these great +men who have gone down as evil but with some small degree of repute; and +with them shall be the end of war (H. 16); but the very memory of the +anarchists shall be as of iniquity personified. + +32:28. Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and +shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.--They shall be thought +of as evil only, slain with the sword, and disesteemed by the Word of God. + +32:29. There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their +might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with +the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.--In the general +ruin shall be worldly apostate persecuting Christendom, slain by anarchy's +weapons and by the Word of God. They shall be polluted, and come to a +disreputable end. + +32:30. There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the +Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are +ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain +by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.--The +great ecclesiastical lords (north) and all the adherents of the belong-to- +a-church-or-go-to-hell doctrine (Zidonians, among whom was Jezebel) shall +go to oblivion. Though a dreadful terror in their activities, they shall +be ashamed; they shall go down, as polluted with iniquity. + +32:31. Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his +multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the +Lord God.--Satan (Pharaoh), the god of worldly Christendom, then bound for +a thousand years, shall see the fall of these his multitudes, slain by the +literal sword, or by the Word of God. + +32:32. For I have caused My terror in the land of the living: and he shall +be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with +the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord God.--Satan +and his multitude shall cease to trouble the earth, gone down finally to +oblivion, as one polluted with iniquity. + +From chapters 25 to 32 Ezekiel prophesied against seven foreign nations +(Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon and Egypt), indicating _ALL_ +non-Christian elements. + + + + +Ezekiel 33--Why Ecclesiasticism Must Perish + + +33:1, 2. Again the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, +speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the +sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, +and set him for their watchman.--A mutual responsibility exists between one +of God's watchmen and His people, the one to speak and the other to +listen. (33:1-19.) Ezekiel recites his warning of Jerusalem's fall. +(33:20-29.) The people listen, but do not believe. (33:30-33.) This +chapter repeats the statements of 3:17-21 and 18:5-29 regarding the +watchman set to warn the people of Christendom, his message and +responsibility, and the responsibility of the Christian people toward the +watchman--Pastor Russell, and his message and warning from God. "A man of +their coasts" refers to the clergy class appointed and ordained by the +people, and set by them as _their_ watchman. + +33:3. If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, +and warn the people.--Who of the clergy class have blown the trumpet of +Truth and warned "their" people of the impending doom of Christendom? + +33:4. Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not +warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his +own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his +blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his +soul.--The people who have heard the warning have only themselves to +blame.--Isa. 58:1. + +33:6. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, +and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from +among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require +at the watchman's hand.--The clergy have an awful responsibility. Faithful +watching on their part with their great influence among the people, would +have saved tens of millions from physical death, and a host from the +religious death that will overtake so many. The outraged people will turn +on the clergy, as they did in the French Revolution, and in a frightful +carnival will exact full toll for the lives lost in war. Responsibility +for the Time of Trouble lies squarely at the door of ecclesiasticism; for +had the clergy taken a united stand upon the Word of God against +industrial, social, political, moral and religious evils, they could have +reformed Christendom and prevented the world war and the ensuing +revolution and anarchy. Our Lord said, prophetically, "Upon this +generation shall come all the blood--to the blood of Zechariah, whom you +will murder between the sanctuary and the altar." (Matt. 23:35 Diaglott, +foot-note.) Josephus says of this man that he boldly accused the clergy of +Jerusalem with being the cause of the trouble upon the city. He was tried, +accused of inciting anarchy, was found innocent, and was then slain by the +clergy class. His fate represents experiences coming upon the Lord's true +people shortly. + +33:7-9. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house +of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at My mouth, and warn them +from Me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; +if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man +shall die in his iniquity; but his blood shall I require at thine hand. +Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do +not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast +delivered thy soul.--Pastor Russell faithfully taught that "the wages of +sin is death" (Rom. 6:23), and not eternal torment. He also warned the +wicked systems of earth, political, economic and religious, that they +should surely perish from the earth, if they did not turn whole-heartedly +to Jehovah, the God of infinite Love. + +33:10. Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus +ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we +pine away in them, how should we then live?--The nominal Christians of our +day were typed by the Hebrews who went to Ezekiel with insincere +objections. They have treated Pastor Russell with a seeming but insincere +respect. When they inquired into his writing and predictions, based upon +the Word of God, they had no sincerity either in their questions or their +professions toward him or the Word set forth by him. + +33:11-19. Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure +in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and +live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house +of Israel? Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy +people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the +day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall +not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither +shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that +he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; +if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his +righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath +committed, he shall die for it. Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou +shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and +right; if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, +walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely +live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be +mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall +surely live. Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is +not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. When the righteous +turneth from his righteousness, and commiteth iniquity, he shall even die +thereby. But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is +lawful and right, he shall live thereby.--God has no pleasure in the +destruction of Christendom. If it had turned from its spiritual idolatry +and harlotry to obey God it would have been saved from its impending doom. +Its destruction is traceable directly to a "small group of willful men," +leaders and guides of the masses; namely the pope, the cardinals, bishops, +priests, ministers, revivalists and other religious leaders who have +mistaught rulers and people, and by their combination of worldly and +religious teachings brought the world into a condition where the social +elements are working their mutual destruction. God pity the clergy for +what is coming upon them; for the people will surely recognize the part +they have signally failed to play in not, by concerted preaching of true +godliness, checking the world's mad rush to anarchy and annihilation. + +Literally the Scriptures foregoing are an affirmation that any one who +kept the Mosaic Law perfectly should enjoy life indefinitely as long as he +kept the law. Spiritually it teaches the Christian that if he has turned +from sin to serve God, under the spirit of the Divine Law of Love, he +shall have life everlasting. (Rom. 8:13, 14.) Symbolically it speaks to +this evil state of affairs, or world, especially to that wicked one, +ecclesiasticism, and enumerates its iniquities: it has sinned before God: +it has broken God's Law of Love and every other Law, and excused the +breach by sophistries. Romanism, with which Protestantism has linked +hands, teaches the most iniquitous and wicked things. + +"A culprit or a witness questioned by a judge, but in an illegal manner +(of which the culprit, of course, is the judge) may swear that he knows +nothing of the crime about which he is questioned, although he knows it +well, meaning mentally, that he knows nothing in such manner as to +answer."--Alphonso Maria de Liguori, Popish theologian, bishop and founder +of the order of Redemptorists, 1696-1787. + +Again "Saint" Liguori: "He may swear that he knows nothing, when he knows +that the person who committed the crime committed it without malice; or if +he knows the crime, but secretly, and there has been no scandal. When a +crime has been well concealed, the witness and even the criminal, may and +even must, swear that the crime has never been committed. The accused may +deny his crime under oath, understanding that he has not committed this +crime in such a manner as to be obliged to confess it. He who has sworn to +keep a secret is not obliged to keep his oath, if any consequential injury +to him or to others is thereby caused. If any one has sworn before a judge +to keep the truth, he is not obliged to say secret things. (A woman who +has really committed adultery may deny it under oath, provided she has +been to confess: for then the sin has been pardoned, and has really ceased +to exist.) It is right to advise any one to commit a robbery, or a +fornication in order to avoid a murder. We may be allowed to conceal the +truth, or disguise it under ambiguous or equivocal words or signs, for a +just cause, and where there is no necessity to confess the truth." And +Liguori is still a "saint" in the Roman ecclesiasticism, "where Satan's +seat is," and with whom Episcopalians, Church of England men, and +Protestants generally, are trying to come together in a church union or +federation, destined fortunately to an early decease. + +"They are not to be called oaths, but rather perjury, which are in +opposition to the welfare of the Romish church."--The Lateran Council +("infallible"). "If any, either alone or before others, whether asked or +of his own accord, or for the purpose of sport, or for any other object, +swears that he has not done something else which he has done, or in a +different way from that in which he has done it, or any other truth that +is added, he does not really lie, nor is he perjured."--Pope Innocent XI, +another of the "saints." 1611-1689. "A man may swear that he never did +such a thing (though he actually did it), meaning within himself that he +did not do so on a certain day, or before he was born, or understanding +any other such circumstances, while the words which he employs have no +such sense as would discover his meaning." "Promises are not binding, when +the person in making them had no intention to bind himself."--"Saint" +Antonio Escobar of Mendoza, a Spanish Casuist and Jesuit, 1589-1699 +("Papacy and Civil Power," page 607). "I pronounce all Roman Catholic +priests, bishops, popes, monks, friars and nuns to be the most deliberate +and willful set of liars that ever infested this or any other country, or +disgraced the name of religion."--William Hogan, a prominent southern +lawyer, formerly a priest, on page 172 of his book, "Popery." + +Stealing is authorized by Popish ecclesiasticism: "A servant has the right +to rob his master, a child his father, and a poor man the rich. The poor +man who has concealed the goods and effects of which he has need, may +swear that he has nothing." In Romish theology it is ordinarily a mortal +sin to steal two pieces of gold; but, "If any one steal small sums at +different times, either from the same or from different persons, not +having the intention of stealing large sums, nor of causing a great +damage, his sin is not mortal. If several persons steal from the same +master, in small quantities, each in such a manner as not to commit a +mortal sin, though each knows that all of these little thefts together +cause a considerable damage to their master, yet no one of them commits a +mortal sin, even when they steal at the same time. A son does not commit a +mortal sin when he steals only twenty or thirty pieces of gold from a +father who has an income of 150 pieces of gold."--"Saint" Liguori. + +Ecclesiasticism, the dominant power of the Gospel Age, authorizes murder: +"A man who has been excommunicated by the Pope may be killed anywhere, +because the Pope has an indirect jurisdiction over the whole world, even +in temporal things."--Dens, a Roman Catholic theological authority in his +"Theologica Morales." Pope Gregory VII (alias "Saint" Hildebrand), +1020-1085, pronounced that it was no murder to kill an excommunicated +person. "This rule has been for 700 years and continues to be, part of the +ecclesiastical law. One of the later popes has declared that the murder of +a Protestant is so good a deed that it atones and more than atones for the +murder of a Catholic."--Lord Acton in the London Times, July 26, 1872. Says +Dr. Isaac J. Lansing in "Romanism and the Republic;" "Every person who had +anything to do with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln was a Roman +Catholic. John Wilkes Booth was a Roman Catholic; Payne and Atseroth, also +Dr. Nudd, who dressed Booth's leg; Garrett, in whose premises he was +killed; also Harold was a Roman Catholic; Mrs. Suratt and her son were +Roman Catholics; their house was the headquarters for Roman Catholics and +for the Jesuit priests. All this was brought out before the military +tribunal which condemned some of them to death. When John Suratt fled from +Washington he was taken charge of by Jesuits, and under a Jesuit convoy +was carried to France."--Page 272. + +"Catholics who shall assume the cross for the extermination of heretics, +shall enjoy the same indulgences and be protected by the same privileges +as are granted to those who go to the help of the Holy Land. We decree, +further that all who may have dealings with heretics, shall be +excommunicated."--The Lateran Council (composed of candidates for Roman +Catholic "saintship."). + +Papacy, the mother of harlots, also permits her clergy to become +criminals: "Were even the lives of her ministers debased by crime, they +are still within her pale, and therefore lose none of the powers with +which her ministry invests them."--Catechism of the Council of Trent. "A +mortal sin is that which kills the soul and deserves hell," says +Archbishop John Hughes, of New York. Papal ecclesiasticism controls the +education of the nations under threat of mortal sin: "Catholic electors +(voters) in this country, who do not use their electoral (voting) power in +behalf of separate (religious public) schools, are guilty of mortal sin. +Likewise parents not making the sacrifices necessary to secure such +schools, or sending their children to mixed schools. Moreover, the +confessor (priest) who would give absolution to such parents, electors or +legislators as support mixed schools, to the prejudice of separate +schools, would be guilty of a mortal sin."--Right Reverend Charbonnel, +Bishop of Toronto, Canada. + +The chastity of an attractive and obedient young nun may hang by the +following slender thread: "When a nun receives a precept from her prelate, +superior, or confessor, she should immediately execute it, not only to +please them, but principally to please God, whose will is known by their +command. If then, you receive a command from one who holds the place of +God (a man-made priest!) you should observe it as if it came from God +Himself. There is more certainty of doing the will of God by obedience to +our superiors than by obedience to Jesus Christ should He appear in person +and give His command. The nun shall be most certain of not having to +render an account of the actions performed through obedience; for these +the superior only, who commands them, shall be accountable."--Liguori, +"Saint," in Popish constellation of fallen stars. According to Cardinal +Manning, a bright star in the Roman Catholic heavens (page 89 of his "True +Story of the Vatican Council") the pope is infallible in matters of faith +and morals: and the canonizing of "saints" comes under this head. Cardinal +Newman on page 84 of his "Via Media," 1887 edition, asserts concerning the +canonizing of "Saints:" + +"The infallibility of the church must certainly extend to this solemn and +public act, canonization; and that because so serious a matter, affecting +the worship of the faithful, the church, that is, the Pope, must be +infallible." One of the persons duly authorized by infallible Romish +canonization is "Saint" Bridget, who lived in 1360. This "saint" says: +"The Pope is a murderer of souls. He destroys the flock of Christ and +fleeces it. More savage is he than Judas, and more unjust than Pilate, and +worse and more wicked than Lucifer. He has exchanged all the ten +commandments of God for this single one of his own, 'Give me money, money, +money.' The Pope with his clergy are the forerunners of Antichrist, rather +than the servants of Christ. The Pope's court on earth plunders the +Heavenly court of Christ. The clergy never read the Book of God; but they +are ever studying the book of this world. I once loved priests more than +men and even angels. The kiss of those fornicating priests is the kiss of +Judas when he betrayed our Lord!"--Montagu, pages 305-6. + +An essential factor in the power of this evil one, and an important part +of the iniquity of ecclesiasticism is the Romish confessional, which many +Episcopal and Protestant ecclesiastics would, if they could, establish in +the harlot daughters, the daughter churches, Protestantism. This feature +is of Pagan origin. "Auricular confession was enjoined in the Elusinian +mysteries, by Zoroaster in Persia, by Buddha in India, and was practiced +by the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians, the Mexicans before Cortez, the +Peruvians before Pizarro, by the Japanese, the Siamese, and others." The +confessional has made of every priest a spy upon the privacy of the home, +the inner secrets of business and the confidential affairs of city, state, +province, and nation. Theoretically the confessions are confidential, as +Dr. Dens says: "It is not lawful to reveal anything that is told in +confession, though it be to avoid the greatest evil that can happen; but +actually the secrets of the confessional are revealed." "De Sanctis," page +122, says: + +"While the penitent arraigns his faults with all the fatuity of a +simpleton, what is the confessor doing? Laughing at the simplicity of the +penitent: and afterwards in the priestly orgies that follow a morning of +great confessions, in the hilarity that flows from wine, amid coarse +explosions of laughter, they describe the stupid folly of their penitents; +and each priest vies with his fellows in rendering his own penitents more +ridiculous than the rest. This breach of faith extends to the highest of +Rome's degraded ecclesiasticism." History records that Pope Pius V, +"saint" (1504-1572) "for the punishment of certain offences took advantage +of the confessional, which ought to be an inviolable sanctuary." Pope +Sixtus V (1521-1590) told the under clergy that "they could make a report +to the Pontiff, without any danger attached to revealing a confession, he +giving them absolution for the whole." Elliott, a former priest, in +"Delineation of Roman Catholicism," says, "All our conversation ran upon +the stories he [another priest] heard in confession. It is the ordinary +discourse of the priests, when they meet, to inform one another of what +they have heard in confession. I was often present at such conferences, +where the conversation was so indecent that even an honest pagan would +have blushed." "Every day they (the Dominican monks) came and talked most +licentiously, relating things that had happened at the Holy office at +Perugia, confessions they had heard, etc."--Scipione Ricca, Bishop of +Pistoria, and an Italian reformer, 1741-1810. + +Bishop Hugh Latimer, of England (1485-1555), whom the Romish +ecclesiasticism caused to be burned at the stake, said: "And so they came +to know all the secrets that were in men's hearts, so that neither emperor +nor king could say nor do, nor think anything in his heart, but they knew +it, and so applied all the purposes and intents of princes to their own +commodities. And this was the fruit of their auricular confession." +Finally, from De Sanctis, page 133, etc: "Confession in relation to +society may be defined as an universal spydom, organized and complete. +Confessors are not content to know the sins of those who confess; but they +must learn the regulation and management of the family; and when an +ingenuous youth or innocent maiden comes under the fangs of a knavish +confessor (and which of them is not a knave?) they do not escape until +they have first revealed the secrets of the family circle--without, +however, being aware of it." + +"De Sanctis" continues: "Encouragement is given to theft, as to every +other crime, by the facility of obtaining pardon, and absolutions are +given to robbers, usurers, murderers, without their having made any +restitution whatever. They repair to the confessor, present him with a +goodly offering for a mass; or, if they are robbers of celebrity, men +abounding in wealth, they found a chapelry, a benefice, or something of +the kind. At Rome, for instance, every one knows that Pius VII (1742-1823) +granted to all who hear confessions in the Holy house Ponterotto, the +privilege of absolving from restitution all who have defrauded the Rev. +Apostolic Chambers, or the government; and all defraud, and run there to +receive absolution. But this is not enough. Leo X (1475-1521), in his bull +beginning with 'Postquam ad Apostulatus' gives confessors the privilege +not only of absolving robbers, but of permitting them to retain in all +good conscience, the fruits of their usury, robberies, thefts, etc., on +condition that part of the goods be given to the church!" + +Ecclesiasticism is a greedy robber: "By confession many families are +immersed in poverty; because the grasping confessor, taking advantage of +the weak moments of a dying man, has had the will made to the profit of +the clergy; and facts of the kind may be reckoned by the million. The +grasping cupidity of ecclesiasticism's will-hunters, and the consequent +ruin of innocent and helpless families, formed the subject of an indignant +remonstrance of the German princes at the Diet of Nuremberg. To such a +length was this execrable practice sometimes carried that the last +sacraments were denied to the dying man until he consented to make a will +in the priest's favor." + +Ecclesiasticism's apostasy, in teachings and in life, has sown the seeds +of the fiery harvest of anarchy: "The horrible consequence for religion is +that infidelity advances with huge strides, especially in Roman Catholic +countries. The enlightenment of the age no longer permits men to believe +in the priests blindly, as in the times of ignorance. Free discussion +alone could show that the doctrines of the Roman church are not those of +the Gospel; discussion, as it would prove their falsehood to a +demonstration, would establish the truth. Discussion being prevented, it +follows that, seeing clearly the falsehood and iniquity of the Roman +doctrines, men believe them, because they are not discussed, to be the +doctrines of the Christian religion, and abandon them, and live in +indifference and infidelity." Protestantism, ecclesiasticism, has been an +apt follower of Papacy in suppression of discussion. Witness the +systematic world-wide ban on any discussion of Present Truth as presented +by God's watchman, Pastor Russell! Ecclesiasticism, priestcraft, had for +ages supplanted the worship of God with paganism, and in the Gospel Age +has insidiously transformed the Gospel of Christ, has tried to destroy +liberty and progress and has built up a gigantic system of oppression and +destruction of the friends of the Truth. The most ferocious of the popes +are made the "saints" of Satan's church. And, says De Sanctis: "In +canonizing such men, the Popes have canonized their doctrines; hence it +cannot he said that despotism, obscuration [suppression of Truth], +oppression of nations, and hatred for any kind of progress, exist through +the mal-practice of any one of the popes; they exist by the very system of +the Papacy. The corruption of religion ought not to be attributed to abuse +of it by the individual, but to the system; therefore the Gospel ought to +reign in its purity, and ought to be delivered from this great enemy; and +Italy and Rome ought to confer upon the world this great benefit of +despoiling the popes of their usurped power." Why not reform, purge, +cleanse ecclesiasticism? As well try to reform cancer. The sole safeguard +is the destruction, excision of the germs. Any real reform would cause the +prompt dropping out of the system-loving millions who would soon +reorganize into another vicious system. The very constitution of +ecclesiasticism forbids its ever being other than what the Wall Street +Journal denominates, "that international nuisance, the church-state." Here +are some of the articles of Papacy's present, past and future constitution +(infallible): + +1. All human power is evil, and must therefore be under the Pope. 2. The +temporal powers must act unconditionally, in accordance with the orders of +the spiritual. 3. The Church is empowered to grant or take away any +temporal possession. 4. The Pope has the right to give countries and +nations which are non-Catholic to Catholic regents, who can reduce them to +slavery. 5. The Pope can make slaves of those Christian subjects whose +prince or ruling power is interdicted by the Pope. 6. The laws of the +Church concerning the liberty of the Church and the Papal power are based +upon Divine inspiration. 7. The Pope has the right to practice the +unconditional censure of books. 8. The Pope has the right to annul state +laws, treaties, constitutions, etc.; to absolve from obedience thereto, as +soon as they seem detrimental to the rights of the Church, or those of the +clergy. 9. The Pope possesses the right of admonishing, and if needs be of +punishing, the temporal rulers, emperors and kings, as well as of drawing +before the spiritual forum any case in which a mortal sin occurs. 10. +Without the consent of the Pope no tax or rate of any kind can be levied +upon a clergyman or upon any church whatsoever. 11. The Pope has the right +to absolve from oaths, and obedience to the persons and the laws of the +princes whom he excommunicates. (Note. All Protestants are +excommunicated.) 12. The Pope can annul all legal relations of those in +ban, especially their marriage. 13. The Pope can release from every +obligation, oath, vow, either before or after being made. 14. The +execution of Papal commands for the persecution of heretics causes +remission of sins. 15. He who kills one that is excommunicated is no +murderer in a legal sense."--The Canon Law", by Dr. G. F. von Schulte, +Professor of Canonical Law at Prague. + +Here the crafty and wicked Mother of Harlots, ecclesiasticism, asserts her +infallible right to permit, directly or indirectly, any and every crime +possible for depraved humanity to commit. + +Protestantism longs for the old-time power of the clergy. It has the +spirit, disposition, of spiritual fornication, goes to the limit in its +efforts to control affairs through local, state, and national governmental +agencies, and now is ready and willing to ally itself with liberty- +destroying papal ecclesiasticism. It displays its true nature and its +indifference to the good of the people in its willing eagerness to unite +in any manner with the force which has for centuries throttled liberty, +banished the Word of God, and stifled freedom in blood. Let not the people +of Christendom overlook this when the Protestant clergy advocate church +union, as they will. What can be done with such an organization as +apostate ecclesiasticism? The truly Christian individual's answer must be +to obey the Divine command, "Come out of her, My people, that ye be not +partakers [partners in] of her sins [outlined foregoing, _ad nauseam_] and +that ye receive not of her plagues." (Rev. 18:4.) The Lord's people, all +that really have the Holy Spirit, will and must "come out of her," clean +away from this unhallowed partnership and federation with iniquity. +Ecclesiasticism, however, may rest assured that she will not suffer +greatly in loss of members or of persons of wealth and power; for but few +of the Lord's people are in her. Each ecclesiastic can be assured that +"his people," the tares, the worldly church members, the Babylonians, the +spiritual idolaters and fornicators, the congregation of Molech, will +stick by him until the heat of the fiery trials of the time of trouble +drives even "the clergy's people" out into the open of worldliness. + +Verse 13 shows that, in view of the enormity of ecclesiasticism's +iniquity, both Roman and Protestant, their partnership in criminality, and +their stubborn and willful persistence in evil, "For his iniquity that he +hath committed, he shall die." + +33:20. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, +I will judge you every one after his ways.--O house of nominal +churchianity, the time has come for God to Judge you, to recompense you +double, according to your ways!--Rev. 18:6. + +33:21. And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the +tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out +of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten.--In 24:25-27, after +having cited the skepticism of the Jews as to Ezekiel's message, it was +stated that from the time of Jerusalem's fall until the tidings of the +fall should arrive, Ezekiel was to be dumb, having no new message to be +heard by the people. The intervening prophecies, chapters 26 to 32 are not +against the Hebrews, but against the heathen nations. The city fell in the +eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, the fourth month, the ninth day (2 +Kings 25:2, 3), from which to the coming of the tidings of the city's +fall, on the twelfth year, tenth month and fifth day, was one year, five +months, twenty-six days. On that momentous day came the tidings, "The city +is smitten!" Pastor Russell's voice was stilled in death on October 31, +1916. If an application of Ezekiel's period of dumbness is valid here as a +time feature, the tidings, the realization that Christendom is smitten by +the onslaughts of revolution, might be expected to flash throughout the +world on or about April 27, 1918, a year, five months and twenty-six days +after the death of God's great watchman. As in Ezekiel 24:27, this would +be a sign, an indication to Christendom of the truth of Pastor Russell's +commission from the Almighty. + +33:22. Now the hand of the Lord was upon me in the evening, afore he that +was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the +morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.--The Lord made +good His promise while the news was approaching; and removed Ezekiel's +dumbness half a day before, in the evening, before the morning when the +tidings arrived. It was on the same day; for in the Hebrew system of time, +the evening began the day. This signifies that perhaps half a year prior +to the general realization of Christendom's downfall, Pastor Russell, +though dead, shall again speak through this, the seventh volume of his +_Studies in the Scriptures_--for this is but the completion of his great +work of admonition and warning for the Church and for Christendom. + +33:23, 24. Then the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, +they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying Abraham +was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us +for inheritance.--After Jerusalem had been sacked and King Zedekiah +captured, as related in 2 Kings 25, "the captain of the guard left of the +poor of the land to be vine-dressers and husbandmen." These ("those +inhabiting those wastes of the land of Israel") imagined that "the land is +given to us for an inheritance." They thought they would be left in +undisturbed possession, but certain of them came into further conflict +with the Assyrians. Then the land was made utterly desolate. This +signifies, in fulfillment, that while the revolution overthrowing +ecclesiasticism will make quite a clean sweep, there will still remain +some of the more lowly adherents of ecclesiastical systems, who will +imagine that they and their ideals are to prosper and spread even to the +control of the revolutionary order of things. + +33:25, 26. Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Ye eat with +the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood; and +shall ye possess the land? Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, +and ye defile every one his neighbor's wife; and shall ye possess the +land?--But God knows their hearts, and is against them, for their +continuance in the evil ways of ecclesiasticism. + +33:27. Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely +they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in +the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be +in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.--A sad awakening +awaits them. As Jehovah lives, those tares then surviving the ravages of +revolution shall be slain by the sword of anarchy, and shall have taken +away all pretense of being Christians. Those that have the spirit of +earthly ambition shall be given to be destroyed by the savagery of +anarchy; and those in the strongholds and in the protected conditions of +revolution shall die literally of pestilence and be destroyed religiously +by the pestilential teachings of those evil days. + +33:28. For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength +shall cease; and, the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none +shall pass through.--God purposes to utterly desolate this evil order of +things and to completely abase the last vestiges of its pride and pomp, +and to cause the governments of this Age, even in their changed forms of +revolution, to pass away. + +33:29. Then shall they know that I am the Lord, when I have laid the land +most desolate, because of all their abominations which they have +committed.--Then at last the people that remain will realize that the war, +revolution and anarchy, were the righteous judgments of the Almighty +against the spiritual, political and economic abominations of Christendom. + +33:30. Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking +against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to +another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what +is the Word that cometh forth from the Lord.--Reverting to the present +time, about contemporary with the realisation that Christendom is smitten, +the hypocrisy of professed Christians is spoken against. The tares in +their churches (houses) will talk of Pastor Russell and his works and +words--they will read this book, and will urge one another to "hear what is +the Word that cometh from the Lord." + +33:31. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before +thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them; for +with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their +covetousness.--They will come in numbers, apparently "as My people;" and +like all tares, imitation Christians, they will listen respectfully to +God's Words urging haste in consecration for the coming Kingdom; but they +will not do the things they hear. They will manifest with their mouths +great love for God, but will at heart be the self-seekers they always +were! + +33:32. And lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a +voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but +they do them not.--To these people, in their insincerity and hypocrisy, +Pastor Russell's works will be scarcely a grade higher than an +entertainment, a beautiful song, "the song of Moses and the Lamb," well +played on the many-stringed harp, the Bible, but not heeded as of solemn +import. + +33:33. And when this cometh to pass (lo, it will come), then shall they +know that a prophet hath been among them.--But when the things predicted in +the entire sens volumes of the _Studies in the Scriptures_ come to pass, +then shall the tares, too late, realize that a great and Divinely ordained +preacher "hath been among them." + + ------------------------------------- + + + "Master, speak! Thy servant heareth, + Longing for Thy gracious Word, + Longing for Thy voice that cheereth; + Master, let it now be heard. + I am listening, Lord, for Thee; + What hast Thou to say to me?" + + + + +Ezekiel 34--The Unfaithful Shepherds + + +34:1, 2. And the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, +prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say unto them, Thus +saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel +that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?--God is +against the clergy. Chapter 34 is a burning arraignment of +ecclesiasticism. It is to be taken in a dual sense as concerning the +clergy's treatment of God's true people, the true Church on the spiritual +plane, and of the Jews on the earthly plane, both of whom the self- +appointed shepherds, the clergy, have neglected, abused and scattered. +(34:1-8, 17-21.) God will judge ecclesiasticism (34:9, 10, 16, 17, 20, +22), and will Himself, through His own agencies, regather and bless His +true flock, Jewish and Christian. (34:10, 11-17, 22-31.) The words +"shepherd" and "pastor" have the same meaning (D. 62; F. 287). Thus saith +Jehovah God to the clergy, from Pope to preachers, Woe--in the revolution +and anarchy, from 1918 on--woe to the clergy that selfishly look out for +"No. 1," that seek big salaries, live in tax-free and rent-free parsonages +and rectories, that apply to themselves every promise of the Divine Word. +Should not the clergy, the pastors, unselfishly feed the flock of God? + +34:3. Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that +are fed: but ye feed not the flock.--Ye live on the choicest offerings of +the people. Ye "fleece" the sheep of their golden fleece. Them that are +fed to fatness with the Word of God, ye kill spiritually if ye can. Ye +have literally killed over fifty millions in bloody persecutions. Ye have +preached millions into a dreadful death in the trenches. Ye do everything +to the sheep but feed them. Did I not command you thrice, "Feed My +sheep?"--John 21:17; 1 Pet. 5:2. + +34:4. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that +which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither +have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought +that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled +them.--Those weakened by spiritual disease--by the pestilence of false +doctrines--ye have not strengthened with the pure Word of God, the Bread of +Life. Rather ye have thrown them poisonous, death-dealing doctrines (1 +Cor. 10:21) from the "table of devils." Ye have not healed with the Divine +Word of comfort (2 Cor. 1:3-7; Rom. 15:4) those spiritually sick with +temporary ailment of the soul. Ye have not bound up, with the strong +promises of God, the broken in spirit (Isa. 61:1.) Neither have ye brought +back into renewed faithfulness those driven away by your treatment, nor +sought to find and bring to renewed relation to God those sheep that have +strayed from him in life and doctrine. Rather than feed them, serve and +shepherd them, ye have ruled them, lorded over God's heritage (1 Pet. +5:3), as concerns both God's true Christian sheep and His sheep of the +Hebrew race. + +34:5. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they +became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.--"My +sheep know My voice [of love], and a stranger will they not follow." (John +10:4, 5.) They were not kept together, cared for and cherished in the +bonds of Christian love. There were not among you the true under-shepherds +having My Spirit of Divine Love; and you, adulterous priests of Baal, and +of Molech--the cruel, fiery-torment God--none having My Spirit could hear or +follow. And when they were scattered, they, the inoffensive, unresisting +ones, became the prey of every evil government and of every evil employer +and corporation. Ye made them cannon-fodder by the thousands for the +blood-guilty kaisers, czars, kings and generals of your evil order of +things. + +34:6. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high +hill: yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none +did search or seek after them.--My people wandered homeless and friendless +throughout all the nations of this evil world. My flock of Apostles, +martyrs, sacrificers, was scattered throughout all human society. Not one +of the selfish, idolatrous clergy of either Romanism or Protestantism +cared for them, or loved My beloved ones enough to seek after them; but +rather ignored them, ostracized them, compelled their silence, drove them +out from the churches, and stilled their voices in persecution and in +death. + +34:7. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the Word of the Lord.--Ye have done +this for centuries; and God permitted you to continue, because the time +had not come. But now has come the hour of your judgment, ye popes, +cardinals, bishops, priests, preachers, revivalists, and clergy of Baal, +of every order and grade. Hear ye the Word of Jehovah. + +34:8. As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because My flock became a +prey, and My flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there +was no shepherd, neither did My shepherds search for My flock, but the +shepherds fed themselves, and fed not My flock.--As I live, saith the +Living God, surely because My true flock became a prey, and was exploited +by every evil ruler and employer, because there was no true shepherd among +you, and you clergy did not love and cherish and seek for My beloved +flock, but you loved and fed yourselves, and starved My true people with a +famine for the hearing of the Word of God.--Amos 8:11. + +34:9. Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord.--Therefore, ye +clergy, hear the Word of the true God, Jehovah. + +34:10. Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I +will require My flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding +the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I +will deliver My flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for +them.--Thus saith Jehovah God; Behold, I am against the clergy (H. 12), +great and little, high and low; and I will exact from them an accounting +for My beloved people; I will take My flock entirely from them. "Come out +of her, O My people, and touch not the unclean thing." (Rev. 18:4; 2 Cor. +6:17.) And I will cause the clergy to cease from feeding or attempting to +preach to My flock, or any flock in My name; for in a Time of great +Trouble I will deliver My people from the mouths of the clergy (Rev. +9:17-19), that My flock may not furnish them support any more, that My +people may not ever again be preached by the clergy into slaughter. + +34:11. For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search My +sheep, and seek them out.--Jehovah will ignore the hireling, faithless +clergy, and through an agency of His own lowly despised, caluminated, +ostracised will patiently, persistently, lovingly search for all His +"little ones," those having His Spirit, and will seek them out. + +34:12. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his +sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out My sheep, and will deliver +them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and +dark day.--As an oriental shepherd, who knows and loves his sheep and is +known and loved of them, seeks them out, when they are scattered (John +10:4-15), so will God seek out every one of His beloved ones, and will +deliver them out of the condition of loneliness, distress, famine and +persecution, where they have been scattered by the apostate clergy in the +troublous and dark period of the Gospel Age. + +34:13. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the +countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the +mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the +country.--God himself will bring them together from the various paganized +"Christian" denominations, into the joy and peace and love of a condition +at one with Himself and with others of like precious faith. Upon the +height of the Heavenly Kingdom will He feed them, by rivers of crystal +clear Truth, and amid the rejoicing throngs of the Heavenly courts. His +chosen people, the Jews, will God bring by the agency of the resurrected +Ancient Worthies to Palestine, where He will feed them upon the historic +mountains of that hallowed land, in the then great cities of a realized +Zionism. + +34:14. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of +Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a +fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.--God will feed +His Little Flock, first on Present Truth and then, at the Marriage Supper +of the Lamb He will appoint their place as Kings and Priests of the +Kingdom. He will make them abide forever in the place, the Divine spirit +nature, which Christ went to Heaven to prepare. Upon the Word, fresh from +the mind of God, shall they feast forever, in the spiritual phase of the +Kingdom. To the Jews will be fulfilled these promises in the earthly phase +of the Kingdom. + +34:15. I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the +Lord God.--God will feed His Flock with Present Truth, and will give them +the rest of "the peace that passeth understanding."--Phil. 4:7. + +34:16. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was +driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen +that which was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will +feed them with judgment.--Not one true sheep shall be lost. God's unerring +eye will seek every one, and bring all back, first into the Truth, and +then into the Kingdom. He will bind up the broken in spirit and strengthen +the spiritually sick. In the latter part of this verse the picture of the +shepherds is dropped and a new parable begins, likening the clergy and +their strong supporters and "laity" to different classes of sheep and +goats (cattle). God purposes in the impending revolution and anarchy to +destroy all the fat priests and clergy of all grades--as priests and +clergy, at least--and those that, like the Pharisees of old, are sure they +will securely stand in the presence of the Lord. "Let him that thinketh he +standeth take heed lest he fall." (1 Cor. 10:12.) He will feed them with +famine and destruction, and with the judgments pronounced in His Word. + +34:17. And as for you, O My flock, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I +judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the goats.--The +nominal flock is made up of clergy and laity of sheep and goats. In the +flock God discerns the weaker sheep and the stronger rams and the +goats--the clergy, class-leaders, etc.,--some of whom are real sheep and +some goats, destined to the left side of disfavor. Many of these are even +wolves in sheep's clothing.--Matt. 7:15. + +34:18. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good +pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your +pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the +residue with your feet?--The stronger ones have not helped the weak to feed +and grow strong; but, as though it were a small matter, the clergy, have +lived on the fat of the land, relatively to their poorer congregations. +They have eaten up the good Word of God for themselves, particularly the +Romish clergy; and what spiritual food they have given the laity, they +have walked all over with muddy feet--mingled it with earthly doctrines, +social and civic betterment and traditions of men. They have drunk of the +water of Truth (C. 65) coming from the Bible, but have spoiled the waters +by mingling it with Evolution and Higher Criticism. + +34:19. And as for My flock, they eat that which ye have trodden down with +your feet; and they drink that which yet have fouled with your feet.--And +the laity, God's flock, whom God commissioned the shepherds to feed with +the good Word of God, have eaten and drunk spiritual food polluted by the +clergy with doctrines of devils. + +34:20. Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them; Behold I, even I, will +judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.--Therefore God +Himself is about to judge and make a manifest difference between the +unfaithful, rich in learning and opportunity, and the poorer ones on whom +they have imposed. + +34:21. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all +the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad.--Because +the rich, learned and exclusive have shoved aside the weaker ones, and +have, by their earthly power, pushed out of the churches all His flock, +those not "at ease in Zion."--Amos 6:1; Isa. 66:5. + +34:22. Therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; +and I will judge between cattle and cattle.--Therefore will God Himself +save His own in these troublous times, by teaching them Present Truth; and +they shall "come out of her" (Rev. 18:4), out of the churches altogether, +so that the clergy and the "best" people can no longer exploit them. + +34:23. And I will set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, +even My servant David; He shall feed them, and He shall be their +Shepherd.--God has established Jesus (David) the Beloved (Jer. 23; 4, 5; +John 10:11), and Pastor Russell as a faithful and wise under-shepherd, to +bring forth from the Bible Storehouse truths new and old, to feed the +sheep. + +34:24. And I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David a prince +among them; I the Lord have spoken it.--Jehovah (not the eternal-torment +Molech God) will be their God, and His beloved Son and his under-shepherds +shall occupy exalted places among them. In the Times of Restitution the +Beloved Christ, Head and body, (David, beloved) will be the true Shepherd +to the earthly flock, the Jews. + +34:25. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the +evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the +wilderness and sleep in the woods.--With the truly Christian flock God will +make a covenant of the peace that passeth understanding (Phil. 4:7); and +with the Jews will make the New Covenant through its Mediator, The Christ. +He will cause the roaring lion (Isa. 35:9), Satan, to cease from troubling +(Job 3:17), and will forever restrain in oblivion the evil governments. +His flock shall dwell securely, even in the wilderness condition, until +their change come (Job. 14:14), and shall rest in the cooling shadows +(Cant. 2:3), in the refreshing truths brought forth from the Storehouse by +righteous, strong teachers and leaders among them. + +34:26. And I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; +and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be +showers of blessing.--The Lord will make the Truth people, His flock, and +everything and every condition related to His Kingdom, a blessing to +others (Mal. 3:10); they shall be the Seed of Abraham, to bless all the +families of the earth. (Gal. 3:8.) God has caused showers of truth to +descend upon His flock at their appointed times, down-pours of spiritual +blessing in the "_Studies in the Scriptures_." At the appointed time of +the beginning of returning favor to the Jews, 1878, the latter rains began +to fall in Palestine, making that fertile land a fit habitation again for +the chosen nation. + +34:27. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth +shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall +know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and +delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of +them.--Thinking, manly men, gathered into Present Truth from the world, +yield their fruitage of spirit fruits of character; and the blessed +condition in which they are yields its increase of spiritual blessing and +food; they are safe in their place, "seated with Christ in the Heavenlies" +(Eph. 1:3, 20), where they assuredly know God with heart knowledge. God +has broken the bands of the heavy yoke of ecclesiasticism, and delivered +them out of the hand of a clergy that lived upon His flock, calling it +"their people." For Fleshly Israel and those who shall become Israelites +there shall be the blessings of an earthly Eden, with an abundance of +fruitage from trees and soil (A. 192). + +34:28. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the +beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall +make them afraid.--God's flock of spirit-begotten ones shall be no more +preyed upon by paganized "Christians," nor persecuted, devoured, +destroyed, by the great "beast" of Christendom, the Papacy, with its "Holy +Inquisition;" but they shall dwell safely in the hollow of His hand, His +power, and none can make afraid those sealed in their foreheads with the +Truth. + +34:29. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be +no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the +heathen any more.--God raised up, in 1878, in the First Resurrection of the +dead, the Body members of His Son, "the Stem of David," and previously in +1874, had sent again His Son to feed the flock, to serve them (Luke +12:37), and sup with them (Rev. 3:20) in a feast of fat things +spiritual--the Present Truth. Those in the Truth shall never again suffer +from famine of the Word of God; nor shall they, when raised up to sit with +Christ in power and glory (Matt. 19:28), ever again bear reproach from a +paganized "Christian" apostasy. + +34:30. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and +that they, even the house of Israel, are My people, saith the Lord +God.--This is the way that the Lord's Spiritual Flock and both Jews, and +nominal Christians, shall come to know of a certainty that Jehovah is with +them, that they are His people. + +34:31. And ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your +God, saith the Lord God.--This prophecy, this type, this symbolism, refers +to the people who constitute God's flock, Jewish and nominal. + + + + +Ezekiel 35--Edom A Type + + +35:1, 2. Moreover the Word of the Lord came onto me, saying, Son of man, +set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it.--Mount Seir and +Edom are practically synonymous; for the Edomites inhabited the mountain +range region along the east side of the valley, extending from the Dead +Sea to the Elamitic or Persian Gulf. What Edom types Pastor Russell makes +clear in volume IV of _Scripture Studies_, pp. 14, 20. + +One of the features of the Time of Trouble will be upon the fleshly-minded +Christians, tares, who after the fall of ecclesiasticism, will repudiate +Christianity, and take their stand as worldings, Edomites--the "people of +Mount Seir," mere tares. These, having assisted in the downfall of +ecclesiasticism, will seek to take the place and power of defunct +Christendom in an utterly Christless arrangement of things. + +35:3. And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O mount Seir, I am +against thee, and I will stretch out Mine hand against thee, and I will +make thee most desolate.--The godless nations that will succeed fallen +Christendom will also find God against them, and that His power is +stretched out against them and will make them, too, most desolate. + +35:4. I will lay the cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou +shalt know that I am the Lord.--God will, through anarchy, lay waste the +Socialistic, labor-union, social-democratic and other governments which +will emerge as the outcome of the revolutions of Christendom. + +35:5. Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of +the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their +calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end.--These economic- +political movements--Socialism, labor-unionism, syndicalism, nihilism, and +others, but not including anarchy, which will swallow them up--have had a +long standing hatred against ecclesiasticism, have spoken and worked +against it, and against the social order characteristic of the past age. +In the overthrow of ecclesiasticism, the fleshly-minded tares, "Edomites" +and the classes mentioned, will turn on the clergy and laity of the +churches, as well as upon the Lord's spirit-begotten children--upon any +remaining to profess Christianity, whether through adherence to the church +systems or through consecration to God--and will slaughter them by +thousands. + +35:6. Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will prepare thee unto +blood, and blood shall pursue thee; since thou hast not hated blood, even +blood shall pursue thee.--In gatherings of Socialists, there is no end to +the differences of opinion as to what Socialism is and how it is to be +worked out in practice. This factional division contains the seeds of the +destruction of the short-lived governmental system of Socialism, under +whatever name, for a bloody end. They courted revolution and shall receive +of the same. + +35:7. Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him +that passeth out and him that returneth.--Thus will God cause the brief +Socialistic phase of the Time of Trouble to become "most desolate." Not +one person connected with it shall escape the universal anarchy, the last +and worst phase of the tribulation. + +35:8. And I will fill his mountains with his slain men; in thy hills, and +in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with +the sword.--The Socialistic, labor-ridden nations (mountains), shall be +filled with the slain; among the upper classes of socialism, and among the +more insignificant people (valleys) and in connection with all their +channels of Socialistic truth (rivers), the people of that order of things +shall be slain. In a sense the Sword of the Spirit, will slay them; it +foretells their destruction. + +35:9. I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not +return; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.--The Socialistic state shall +be utterly destroyed, and its various forms of government (cities) go to +oblivion. + +35:10. Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries +shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the Lord was there.--The +then non-religious Socialists, laborites, etc., will say: "These two +systems (nations), Catholic and Protestant, and the condition of things +characteristic of them, shall come under the sway of Socialism, and we +Socialists, etc., shall rule over and control them", whereas they will +overlook the all-important fact that God has been among these people, and +they were called God's people.--"The Lord was there." + +35:11. Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will even do according +to thine anger, and according to thine envy, which thou hast used out of +thy hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them, when I +have judged thee.--Therefore as the Socialists, etc., will turn upon +ecclesiasticism and Christianity in anger and fury and with hateful envy, +so God will do to the Socialistic laborite order of things. As they aid in +smiting down Christianity, so will the anarchists smite them down. + +35:12. And thou shalt know that I am the Lord, and that I have heard all +thy blasphemies, which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, +saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume.--The +laborites, etc., will learn that God rules in the affairs of men, and that +the Almighty will pay attention to their utterances against the nations +(mountains) of Christendom (Israel), when, after ecclesiasticism's fall, +the laborites shall say, "The nations have been desolated, and are given +to us working people to divide up for ourselves." + +35:13. Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against Me, and have +multiplied your words against Me: I have heard them.--The Socialistic and +kindred movements, while speaking savagely against capitalism, and +covertly against Christianity, have in reality been speaking against an +order permitted by God, and in which God was--in the indwelling of His Holy +Spirit, in such true Christians as were in the systems. In expressing the +determination to lead the world out of the darkness of evil economic, +social and political conditions, they unwittingly boast against God by +presuming to perform what God previously planned to be done by His +faithful Church, and which by any lesser agency is absolutely impossible +of accomplishment, God will not pass by unnoticed the words of Socialists, +syndicalists, laborites, etc. He will hear them, and remember them for +just recompense. + +35:14. Thus saith the Lord God; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will +make thee desolate.--When the Times of Restitution of all things come, one +of the things not to be restored is the Socialist, laborite movement. When +all society rejoices in the new order of things ordained of God, the +Socialistic state will have been utterly and forever desolated. + +35:15. As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, +because it was desolate, so will I do onto thee; thou shalt be desolate, O +mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am +the Lord.--As the fleshly-minded apostates from Christianity, siding with +the radicals and revolutionaries, will rejoice at the inheritance of +desolation that will be Christendom's after 1918, so will God do to the +successful revolutionary movement; it shall be utterly desolated, "even +all of it." Not one vestige of it shall survive the ravages of world-wide +all-embracing anarchy, in the fall of 1920. (Rev. 11:7-13) + + + + +Ezekiel 36--Christendom's Early Restoration + + +36:1. Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and +say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the Word of the Lord.--In Chapter 6 is +described the iniquities of the nations of Christendom and their doom. +Chapter 36 describes the rejoicing of the non-Christian elements over her +fall, and God's jealous anger against them. It foretells the early re- +peopling of the nations of Christendom, their conversion to true +Christianity, and the reason for God's action in behalf of the nations +just previously destroyed. Taken literally, it foretells the same good +future for His chosen but long-chastised people, the Jews. This is the +message to the nations (mountains) of Christendom, as the Word of Jehovah +concerning them. + +36:2. Thus saith the Lord God; Because the enemy hath said against you, +Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession.--Because the +revolutionists, who shall overthrow the nations of Christendom, shall say +against them, "Aha, even the oldest and greatest nations of Christendom +are under the control of us revolutionists, Socialists and laborites." + +36:3. Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Because they +have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might +be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in +the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people.--Thus saith Jehovah +God to the nations of Christendom: Because the revolutionists shall have +justly made you desolate and overrun you in every direction, so that you +might be ruled over by pagan, fleshly-minded, infidel, revolutionary +rulers, and because you shall be the subject of flippant discussion among +the revolutionaries, and through your fall become infamous among all the +heathen peoples of the world, in Europe, America and elsewhere.--Lam. 2:15, +16. + +36:4. Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the Word of the Lord God; +Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers +and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are +forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen +that are round about.--Therefore, ye nations of Christendom, thus saith +Jehovah to the nations, great and small, to the religious denominations, +to the lowly members of society, to the masses wasted and desolated by war +and revolution, to the governments, local and national that shall be +abandoned, which shall become the victims of the Socialists, laborites and +other revolutionists, who shall hold you in derision for your fall from +eminence to desolation. + +36:5. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Surely in the fire of My jealousy +have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, +which have appointed My land into their possessions with the joy of all +their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.--Therefore, +saith God, surely I am jealous over the reflections they cast upon Me, and +at the mouths of many prophets have I foretold the destruction by anarchy +of the rest of those who falsely profess My name and then help to desolate +Christendom--the "Christian" infidels and all the former fleshly-minded +Christians (Idumeans) who shall have presumed, with malicious joy, to +overthrow the order of things which bears My name--Christendom! + +36:6. Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the +mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, Thus saith +the Lord God; Behold I have spoken in My jealousy and in My fury, because +ye have borne the shame of the heathen.--O nations of fallen Christendom, +My people, because you shall have borne shame and reproach from the +ungodly revolutionists, I will bring My jealous fury to bear upon your +destroyers. + +36:7. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I have lifted up Mine hand, +Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their +shame.--Jehovah has sworn (lifted the hand) that the Socialists, laborites, +etc., shall bear a similar shame and reproach, when their short-lived +order of things has in turn been desolated by the anarchists. + +36:8. But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, +and yield your fruit to My people of Israel; for they are at hand to +come.--A branch signifies a person born from another; as, Christ was a +Branch of David. Here the branches shooting forth from the mountains are +the people of Christendom, slain in revolutions and anarchy, springing +forth, rising from the dead, to people Christendom again. But you, O +nations, of Christendom, your dead shall rise up from their sleep in the +dust of the earth, to the earthly restitution--resurrection; you shall +yield proper fruitage as the truly Christian people of Christendom; for +they are close at hand to come back in the dust of the earth, in the mire +of trenches, fortresses and battle fields. They sleep in death, ready to +come, for "All that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of +God, and shall come forth" to resurrection.--John 5:28, 29. + +36:9. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be +tilled and sown.--Now that the Times of Restitution are at the door, God +will be for them and will turn his favor unto them, and they shall be +cultivated by truly Christian preachers commissioned by the resurrected +Ancient Worthies at Jerusalem, and sown with the seed of the true Gospel +of the Kingdom of restitution and blessing for all people. + +36:10. And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all +of it; and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be +builded.--The dead, fallen by the sword of war, revolution and anarchy, +shall come forth from their graves to inhabit the earth. Thus, as they +multiplied the dead, will God multiply the living, to the number of all +the dead of Christendom, even every one of them; they shall become in His +sight, not dead in trespasses and sins, but living, true-blue, manly men +for the Christ of divine love. The governments (cities) shall be +reestablished; and commerce, transportation, industry and art, wasted by +the Time of Trouble, shall be built up again, upon the foundation of the +wholly righteous principles of the New Era. + +36:11. And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase +and bring fruit; and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do +better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the +Lord.--God will multiply useful workers in industries, and the invention of +labor-saving machinery--the beasts of burden and of the productive arts and +trades. They shall increase in numbers and in service to mankind, and +shall multiply the productivity of the workers, bringing forth with the +busy, happy hum of industry, plenty for all, fruitage abundant for the +needs of humanity. God will settle them, establish them in permanent +conditions, and will do for them far better than He could do in the former +days of Christendom, when the operation of His Spirit energizing mind and +spirit in invention, art, industry, commerce and religion, was hindered by +apostasy of clergy and rulers. Men shall learn by happy experience how +good is Jehovah and how truly He is love, and not the fire-god, eternal- +torment Molech, whom they ignorantly worshipped, thinking they did Jehovah +service. + +36:12. Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even My people Israel; and +they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou +shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.--God will cause men, +perfected by processes of restitution and resurrection, to live in the +nations of resurrected Christendom. Men of this highly exalted type shall +possess Christendom, when Christ's Kingdom shall be inherited by the +kingly men for whom it was prepared from the foundations of the earth. +Never more shall the nations of Christendom bereave themselves of men, as +they have done in centuries of oppression, misrule and persecution, and +especially in the Time of Trouble. + +36:13. Thus saith the Lord God; Because they say unto you, Thou land +devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations.--Because the infidel +revolutionists will throw at Christendom the taunt, "Your social order, +economic, political and religious, eats up, destroys men, in industry, +persecution, war, and revolution, and bereaves the nations of their best +men." + +36:14. Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy +nations any more, saith the Lord God.--Never shall this be any more, says +God. + +36:15. Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen +any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, +neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord +God.--Neither will God permit men to hear the infidel peoples put +Christendom to shame, nor to heap reproach upon her; for Christendom shall +be no more a reproach among the heathen, nor shall she cause her nations +to fall again. + +36:16, 17. Moreover the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, +when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their +own way and by their doings: their way was before Me as the uncleanness of +a removed woman.--While ecclesiasticism and its adherents control +Christendom, they defile it spiritually by their traditions, doctrines and +actions. Their spiritual condition is before God as a church polluted, +unclean spiritually, unfit to touch, which ought to be "cut off from +social privileges and her citizenship among God's people put in abeyance," +as long as the spiritually unclean condition lasts, an uncleanness which +may be removed only by a liberal application of "the waters of separation" +(Lev. 15:19-31)--the cleansing reformation of the pure, unadulterated, +fearlessly preached and applied Word of God, "the water of the Word."--Eph. +5:26. + +36:18. Wherefore I poured My fury upon them for the blood that they had +shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted +it.--The penalty for wilful violation of the Hebraic precepts regarding +uncleanness was the final cutting off of the culprit from the Lord's +people. Wherefore God shall pour out upon ecclesiasticism His fury in war, +revolution, and anarchy, for the lives--physical and religious--taken +throughout the lengths and breadths of human society, and for the +idolatrous worship of Molech, the eternal-torment God, and of Baal, the +god of adulterous church-state union, wherewith she has polluted +Christendom. + +36:19. And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed +through the countries: according to their way and according to their +doings I judged them.--God will scatter the church adherents among the +revolutionists, and disperse them throughout a variety of infidel, +Socialistic, laborite and other like conditions, judging the ecclesiastics +according to their apostasy. + +36:20. And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they +profaned My holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the +Lord, and are gone forth out of His land.--Wherever these fleshly-minded +Christians shall be scattered, they will blaspheme God's holy name, with +the reproach that though they had claimed to be Jehovah's people, God had +been unable to safeguard them and they had abandoned all pretense of being +Christians. + +36:21. But I had pity for Mine holy name, which the house of Israel had +profaned among the heathen, whither they went.--But God will have regard +for the prestige of His reputation for justice, power, love and wisdom, +which the apostate of Christendom shall impugn during the revolutionary +order of things. + +36:22. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I +do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy name's +sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.--Therefore +Jehovah says that what He is about to do, He will not do for their sakes, +for they deserve nothing at His hand but the judgments justly visited upon +them; but that He will do it for His holy name's reputation, which they +have persistently misrepresented and blasphemed. + +36:23. And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the +heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen +shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be +sanctified in you before their eyes.--God will make His name sacred, and +forever hallowed, among the pagan peoples, the name which apostate +Christians have profaned and defamed among them; and God will make the +infidel peoples to know of a certainty that He is the all-wise, just, +loving and almighty Jehovah, when He finally converts all such to true +Christianity. + +36:24. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of +all countries, and will bring you into your own land.--God will save His +professed people from the faithless, unbelieving condition of the +revolutionists and the professedly pagan peoples, and will gather them out +of all the evil conditions into which they shall fall, into a condition of +genuine conversion and consecration to Himself. How much like God! all +will exclaim, who know Jehovah. What an example does the Father set to His +children, the sons of God!--Eph. 5:1; Z. '92-63. + +36:25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: +from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse +you.--Then will Jehovah wash His apostate people with the pure, unpolluted +water of the Word of Truth; and from all their filthiness of flesh and +spirit, of life and of doctrine, and from their idolatry of Molech and of +Baal, will He cleanse them; and they shall be clean.--A. 333; Z. '92-64. + +36:26. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put +within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I +will give you a heart of flesh.--God judges the thoughts and intents of the +heart, and He will give His professed people a pure heart to serve Him and +to love Him with fullness of consecration. He will take away from them the +stony heart (Jer. 31:33), wherewith for sake of earthly emoluments and +honor of men, they have resisted Him and hardened their consciences +against His Truth. He will put within them a new spirit which they have +not known--the spirit of willing service and obedience to Jehovah, the +spirit of the truth, the spirit of wisdom, of courage, of a sound mind, +and of Divine love.--2 Tim. 1:7; Z. '99-187; A. 310; Z. '03-171. + +36:27. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My +statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.--God will give them +His Holy Spirit and cause them to walk in His "royal law of love" (Jas. +2:8), so that they shall keep that law and do it--Z. '99-138. + +36:28. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye +shall be My people, and I will be your God.--And they shall abide in the +condition of Divine favor that the fathers walked in, and truly be God's +people; and Jehovah, the God of love--not Molech, nor Baal--shall be their +God. + +36:29. I will also save you from all your uncleanness: and I will call for +the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.--God will save +the people now constituting His professed, but apostate church, from all +their spiritual and fleshly uncleanness. He will call for the wheat, the +bread of life, the Word of God, and will give them to feed on this good +Word, and will permit no more famine of the Word of God among them. + +36:30. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the +field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the +heathen.--God will multiply the fruits of righteousness, and cause the new +social order to increase its character fruitage, so that Christians shall +receive no more from the heathen the reproach that there is among them a +famine of God's Word, and that they fail to practise what they +profess.--Amos. 8:11. + +36:31. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that +were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your +iniquities and for your abominations.--Then, in the abundance of the +wonderful and undeserved goodness and love of God, God's professed people +shall remember their former evil doctrines, that misrepresented His holy +character, and their doings that were not good, especially their grasping +for world power and their persecution of the sons of God. Then they shall +loathe themselves for their iniquitous doctrines and for their sectarian +abominations. + +36:32. Not for your own sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known +unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of +Israel.--Be it known, in advance, that Jehovah will do these good things, +not for their sakes in any sense; for they merit far different treatment +at His hands. They shall be ashamed and utterly confounded at His +goodness. Thus, with goodness and with love overflowing will God +recompense the evil they have done Him and His true children. + +36:33. Thus saith the Lord God; in the day that I shall have cleansed you +from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and +the wastes shall be builded.--In the 1,000-year day, the Millennium, the +"Times of Restitution of all things" (Acts 3:19-21), when God shall have +cleansed those who are now His professed people from their iniquities, He +will cause them to abide in new governments of the nations and cities of +Christendom (Lu. 19:17), whose wasted arts, manufactures, industries, +transportation and commerce shall be built up again. + +36:34. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in +the sight of all that passed by.--Christendom, utterly desolated in war, +revolution and anarchy, and lying desolate in the sight of the whole +world, shall be cultivated in the arts, sciences, trades and professions, +and especially with the true Gospel of the Kingdom. + +36:35. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the +garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become +fenced, and are inhabited.--And the infidel peoples shall exclaim, +"Christendom that was utterly desolated, has become like the Garden of +Eden!" For governments, national, city, and local, which were wasted, +desolated and ruined, have been replaced by better and permanent (fenced) +arrangements brought about by the mighty power of Jehovah's Love. + +36:36. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I +the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the +Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.--Then the unbelieving peoples will +come to the realization that the One that shall rebuild ruined Christendom +and plant the desolate people with the seed of the glad gospel of the +Kingdom is Jehovah. Jehovah has spoken it, and will bring it to pass. + +36:37. Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be inquired of by the +house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a +flock.--God will yet be supplicated by desolated Christendom to do this for +them. Then, in answer to their prayers, He will, by awakenings from the +dead, increase their numbers with men in multitudes. + +36:38. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; +so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall +know that I am the Lord.--Like as vast flocks of sheep and cattle were +gathered for sacrifice at the annual feasts at Jerusalem, so shall the +devastated nations of Christendom be filled with great crowds of +consecrated, holy men, each devoted as a willing thank offering forever to +live for God. And they shall know, when God has brought them back from the +dead, that He is Jehovah, a God of infinite Justice, Power, Love and +Wisdom. + + ------------------------------------- + + + Hail to the brightness of Zion's glad morning! + Joy to the lands that in darkness have lain! + Hushed be the accents of sorrow and mourning! + Zion, in triumph, begins her glad reign. + + See the dead risen from land and from ocean; + Praise to Jehovah ascending on High; + Fall'n are the engines of war and commotion; + Shouts of salvation are rending the sky. + + + + +Ezekiel 37--The Valley Of Dry Bones + + +37:1. The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit +of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of +bones.--Chapter 37:1-14 has a fourfold application: (1) to the Valley of +Jehoshaphat, the Adamic death, into which the Hebrew nation has gone; (2) +to the captivity of the Hebrews in literal Babylonia; (3) the captivity of +the Hebrews in Mystic Babylon, Christendom; and (4) the dead condition of +the hopes of Christendom in and after the Time of Trouble. It is because +the Jews were types of the Christians that the blessed fulfilment of this +prophecy applies with peculiar force to Christendom in and after the Time +of Trouble. The power (hand) of Jehovah was upon Ezekiel to enable him to +see and expound this vision for the benefit of the Hebrews and their dead +hopes in captivity (2) in literal Babylon, (3) in Mystic Babylon +(Christendom) and (1) in the Adamic death. (Z. '99-190; '01-358.) The +power of God is now upon His people to understand the application of the +vision of dry bones as pertaining to the hopes of (4) the people of +Christendom, who, though believers in God, have not the Holy Spirit to +illuminate their mental vision, and who will find themselves in the depths +(valley) of despair in and after the Time of Trouble. + +The condition of the withered hopes of Christendom in the Time of Trouble +and death is pictured by the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2, 9-14): "I +will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the Valley of +Jehoshaphat [of judgment and death], and will plead [in war, revolution +and anarchy] with them there for My people and My heritage Israel [the +true Church] whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted My +land [into several hundred denominations]. Proclaim ye this among the +nations: Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw +near; let them come up; beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning +hooks into spears; let the weak [Belgium, etc.] say, I am strong. Assemble +yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round +about; thither cause thy mighty ones [the Little Flock, mighty in the +power of the Lord] to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen [in Christendom, +and out] be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat: for there +will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for +the harvest [of the vine of the earth, (Rev. 14:19) Christendom] is ripe; +come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their +wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision [for +or against God and His Word] for the Day [of vengeance] of the Lord is +near in the valley of decision."--Joel 3:2, 9-15. + +Vast will be the slaughter, complete the devastation, heart-rending the +ruin and the desolation of the hopes and aspirations of Christendom in the +dark and gloomy valley of the Day of Vengeance of Jehovah. It will indeed +be a valley--a cast down, humbled, lowly condition, in which the people of +proud Christendom will suddenly find themselves, a condition full of the +memories of ruined hopes, (bones) (Mal. 4:1.) The valley is full of dried- +up hopes (bones): (1) the twelve tribes of Israel in death; (2, 3) the +Hebrews in captivity to literal and mystical Babylon; and (4) the hopes of +Christendom. + +37:2. And caused me to pass by them round about: and behold, there were +very many in the open valley; and lo, they were very dry.--The hopes of the +Hebrews, held out to them in Scripture, were very many, but until the +regathering out of literal and mystical Babylon, and from the dead, were +and shall be lifeless. Pastor Russell, in Volume IV of _Studies in the +Scriptures_, compassed the entire range of the afflictions and desolated +hopes of mankind in war, revolution and anarchy of the great Time of +Trouble. + +37:3. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live! And I +answered, O Lord God, Thou knowest.--"Is there any hope for the scattered +people of Israel, that they will ever be restored as a nation? Can the +good hopes of Christendom, ruined by war, revolution and anarchy, be +revived?" "O Jehovah God, Thou knowest and hast foretold the answer by the +mouths of Prophets and Apostles, and Thine own Son!" + +37:4. Again He said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, +O ye dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord.--And God says about the +Scriptural hopes of both Jews and of Christendom, whose fall, ignominy and +captivity in literal Babylon, in mystic Babylon, in the Adamic death and +in the Time of Trouble have caused, and will cause, so great sufferings +and so many tears. "Hear the good Word of Jehovah concerning thy ruined +hopes." + +37:5. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause +breath to enter into you, and ye shall live.--Thus saith Jehovah God about +the hopes of Christendom: Behold, in the blessed Times of Restitution, the +time for His great love for men to be revealed, He shall cause the people +that are left among the Hebrews and in Christendom to talk and pray about +their good hopes for the uplift of themselves and all the world to better, +higher things. And their hopes shall live again; for God will cause the +spirit of life, life-energy, to enter into their hopes and into their +dead--those captive in the Adamic death and in the ruin of the great +tribulation.--E. _341_, 316. + +37:6. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, +and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye +shall know that I am the Lord.--God will make their hopes strong; for His +Word encourages their realization; and He gives them power, form and +substance and protection, and will finally give them vitality, and they +shall live, shall become a bright and vital reality. Then with +thanksgiving they shall know Him truly as Jehovah.--E. _341_, 316. + +37:7. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a +noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his +bone.--While Ezekiel was speaking there began "a shaking"--the commotion +incident to the fall of Babylon and the transfer of the empire to the +Medes and Persians, typifying the coming Time of Trouble. And while Pastor +Russell was preaching there began--in 1914--the shaking of Christendom, in +wars, revolutions and anarchy, preparatory to the transfer of the +rulership from Mystic Babylon, Christendom, to the two-phase, spiritual +and natural, Kingdom of God; also the Zionistic hopes of the Jews began to +assume definite, connected and Scriptural form. In due time, after the +hopes of Christendom shall have been utterly ruined in the trouble, there +will be "a noise," as of the rushing wind of a second Pentecostal +outpouring of the Holy Spirit "upon all flesh." It will be upon all +Christendom, where men will be awaiting it with prayer and supplication. +And behold! all Christendom will be shaken with emotion and with a revival +of hope; and all the good hopes of Christendom, whose realization hitherto +had been vague and disconnected, will be seen in their proper and Divinely +appointed relation (bone to his bone).--Z. '99-191. + +37:8. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, +and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.--As a +result of Ezekiel's prophesying among the Hebrews captive in Babylon, hope +grew strong and positive, and the protection of Jehovah (skin) was seen to +be upon it, but yet there was no vitality to it. The time was not ripe for +the fruition of hope. Pastor Russell, too, preached to the Jews about +their Zionist hopes, and pointed them to the Hebrew Bible to understand +the proper fulfillment of their hopes; and while he was preaching Zionism +grew into a strong movement. There is a due time also for Christendom's +hopes to be strengthened by the books of Pastor Russell in millions of +homes throughout Christendom. The surviving people of Christendom will +read the _Studies in the Scriptures_ during and after the time of the +ruination of their hopes. But even then something will be lacking--the +Spirit, power, to cause the fulfillment of hope.--E. _341_, 316. + +37:9. Then said He unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, +and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O +breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.--Ezekiel was +commissioned to say, as the Word of God Himself, concerning the operation +of the Holy Spirit (wind, _ruach_) or power of God, that the whole power +(four winds) of God as concerned the Hebrew nation in captivity in literal +Babylon should be exercised to cause the revival of their national and +Messianic hopes. "The words that I speak, they are Spirit." The whole Word +of God (four winds, the whole Spirit) foretold the regathering of the +willing and obedient of the Hebrews from Babylon to Jerusalem, after +seventy years' captivity. Pastor Russell, as Ezekiel's antitype, was +commissioned to say to the Hebrews, scattered throughout the world in +captivity in Mystic Babylon, Christendom, that the whole Word of God +pointed to two great blessings: (1) the revival of their Zionist hope and +its realization in the regathering of many Hebrews to Jerusalem, and the +founding there of the world-wide Hebrew dominion over the whole world, +into which should be gathered, out of Mystic Babylon, all the Hebrews in +the world, wherever they might remain; and (2) the regathering of the +Hebrews of all ages from the captivity of death--the tomb--to live on earth +again in the earthly phase of the Kingdom of God, under the invisible +spiritual dominion of Christ, Head and Body, and under the visible earthly +rulership of the resurrected Ancient Worthies. Beginning in October, 1910, +Pastor Russell called the attention of Hebrews by thousands, throughout +the world, to the fact that the whole Old Testament foretold this as the +legitimate aspiration of the Hebrews. For the Christian people of the +world Pastor Russell has a similar message: + +(1) For believing Christians having the Holy Spirit, he revived their +hopes and pointed out clearly their gathering out from captivity in Mystic +Babylon and in death, unto the glorious spirit phase of the Kingdom of +God. (2) For the mass of professing Christians, who through some measure +of unbelief or of unfaithfulness are not begotten of the Spirit to a +change of nature from human to spiritual, He has a Divine message, which +in due time will bring strong hope and comfort. As the Time of Trouble +progresses, professing Christians by the millions, losing faith, as did +the Apostles when, on the arrest of Christ they all forsook Him and fled, +will forsake Christianity and all profession of being Christians. They +will lose all the hopes they had as Christians. Then Pastor Russell's +message will preach to Christendom the necessity of receiving the Holy +Spirit in its entirety, in order to realize their hopes; will turn the +people to the whole Truth of the Word of God (the four Winds, all the +Truth), all the witness of the Spirit for them, that "salvation cometh of +the Jew" (John 4:22), and that they must connect themselves with the +Ancient Worthies, resurrected and reigning at Jerusalem; for without these +Worthies their hopes must remain inactive--through them alone hope can be +vitalized. Then Christendom will pray to God, "We submit ourselves wholly +to Thee in heartfelt consecration. Come, O Spirit, all the Spirit, in the +appointed way, and breathe life into our hopes, that they may live at +last!" + +37:10. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, +and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great +army.--From paying attention to Ezekiel's message, the Hebrews captive in +Babylon realized their hopes at the end of the seventy years captivity. As +a result of Pastor Russell's teaching, Zionistic hopes have gained new +vitality; and in due time the Hebrew dead will come forth from the Adamic +death in multitudes. From his teachings to the true Church, captive in +Mystic Babylon, Christendom, the Scriptural hopes of the Church were +clearly seen, and vitalized for those in Present Truth. From his teachings +hope will grow afresh in the hearts of the survivors of desolated +Christendom; and as a result of their prayers the dead of Christendom will +come forth, an exceeding great army.--E. _341_, 316. + +37:11. Then He said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house +of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we +are cut off for our parts.--The dried bones represent all the Hebrews, +Fleshly Israel, and all the professing Christians, Spiritual Israel. As +outlined foregoing, they say that their hopes are lost, and that they are +cut off from Divine favors for their evil course in life.--Isa. 49:14; +Z'99-191. + +37:12. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; +Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out +of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.--The various classes +mentioned were to be brought up from their condition--dead as to their +hopes--and brought, the Hebrews into Palestine; the true Christians, into +the Spirit phase of the Kingdom; and the nominal Christians, into a place +of favor in the earthly phase of the Kingdom.--Isa. 60:21; Z. '99-196. + +37:13, 14. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your +graves, O My people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put +My Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own +land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, +saith the Lord.--They shall all know that God is the Jehovah of infinite +Justice, Wisdom, Love and Power, when the wonderful power of God has thus +wrought in them for their blessing.--E. _341_, 316; Z. '99-190. + +37:15. The Word of the Lord came again unto me, saying.--Verses 15-28 +recount the separation of the Hebrews into two distinct kingdoms; Israel, +the corrupt ten tribes; and Judah, the less corrupt two tribes. In +antitype it represents corrupt Catholicism, the larger branch of +Christendom, and Protestantism, the smaller and less corrupt. + +37:16, 17. Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon +it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take +another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and +for all the house of Israel and his companions: And join them one to +another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.--By the +power of God the two were to be made one nation in the return of the +Hebrews from Babylonia, and again will be made one in their return from +Mystic Babylon, Christendom, to Palestine. Likewise the denominational +divisions of Christian people have been obliterated among those gathered +out of Mystic Babylon into Present Truth, as they will yet be in the +regathering of the dead of Christendom in the resurrection, and in the +unifying influences that will work among the survivors of Christendom's +trouble. All these are to have as their Prince forever, the Beloved +(David, beloved) of God, The Christ in glory. + +37:18. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, +Wilt Thou not show what Thou meanest by these?--Both Jews and Christians +have long inquired what God has signified by this prophecy. + +37:19. Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold I will take the +stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel +his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and +make them one stick, and they shall be one in Mine hand.--The reuniting of +the Hebrews and of the divisions of Christians will be by the power of +God, and they shall remain one. + +37:20. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before +their eyes.--The uniting of the Hebrews was apparently due to the prophecy +of Ezekiel. That to come--of the Hebrews and of the Christians--will be in +accordance with the teachings of Pastor Russell. + +37:21, 22. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take +the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and +will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I +will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and +one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, +neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.--In 536 B. +C. God regathered the Natural Israelites into Palestine as one nation, and +will soon regather them out from all the nations of the world. He will +gather true Spiritual Israel into the Heavenly phase of the Kingdom, where +they shall ever be one people in mind in Christ, no longer separated as +Little Flock, loving Heavenly things, and Great Company, loving the +earthly. He will regather nominal Spiritual Israel from the dead and from +their hopeless earthly condition, into the earthly phase of the Kingdom, +no longer divided as Catholic and Protestant.--Jer. 50:4-6. + +37:23. Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor +with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I +will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, +and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people, and I will be their +God.--God will cleanse them all from everything relating to this present +evil age and will save them out of their dwelling-places--the spirit +children from their corrupt bodies; the Great Company from their spiritual +bondage; the nominal Christians from their sects; and the Jews from their +domiciles in all nations; and all classes from the sleep of death. They +shall all be truly God's people; and Jehovah, Just, Wise, Loving and +Powerful, their God. + +37:24. And David My servant shall be king over them; and they shall all +have One Shepherd: they shall also walk in My judgments, and observe My +statutes, and do them.--Over them as King shall be Christ Jesus, the +Beloved Head of His Body the Church, and the whole Beloved Christ, Head +and Body, for all the other classes. Christ Jesus the Head shall be the +Shepherd of the Spirit classes; and The Christ, Head and Body, the +Shepherd and Pastor of all the others. All classes in Heaven and on earth +shall walk in the royal Law of Love. + +37:25. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My +servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, +even they and their children, and their children's children for ever: and +My servant David shall be their prince for ever.--The promise to Jacob is +to be understood as both spiritual and earthly, a place spiritually +typifying a condition. The Jews, living and resurrected dead, shall dwell +forever in Palestine, given by God to Jacob, wherein their fathers, +Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, dwelt. The Little Flock and the Great Company +will dwell forever in the Heavenly condition, where their great Father +dwells. The nominal Christians will dwell in the whole earth, wherein +their then Father. The Christ, Head and Body, dwelt in bodies of +humiliation and sacrifice. The Christ shall forever be their King. + +37:26. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an +everlasting Covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, +and will set My Sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.--God will make +effective with the Jews the everlasting New Covenant, guaranteeing eternal +earthly blessings to the willing and obedient; and the nominal professing +Christians will come under the benefits of the Covenant. He will make +effective the complete fulfillment of the Covenant of Grace for the Church +in the spirit phase of the Kingdom. He will set both classes up in +power--the Church as spiritual Kings and Priests unto God; and the Jews as +the rulers of the earth. He will multiply their numbers by the +resurrection. He will dwell in the spiritual class, making them His +Sanctuary to the earthly class. + +37:27. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, +and they shall be My people.--God's abode will be in the spiritual class; +and they will be God's Temple or Dwelling-place, from which the Law of +Love shall proceed for the earthly class. + +37:28. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when +My Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.--Then will follow +the conversion of the heathen peoples of the earth--"the residue of men, +even all the Gentiles."--Acts 15:17. + + + + +Ezekiel 38--Final Overthrow Of Pride + + +38:1, 2. And the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set +thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and +Tubal, and prophesy against him.--The Truth people, the reformers, are to +set themselves against the proud, lofty rulers (Gog, high, mountain, D. +554) of the revolutionary republics after the war and the fall of +Christendom, and of the ignorant, degraded revolutionists. (Magog was +Scythia, a rude, ignorant, degraded people, including the savages of +Europe [D. 556], savage by nature and made doubly so in the most barbarous +wars of history. Meshech, north of Armenia, and Tubal, south of the Black +Sea, and also Spain, represented the remotest and rudest nations of the +world.) The prophecy is to have a double fulfillment, for it refers also +to the gathering, at the close of the 1,000 years, of Satan, and the +deceivable among restored mankind against the camp of the saints.--Rev. +20:7-10. + +38:3. And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, +the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.--God will be against the rulers of +the worst of earth's peoples. + +38:4. And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will +bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them +clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and +shields, all of them handling swords.--God will lead them on (Revised +Version) and bring them forth to do this deed, them and all their +multitude, equipped with every conceivable weapon of destruction. + +38:5. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and +helmet.--The dark peoples of Africa (descendants of Ham, typical of sinful, +degraded peoples), trained and equipped in the European war. + +38:6. Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north +quarters, and all his bands; and many people with thee.--The remotest +peoples of Europe (D. 556) (Gomer was ancestor of the Celts, Scotch, etc.; +Togarmah was north of Armenia) and their armies, and a multitude with +them; and, a thousand years later, all whose heart attitude answers this +description. + +38:7. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company +that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.--The foregoing +and their savage multitudes of revolutionists are to be the vanguard of +the evil host. These people symbolize also those after the 1,000 years +whose heart condition will be like the actual state of these savages. + +38:8. After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou +shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is +gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have +been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they +shall dwell safely all of them.--After the career of the Ezekiel class is +terminated in the flesh, the nations of Europe (and after the thousand +years are finished the hosts of Satan, unbound) shall be called to do +their dreadful work. At the close of the turbulent revolutionary era +Europe shall come against Palestine, then living in a peace contrasting +with their turbulence; and, at the close of the Millennium Satan shall +come against the Millennial order of things, abounding in holiness and +peace. + +38:9. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud +to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with +thee.--They shall make the attack in vast numbers. + +38:10. Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the +same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil +thought.--At the end of the revolutionary era turbulent Europe and Africa +will be obsessed with an idea full of evil for them and for the Hebrews; +and at the close of the Millennium Satan and the hosts in sympathy with +his deceptions will dream of seizing the established Kingdom of God. + +38:11. And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; +I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them +dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates.--They shall say +that they will go up against Palestine, against the Hebrews living in +unwonted peace in a turbulent world.--D. 553. + +38:12. To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the +desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are +gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that +dwell in the midst of the land.--They will seek to plunder their property, +to turn their weapons against once desolate Palestine, against the +regathered Hebrews, enjoying some measure of prosperity. In like manner +the hosts of Satan will seek to seize the restored Kingdom of God, at the +close of the 1,000 years. + +38:13. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young +lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast +thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, +to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?--The people +surrounding Palestine (D. 556), with their soldiers, will join in the +plunder. After the Millennium all classes not in heart harmony with "the +camp of the saints," will seek to capture the Kingdom, to take captive the +power of the Little Flock and the Great Company (silver and gold), and the +masses of perfect humanity (cattle, etc.). + +38:14. Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the +Lord God; In that day when My people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou +not know it?--When God's people, the Hebrews, are living peacefully in +Palestine, the fact will be well known by revolutionary Europe and Africa. +After the Millennium Satan and his former associates, the apostate clergy +of Christendom and the Hebrew Pharisees, bound for a thousand years, and +loosed for a short time, will behold the prosperity of restored mankind. + +38:15. And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, +and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great +company, and a mighty army.--Europe's hosts shall come from the countries +north (D. 555) of Palestine with many people, riding on horses, motor cars +and railroad trains, a vast and mighty army. And a thousand years later, +Satan will appear, permitted to come by the spiritual phase of the Kingdom +(the north), with many new, lying doctrines (horses) to deceive the +people. + +38:16. And thou shalt come up against My people of Israel, as a cloud to +cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee +against My land, that the heathen may know Me, when I shall be sanctified +in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.--The revolutionists will come against +the Hebrews in the closing years of the Time of Trouble, just at the +outbreak of anarchy (D. 555). This invasion will be permitted by God, that +the peoples may know that Jehovah is God, when His mighty power shall +perform a dreadful work upon these wicked peoples, raised up and set apart +(sanctified) for the enhancing of Divine prestige. It will also be to +demonstrate the Divine attributes that the Satanic hosts will be permitted +later to conspire against "the camp of the saints." + +38:17. Thus saith the Lord God; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old +time by My servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days +many years, that I would bring thee against them?--Jehovah declares that +these evil multitudes, who will shortly organize a crusade against the +Jews, will be the ones of whom, thousands of years before, the Hebrew +Prophets wrote. + +38:18. And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come +against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that My fury shall come up +in My face.--The Divine wrath of furious retribution will be against these +classes. + +38:19. For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath have I spoken, +Surely In that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of +Israel.--In jealous love for His beloved people and in jealous destructive +(fire) wrath against their assailants (D. 527) has God foretold a world- +shaking holocaust of the hosts of evil in the land of Palestine, and a +thousand years later of the minions of the Devil. + +38:20. So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the +beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, +and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at My +presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places +shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.--The result will be +that the men (fishes, C. 214) not under religious restraint (Z. '86:1), +the most execrable of the people of the world (fowls, C. 162), the +revolutionary governments (beasts, A. 261), and all the lowest of mankind +shall be thrown into revolutionary commotion; and the nations (mountains, +A. 318) shall be overthrown in anarchy, together with all the civil powers +(walls, D. 40) of the world. + +38:21. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all My +mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his +brother.--God will do His dreadful work of ending this present evil world, +and will call for the universal arming of mankind with destroying weapons, +so that every man's weapons will be against every other man. + +38:22. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I +will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are +with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and +brimstone.--God will fight miraculously against the hosts of evil with +pestilence and death, and will overwhelm them with a flood of Truth--with +hard facts, to smite their hearts--and with anarchy, destruction, utter and +complete. So also will the Almighty deal with the rebels of a thousand +years later. + +38:23. Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself; and I will be +known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the +Lord.--So will God magnify His reputation as the One to be reverenced, and +the fame of His power will spread throughout the world. + + + + +Ezekiel 39--Death Of Pride's Multitude + + +39:1. Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus +saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of +Meshech and Tubal.--This has a triple fulfillment: (a) the destruction of +the literal armies that will attack the Hebrews at the beginning of the +Millennium; (b) the destruction of their pride and their sophistries by +the Truth; and (c) at the end of the Millennium the literal annihilation +of the hosts that will then be deceived by Satan, and the destruction of +their errors by the loyal members of the Kingdom. Jehovah is against these +evil leaders and their multitude. The greatest curse of God's people in +all times has been pride.--Matt. 5:3; 1 John 3:12; John 8:44; Isa. 14:14; +Psa. 119:113; Prov. 6:17; Psa. 101:5; Prov. 8:13; Isa. 2:12; Prov. 16:18; +2 Thes. 2:4; Mal. 3:15; Mark 10:43. + +39:2. And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and +will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon +the mountains of Israel.--Jehovah will lead them on (R. V.), controlled and +directed by the spiritual phase of the Kingdom (north) to (a, b) bring a +host against restored Israel; and (c) a thousand years later another +Satanic multitude against the entire restored Kingdom. + +39:3. And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine +arrows to fall out of thy right hand.--God will (a, b) destroy the weapons +and the power of the anti-Hebrew crusade; and (b, c) He will also end, in +those hosts, their hatred (bow) and their bitter words (arrows). + +39:4. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy +bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the +ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field, to be +devoured.--These evil hosts (a, b, c) shall die; and God will give the +first one to be disorganized, disrupted and destroyed by the most +execrable of mankind (birds and beasts); and He will deliver (b) both it +and (c) the second into the power of the spiritual phase of His Kingdom, +to be wiped out. + +39:5. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the +Lord God.--They shall fall defenseless at the hands of their destroyers. + +39:6. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell +carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the Lord.--God will +(a, b) send anarchy (fire) among the peoples of the revolutionary +republics (isles); and literal miraculous annihilation upon the second +uprising of Satan and his deceived followers. + +39:7. So will I make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel; +and I will not let them pollute My holy name any more: and the heathen +shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.--Through this +miraculous deliverance (a) the Hebrews shall be converted to the Truth, so +that they shall never again be a discredit to God's name; and (b, c) all +mankind also shall thereby learn fully to know God. + +39:8. Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord God; this is the +day whereof I have spoken.--It shall surely come; it shall be done; thus +shall be the day of the end of evil and the final establishment of right, +whereof God has spoken in His Word. + +39:9. And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and +shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, +the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they +shall burn them with fire seven years.--The regathered Hebrews of Palestine +(a) shall be seven years burning and destroying the weapons of war of this +evil rabble, (a) The hosts of heaven and of earth (b, c) shall eternally +(seven years) recount the lesson of the utter end of Satan's deceptive +doctrines, of credulity (shield) of hatred (bows), evil-speaking (arrows) +and other evil character-fruits. + +39:10. So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down +any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and +they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, +saith the Lord God.--So numerous will be the weapons of war (a) of those +Divinely vanquished armies that the Hebrews will need no other firewood, +but will burn the weapons. They shall plunder those that plunder them. The +innumerable sophistries (b, c) by which Satan's legions shall seek to +grasp the Kingdom power, and their miraculous overthrow, shall forever +furnish lessons to help the inheritors of the Kingdom. + +39:11. And It shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a +place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east +of the sea; and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall +they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it, The valley of +Hamon-gog.--God will give (a) the self-exalted anti-Semite crusaders a +place of burial in Palestine. In the valley used as a highway east of the +Dead Sea, the dead shall be a stench to the passers-by; and there shall +they bring the proud (Gog, high, proud ones) hosts to their end, and they +shall call it the Valley of Pride's Multitude (Hamon, multitude). Then, +and a thousand years later (b, c), the memory of the proud dead shall be +offensive to all that recall it. + +39:12. And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that +they may cleanse the land.--For seven months (a) the Hebrews shall be +burying the crusaders, that they may cleanse the land defiled by the dead. +And then, and after the Millennium (b, c), for many years shall the +spiritual members of the Kingdom be neutralizing the sophistries of Satan, +that they may thoroughly cleanse the Kingdom of its spiritual defilement. + +39:13. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to +them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord God.--Yea +(a) all the nations shall bury the dead; and the day of pride's (Gog's) +overthrow shall be a celebrated day among them. All the people of the +Kingdom (b, c) shall loyally assist in cleansing their beloved Kingdom of +the spiritual defilement. It will always be a day to be remembered.--Mal. +4:1. + +39:14. And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing +through the land, to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the +face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they +search.--After the seven months (a) men shall be hired regularly to search +through the land, in cooperation with any travelers, for any dead +remaining on the earth, to thoroughly cleanse the land. And then, and +after the thousand years (b, c) spiritual teachers shall be detailed to +remove any remaining spiritual defilement, by teaching the Truth. + +39:15. And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a +man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have +buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog.--Any travelers (a) passing by, that +see even a human bone, shall mark it for the buriers to bury in the Valley +of Pride's Multitude. And then, and a thousand years later (b, c) any one +noticing any vestige of death-dealing error shall mark it for the special +teachers to cleanse away with truth. + +39:16. And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they +cleanse the land.--There shall (a) be a city there named Multitude +(Hamonah, Multitude). Thus shall they cleanse the land; and then (b, c) +and beyond the thousand years there shall be a perfect government +(city)--not such a government as Satan would establish again, not usurped +by the few, Satan and his agents, but a government, under God--of +multitudes of restored and perfect men--a Divine Republic, called +"Multitude." + +39:17. And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto every +feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and +come; gather yourselves on every side to My sacrifice that I do sacrifice +for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may +eat flesh, and drink blood.--God says: (a) When the proud revolutionists +shall set themselves in array against His people, to call to the most +execrable of men (fowls) and to the revolutionary rulers (beasts); Come to +the great destruction of hosts of rebellious humanity, where you, in +anarchy, shall destroy these people; symbolically (b, c) a call to the +far-sighted spiritual ones (eagles) and the believing ones of earth +(beasts--members of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah) to gather themselves to +feast upon, to destroy with the weapons of Divine Truth, the evil +doctrines (flesh, as the flesh of Jesus symbolizes true doctrines) and the +corrupting errors (blood) of Satan. + +39:18. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the +princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of +them fatlings of Bashan.--They shall (b, c) consume the sophistries of +Satan (the mighty), and annihilate the errors of earth's great false +teachers and rulers--New Thought doctrines of devils relating to the +attainment of perfection, to whatever kind and degree desired--to be as +mature leaders (rams), among the sheep, as tender-charactered lambs, as +self-willed, self-masters through thought-power (goats), or as perfect +human beings (bullocks), all imagining themselves actually, fully +developed (fatlings), under the delusions of Satan's fruitful mind +(Bashan, fruitful). + +39:19. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be +drunken, of My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.--They shall (b, +c) with the Truth consume and destroy these false philosophies, until +satiated with the glorious witness for God's Truth. + +39:20. Thus ye shall be filled at My table with horses and chariots, with +mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God.--Thus (b, c) at +God's table of spiritual food, His people shall have an abundant feeding +upon the truths which shall destroy the errors of the Time of Trouble, the +doctrines and the organizations actuated by these doctrines and the +rulers, philosophies, teachers and workers in the cause of evil. + +39:21. And I will set My glory among the heathen, and all the heathen +shall see My judgment that I have executed, and My hand that I have laid +upon them.--God will (a, b, c) make Himself renowned among all nations; and +they shall realize that He shall have executed judgment upon them, and +that it is His hand of Justice that has been laid upon them for their +misdeeds. + +39:22. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from +that day and forward.--Thus shall (a) the Hebrews and (b, c) all professing +Christians know Jehovah as their God, from that time on forever. + +39:23. And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into +captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against Me, +therefore hid I My face from them, and gave them into the hand of their +enemies; so fell they all by the sword.--The whole world shall know that +the Hebrews (a) went into captivity to literal Babylon and to Mystic +Babylon, and that the unfaithful professing Christians went into captivity +(b) to Mystic Babylon and (c) to Satan's deceptions, because they sinned +against God. For this reason He disfavored them and gave them over into +the power of their enemies. So shall they fall, by literal weapons of +destruction and (b, c) be slain by the Sword of the Spirit. + +39:24. According to their uncleanness and according to their +transgressions have I done unto them, and hid My face from them.--According +to their physical, mental, moral and spiritual pollution, and to their +sinfulness, God will recompense and disfavor them. + +39:25. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Now will I bring again the +captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and +will be jealous for My holy name.--Then when the punishment is over (D. +557), will God (a) release the Hebrews (A. 300) from their captivity in +Mystic Babylon and in the tomb, and antitypically that of Christendom. He +will show His mercy and love toward all the Hebrews, living and dead (D. +557), and (b, c), toward all of Christendom, the quick and the dead, and +will vindicate His reputation for righteousness. + +39:26. After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses +whereby they have trespassed against Me, when they dwelt safely in their +land, and none made them afraid.--After they (a) have thus (D. 558) endured +their shame and the punishment for all their sins, wherein they have erred +against the Lord, while the Jews were peacefully dwelling in Palestine (b, +c) and the professing Christians in Christendom, and while no one made +them afraid, the sure results shall follow. + +39:27. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them +out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of +many nations.--In Zionism (a) God shall regather the Jews and (b, c) bring +Jews and Christians alike back from the great enemy, death, and by their +holy, consecrated lives, He will be hallowed in the regard of the whole +world. + +39:28. Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused +them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them +unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.--Then shall +they in humble thankfulness appreciate that God is the beloved Jehovah, +the Just One, who shall have punished them with captivity among the +nations, and then in infinite Wisdom, Power and Love shall have gathered +all of them, living and dead, (a) back to their former homes in Palestine +(b, c) and in Christendom, and shall have left not one in captivity any +more. + +39:29. Neither will I hide My face any more from them: for I have poured +out My Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.--God will not +disfavor them any more: for He will pour out upon them (a) Jews and (b, c) +Christians together, His Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to abide in them +forever. + + ------------------------------------- + + + Great truths are dearly bought. The common truth, + Such as men give and take from day to day, + Comes in the common walk of easy life, + Blown by the careless wind across our way. + + Great truths are dearly won; not found by chance, + Nor wafted on the breath of summer dream; + But grasped in the great struggle of the soul, + Hard buffeting with adverse wind and stream. + + Not in the general clash of human creeds, + Nor in the merchandise 'twixt church and world, + Is truth's fair treasure found, 'mongst tares and weeds; + Nor her fair banner in their midst unfurled. + + Truth springs like harvest from the well-ploughed fields, + Rewarding patient toll, and faith, and zeal. + To those thus seeking her, she ever yields + Her richest treasures for their lasting weal. + + + + +Ezekiel 40-48--God's Temple And River Of Truth + + +This vision of the prophet Ezekiel depicts the established theocratic +Kingdom of God on earth, civil and religious, spiritual and earthly. While +the Temple is an architectural possibility, as shown in the accompanying +illustrations, (and may be erected at Jerusalem), it, in its various +parts, surroundings, rites and worshippers, is a type and symbol of +"better things to come," after the wars, revolutions and anarchy of the +period from 1914 to 1925 have passed. + +The Time of the establishment of the Kingdom in power is indicated as "in +the fourteenth year after that the city (Christendom) was smitten"--or +thirteen years after 1918, viz., in 1931.--Ezek. 40:1. + +Place.--The Temple was seen in the "land of Israel"--in Palestine. As a +place types a condition, the land of Israel is typical of the condition of +the whole world of mankind; and the city, at the south side of a very high +mountain, is symbolic of the established earthly phase (south) of the +Divine Government overshadowed by the autocratic (very high) spiritual +phase of the Kingdom (mountain).--Ezek. 40:2. + +By Whom.--The one who showed the Temple to the Church, the Elijah class, +was "the man in linen"--Pastor Russell. The brass (copper) of vs. 3 +represents his justification. In his power (hand) were the Divine +standards of measurement--the reed (Word of God) and the "line of flax" +(linen, righteousness). His standing was in the east gate of the +Sanctuary--in Christ (gate). With the Word he measured the Temple (the +Church, and the subsidiary classes) and with the standard of perfect +Divine righteousness (flax, linen) he measured the progress of the life- +giving River of Truth.--Ezek. 40:3; 43:6; 44:4; 47:1-3. + +Purpose.--The vision is important. Those that have eyes to see and ears to +hear, must set their heart upon all that the Laodicean steward shows them, +"for to the intent that I might show them unto thee, art thou brought +hither." (40:4.) The hearers are to declare all that they see, to +professing Christians (house of Israel), that they may be ashamed of +former beliefs and practices, and in complete consecration seek to conform +themselves to all the Divine standards.--Ezek. 43:10-12; 44:4-6; 47:6. + +The Measures.--The standards of the Kingdom will be the fulness of the Word +of God (the reed of 9 feet of six "great cubits," each about 18 inches, or +of a 15-inch cubit and a handbreadth) (Ezek. 40:3, 5), and the standard of +Divine righteousness.--Ezek. 40:3, 47:3. + +An interchangeable decimal system of dry and liquid measures is given, +symbolic of just and righteous dealing. An ephah (dry measure) equals a +bath (liquid measure), and ten of either is a homer or cor. The homer is +about 75 gallons and the ephah and the bath, one tenth of a homer, or 7-1/2 +gallons each. (Ezek. 45:10-11). + +The measures of volume are to be used chiefly in connection with the +sacrifices--so many ephahs of wheat or baths of oil as a meat or drink +offering with a bullock, etc. + +Symbolisms of Numbers.--Numbers are used as symbols of completeness or +perfection, or their opposite. The common conception of the symbolisms of +numbers is: + + + One--Unity, self-sufficiency. + + Two--Duality, couples. + + Three--That in itself complete, invisible, infinite. + + Four--That in which God reveals Himself completely, as the four + cherubim, the four-sided altar, and the cubic shaped Most Holy. + + Five--Used in connection with ten, completeness in the stage, + degree, or power attained or ordained; a symbol of Divinity. + + Six--Secular completeness, or completeness according to man; + imperfection; also full measure of the Word.--Ezek. 40:5. + + Seven--The sum of three and four; religious or Divine completeness + or perfection; the covenant number. The half of seven (3-1/2), the + broken number, appears in connection with suffering. + + Ten--The natural symbol of perfection, completeness, complete + development, a complete and perfect whole. + + Twelve--Three times four; the number of the covenant people; + completeness of organization; national completeness. + + Multiples or powers of these numbers combine or intensify their + symbolism. + + + [Illustration] + +Symbolism of Directions.--The north points to spiritual things, the south +to earthly things, the east to Christ and His ransom sacrifice. The right +is the side of favor, the left of less favor, or of disfavor. Higher +elevations represent higher planes of being or of power; lower planes the +opposite. + + [Illustration] + + Figure 1. The Division Of The Land + + +The Land and Its Divisions.--As places typify conditions, the land of +Canaan, of the children of Israel, types the whole world of mankind. Its +division among the twelve tribes, in equal parts varying in nearness to +the central sacred portion, suggests, among restored humanity, twelve +conditions or degrees of honor in the Kingdom, each individual being +accorded a place befitting his loyalty and love during his trial or +judgment period. The meaning of the names of the tribes is suggestive, the +names being in order of nearness to the central sacred portion. (See +Figure 1.)--See Rev. 7. + +To the north of the sacred portion: Judah (praise, Gen. 49:8-12); Reuben +(behold a son, Gen. 49:3-4); Ephraim (doubly fruitful, Gen. 48:15-20); +Manasseh (causing forgetfulness, Gen. 48:15-20); Naphtali (wrestling, Gen. +49:21); Asher (happy, Gen. 49:20); and at the extreme north, Dan (judge, +Gen. 49:16-18).--Ezek. 48:1-7. + +To the south of the central sacred portion: Benjamin (son of the right +hand, Gen. 49:27); Simeon (hearing, Gen. 49:5-7); Issachar (bearing +reward, Gen. 49:14-15); Zebulun (dwelling, Gen. 49:13); and at the extreme +south, Gad (seer, lot, fortune, Gen. 49:19). (Ezek. 48:23-29.) The name +meanings and Jacob's prophetic blessings are significant of Kingdom +conditions. + +Figure 1 shows the division of Palestine into the strips assigned to the +tribes and the central sacred portion. + +The Boundaries of the Land (Ezek. 47:13-21) are through places whose name- +meanings are suggestive of Kingdom conditions. On the north side: Hethlon +(stronghold), Hamath (defended, walled), Berotha (food), Sibraim (double +hill), Hazar-Hatticon (middle court), Hauran (cave district), Hazar-enan +(court of the fountains) and Damascus (similitude of burning). On the east +side: Gilead (strong, rocky), Israel (ruling with God), and Jordan +(descender). On the south side: Tamar (palm), and Kadesh (holy). On the +west: the Great Sea (peoples and nations). + +The land is to be apportioned by lot, symbolizing that the station of +Kingdom honor of individuals in the Times of Restitution is not +predestinated but the result of the degree of effort and of consecration. +(Ezek. 45:1.) Whatever the honor attained, it cannot be taken away. (Ezek. +46:18.) All are to have an equal chance. (Ezek. 47:14.) Former pagan and +heathen persons (strangers) are to have the same chance as God's chosen +people, the Jews, as though born to the same honored favor.--Ezek. +47:22-23. + +The Holy Offering of Land.--(Figure 2.) The people are not to occupy all +the land, but are to devote as a sacred offering, or "oblation," a central +strip across Palestine, 25,000 reeds or about 42.6 miles wide, to sacred +and governmental uses. Figure 2 shows the holy offering of land and its +divisions. The two ends of the strip will be for the Prince, typing the +condition of the Prince, or Ancient Worthy class. The 25,000-reeds-square +dimensions of the central section--as powers and multiples of ten and +five--combined with the full measure (reed) of the Divine Word as applying +to the classes therein represented, suggest the exalted degree of +perfection of these classes. The conditions represented are: at the north +(spiritual) the Divine nature of the Little Flock (priests); in the +middle, the intermediate, lower spirit nature of the Great Company +(Levites); at the south, of half the width, of a lesser degree of honor +(secular), the perfect human nature of those engaged in the actual +government of the world. As in many other types the same antitypes are +presented repeatedly in their several phases.--Ezek. 45:1, 4, 7; 48:20. + +Land of the Priests.--The northern section, 10,000 reeds wide, of the holy +central square, typifies the condition of the Little Flock, of the highest +spirit nature, the Divine, (northernmost). This is a "most holy" +condition. (Ezek. 48:9-12.) In it, as appertains to the inheritors of the +nature of God, will be the Sanctuary--the entire Temple and its +courts--typing the spiritual domain of the ruling Christ over all the +affairs of the coming Kingdom of Heaven on earth.--Ezek. 44:28; 45:3-4; +48:8-12. + + [Illustration] + + Figure 2. The Holy Offering Of Land + + +Land of the Levites.--Inferior as to direction, toward the south (toward +earthly things), the spiritual condition (land) of the Great Company +(Levites) will be, as have been their religious lives--trending from +heavenly to earthly throughout the Gospel Age of Divine opportunity. This +will be their condition throughout eternity, unchangeable, inalienable--but +"holy unto Jehovah." There will be among them twenty grades of +honor--"twenty chambers."--Ezek. 45:5; 48:13-14. + +Secular Land for the City.--At the extreme south (earthly) of the holy +square will be a 5,000-reed-wide section which will be "secular for the +city." This represents in miniature the perfect human condition of the +visible rulers (city) of the earthly phase of the Kingdom and of all those +under that Divine government--the whole world of mankind (Israel). The city +will be in the middle of this section, a 4,500-reed square, which, with a +border or suburb 250 reeds wide all around, reaches across the secular +land, symbolizing the dominance of the coming world government over the +human race. (Ezek. 45:6, 7; 48:15-20, 35.) So extraordinary and heart- +satisfying will be the methods of and the blessings from the Divine +government (city) that it will appropriately be called "The Wonder of +Jehovah."--E. _46_, 43. + +Land for Sanctuary.--In the center of the priests' land will be the land +for the Sanctuary, an area 500 cubits, or 750 feet square, surrounded by a +50-cubit, or 75-foot, border or "suburb." In this square will be the +walls, courts and structures of the sanctuary. It will type again in +miniature, in detail, the conditions of all classes in the Kingdom from +the Christ (priests) down, as regards their religious relationship to one +another and to God.--Ezek. 45:2-3. + +Land for the Prince.--Both of the ends of the 25,000-reed-wide offering of +land, east and west of the central holy square, will be given to "the +Prince," typing the perfect human condition of the Ancient Worthies, or +overcomers before the Gospel Age, who shall be "Princes in all the earth." +As the Prince's land will not be inalienable but may be given away by the +Prince, so to certain classes it will be given to share in the perfected +condition of the Ancient Worthies.--Ezek. 45:7-8; 46:16-18; 48:21-22. + +The Classes.--In the Kingdom there will be several distinct classes, +according to opportunity and degree of faithfulness in ages preceding +establishment of the Kingdom. + +The priests will be the glorified Little Flock, faithful unto death, sons +of God, the Righteous One (Zadok, righteous), who during the Gospel Age +"kept the charge of God's Sanctuary," by faithfulness to the Word of God +at any cost. They will be "of the Divine nature."--Ezek. 40:44-46; +43:18-27; 44:15-31; 45:4; 48:10-12. + +The antitypical Levites (Great Company), will have spirit nature akin to +the angelic, because though during the Gospel Age they were also begotten +of the Spirit, sons of God (Zadok, righteous), they "went astray from God, +after their idols;" they ministered unto the people before their idols and +caused the house of Israel (Christendom) to fall into iniquity. They shall +bear their iniquity.--Ezek. 44:10-14; 45:5; 48:13-14. + +The Ancient Worthies (the Prince), who in the Jewish Age were faithful +unto death amid incredible trials of faith (Heb. 11), will during the +1,000 years be of the perfect human nature, and will be on earth the +visible leaders and rulers of mankind.--Ezek. 44:1-3; 45:7-17, 21-25; +46:16-18; 48:21-22. + +The servants of the city will be of the perfect human nature, and engaged +in the multifarious duties of a world wide government. They will be taken +from amongst mankind. Some are spoken of as servants and some as sons of +the Ancient Worthies.--Ezek. 48:18-19; 46:16-18. + +The people of the Kingdom will be first the resurrected Hebrews, making +progress during the 1,000 years toward human perfection, but who in +previous ages had not been consecrated to God and had been far astray from +Him. (Romans 1.)--Ezek. 43:7-9; 44:6-12, 15, 19, 23-30; 45:6-21; 46:1-3, +9-10; 47:13-14; 48:11, 18-19, 23-29. + +The "strangers" will be the resurrected billions of humanity, not Jews, +who gaining the heart circumcision of a conscience cleansed by the blood +of Jesus, shall be as though born to the same conditions as the Hebrews. +None of them shall have part in the direct service of God.--Ezek. 44:9; +47:22-23; Zech. 14:20-21; Numbers 31:47; Joel 3:17; Joshua 9:22-27; Rev. +21:27. + +Sanctuary and Outer Court.--The Sanctuary will be the entire enclosure +devoted to the Divine service. According to Ezekiel 45:2 the exterior wall +is around a square of 500 cubits, and by 42:16-20 it is 500 _reeds_, or +3,000 cubits square; but the latter is translated "cubits" in the +Septuagint, and the former agrees minutely with the internal measurements. +About the outer court of 500 cubits square will be a border or suburb 50 +cubits wide to separate the Sanctuary from the surrounding land. (Ezek. +42:20.) The outer court types the condition of the Ancient Worthies and of +the Hebrews and the world of mankind, the former of actually perfect +humanity, and the latter of a perfect heart condition and striving toward +human perfection. This court will be at an elevation above the surrounding +land and will be reached by seven steps, symbolizing the human perfection, +actual or heart, of those that enter the court. It will be surrounded by a +wall one reed high and a reed thick. The wall types Christ in the Ancient +Worthies, who will constitute the embodiment of the Divinely appointed +wall of faith about the Sanctuary. The reed indicates the full measure of +the Divine Word as regards the human nature.--Ezek. 40:6, 17-19, 22-23, 27, +34; 42:1, 7-9, 14-20; 43:1-5; 44:1-3, 19; 45:1-2; 46:19-24. + + [Illustration] + + Figure 3. The Sanctuary + + + [Illustration] + + Figure 4. The Temple + + + [Illustration] + + Figure 5. + + + [Illustration] + + Figure 6. One Of The Outer Court Gates + + + [Illustration] + + Figure 7. Section Through Most Holy Across The Sanctuary + + +Inner Court.--The inner court will be an enclosure toward the rear or west +of the outer court, 200 cubits wide by 300 deep. It types the spirit-born +condition of the Great Company (Levites), and is at an elevation of eight +steps, symbolizing by one step the change to spirit nature and by seven +steps the perfection of that nature--perfect, though not the highest +nature. Its wall represents Christ in the Great Company, and the absence +of dimensions for the wall represents that "it doth not yet appear" what +the spirit nature is like. Both inner and outer courts will be adorned +with colonnades of pillars, probably along the inner border of the +pavements, typing those on each plane of being who shall be "pillars in +the house of Jehovah."--Ezekiel 40:27, 28, 34, 37, 39-47; 42:2-4; 43:4-5; +44:17-18, 21, 25-27; 46:19-24. + +The Temple.--The Temple building (Figure 4) will be toward the rear and +reaching to within 50 cubits of the rear of the inner court. It will be on +a platform 60 cubits wide by 100 deep. This types the condition of the +Little Flock, born from the dead to the nature of God. It will be elevated +one reed above the inner court, representing that the Divine nature is the +full measure of the Word of God above any other spirit nature, "far above +angels, principalities and powers." Its infinite height above other +natures is indicated by the fact that the number of steps up to it is not +stated, for it is an immeasurable, infinite elevation. (41:8-11.) The +Temple will be entered by a porch, and will contain "the holy" twenty by +forty cubits, and the "Most Holy" or "oracle" twenty cubits square, inside +measurement. These rooms type the glorious condition of the Christ, Head +and Body, of the nature of God. That the person being shown tills did not +enter the Most Holy (Ez. 41:3, 4) suggests that it is not given to know +yet "what we shall be," in that condition where "the glory of Jehovah +filled the house."--Ezek. 41:1-2, 43:5. + +Pavements and Open Ways.--The outer and inner courts will not be simple +inclosures, as was the Tabernacle court, but each will include a bordering +space, or pavement, 50 cubits wide, occupied by gates, buildings, and +passage ways, typing conditions and activities in the condition typed by +the inclosure. That embraced by the outer court will be the "lower +pavement." (40:17-18.) This will contain the east, north and south gates +of the outer court, and four corner courts where the Levites will bake and +boil the sacrifices of the people. It will also contain 30 chambers, +typing that number of conditions or activities among those resurrected and +perfected or progressing toward human perfection. Each of the four corner +courts upon the lower pavement will be 30 by 40 cubits in size and will be +surrounded by a row of structures under which will be the boiling places +for the preparation of their sacrifices to be eaten by the people. (Ezek. +46:21-24.) At the center of the east, north and south lower pavements will +be the outer gates, like covered corridors or lobbies extending entirely +across the 50-cubit pavement to the outer court proper, as shown in Figure +3. + +The corresponding 50-cubit pavement of the inner court is not definitely +termed a pavement, but the name is inferred from the designation "lower +pavement" for the outer court pavement. It will contain the inner court +gate, and buildings for certain activities of the priests and the Levites. +The inner court 50-cubit pavement leaves an inner space of 100 cubits +square--the inner court proper--facing the Temple and with the brazen altar +in the middle. This 100-cubit-wide area will extend west about the Temple +platform, surrounding it on the north, west and south, with an open space +20 cubits wide, called "the separate place." On the upper pavement, +flanking the Temple north and south, and of the same length--100 cubits--as +the Temple, will be two buildings on each side for the priests, called the +"priests' chambers." These buildings will be separated from each other by +a 10-cubit walk along the center line of the upper pavement. The outer of +each of the two pairs of "priests' chambers" will be 50 cubits long, half +the length of the inner buildings. These are located on the upper +pavement. At the rear or west end of the upper pavement will be little +square courts, similar to the corner courts of the lower pavement, and +used by the priests for boiling and baking the sacrifices eaten by the +priests.--Ezek. 40:17-18; 41:10-15; 42:1-14; 45:2; 46:19-24. + +The lesser elevation of the plane of these pavements, courts and ways, +types the lower plane of Spiritual being of the persons, and their +activities type things to be done on that plane. + +Chambers and Galleries for Priests.--In the inner court near the north gate +will be a chamber (Fig 3, D) with a door looking toward the south, and one +near the east gate with its door looking toward the north. These will be +for the Priestly singers, the sweet singers in Israel, the Little Flock, +singing to God and to the people concerning the Kingdom blessings. These +immortal ones will sing the praises of God for His goodness to those in +the spirit phase (north) of the Kingdom, and for the blessings flowing +from Christ's ransom altar (east gate) through restitution to those in the +earthly (south) phase of the Kingdom.--Ezek. 40:44-46. + +On the north and on the south pavements of the inner court flanking the +Temple will be the two pairs of parallel priests' chambers (Figures 3 and +5), in each pair the inner building 100 cubits long and the outer 50 +cubits. They will be three stories high, the top story narrower than the +others and leaving galleries facing each other across the 10-cubit way +between them, into which their doors will open one on each side of the +way. In these chambers, lighted by narrow windows the priests will lay the +most holy things, and eat the most holy things, including the meat, sin +and trespass offerings of prince and people in the Millennial Age; +humanity having been bought by Christ will make the consecration of +themselves and their all to Christ, Head and Body. The Christ (priest) +will accept their consecrations (lay them in the priests' chambers) and +appropriate them to themselves (eat the offerings). In the sacred +conditions represented by the priests' chambers the priests will have +their feasts of love, as they rejoice over the consecrated efforts of +earth's billions in their progress toward human perfection, and +thereafter. When the priests come out to the outer court with the people +they will change the holy garments they wore in the priest's chambers and +put on other garments. The holy garments type the promises and Word of God +as concerns the Divine immortal nature, and the other garments will be the +Word and covenant of God as respects things concerning the people and +their restitution hopes and blessings.--Ezek. 42:1-14; 44:19, 29-30; 46:19 +20. + +The Temple will be built with double walls all around, except the porch in +front (Figures 3, 4 and 5). This will leave a space within the walls +termed the "side chambers," in three stories reached by winding stairs, +and reaching up set quite to the top of the Temple inner wall. Each story +will be divided into 30 rooms. The second story rooms will be wider than +the first, and the third story wider than the second. This will be +accomplished by making the thick walls thinner each story up. The floor +beams will rest, not in the walls, but on the recessions of thickness with +each story. No function is stated by Ezekiel, but the similar side +chambers in Solomon's Temple were utilized for keeping Temple treasures +and vessels. In antitype the Temple is the Church, the Christ, Head and +Body, and in the chambers of memory of the Divine Christ will be stored up +not only the character treasures of oil and incense and of gold and silver +and precious stones laid up in Heaven during the Gospel Age, but also the +like treasures offered by mankind throughout the Millennial Age. Only the +priests will have access to these treasures and the Little Flock will +forever guard these most precious offerings. The three stories, each +wider, suggest the character treasures laid up by those on the three +planes, Human, Spirit, and Divine.--Ezek. 41:5-9; 1 Kings 6:5-10; 2 Chron. +3:9. + +The Ezekiel Temple represents God's finished work. The Holy does not type +the spirit-begotten condition, but rather the _memory of it_ as a Divinely +accomplished work--for the experiences of the spirit-begotten condition +will never be lost. The Most Holy types the accomplished Divine nature. No +furniture appears in either of these sacred chambers, except in the Holy, +an altar of a kind of wood not stated--an altar designated as "This is the +table that is before Jehovah." If it is to be the same as is in Solomon's +Temple it will be cedar--type of immortality, the Divine nature. No mention +is made of offerings at this altar, for the time of the Christ's sacrifice +will be past. The interior of both chambers will be sheathed with +wood--presumably cedar, type of immortality--up to the narrow windows at the +top of the inner wall of the Temple. The interior decorations of palm +trees, alternating with two-faced cherubim, with the faces of a lion and +of a man, type that the purpose and concern of God's glorious Temple will +be the administration of the affairs of perfect righteous men (palm trees) +under the joint auspices of Divine Justice and Love. If the two-leaved +doors into the Holy and the Most Holy are to be of the same wood as in +Solomon's Temple, they will be of olive, type of the peace of God that +passeth understanding for those privileged to enter through the door of +Christ.--Ezek. 41:13-25. + +Back of, or west of the rear of the Temple, and separated from it by the +twenty cubits of the separate place will be the western building, a +structure of inside dimensions 70 by 90 cubits and with walls 5 cubits +thick, making the outside dimensions 80 by 100, or including the 20-cubit +separate place, 100 cubits square, indicating the Divine perfection of the +class represented by it. This is not connected in any way with the altar +or the Holy or Most Holy, and its use is not stated. It answers the +description of such a class of beings as the angels.--Ezek. 41:12-13. + +Chambers for the Levites.--Certain chambers will be set apart for the +activities of the Levites. Near the outer door of the north gate of the +inner court (a work done by the spirit phase of the Kingdom) on the upper +pavement will be a chamber where the Levite will wash the burnt offerings +of the people. In the porch or lobby of the same gate will be four tables +of hewn stone, each 1-1/2 cubits square by a cubit high, on which will be +laid the instruments for slaying the sacrifices, and whereon the +sacrifices will be slain and their flesh laid out. In the outer court +outside the inner court gate and beside the steps leading up to the gate, +will be the four more tables for slaying the sacrifices, two on each side +of the steps. In antitype, the offerers will make or renew the +consecration of themselves, under the various required conditions, and +will be accepted by the Great Company (Levites) who will act between the +people and the Little Flock (priests). The utter consecration of the +persons, typed by the death of the animals, will be supervised and +directed by the Great Company, and the offerers will endeavor to conform +themselves to the character pattern, suggested by the cut stone of the +tables and the resting of the flesh and the slaughter instruments upon the +tables. Those offering themselves in heartfelt consecration as an +expression of their thankfulness to God (burnt offering) will be cleansed +in character by the teachings of the Word of God (washed with water) +imparted by the Great Company (Levites).--Ezek. 40:39-43. + +Certain of their offerings the people are to eat, figuring their +assimilation in their very beings of the consecrations made. This process +will not be without fiery trials, ameliorated by the Word of God (hot +water), chastenings at the hands of the Great Company (Levites)--typed by +the boiling of the sacrifices by the Levites preparatory to their being +eaten by the people. This activity of the Great Company is typed in the +boiling places at the courts in the corners of the lower pavement.--Ezek. +46:21-24. + +Further activities by the Levites of thirty kinds in behalf of or in +cooperation with the people, may be typed in the thirty chambers along the +lower pavement of the outer court.--Ezek. 40:17-18. + +Gates, Doors, Porches, etc.--In the Tabernacle the gate, the door and the +veil, all facing the east, typed Christ and in a certain sense those in +Him. None might enter these holy entrances except those having to do, as +actual or probationary, participants in the sin offering. So in the +Ezekiel Temple, in connection with the east gate of the outer and inner +courts is pictured the entrance of those in previous ages having to do +with the fiery sufferings connected with the sin offering--the Little Flock +and the Ancient Worthies. The Little Flock is depicted as the glory of God +entering by the east gate of the outer court and the east gate of the +inner court, and finally into the Temple (Ezek. 43:1-5), typing the +progress of the Christ Body through Christ Jesus, as the way (gate) into +imputed human perfection (outer court) through the "change" to the Spirit +plane (inner court) and up to the immeasurable exaltation of the nature of +God (Temple). After the full entrance of the Body of Christ the outer gate +shall be shut, and no one shall enter except the Ancient Worthies, who +were privileged to enter their honorable estate by the door of self- +sacrifice unto death. (Ezek. 44:1-3.) In the condition of being in Christ, +in the mind of Christ, the Ancient Worthies shall "sit", communing with +Christ and with God, assimilating the Word of God (eating), which shall +strengthen them for their stupendous task of the government and +regeneration of the whole world of mankind. + +The eastern gate of the inner court, the way to the Divine nature through +sacrifice, will be closed after the entrance of the glory of God, the Body +of Christ, in whom God dwells, and no one shall ever enter therein, as +pictured in the parable of the foolish virgins. (Z. '05-267; Ezek. 46:1). +In this gate, in Christ, at the very inner door of the gate, having met +all the conditions qualifying for entrance upon the spirit nature, +throughout the Millennium, God's seventh day (the Sabbath), and the day of +the New Covenant (new moon), the Ancient Worthies will have their +standing. There in intimate communion with the glorified Christ they will +make their thankful consecrations of themselves and their vows fulfill +(burnt and peace offerings), having their standing in Him Whom they +preceded in suffering, and Whom they follow in time and place.--Ezek. +46:1-8, 12. + +Entrance at the north or south gates of the inner or outer courts +signifies, not participation in, but benefit from the Sin Offering. The +gate looking toward the north (spirit phase) types the looking toward the +Divinely provided ransom. It will be where the people will present their +sacrifices, and figures their consecrations and their acknowledgment of +the altar, the blood of Jesus Christ. The gate looking toward the south +will look figuratively toward restitution. Those entering it, too, will +acknowledge the blood, for in entering it they will face directly toward +the altar. On the solemn feast days, the people and the Prince entering +the north gate must not go out by the same gate, but by the south gate, +and vice versa. This types that every one entering the plane of actual or +heart perfection on the human plane must acknowledge that the restitution +(south) blessings were brought by the spiritually (north) provided blood +of the Redeemer.--Ezek. 40:20-31; 44:4-6; 46:9-10. + +The typical importance of the gates, doors and porches is emphasized in +Ezekiel 44:5 "Mark well, and behold with thine eyes (of understanding), +and hear with thine ears (of spiritual hearing), all that I shall say +(write) unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of Jehovah, +and the laws thereof, and mark well the entering in of the house, with +every going forth of the Sanctuary." + +The court gates (Figure 6) will be hallways crossing the 50-cubit +pavements. The size will be 50 by 25 cubits. The outer court gate will be +entered from a flight of seven steps over the outer threshold through a +door. The narrow hallway will be flanked by six little chambers projecting +out one cubit into the hallway, three in a side, and will end over an +inner threshold in a porch or lobby, frequently translated "arch", from +which an inner door will open into the court. The inner court gate will be +of identical but reversed construction, the porch or lobby coming first. +The interior will be dimly lighted by narrow windows. The walls along the +hallway--the posts--will be adorned with palm trees, reminders, +antitypically, that the purpose of the entire sanctuary is to promote the +glory of God by the restoration of mankind to perfection (palms). The six +little chambers type six conditions to be complied with by those actually +or at heart on the perfect human plane, the size of the chambers--one reed +square--signifying that each of these conditions embraces the full measure +of the Word of God (reed)--perfect requirement in that respect.--Ezek. +40:6-43; 43:1-4; 44:1-5; 46:1-12. + +The porch of each gate and of the Temple types Christ, as the +resurrection--"I am the resurrection." In the outer court gates the person +entering will pass the little chambers first and the porch afterward, +typing that during the Times of Restitution the world of mankind will meet +the conditions before being fully resurrected to perfection. In the inner +court gates the porch will come first, signifying that the person is first +raised to the spirit condition and then is developed. In connection with +the Temple porch there will be no little chambers, typing that the Little +Flock will have met all the conditions before their exaltation.--Ezek. +40:8-9, 16, 20-22, 24-26, 33-36, 39-43, 48-49; 41:23-26. + +The entrance to the Temple will be through a lofty porch, flanked by two +great pillars. These pillars will be suggestively named, as in Solomon's +Temple, the right one, Jachin (He shall establish) and the left one, Boaz +(In it is strength). In these inspiring reminders are seen the mighty +strength of The Christ, possessors of all power in Heaven and in earth, +with which God through them will establish His Kingdom.--1 Kings 7:13-22. + +The priests' chambers on the upper pavement of the Inner court will be +entered by a separate gate and separate stairs from the outer court, +suggesting that the entree to the love feasts of the Little Flock will be +exclusively for them alone. (Ezek. 46:19). The gates of the city will be +twelve in number, three on a side, and each named for one of the twelve +tribes.--Ezek. 48:31-34. + +The Altars.--As the entire Plan of salvation centers about the ransom +sacrifice of Jesus Christ, so at the mathematical center of the Ezekiel +Temple will be the great brazen altar, with its rites, and offerings, and +the blood, typing the ransom and the antitypical sin offering. It will be +at the center of both the outer court and of the inner court, and of the +priests' land and of the land divided among the tribes, typical of the +world. The court gates will all point toward it, and facing it will be the +steps, porch, and outer and inner doors of the Temple. The construction +and dimensions of the altar are given in Fig. 7. The brazen altar will be +4x12x12 cubits; it will be reached by stairsteps from the east, and will +rest upon two borders or "settles," respectively, 4x14x14 cubits and +2x16x16 cubits, the lower of which will rest upon a bottom or foundation +1x18x18 cubits. The Tabernacle altar was 3x5x5 cubits, the dimensions +suggesting incompleteness, as compared with the numerical symbolism of the +Ezekiel altar. This altar types the completed work of the Sin Offering and +will be seen to be of far greater magnitude and importance than even the +eye of faith can now perceive while the suffering work is in process. Its +elevation by the bottom and two settles suggests the lofty exaltation of +The Christ who participated in the Sin Offering far above the +beneficiaries from the blood--the Great Company and the perfected world of +humanity. It will be approached by stairs to the height of the base of the +altar proper, typing that the evidence of the sacrifices by the offerers +will be carried into Heaven itself.--Ezek. 40:44-47; 43:13-27; 45:18-20; +47:1. + +The Offerings.--The various offerings typify the following: + +A burnt offering will be a thankful prayer to God, acknowledging His +mercy, wisdom and love as manifested in the broken Body of the offerer's +great Ransomer. + +A peace offering will be the fulfilment of a vow or a willing thank +offering; the offerer eating the sacrifice will be his appropriation to +himself of the consecration; with it he will eat certain things such as +unleavened cakes, oil and anointed wafers, signifying his faith in +Christ's character which he will copy. + +A trespass offering signifies reconsecration in connection with +restoration for wrong, with recognition of the offerer's imperfection and +the value of the ransom. + +A meat offering of fine flour, unleavened cakes, oil, etc., signifies the +consecration of the offerer's all, the sample burned on the altar meaning +the consecration's approval and acceptance by Jehovah. + +The sin offering will be an acknowledgment of past sins and of the +application of the merit of the Ransom, with repentance and reconsecration +of the offerer. + +Defilement and Cleansing.--There will be defilement of individuals and the +past defilement of the whole world. The general defilements involving +all--referring in part to the typical location of the palace of Solomon and +the kings, close to the Temple--are Christendom's defilement of God's holy +name by their erroneous teachings about Him and by the lives of those evil +clergy and laity who presumed to bear His name; their "whoredoms," or +unhallowed union of church and state; their permitting of prominent +persons--clergy and laity--who were dead in trespasses and sins, to assume +elevated places in the worship of God; their conjoining the entrance into +the Temple class (a church) with entrance into places of influence; their +establishing the same wall of living members of the churches as the wall +of business and the state; their encouraging unconsecrated persons, not +spirit-begotten, to serve in the holy things in the church as teachers and +clergy; their breaking their covenant, made solemnly with God in their +consecrations; and their not keeping the charge of the Divine Word of +truth but hiring paid clergymen to look after it for them. The great mass +of the Spirit begotten (Levites) had gone astray from God after their man- +made idols of earthly honor, power and wealth; and they had served the +evil tendencies of church members in their idol worship. Between the +people and the clergy every conceivable abomination in the sight of God +had been practiced, and will require cleansing and a wholesome memory of +it, to safeguard against future outbreaks and to manifest continual +appreciation of the holiness of any service of God.--Ezek. 43:7-9; 44:6-14. + +Times for Offerings.--The times of certain offerings, as on the sabbaths +and new moons, type that the Jews and the world might not effectively +consecrate themselves until the Millennial Age--God's seventh Day and the +time of the New Covenant. (Ezek. 44:24; 45:17.) The sacrifices by the +prince for all the people on the first month, first day, type the +universal consecrations during the first 1,000-year Day of blessing for +mankind, when all consciences will be cleansed by the application of +Christ's merit. Those on the Seventh day type the same consecration during +the Millennium regarded as God's great seventh Sabbatical thousand year +Day, when sinners and the simple minded will be cleansed from sin and set +right. (Ezek. 45:20.) On the fourteenth day the celebration of the +passover memorial, and the seven-day feast thereafter, picture the +memorial of the Lamb of God and the feast of thankfulness and consecration +for the fulness of the New Covenant forever (Ezek. 45:21-24); that on the +fifteenth of the seventh month, and for seven days, type the application +of Christ's merit through the Sin Offering and the thankfulness and +consecration of the people in the Spirit, eternally thereafter. (Ezek. +45:25.) The sacrifices and worship of prince and people at the east gate, +on the sabbaths and the new moons, figure the consecrations and +reconsecrations of Ancient Worthies and people throughout the 1,000-year +Day of Restitution.--Ezek. 46:1-11. + +At any time the Ancient Worthies representing the people also may, of +their own free will express their thankfulness and celebrate the +fulfilment of their consecration vows, signifying this as their continuing +state of mind. (Ezek. 46:12). The daily burnt and meat offering for the +nation, morning and evening, signify the continued thankful consecrating +of all classes on all planes of being in memory of and through, "the Lamb +of God which taketh away the sin of the world." (Ezek. 46:13-15). +Throughout the Millennial Age this Little Flock will necessarily be in +contact with defiling and death-dealing error in some, with whom they are +intimately connected, in process of restoration to human perfection; by +the close of the great seventh Day, before the eighth Day the application +of the merit of the Sin Offering will have cleansed or destroyed, all such +cases and The Christ will no more have to be in touch with such +defilements. (Ezek. 44:25-27). Offerings to cleanse the altar with blood +type the memory that the altar class--The Christ, Head and Body--were +cleansed by the blood, and that all offerings are sanctified by the blood. +(Ezek. 43:18-27). Salt cast upon the offerings types the preserving power +of the Word.--Ezek. 43:23-44. + +Throughout the Millennium the world of mankind are to regard the perfect +human condition toward which they are progressing, as their inalienable +possession, "bought by the blood." No ruler, or other power, is to +interfere with this right, nor teach them otherwise. (Ezek. 46:13; 48:29.) +The Hebrews, the original beneficiaries, are to welcome the rest of +mankind and treat them as of their own number.--Ezek. 47:22-23. + +They are to submit loyally to the rulership of The Christ, Head and body, +and to that of the Divinely appointed earthly phase of government. (Ezek. +44:24; 45:6.) They are to receive the instructions of the Christ.--Ezek. +44:23. + +Through the Ancient Worthies, the rulers of the earthly phase, the people +are at heart to consecrate their all, typed by offerings of tenths or +multiple thereof. (Ezek. 45:13-25.) To The Christ they are to consecrate +their hearts' best endeavors, their firstfruits, and everything which they +dedicate by vow or consecration. (Ezek. 44:29-30.) The Great Company they +are to love, and to them they must be loyal.--Deut. 14:27-29. + +The people must be thoroughly cleansed in conscience. (Ezek. 44:9). They +are to put away all their former defilements and abominations and are to +worship and serve God throughout the Times of Restitution and thereafter, +observing that holy period as a solemn feast to the Lord. (Ezek. 43:6-7; +46:1-3, 9-10; 45:17.) They are to consecrate themselves daily, with +thankfulness, with repentance and restitution for sin, and with vows +fulfilled.--Ezek. 44:29-30; 45:1, 13-25; 46:19-24; Zech. 14:20-21. + +Duties of Prince.--The duties of the ruling Ancient Worthies will be: to +remove violence and exploitation, execute judgment and justice and take +away all former exactions imposed upon the people. (Ezek. 45:8-9). They +are to see that the commercial intercourse of the people is on a just and +equal basis for all. (Ezek. 45:10-12). They will receive taxes or +offerings from the people, with special attention to the spiritual +offerings symbolized by the things offered. (Ezek. 45:13-16). The land +they are to keep holy, as they will their own condition of favored +perfection, symbolized by the land. (Ezek. 48:21-22). Certain ones for +special merit--such as any during the Gospel Age who lived up to their +consecrations as mere believers, not being taught the things of the +Spirit, and as those through devoted loyalty making special progress +during the Millennium--they may cause to have the same honored position as +themselves, which will be permanent if the recipients manifest the spirit +of sonship, but lasting only to the close of the 1,000 years to those +failing to show this spirit. (Ezek. 46:16-17). They will be privileged, as +favored participants in the application of the Sin Offering merit, to go +in and out of the outer court east gate--as in the place of Christ--and +there to feed upon the meat in due season from Christ's bounty. (Ezek. +44:1-3). In all holy things they are to be the leaders of the people. +(Ezek. 46:9-10). They are, during the entire Millennial Age--God's +sabbath--to make offerings (Ezek. 45:17-25) of thankfulness, praise and +recognition of the ransom, directly through the Christ with whom they +shall be in intimate relations.--Ezek. 46:1-12. + +Duties and Privileges of Levites.--On account of Gospel Age disloyalty the +Great Company, while enjoying the Spirit nature (Numb. 18:23-24), will +occupy an inferior place as servants--not priests--in the service of God. +(Ezek. 44:10-14). Their lower nature on the spirit plane will be +inalienable and unchangeable. (Ezek. 48:13-14). Rather than serve in the +Temple at all, they are to render service at the various gates, for +whatever functions are typed at or by the gates. (Ezek. 44:11). Rather +than do the direct service of Jehovah, they will continue as in the Gospel +Age when they courted and served the desires and lusts of the people--to +serve directly and perpetually the people rather than the direct interests +of their God. (Ezek. 44:11-12). They shall not come near to God nor +approach to an appreciation of the things of the Divine nature, but they +shall do whatever menial services there may be given them by the Little +Flock to do. (Ezek. 44:13-14.) It will be their part to receive and make +effective the consecrations of the people, to cleanse them with the water +of the Word, and to administer the stripes and chastening, many or few, +tempered by the water of the Word, whereby the people may thoroughly +assimilate (eat) the significance of their consecrations. They may +possibly restore the literal sacrifices of animals as object lessons (Z. +'05-269).--Ezek. 40:35-43; 46:21-24. + +Duties and Privileges of the Priests.--The Little Flock, the Church, will +enjoy the nature of God, who Himself, in His nature, will be their +inheritance and possession. (Ezek. 44:27-28, Numbers 18:20.) They will +serve the Divine purposes in direct and intimate contact with their +Father, Jehovah, and will continue to keep the charge of God's holy +doctrines and truths, as they faithfully kept it during the Gospel Age. +(Ezek. 40:46; 44:15-16; 45:4; 48:10-12.) They will continue having charge +of God's house, His Church, His people. (40:44-45; 44:8.) They will be in +various grades of honor (houses), as "star differeth from star in glory." +(Ezek. 45:4.) They alone will have the privilege of entering the Divine +Temple, or Christ class. (Ezek. 44:15-16.) They will forever regard their +blessed condition most holy, most consecrated to Jehovah. (Ezek. 48:12.) +They will keep the law of Divine Love in all its manifestations and judge +the people according to that exalted standard (Ezek. 44:24, Deut. +17:8-13); teach all mankind to know the pattern of true godliness in all +its particulars and to discern between holy and secular, good and evil +(Ezek. 43:10-12; 44:23); sanctify and bless humanity according to the +Oath-bound Abrahamic Covenant on terms of willing obedience. (Ezek. 44:19, +30; 46:19-20.) These priests will make union with and make fruitful the +various covenants and promises (wives) by God, avoiding those not Divinely +approved. (Ezek. 44:22; Lev. 21:7, 13-14.) They will receive tithes of the +Levites. (Numbers 18:25-32.) All dedicated things will belong to them--that +is, all covenants, vows and consecration of the people will be made to the +Christ. (Ezek. 44:29-30; Josh. 6:19; Lev. 27:20-34; Numbers 18:8-20.) +Theirs will be the charge of the altar--of applying the merit of Christ to +the people (Ezek. 40:44-46), and they alone shall make the offering to +God, declare the Divine forgiveness and approval of the people and of +their consecrations.--Ezek. 43:18-27; 44:15-16, 25-27; 45:18-25; 46:1-7, +11-24. + +The Life-Giving River.--The benefits of Divine Love flowing to save and +bless all the willing and obedient of mankind are pictured in the Life- +Giving River. From underneath the threshold, the place of rulership, the +Throne of The Christ (Rev. 22:1), the water of the Word of Divine Love +flows forth. Under the favor of the Church (right of Temple) the truth +about the loving mercy through the blood of Jesus Christ (altar) is for +the restitution of all in the earthly (south) phase of the Kingdom. (D. +650, 655; Z. '05-269; Z. '99-196; Ezek. 47:1.) Through Christ, the Gate, +with all His loving favor (right) it flows toward the Sun-rise. (Ezek. +47:2.) The same one--Pastor Russell--who measured the race for the mark of +the prize, with the line of Divine Righteousness (love, "the fulfilling of +the law"), measured also the requirements for character attainment of the +Millennial Age. One who will have that degree of love, which is duty love +to God and man, even though reaching the utmost fulness of the measure of +Divine Justice (1,000 cubits), will be as it were, only up to the ankles +in the stream. He who attains the fulness of the Divine standard as to +love for God, for His glorious character, will be in the stream to his +knees. He who shall reach the fulness of love for the "least" brethren of +that Age will be up to the loins; but he who so acquires the spirit of +Divine Love, as to love all, including his enemies, will have reached the +utmost fulness of love. (Ezek. 47:2-5.) Any that appreciate this, see the +full purpose of Divine Love. It is important--"Son of man, hast thou seen +this?" (Ezek. 47:6.) This is the love that will insure the healing of the +sin-sick, anarchistic world lying in a deadness like the Dead Sea. (A. +318, D. 653, Z. '99-196, Ezek. 47:7-8.) Whoever becomes immersed in the +fulness of Divine Love shall thereby gain life; and for everyone +everywhere, to whom the water comes, there shall be life. (E. _357_, 335; +C. 214; Ezek. 47:9.) In connection with the gospel of the fulness of +Divine Love there shall be a multitude of fishers of men to spread the net +of the gospel of glad tidings of great joy for exceeding many. (C. 215, +Ezek. 47:10.) But the people who are hopelessly polluted with worldliness +(miry places) and those impregnated beyond saving with miasmas of iniquity +(marshes) shall not be healed even when "brought to an accurate knowledge +of the truth." (Ezek. 47:11.) And the stream of the truth of Divine Love +shall cause many righteous ones to come up (Dan. 12:3) whose loving +teachings shall never be forgotten nor its character fruitage ever pass +away; for they shall bring forth continued fruitage, because of the Divine +Truth of perfect love coming to them out of Zion, the glorified Church. +And the character fruitage shall forever be for spiritual food (John 4:34) +and the teachings (leaves) for the healing of all the willing and obedient +of the sin-sick world of mankind.--Z. '05-269; Matt. 10:8; Mal. 4:2; Ezek. +47:12. + + ------------------------------------- + + + "Come all ye saints to Pisgah's mountain, + Come view our Home beyond the tide: + Millennial Canaan is before us, + Soon we'll sing on the other side. + O there see the 'white Throne of glory,' + And crowns which the saints then shall gain; + And all who shall love Christ's appearing, + Shall be blessed by His glorious reign. + + Thence springs of life will e'er be flowing, + Robing the earth in living green. + Visions of beauty rise before us + When the King and the saints shall reign. + Soon our conflicts and toils will be ended; + We'll be tried and tempted no more, + And mankind of all Ages and nations + Shall be blessed in that triumphant hour. + + Faith now beholds salvation's River, + Gliding from underneath the Throne, + Bearing its life to whomsoever + Will return to his Father's Home. + They will walk 'mid the trees by the rivers, + With the friends they have loved by their side; + They will sing the glad songs of salvation. + And be ready to follow their Guide. + O! the prospect! it is so transporting, + Reapers, hasten the gath'ring, we pray; + We rejoice in the glory that's promised, + And the dawn of Millennial Day." + + + + + +ADVERTISEMENTS + + + + +"Go Ye Also Into The Vineyard" + + +"_He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit._" _John 4:36._ + +All interested in the subjects of this volume, and who consider its +presentations to be "meat in due season," will feel more or less +constrained to become servants of the truth, and to bear the "things new +and old" to yet others of the "Household of Faith." 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If you can afford to pay, the price is $1 (4s.) a year. + +We have various helps for Bible study, which we supply to all who are on +our Watch Tower list at extremely low prices--these include various +translations of the Bible, Concordances, etc., and especially the +SCRIPTURE STUDIES--"THE BIBLE KEYS." + +Colporteuring And Loaning The "Studies." + +Some have numbers of friends to whom they take pleasure in supplying the +Studies _gratis_; others keep a quantity at hand which they constantly +loan out amongst their friends, after the manner of a circulating library; +and still others enter the Colporteur work, as being one of the most +favorable opportunities to them for serving the truth to others, traveling +from town to town introducing the "Bible Keys," soliciting orders and +delivering the books. Our Society does all in its power to facilitate +these various methods of circulating the truth, encouraging each to serve +the cause to the extent of his zeal and ability, according to his own +preference; assisting in the matter very materially by supplying the books +at remarkably low prices. See page 2 of THE WATCH TOWER for wholesale +rates to subscribers, and if the Colporteur work appeals to you, write for +"Hints to Colporteurs." + +We shall be glad to hear from you, and to cooeperate with you, and we +assure you that you will find a blessing in every sacrifice you may make +on behalf of the truth. Very truly, Your fellow-servants, + +Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, + +Brooklyn, N. Y., U. S. A. + +Branches:--London, W.; Elberfeld, Melbourne, Copenhagen, Orebro, +Christiana, Geneva, Yokohama. + + + + +"Both the Houses of Israel" + + +Correspondencies Of The Mosaic And Christian Dispensations. + +Israel After the Flesh Israel After the Spirit +A House of Servants. 1 Cor. A House of Sons. Gal. 4:5, 6, +10:18; Rom. 9:7, 8; 4:16; Heb. 7, 30, 31; 6:15, 16; John +3:5. 1:12; Rom. 8:15. +Founded in Jacob's Twelve Founded in Jesus' Twelve +Sons. 1 Kings 18:31. Apostles. Rev. 21:14. +A Kingdom and Priesthood, A A Royal Priesthood, A Holy +Holy Nation. Exod. 19:6. Nation. 1 Pet. 2:5, 9. +Aaron, Fleshly High-Priest. Jesus, The Spiritual High- +Heb. 9:7. Priest. Heb. 9:11. +Circumcision of the Flesh. Circumcision of the Heart. +Rom. 2:28, 29. Rom. 2:28, 29. +Law of Sin and Death. Rom. Law of the Spirit of Life in +8:2. Christ Jesus. Rom 8:2. +Earthly Promises. Gen. "Better Promises". Heb. 9:23; +13:14-17; Acts 7:2-5. 11:40. +In Captivity To Literal In Captivity To Mystic +Babylon. 2 Chron. 36:20. Babylon. Rev. 17:5; 18:4. +Length of Favor 1845 Years, Length of Favor 1845 Years, +From Jacob's Death to Israel's From Jesus' Death to the +Rejection and the Beginning of Beginning of Christ's Reign +Spiritual Israel, A. D. 33. and the Rejection of Babylon, + A. D. 1878. +The Nominal System Cast Off, The Nominal System Spewed Out, +A. D. 33. Matt. 23:38. A. D. 1878. Rev. 3:16. +40 Years in Falling, to A. D. 40 Years in Falling, to A. D. +73. 1918. +The end of the age. A harvest The end of the age. A harvest +of 40 years. Luke 10:9, 16. of 40 years, Matt. 13:24-30, + 36-43. +Our Lord's Presence and the Our Lord's Presence and the +Sacrificial Character of His Sacrificial Character of His +Death, the Stumbling-Stone. Death, the Stumbling-Stone. + + + + +The Watch Tower And Herald Of Christ's Presence + + +This journal, founded by the author of Scripture Studies, should regularly +visit all who have the slightest interest in the topics discussed in this +and the other volumes of the _Scripture Studies_ series. It is issued +twice a month, 16 pages, at one dollar (4s.) a year in advance. + +That _none_ of the interested may be without it, the arrangement is that +those who need may have it on credit on application, while those too poor +to pay may receive it regularly _free_ by stating the facts and making +request each December. All new tracts are sent to THE WATCH TOWER list +which it is desired shall represent all interested in Present Truth, the +"Harvest" message. + +Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, + +BROOKLYN, N. Y., U. S. A. + +Branches:--London, W.; Elberfeld, Melbourne, Copenhagen, Orebro, +Christiana, Geneva, Yokohama. + +This Society never solicits donations, but it uses voluntary contributions +as wisely and economically as possible in the propagation of Christian +knowledge along the lines presented in _Scripture Studies_. It yearly +circulates tons of tracts and papers free, through the mails and through +voluntary agents. + +It justifies that portion of its name which relates to the Bible--(not by +publishing Bibles, nor by circulating them gratuitously, but)--by supplying +Bibles and Bible-study helps at wholesale prices; and often below the +usual wholesale rates. We mention a few of these on succeeding pages, of +course ranking _Scripture Studies_ as the most important helps or "Bible +Keys," and THE WATCH TOWER, semi-monthly, their efficient supplement. + +Readers who desire to cooeperate in the circulation of _Scripture Studies_ +will be supplied at cost prices, and can have tracts ad libitum. Write us +respecting this! + +The Bible Students Monthly + +Treating Live Topics, Supplied Free. + +Samples will be sent free to anyone requesting them: and quantities for +free circulation will be supplied free to all subscribers to THE WATCH +TOWER, they being considered working members of the Society, whether they +specially contribute to its funds or not. Send for free samples. + + + + +What Say The Scriptures About Hell? + + +An Examination Of Every Text Of Scripture In Which The Word "Hell" Is +Found + +A Correct understanding of the subject of this booklet is almost a +necessity to Christian steadfastness. For centuries it has been the +teaching of "orthodoxy," of all shades, that God, before creating man, had +created a great abyss of fire and terrors, capable of containing all the +billions of the human family which He purposed to bring into being; that +this abyss He had named "hell;" and that all of the promises and +threatenings of the Bible were designed to deter as many as possible (a +"little flock") from such wrongdoing as would make this awful place their +perpetual home. + +While glad to see superstitions fall, and truer ideas of the great, and +wise, and just, and loving Creator prevail, we are alarmed to notice that +the tendency with all who abandon this long revered doctrine is toward +doubt, scepticism, infidelity. Why should this be the case, when the mind +is merely being delivered from an error?--do you ask? Because Christian +people have so long been taught that the foundation for this awful +blasphemy against God's character and government is deeplaid and firmly +fixed in the Word of God--the Bible--and consequently, to whatever degree +their belief in "hell" is shaken, to that extent their faith in the Bible, +as the revelation of the true God, is shaken also;--so that those who have +dropped their belief in a "hell," of some kind of endless torment, are +often open infidels, and scoffers at God's Word. + +Guided by the Lord's providence to a realization that the Bible has been +slandered, as well as its Divine Author, and that, rightly understood, it +teaches nothing on this subject derogatory to God's character nor to an +intelligent reason, we have attempted in this booklet to lay bare the +Scripture teaching on this subject that thereby faith in God and His Word +may be reestablished, on a better, a reasonable foundation. Indeed, it is +our opinion that whoever shall hereby find that his false view rested upon +human misconceptions and misinterpretations will, at the same time, learn +to trust hereafter less to his own and other men's imaginings, and, by +faith, to grasp more firmly the Word of God, which is able to make wise +unto salvation; and on this mission, under God's providence, it is sent +forth. + +Price 10 Cents (5d.) Per Copy.--88 Pages. + +Special wholesale rates to colporteurs and those who desire to aid in +circulating these booklets widely. + +Address + +Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society + +BROOKLYN, N. Y., U. S. A. + +Branches:--London, W.; Elberfeld, Melbourne, Copenhagen, Orebro, +Christiana, Geneva, Yokohama. + + + + +What Say The Scriptures About Spiritism? + + +Proofs That It Is Demonism. + +Also + +"The Spirits In Prison" And Why Are They There! + +The necessity for this little brochure lies in the fact that Spiritism is +showing an increased activity of late, and meeting with considerable +success in entrapping Christians who are feeling dissatisfied with their +present attainments and craving spiritual food and better foundation for +faith. + +The aim is to show the unscripturalness of Spiritism, and to point those +who hunger and thirst for truth in the direction of God's Word--the counsel +of the Most High. "Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward +receive me to glory."--Psa. 73:24. + +119 pages; in paper covers, 10 cents (5d.) + +Address + +Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, + +Brooklyn, N. Y., U. S. A. + +Branches:--London, W.; Elberfeld, Melbourne, Copenhagen, Orebro, +Christiana, Geneva, Yokohama. + + + + +Miscellaneous Advertisements + + +Old MS. Translations, Concordances, Etc. Recommended as Aids to Bible +Study + +The Emphatic Diaglott + +This Greek New Testament, with interlinear word-for-word rendering, and a +free reading emphasized translation alongside, is based upon the famous +Vatican MS. No. 1209. With each copy sold, we give one year's subscription +to THE WATCH TOWER--if a New subscription. If you already take THE WATCH +TOWER, your purchase of the DIAGLOTT entitles you to send THE TOWER to a +friend who may want it, but this New Subscription must accompany the +order, as we cannot apply subscriptions on back orders. + +Leather bound, divinity circuit, gilt edges, good Bible paper. Price $3.25 +(or $2.50 without Watch Tower). + +Young's Analytical Concordance + +In English, Hebrew and Greek, by Prof. Young (Presbyterian.) 1240 pages, +cloth binding, price, $6.00 postpaid. As we are not permitted to reduce +the publisher's price, we will, however, send FREE with each order any two +volumes of Studies In the Scriptures. + +Smith's Bible Dictionary + +Interesting and valuable, 1020 pp. Cloth, $1.30 postpaid. + +Berean Bible Helps (BOUND SEPARATE) + +These are the same as in the latest "I. B. S. A." Bibles described on +another page. Full leather, divinity circuit, $1.15 postpaid. Karatol, red +edges, 60c. postpaid. Also carried in German (leather and cloth), prices +same as English. + +International Bible Students Association + +Brooklyn, N. Y. + +I. B. S. A. Berean Bibles + +These are Common Version Bibles but their distinguishing feature consists +of + +Over 500 Pages Of Special Berean Helps + +in Four Sections as follows: + +Part I. Bible Teachers' Manual + +Biblical Comments from Genesis to Revelation explaining the text and +referring to the STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES and other publications where +the subject is more fully treated. + +Part II. Instructors' Guide Texts + +Texts relating to various important subjects topically arranged for ready +reference. + +Part III. Berean Topical Index + +An alphabetical arrangement of over 800 subjects of peculiar interest, +with reference to page where treated in our publications. + +Part IV. Spurious Passages Noted + +A full list of spurious passages not found in the oldest Greek MSS. + +In Addition To The Above + +the Bagster Concordance, Maps and Students Helps are incorporated in Nos. +1919, 1939 and 1959. + +Descriptions and Prices + +No, 1918. Size 4-1/4 x 6-1/4 India Paper, Minion type, French Seal, +divinity circuit, red under gold edges, Berean Helps, colored maps, +marginal reference. $2.00 postpaid. + +No. 1919. Same as No. 1918, with Bagster Concordance, Maps, etc., added. +$2.25 postpaid. + +No. 1928. Same as No. 1918, except bound in Genuine Morocco, leather- +lined. $2.85 postpaid. + +Ionic Type, Self-Pronouncing. + +No. 1939. Size 5-1/2 x 7-1/2 India Paper, Ionic type, French Seal, +divinity circuit, red under gold edges, Berean Helps, also Bagster +Concordance, Maps, etc. Marginal reference. $3.60 postpaid. + +No. 1959. Same as No. 1939, except bound in genuine Morocco, calf-lined. +$3.95 postpaid. + +Patent Index, 25c Extra; Registry 10c. + +Publishers lists of other Bibles sent on request. + +International Bible Students Assn., Brooklyn, N. Y. + +Volume I. "Studies in the Scriptures" Series + +Things You Ought To Know As + +Christian Bible Students + +The Satisfactory Proofs That + +The Bible is a Divine Revelation--reasonable and trustworthy, revealing a +systematic Plan full of Justice, Wisdom and Love. "The Key of Knowledge" +of the Scriptures, long lost is found, and gives God's faithful people +access to the "Hidden Mystery."--Luke 11:52, Col. 1:26. + +The Lord Jesus and His faithful are to be not only priests but kings, and +will reign over the earth. + +This Kingdom is to come at Christ's Second Advent. + +God's Plan is to select and save the Church in the Gospel Age, and to use +this Church in blessing the world in the Millennium. A "ransom for all" +implies an _opportunity_ to all for restitution. The Day of Judgment is +1,000 years long--the world's trial day. + +"The narrow way" of self-sacrifice will cease with this Age. + +"The highway" of righteousness will be open to all the redeemed race in +the Millennium.--Isa. 35:8, 9. + +"The kingdoms of this world" are but for an ordained period and must give +place to the "Kingdom of Heaven." + +God has permitted evil for six thousand years for a wise purpose. + +_These subjects and many others of deep interest to all of God's people +are discussed fully and in language easy of comprehension in_ + +"The Divine Plan of the Ages" + +(In English, German, Swedish, Dano-Norwegian, Italian, French, Greek, +Hungarian, Spanish, Polish, Hollandish, Finnish, Arabic, Slovak, +Roumanian, Lettish, Ukrainian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean; also Braille, +for the blind). + +416 Pages--Cloth Bound. 50 Cents, Postpaid or Delivered by Colporteurs. +Magazine Edition (Eng. and Ger.) 10 Cents Postpaid. + +International Bible Students Association + +Brooklyn, N. Y. + +Volume II. "Studies in the Scriptures" Series + +A Remarkable Book + +Skeptics Should Read it . . . + +Christians Should Study it. + +Things You Want To Know As + +Christian Bible Students + +There Are Evidences That + +Six thousand Years from Adam ended in A. D. 1872. +The Date of our Lord's Birth was October B. C. 2. +The Date of Annunciation to Mary, Dec 25th, B. C. 3. +The Date of our Lord's Baptism was October A. D. 29. +The Date of our Lord's Crucifixion, April A. D. 33. +The "Seventy Weeks" of Israel's favor ended A. D. 36. +The Jewish Age "Harvest" was 40 years A. D. 30 to 70. +The Christian Age "Harvest" is its parallel. +The Jewish Jubilees were typical of the "Times of Restitution of all + Things."--Acts 3:19-21. +The Typical Jubilees mark the Date of their Antitype. +The "Times of the Gentiles" ended A. D. 1914. +The Jewish Age, in its Lengths, its Ceremonies, etc., +Typified the Realities of the Christian Age and its Length. +Elias or "Elijah the prophet" was a Type.--How fulfilled. +The Antichrist has come!--What? When? Where? + +_These subjects and many others deeply interesting to __"__the Household +of Faith,__"__ and __"__Meat in due season__"__ to all who love and study +God's Word, can be had in_ + +"The Time Is At Hand" + +(In English, German, Swedish, Finnish and Dano-Norwegian.) + +482 Pages--Cloth Bound, 50 Cents, Postpaid or Delivered by Colporteurs + +International Bible Students Association + +Brooklyn, N. Y. + +Volume III. "Studies in the Scriptures" Series + +Do You Know That + +We are now living in "the Time of the End" of this Gospel Age? + +Our Epoch is "the Day of God's Preparation" for the Millennial Age? + +The "Days of Waiting" are ended and the "Cleansing of the Sanctuary"--the +Church--the separating of its Wheat and Tares, is now in progress? + +This the reason for the beginning of the Return of Divine Favor to Fleshly +Israel--blinded for centuries--to permit the gathering of an Elect Class +from among the Gentiles? + +This favor now taking shape is known as Zionism? + +Immanuel's Kingdom is now being established? + +The Great Pyramid in Egypt is a Witness to all these events of the past +and present--testifying in symbols? The Pyramid's Downward Passage under "A +Draconis" symbolizes the course of Sin? Its First Ascending Passage +symbolizes the Jewish Age? Its Grand Gallery symbolizes the Gospel Age? +Its Upper Step symbolizes the approaching period of tribulation and +anarchy, "Judgments," upon Christendom? Its King's Chamber the Divine +Nature, etc., of the Overcoming Church--the Christ, Head and Body? Its +Ante-Chamber the Correction in Righteousness of the "Great Company" etc.? +Its Queen's Chamber symbolizes those of Israel and the world who +eventually attain Restitution? + +_All these interesting topics with ten Pyramid illustrations can be had +in_ + +"Thy Kingdom Come" + +(English, German, Swedish, Finnish, Dano-Norwegian) + +482 Pages--Cloth Bound, 50 Cents, Postpaid or Delivered by Colporteurs + +International Bible Students Association + +Brooklyn, N. Y. + +Volume IV. "Studies in the Scriptures" Series + +"None Of The Wicked Will Understand" + +But "The Wise Shall Understand" That + +This Gospel Age is closing with a "Day of Vengeance." It will affect the +whole world, specially Christendom. All Political, Social, Financial and +Religious systems will fail. + +These Judgments, beginning with the House of God, must extend to all. + +Our day is noted by the Prophets as "the Day of Jehovah." + +It is symbolically styled "a Dark Day," a "Day of clouds," etc. + +Its trouble is symbolically likened to a Hurricane, to a Flood, to a Fire, +etc., these strong figures being used to give an appreciation, yet to hide +the real nature, of that "Time of Trouble such as Never Has been since +there was a Nation."--Dan. 13:1. + +Preparations for this symbolic "Fire" and "Tempest" are now well under way +and shortly will rage furiously throughout the world. + +It will be a contest between Masses and Classes. + +Many see it upon us and trust to various schemes to avert it. + +But all worldly Schemes and Panaceas will fail utterly. God's Kingdom, the +only hope for Church and world, is sure. + +Man's extremity will prove to be God's opportunity--in the establishment of +God's Kingdom--Christ's Millennial Kingdom which will establish +righteousness by force.--Rev. 2:26, 27; Dan. 2:34, 35, 44, 45. + +_All these subjects are simply yet forcefully treated, and Matthew 24th +Chapter elucidated, in_ + +"The Battle Of Armageddon" + +(In English, German, Swedish, Finnish and Dano-Norwegian.) + +720 Pages--Cloth Bound, 60 Cents. Postpaid or Delivered by Colporteurs + +International Bible Students Association + +Brooklyn, N. Y. + +Volume V. "Studies in the Scriptures" Series + +The At-One-Ment Is Believed In By All + +Christian Bible Students + +Nevertheless, but few could explain its philosophy + +All Should Know + +About the great Mediator of the At-one-ment, our Lord Jesus Christ. + +Respecting the necessity for the At-one-ment + +And the necessity that the "Only Begotten" must be "made flesh," and then +die, and then rise from the dead in order to effect the At-one-ment. + +Respecting the office and work of the Holy Spirit in connection with the +At-one-ment. + +And the important part of the At-one-ment not yet finished--which awaits +the Second Coming of our Lord in His Kingdom glory. + +Respecting the central doctrine of At-one-ment, namely, the _Ransom_--what +is was--why it was and is the center or "hub" around which and into which +all Bible doctrines fit. + +How this doctrine is the test of the truth or falsity of all doctrines; so +that once understood clearly it is a guard against error in every form. + +Respecting man, the subject of the great At-one-ment, his nature; his sin; +his penalty; his deliverance through Christ; his future possibilities +through acceptance of the At-one-ment. + +_All these interesting and very important themes are lucidly discussed in +simple language, and corroborated by fourteen hundred Scripture citations, +in_ + +"The At-One-Ment Between God And Man" + +(In English, German, Swedish, Finnish and Dano-Norwegian.) + +600 Pages--Cloth Bound 60 Cents, Postpaid or Delivered by Colporteurs. + +International Bible Students Association + +Brooklyn, N. Y. + +Volume VI. "Studies in the Scriptures" Series + +Things You Ought To Know As + +Christian Bible Students + +The Creative Week of Genesis--its actual length--scientifically +corroborated. + +The true Church of Christ, begotten of the Spirit as the New Creation; the +steps of Grace Divine--Justification, Sanctification, and Deliverance in +the First Resurrection. + +The duties and obligations of the New Creation--toward the Lord, toward +each other, toward earthly friends and neighbors, toward parents, +children, husbands, wives, etc. + +The Lord's Memorial Supper or Sacrament: what it is and what it is not +should be clearly discerned by all of God's people. + +True Baptism--what it is. The many mistakes of nearly all denominations are +pointed out in kindly spirit, and then the true Baptism is set forth in +convincing style--indisputable, incontrovertible. + +The foes and besetments of the New Creation, and the Scriptural method of +overcoming them; also the present and the future inheritance of the +saints. + +_These subjects and many others deeply interesting to all who love and +study the Bible are fully treated in_ + +The New Creation + +(English, German, Swedish, Dano-Norwegian and Finnish) + +816 Pages--Cloth Bound, 60 Cents, Postpaid or Delivered by Colporteurs + +International Bible Students Association + +Brooklyn, N.Y. + + + + + + +FOOTNOTES + + + 1 Words not In Sinaitic MS. are enclosed in brackets. The Sinaitic MS. + is the oldest known copy of the Scriptures, having been written, it + is believed. In A. D. 331. The "Authorized" Version was made from + MSS. none of which were older than the tenth century. + + 2 Words in Sinaitic MS. which do not appear in "Authorized" Version + are printed in capitals. + + + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FINISHED MYSTERY*** + + + +CREDITS + + +June 17, 2014 + + Project Gutenberg TEI edition 1 + Produced by Heiko Evermann, David King, and the Online + Distributed Proofreading Team at <http://www.pgdp.net/>. 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