VOL. II. April 1, 1919 No. 7 OUTLOOK
FROM THE WALLS OF ZION, WISDOM
IN THE WORK OF THE -MINISTRY THE
REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST VOL. II. April 15, 1919 No. 8 HOLDING
FAST TO THE LORD AND THE TRUTH REPORT
OF THE BOSTON CONVENTION THE
REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST THE
ANOINTED ONLY ARE COMMISSIONED TO PREACH VOL. II. April 1, 1919 No. 7 OUTLOOK FROM THE WALLS OF ZION,A LEAGUE OF CHURCHESBIBLE Students who have their lamps trimmed and burning recognize with keen interest, the solemn import of the movements and events of .our day. This disposition on the part of the Lord's followers to thus watch and note the signs of the times is in full accord with our Master's admonition : "What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." (Mark 13:37.) Additionally, it is remembered that the Lord reproved some in His time because they were not able to discern the signs of the times. The general trend of events both in the world and in so-called
Christendom presents to us increased evidences of the correctness of our expectations with
regard to the close proximity of the new order of
things-the coming of God's Kingdom. Among the items that have attracted special interest of late is one
that was recently published in many of the leading newspapers of the country which speaks
of new life about to be given to the Church Federation movement, more recently called a
League of Churches. We quote the New York Sun,
March 3rd, as follows: "Practical steps toward the
formation of a world-wide union of all Christian Churches under a plan outlined in 1910,
execution of which was suspended with the outbreak of the war, will be resumed this week,
when three American bishops will leave for Europe to lay before the Pope a suggestion for
a conference having for its object the creation of a League of Christian Churches. "Bishop Charles P. Anderson, of
Chicago; Bishop Reginald H. Weller, of Fond du Lac, Wis., and Bishop Boyd Vincent, of the
diocese of Southern Ohio, are the prelates who will leave Thursday on their mission to
submit to the Catholic Pontiff the plan for Church unity. In Europe they will be joined by
Bishop Charles H. Brent, chaplain general of the American Expeditionary Forces, who will
accompany the commission during the three months' stay in Europe, "Bishop Weller, who for nine
years has been working on a plan to bring the Church together, and who hopes to be able to
bring Protestant, Catholic, Greek and Russian into a world-wide organization, discussed
the plan yesterday in an address at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, 139 West
Forty-sixth Street. THINKS LEAGUE PRACTICABLE"'The people here may think that
it is impossible for such a league to be brought about,' he said. 'They may believe us
engaged in an impossible task, though hoping that our mission will not be futile. The idea
of a League of Nations was laughed at, yet our beloved President Wilson said it was not an
impossibility and the conferees at Paris actually agreed upon a proposed constitution for
such a league. "'Bishop Anderson, who is
chairman of the commission, said that an effort would be made to place the proposal before
the heads of the Scandinavian, Russian and Greek orthodox Churches, as well as the Roman
Catholic. .-The General Church Conference,
which met in Cincinnati in 1910, undertook to promote a conference of all Christian
Churches to discuss the things which separated the Churches as well as united them,' said
Bishop Anderson. 'It was the belief that such a conference would be the first step toward
the unity and moral efficiency of the Christian Church. "ENGLISH CHURCHES AIDING"'The Conference secured the
co-operation of all the English Churches and all of the leading Protestant Churches in the
United States and the Non-Conformist Churches of the British Empire as well as that of the
old Catholic Churches in Europe. A deputation was about to visit Europe and the Near East
when war broke out. This stopped proceedings in the meantime, but while the war has
delayed the work, it has created an atmosphere which brings it more nearly within the
bounds of practicability.' " Faithful watchers taking heed to the
more sure Word of prophecy, recognize that this drawing together of the ecclesiastical
powers of the world in what is called a League of Churches is looking indeed strongly
toward a fulfillment of the prophetic Word which speaks of such a union of the organized
religious bodies in connection with the end of this dispensation. It is supposed and claimed of course
that this Church Federation will be for the advancement and betterment of society in
general, as it is argued that such a union of forces is necessary in order to enable the
Church as God's Kingdom, to cope with the present evils that confront the world; but in
addition to this it is urged that such a union of Churches would be approaching the ideal
condition for which Jesus prayed-that His followers might attain a state of harmony and
oneness. While giving due credit to all the good intentions in this matter, as students of
the Divine Word we must disagree with both of the above arguments: First, the Church in
the flesh has not been commissioned to organize the Kingdom of God and attempt to cope
with the powers of evil on the earth, Her commission remains the same-to bear the Message,
to sacrifice and suffer with her Lord and to continue to pray, "Thy Kingdom
Come," in the assurance that soon, as His Bride and joint-heir she shall be exalted
in resurrection power and have a part with Him in the inauguration of His Kingdom in all
the earth, which will then subdue all the evils of the world; evils and problems which at
the present time baffle the world's wisest men. THE UNION TAUGHT BY JESUSAs for the claim that the proposed
League of Churches is a scriptural arrangement: The viewpoint of the Bible student is that
it would be merely "a form of godliness and denying the power thereof;"
Neither our Lord nor the Apostle Paul referred to a union of denominations. They preached
an individual union with Christ, and a consequent relationship of all justified and
consecrated believers to each other in the one Lord, one faith and one baptism. This union
already exists, :except that certain man-made boundaries fence off and separate the Lord's
sheep. Wherever and whenever the Lord's sheep meet they may and do quickly identify
themselves to each other, and the heart union and fellowship and joy in the Lord they
experience cannot even be imitated by creedal bonds. The union of the Church to which our
Lord referred in His prayer, "That they all may be one," was this union of heart
already and always experienced by the true members of the "one body," and
additionally He referred to the actual union of all such with Himself by the resurrection
"change" from flesh and blood to spirit beingto be with Him and like Him and to
share His glory and power and great work for the world, which He mentions just following,
viz.: "that the world [during the Millennium] may believe." But a denominational union, a union
of the religious organizations such as has been agitated for a number of years and now
more recently urged as indicated in the above clipping, would not be a union based upon a
harmony of doctrine, but would be a union at the expense of the truth. Such a union would
give prestige to doctrines which cannot be sustained either by reason or Scripture. Such a
union would give greater political power, and lead ultimately to the suppression of the
Truth as unsettling and antagonistic to the peace of error and errorists. But the Truth
has naught to fear, and the Truth people see clearly that only the Truth can produce that
real heart-union which the Lord referred to in His prayer for His people--"that they
all may be one." Another part of our Lord's petition was, "Sanctify them through
thy Truth." Wherever the sanctifying of the Truth goes, there true union goes,
proportionately. Not worldly union, however; not denominational union,, for the Truth
separates from the world and from denominationalism and unites all developed children of
the Truth to each other, by uniting each to the Head-our Lord. Such are taught of God;
such hear their Head; such are thus made one in Him and in His Truth. Many Bible students will readily
remember that our Pastor for many years called attention to a number of Scriptures which
clearly point out that in the end of this Age there would be a general uniting of the
ecclesiastical powers of Christendom--a rolling together of the heavens as a scroll (Rev.
6:14; Isa. 34:4; 8:12), and that such a religious combination would be recognized by the
civil powers and be given authority to speak and command. As pointed out by our Pastor and as
seen from the pages of history, such an ecclesiastical power established, would result
unfavorably to God's faithful people, meaning ultimately the suppression of the Truth
and the suppression of those who would faithfully persist in standing for truth and
righteousness, and who would fearlessly proclaim the Message, the true Gospel, the
Message of the Kingdom. We may not know, dear brethren, how
near at hand such a federation of the ecclesiastical powers may be, nor just how soon it
would effect those who would remain loyal to the Lord and His Word. We will not do any
prophesying or speculating upon the subject, but wait upon the Lord and look for Him to go
before us, and lead the way, remembering that whatever comes there is nothing for us to
fear, for our God is at the helm. It is rather for us, in noting the signs of the times to
lift up our heads and rejoice, knowing that our redemption draweth nigh. The Psalmist
prophetically declares the attitude of safety and security of the Lord's people living in
these last times: "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and
though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea."--Psalm 46:2. WISDOM IN THE WORK OF THE -MINISTRY"Let all things be done decently
and in order."--1 Cor. 14:40.
THE above language of the Apostle,
familiar to all, sets forth a line of wisdom which, if more generally heeded by the Lord's
people, would mean the safeguarding of their interests and their increased blessing. It
suggests a principle that may be clearly traced down through the ages in all the steps of
the Divine Plan. In other words, "Order is heaven's first law." The lifework of
our Pastor furnishes strong evidence that he, too, was an ardent admirer of this principle
and that he diligently endeavored to carry on the work of the ministry strictly along
lines of system and order--"decently and in order." Looking soberly and humbly unto the
Lord in these last times for wisdom and guidance in connection with whatever opportunities
of the ministry there may be, the brethren of the PASTORAL BIBLE INSTITUTE believe that
they do well to follow closely the voice of Heavenly wisdom--the wisdom that others of God's servants have heeded in
the past and. whose labors have had the Divine blessing in rich measure. As we have earnestly sought to know
the. mind of the Lord with regard to the ministry of the Word at this time, we believe we
have had unmistakable evidence of the Lord's approval and guidance in connection with the
establishment of what is known as the PASTORAL BIBLE INSTITUTE. This we say not
boastfully, but we trust, in humility, recognizing our dependence upon the Lord and, that
without Him we can do nothing. A number of inquiries have come,
asking more particularly regarding the nature and mission of the PASTORAL BIBLE INSTITUTE,
expressing a desire to have a part in the work and requesting information as to how they
may obtain membership in this arrangement; we are herein giving a further brief review
bearing upon the matter. In reply to these queries we would
recommend first of all, the reading of the two articles in the first issue of this
journal, December 1, 1918, under the caption, "Inquire for the Old Paths," and
"A Holy Convocation at Providence, R. I." We still have a supply of these issues
of THE HERALD, and they will be, mailed free upon request. In the explanations above
referred to, attention was called to the fact that many of the Lord's dear sheep during
the past year have found themselves in such circumstances that have caused them to look
earnestly in the direction of some concerted action whereby they might be kept in touch
and in fellowship with one another and by which they could unite their efforts in carrying
on such branches of the ministry of the Word, according to apostolic simplicity, as would
be open to them, such as the issuing of a periodical, conducting Pilgrim work, issuing
free literature, etc. WORK PLACED ON LEGAL FOOTINGIt was ascertained that practically
the unanimous sentiment and desire of the brethren was that there should be at least some
simple reorganization of their forces whereby the above mentioned purposes might be
executed. It was realized at once, of course, by thoughtful brethren, that no headway
could be made without first of all having an orderly business arrangement by which to
transact business incidental to the ministry, just as our Pastor early in the Harvest work
had seen the need for, and made provision for such an arrangement in connection with his
efforts then. Thus we quote his published statement in 1894: "The Society was formed in 1881,
at the time of the free distribution of 1,400,000 copies of the pamphlet, 'Food for
Thinking Christians'--now out of print. It consisted of five of the Lord's children, and
its affairs were entirely in my charge. Later,
1884, at the instance of the friends of the cause, who advised that matters be put upon a legal footing so that the
work might not be interrupted in case of my sudden death, the Society applied for a
Charter under the laws of the State of Pennsylvania, and received one dated December 13, 1884."--"A Conspiracy
Exposed," April 25, 1894. Twenty-five years later when under
the Lord's providence the headquarters of the work was transferred to New York our Pastor
found it necessary to form another business corporation in order to conduct business in
the State of New York. Thus he wrote: "When we moved here to New York,
we were informed that the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society could not hold title to
property here. We were told, 'You can do business in a personal way, but not as a Society.
So if you want to do any business here, you must be chartered as an Association.' 'Very
well, then,' we said, 'we will organize the Peoples Pulpit Association! This is merely
another name for the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, for New York business. Later on,
in Great Britain, we were informed, 'Your American Charter does not count for anything
here.' Consequently we took out a Charter there for the International Bible Students
Association. This reads practically the same as the Charter of the Watch Tower Bible and
Tract Society. These three different Societies were made necessary by the law of different
states and countries. . . . The Peoples Pulpit Association is the only one of the three
that can do business here in New York. . . . The International Bible Students Association
has no legal status except in Great Britain; the Peoples Pulpit Association has none
except in New York State."--Z.'15-359. All
are familiar with the fact of the Lord's abundant blessing upon these various business
concerns thus effected by our Pastor by which under his wise judgment and management the
ministry was carried on. It is worthy of note that our Pastor recognized that there was no
law in the Bible as to forming business corporations; no instructions or law in the Word
as to some particular kind of corporation to be based upon some specific Charter. Hence,
our Pastor used the spirit of a sound mind and arranged the corporations above referred
to, so that each would be in full conformity to the statute of the state or country in
which it was to operate; and such provision was made in the Charter of each, as the
circumstances and conditions of the times necessitated. The friends therefore now, desiring
to make necessary business arrangements to carry on the ministry, have for the same reason that moved our Pastor, seen the
necessity of having a simple business corporation by which to conduct the affairs of the
work decently and in order; and just as the various business corporations that our Pastor
formed were not an attempt at organizing the Church in any sense, but merely business
concerns not for pecuniary profit, so likewise, this is all that has been undertaken at
the present time. In fact , it was found to be the unanimous advice of the friends that
nothing elaborate or intricate in the way of a business corporation be under taken at
this time, but that it should be of great simplicity, and such only as, would be found
necessary in a business way. Accordingly, the Charter of the PASTORAL BIBLE INSTITUTE was
written with this end in view, and in full conformity with the statute of the State of New
York in which the headquarters of the work are established. We call attention here to the fact
that the law of New York regarding membership corporations, allows but one vote to each
member, which is different from companies formed for profit. Many companies formed under
it are entirely secular and are in no sense carrying on a religious work. The Peoples
Pulpit Association was formed under it, and, unlike the Watch Tower Bible and Tract
Society corporation, each member in the Peoples Pulpit Association has but one vote. Likewise the Charter of the
PASTORAL BIBLE INSTITUTE corporation formed under the .same corporation law, provides in
harmony with that law that each member shall have but one vote. NONE AUTHORIZED TO ORGANIZE CHURCHWhat we wish impressed upon all is that
there is no thought in the minds of any of the brethren connected -with our work, that we
should attempt to organize a Church. We think it needless to here explain that none of
God's people are now authorized to attempt anything of this kind for the only organization
that relates to this Age is that which was instituted by our Lord and the Apostles, and
this arrangement was not a sect nor an organization, in the usual acceptation of that
term. The organization created in the beginning of the Age, as the Apostle explains
consisted of the appointing of "some apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the
-unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Cod, unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Eph. 4:11-16.) This, the
established order of the early Church, was intended to be sufficient, and the only
organization of the entire Age. Even this apostolic arrangement was to be but a temporary
affair, in the sense that it is not the final organization, but relates merely to the
experiences of the Church while on trial now in the flesh. The final and ultimate
organization of the Church is not yet, and will not be until the Kingdom or glorified
state is reached. Thus our Pastor presented the matter in 1908: "God's Church, when completed
and ORGANIZED, will, be all that is given
above as the Catholic or Episcopal view. But it is not yet completed, and hence NOT YETORGANIZED. When organized, it will
be clothed with power, and will be, not a democracy, but an empire; not a republic, but a
kingdom. As such it WILL come to MAN, the world-during the Millennium with DIVINE AUTHORITY and with power to back up that
authority. Its officers are then to be under oath to the Eternal King, and they are to
minister to man in His name, and for Him. All this, it is to be noted, fits exactly to the
coming REIGN of the Church, when it shall 'bless all the families of the earth;' but it
does not fit at all to the present. state or condition. There is no organization today
clothed with such Divine authority imperiously to command mankind. There is no
organization doing this today; though we are well aware that many of them in theory claim
that they ought to be permitted to do so; and many more would like to do so. God's Church is not yet ORGANIZED. On
the contrary, the Gospel Age has been the time for calling out and
testing the volunteers willing to sacrifice and suffer with their Lord now, and thus prove
themselves worthy (Rev. 3:4, 5, 21; 2 Tim. 2:11, 12; Rom. 8:17) to be organized as
joint-heirs in His Kingdom at the close of the Gospel Age, when He shall 'set up' or
organize His Kingdom in power and great glory, to bless and rule the world with 'Divine
authority.' "In the meantime, these
unorganized but merely called out ones, who are seeking to make their calling and election
sure, that they may obtain a share in the Kingdom (2 Pet. 1:10; 2 Cor. 5:9), are 'A VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION OF BELIEVERS,' drawn
together for mutual assistance in seeking to know and to do the Master's will, that they
may be accounted worthy the honors and glories promised, and not now to rule men by Divine
authority; for they have as yet no such authority. In this 'VOLUNTARY association' of the consecrated, there
is no imperial authority of one over another; and no lording over God's heritage should be
permitted; for the one and only Lord has left the
instruction, 'Be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your Master, even Christ, and all ye
are brethren. -- 'Matt. 23:8."--Z.'08-119, 120. The brethren of the PASTORAL BIBLE
INSTITUTE View the matter of the Church organization in the light of our Pastor's
explanation, and desire that it be clearly under-, stood that our corporation is not a
religious organization, nor an attempt to organize another Church sect. To state the
matter in other words, this Institute is as a corporation, secular, and is merely the
machinery by which Christians who are members of the various Ecclesias may be associated
together in mutual upbuilding and witnessing to the Gospel of the Kingdom, and whereby the
various Ecclesias of God's people may be kept in touch with one another and unite their
efforts in the ministry. The control of the Institute is entirely in the hands of the
brethren themselves who become members, in that they have the electing of the managers or
servants of the Institute, who are designated a Board of Trustees or Directors, consisting
of seven members, and who, by the Charter of the Institute, are made entirely subordinate
to the wishes of the members themselves, so that in the event of any dissatisfaction with
any Trustee, or all seven of the Trustees, the difficulty may be remedied, as an
entirely-new Board may be elected each year. Thus, it is seen that the brethren entrusted
as Directors with the affairs of the Institute are enabled to operate according to the
will of the majority, and in order that it may be the will of the members expressed by the
majority, each member has but one vote, as the
law of New York provides. Such brethren thus elected go forth
in the name of Christ as ministers or servants of the brethren, but the Institute as a
business corporation, is merely used to carry on such business as our presence on earth,
tabernacling under modern conditions, seems to require. It is not an attempt to be a
Church, because it is no test of one's standing with the Father to be a member or not to
be a member, even though the Institute reserves the right to accept or not to accept an
individual into membership. In view of the fact that both the Directors and members have
imperfect judgments and may err in the matter of deciding who shall be members, the
Institute can not, of course, claim to be a Church, but does operate as a business servant
of certain members of Ecclesias. We believe that all can see that in
view of the above explanation, the work of the ministry will be carried on not in the name
of any individual, nor to be controlled by a self-appointed
leader, nor yet by a clique of individuals, but in the name of the Lord and of the
brethren, and to be controlled by them. Thus everything in the nature of headship and of
lording it over God's heritage is prevented. A careful study of the
Lord's Word clearly reveals that such a business corporation is in harmony with the Divine
Word and has the Lord's approval. PROPER TESTS OF FELLOWSHIPSome may still ask if membership in
the PASTORAL BIBLE INSTITUTE is to be made in any way a test of fellowship. Our reply is
that no thought could be farther from the mind of the brethren connected with this work
than that of making such a test. The Scriptures indicate the only lines or tests of
fellowship, namely: faith in our Lord and Redeemer and full consecration to Him and His
service. We are authorized to apply no other tests than these, nor should we desire to do
so. Therefore the failure of anyone to become a member of this INSTITUTE has no bearing
whatever upon his stand among the brethren nor upon his membership in the Church of
Christ. Such a position would be utterly absurd and contrary to the Scriptures. Nor is it
necessary to become a member of the PASTORAL BIBLE INSTITUTE in order to have a share in
the work and to co-operate in the work of the ministry. The arrangement for membership in
the INSTITUTE is, as explained above, merely for the purpose of giving those who
co-operate, a voice in the management and control of the various lines of the ministry
that are undertaken, as it would be supposed that those who put their time and means in
the work would desire to have some expression or voice as to the policies and lines of
service to be put into operation. In our January 1 issue of THE HERALD under the caption,
"The Charter of our INSTITUTION," We have published the articles of the Charter
which set forth the government of the INSTITUTE and the simple regulations by which
membership in the Institute is acquired. To those who become members, a Certificate of
Membership is issued, but this involves no obligation whatever. It is merely in the nature
of a memorandum or receipt. But let not any for an instant think
that in becoming a member of the PASTORAL BIBLE INSTITUTE they are joining anything in the
nature of another sect or Church organization, nor that they are being tied or being bound
up in anything. To the contrary, we urge upon the Lord's people everywhere that they
remain free from all human bondage and that they guard their liberty in Christ with great
vigilance, that they be not entangled again with any yoke of bondage. But while so doing,
let us follow the spirit of a sound mind and make use of such natural ways and means at
our disposal for uniting our efforts in the work of the ministry for the glory of the Lord
and for the building up of one another in the most holy faith. We believe that all will be glad to
learn that the brethren laboring together in the arrangement of the PASTORAL BIBLE
INSTITUTE have been doing so most harmoniously and have realized largely of the Lord's
favor and have been greatly encouraged over the results of their endeavors thus far to
comfort and assist the brethren. If under the Lord's providence the friends shall have
larger opportunities to proclaim the message and of bearing testimony to the Truth, this
side of the vail, all will no doubt rejoice in the same. On the other hand, if it is the
Lord's will that our opportunities and privileges shall be more and more curtailed and
narrowed down into the dark night wherein no man can work, let us equally rejoice,
conscious that the work is the Lord's and that nothing can hinder His Message till His
purposes are accomplished. Let us remember, too, that it is ours to look forward with fond
anticipation to the glad day near at hand when in the resurrection life, in glory, if
faithful, it shall be given to us to enjoy the exceeding riches of His grace, and to speak
of the praises of our King throughout endless ages. THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRISTSERIES VII.
ARRAYED IN WHITE ROBES BEARING PALM-BRANCHES"After these things I saw, and
behold! a great Crowd which no one could have numbered, out of Every Nation, and of all
Tribes and Peoples and Languages standing before the Throne, and in the presence of the
Lamb, invested with White Robes and Palm-branches in their Hands; and they cry with a loud
Voice saying, 'The salvation [be ascribed] to That God of ours who Sits on the Throne and
to the Lamb.' And all the Angels stood around the Throne and the Elders and the Four
Living ones, and they fell down on their Faces before the Throne, and worshiped God,
saying, 'Amen! the Blessing and the Glory, and the Wisdom, and the Thanksgiving, and the
Honor, and the Power, and the Strength, be to our God for the Ages of the Ages.' And one
of the Elders answered, saying to me, 'These who have been Invested with White Robes, who
are they? and whence did they come?' And I said to him, 'My Lord Thou knowest.' And he
said to me, 'These are those coming out of the Great Affliction, and they washed their
Robes, and whitened them in the Blood of the Lamb. On this account they are before the
Throne of God, and publicly serve Him Day and Night in His Temple; and He who Sits on the
Throne will tabernacle over them. They will hunger no more, neither will they thirst any
more; nor will the Sun fall on them, nor Any
Heat. Because That Lamb which is in the Midst of the Throne will tend them, and will lead
them to Fountains of Waters of Life; and God will wipe away Every Tear, from their
Eyes."' Rev. 7:9-17. Diaglott. SUBSEQUENT to the vision during which
St. John heard the number of the elect, seated ones, his attention was diverted for a time
from earthly objects, to witness a wonderful scene in the vast expanse, before the rainbow
encircled Throne. He beheld an immense throng, an innumerable company standing there, and
recognized them as a band of saved ones from the earth; of all nations and tribes and
tongues and peoples. They are represented as clothed in white robes. The white robes,
representing personal purity, completeness, perfection, ,shows their public acceptance
before the Heavenly Court in the presence of the angels and of the Lamb. They have in
their hands palm branches, symbolizing' no doubt, the ultimate victory they experience,
their great JOY because of their wonderful deliverance from the destructive elements of
the great "whirlwind" of trouble, which came after the sealing of the Elect was
completed. They ascribe all the glory and honor of their salvation to God and to the Lamb,
thus showing that their salvation is fully realized at last, and that their days of
trouble and trial are over. Their conflict with sin and the powers of darkness is
ended-they have entered into the bliss of the Haven of Rest. That their salvation is
finished is shown by their having been assigned stations before the Throne, thus entering
into the joys of the service of God in His Temple. Whatever may have been the depth of
their sorrow or the extent of their bitter disappointment and anguish, as they found
themselves in the midst of the terrible scenes of the great trouble, their trials,
afflictions and sorrows are now all in the past, and the remembrance of them will only
serve to increase their gratitude to their Deliverer, and add to their happiness. Their robes have been made
spotless in the blood of the Lamb. Their forgiveness is complete; they will never need
forgiveness again, as they will never more be stained with sin. Their full reconciliation
to the One who sits upon the Throne is shown by the fact that He takes up His abode in
their midst. Nevermore are they to experience want, for the Lamb that is in the midst of
the Throne is to feed them and lead them beside the fountains of living waters of truth. Some one has most eloquently
portrayed the bliss of this innumerable company of saved ones: "How glorious their
change! How vast and majestic a change from the weaknesses, the sins, the conflicts, the
miseries that before marked their existence, the agonies of death and the darkness and
ruin of the grave, to which they were doomed because of their offenses! And in what
harmony with this is the homage of the angelic hosts who witness their acceptance. They
bend in prostrate homage and ascribe to Him the blessing and the glory and the wisdom, and
the thanks and the honor, and the dominion and the might forever and ever, which implies
that the redemption of this innumerable multitude is finished, and indicates their
understanding of its nature, their sense of its greatness and beauty." The angelic host, and the elders and
the living ones, who witness their acceptance know the honor and dignity of the service
they perform in the Temple in which God Himself is to take up His abode. "WHO ARE THESE INVESTED WITH WHITE ROBES?"As we carefully note this description
of this great multitude, their blessedness, their joys, as they stand before the Throne
and the welcome they receive from all the actors of the vision, there cannot help but
arise in our mind the inquiry, What more could possibly add to their bliss and happiness?
And in replying, we would have to say that, if it were a question, simply of their own
satisfaction with their blissful state, we could think of nothing that could be added to
their enjoyment. However, we are not having described in this picture the "little
flock," the "joint-heirs," who inherit the glory that excelleth and who
will be kings and priests unto God and the Lamb. The description of the future happiness
and of the station these latter occupy and of
their employment in the coming Kingdom is reserved to a future vision.-Rev. 20:4,6; 21:9-27. Who, then, are these? or to express
this inquiry in the words of one of the elders who performed an important part in the
vision, "These who have been invested with white robes, who are they?" St. John
to whom the inquiry was addressed was unable to answer, but while endeavoring to restrain
his eager desire to know, replied, "My Lord, thou knowest." Then the elder who
seemed to have an understanding of everything connected with the Divine purposes, replied,
"These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Vs. 13, 14.) It would be perfectly
reasonable to understand from these words: 1. That the four angels had loosened their hold of the four winds (Rev. 7:1), and the
great whirlwind had spent its force-that the "great day of wrath" (Rev. 6:17) had come and its terrible scenes were
passed. 2. That when the great tribulation (a
more literal description of the great whirlwind) had swept in, following the sealing of
the 144,000, it found a great company of the Lord's consecrated ones on the earth, to pass
through the trials and afflictions of those terrible scenes in which the Anti-Christian
powers are destroyed. 3. That their white robes (imputed
righteousness of Christ) which, when the great tribulation began, were found to be
spotted, would have to be washed in the blood of the Lamb before they could enter the
Heavenly Court. This would imply that the scenes of
the great tribulation were necessary to them, to complete the development of character and
the purification required to enter upon the enjoyment of their final state in glory. In our endeavor to discover more
particularly who are represented by this great multitude, let us again caution the reader
to keep in mind that the whole scene is
symbolic--that what St. John saw represented an occurrence in the distant future from
his day; also, that that which was symbolized by the great whirlwind, and referred to more
literally as the "great tribulation" has
not yet occurred. The fulfilment is yet future, though doubtless in the near future. More than this, a considerable number
of these represented in the vision are now here
living upon the earth. THE INNUMERABLE MULTITUDE NOT THE ELECTThere have been several views held by
historical expositors of the Revelation concerning who are represented by this innumerable
multitude. We believe, however, that those who have made the most careful and thorough
examination of this text clearly recognize that this class represents a separate and
distinct body from the "elect ones," "the one hundred and forty-four
thousand." Some have held that the 144,000 represent those who are living at the
Second Advent, and meet their. "change" without dying. These expositors
understand that the great multitude represent those of the saved ones, who have lived
throughout the Age, and are at this time resurrected, and together with the 144,000
constitute one class. The general description, however, will not harmonize with this
interpretation, for one is evidently an elect class and the other is not. Other Scriptures
teach that the "dead in Christ shall rise first,"
which would conflict with such an interpretation. There are other reasons why this
interpretation cannot be the true one. The fact that they are described as serving God in
His Temple, distinguishes them from the "elect class," who are symbolized by the
Temple itself. (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 2 Cor. 6:16.) We quote our Pastor's words concerning this
"great company": "While the number of those who
wear the robe of Christ's righteousness, is as compared with the number of the world,
small indeed, yet how large a proportion of these are not walking in white, but have their
robes greatly spotted by contact with the world, the flesh and the devilby unfaithfulness
or by carelessness, worldliness. . . . Is there no hope for these, who fail to be
overcomers, who fail to walk in white, who fail to gain the crown and the immortality to
be bestowed only upon the 'elect,' 'worthy,' 'overcomers?' Yes, thank God! We rejoice that
there is hope for these, BECAUSE they have not
cast off their wedding garments, even though they have gotten them sadly spotted and
soiled by contact with the world. . . . After telling of the sealing of the elect class,
the spiritual Israel, the peculiar people zealous of good works, the Little Flock, the
bride, the overcomers, a definite, predetermined number, 'a hundred and forty and four
thousand,' gathered out of Babylon, before the winds of the great tribulation are let
loose upon the world, all of them bearing the seal or mark -of God's favor in their
foreheads--a noticeable INTELLECTUAL evidence of Divine favor, the impress of the spirit
of the Truth, as well as the Word of Truth, our Lord shows us the 'great multitude' of His
followers, 'whose number no man is able to. tell' (that is, it is not a foreordained or
fixed number-none were called to be of this company), who will eventually stand before the
Lord, 'clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands,' crying, 'salvation to our God,
which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb.' Who are these who are not of the Bride,
the elect class, the overcomers, is the question? The answer is, These are they which came
out of [the] great tribulation, and have WASHED their robes, and MADE THEM WHITE in the
blood of the Lamb. THEREFORE [on this account] are they before the Throne of God, and
serve Him day and night, in His Temple.-Rev. 7:9, 10, 13-15."--Z'97--160,161. Those who have studied and weighed
carefully the words of our Savior in the Gospels, and those of the Apostles in their
epistles, cannot have failed to note that a distinct and definite destiny, as a reward is
to be realized by those faithful overcomers who in full loyalty follow in the Master's footsteps to the end
of their race. Likewise we find in these utterances plain statements that teach
unmistakably that some, because of a lack of zeal, etc., will lose the great reward, the
prize, the most faithful ones obtain, and yet be saved, but so as by fire. (1 Cor. 5:5;
3:13-15.) The Savior's words, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always that ye may be
accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before
the Son of man" (Luke 21:36), are among the exhortations that teach this same line of
thought. The Apostle John's words: "Look
to yourselves, that ye lose not the things which we have wrought, but that ye may receive
a full reward" (2 John 8 R. V.) is another warning that well supports this view. The
Apostle Paul evidently teaches the same in his exhortatory letter to the Corinthians, as
we read: "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. Now if any man build [character] upon this foundation gold, silver, precious
stones [Divine truths and corresponding character or], wood, hay, stubble [traditional
errors and corresponding unstable characters] ; every man's work shall be made manifest;
for the day shall declare it, be cause it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall
try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built
thereupon, be shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer
loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire."--1 Cor. 3:11-15. "WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB"That our Pastor connected this last
Scripture with the great company class there can be no doubt: "Other Scriptures (Rev. 7:9,
13-17 and I Cor. 3:15) show us that there will be 'a great company' who during this Age
have entered the race for the grand prize of joint-heirship with Jesus, and who fail to
'so run' as to obtain it. These, though 'castaways,' as regards the prize (I Cor. 9:27).
are nevertheless objects of the Lord's love; for at heart they are friends of
righteousness, and not of sin: Hence by His providences through the circumstances of life,
the Lord will cause them to come through 'great tribulation,' thus accomplishing for them 'THE DESTRUCTION of the flesh, that the
spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.' (1 Cor. 5:5.) They consecrated their
justified human life, and God accepted that consecration and RECKONED them, according to their covenant, dead
as human beings and alive as NEW--spiritual--creatures. But by their failure to carry out
the contract of self-sacrifice, they cut themselves off from the 'Royal Priesthood'--from
membership in the BODY of Christ."--T-69. "The marks of distinction
between this 'great company' and the 'little flock' are very pronounced, both as respects
their present course and their future blessing. The faithful overcomers watch and keep
their garments unspotted from the world. And this is given as one of the special
conditions of acceptance as 'overcomers' to joint-heirship with the Lord--'they have not
defiled their garments.' (Rev. 3:4.) They have kept 'their garments unspotted from the
world.' They have not been willing to permit sin to contaminate them and to separate them
from the Lord, but have quickly applied for and obtained the precious blood to remove
every stain. They are so heartily opposed to sin and so earnest about the keeping of this
garment unspotted, that the Adversary gets no hold upon them-'the wicked one catcheth them
not.' (1 John 5:18.) All of this indicates a full submission of their wills to the will of
Christ-they are 'dead with him,' hence could not willingly practice sin. Their reward is
the crown of life, immortality, to be seated in the Throne, and to constitute the temple
of which our Lord is the cap-stone, the chief cornerstone. "Now contrast with these the
'great company,' lacking the intense love and zeal of the overcomers, they do not keep
their garments with sufficient care, and as a result they lose all the rewards promised
the overcomers; and, having failed in the race, they would get nothing, if it were not for
our Lord's grace. "But God's grace cannot admit to
heavenly perfection those who 'have not robes of spotless righteousness; and hence we are
shown that these who have not cared for their garments and kept them white must be put
through a severe experience before they can in any sense of the word be sharers of
heavenly favors. These severe experiences are shown in the symbol as WASHING THEIR ROBES, in a great TRIBULATION. But
to show that not the penances or sufferings would cleanse the robes, though these might be
necessary as proper punishments and disciplines, it is particularly stated that the
efficacy for the cleansing is the 'BLOOD of the Lamb.' Many will thus be purged, purified
and their garment, now sullied by contact with the world, often in the garb of nominal
churchianity, will be cleansed of every guilty stain, when they, realizing the folly of
their course, shall repentantly appeal to the Lord and use His help. "But 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.... "Probably the majority of this
'great company' of tribulation saints are living today; for at no time in the past was
there the same degree of knowledge of God and His Word, except in the early Church of
apostolic times: never did so many profess to be the Lord's by consecration; and never
were there so many subtle seductions from the ,narrow way' of self
sacrifice."--Z'97-161,162. THE QUEEN AND HER VIRGIN COMPANIONSThe distinctions between the
"little flock" and the "great company" are pictured in the wonderful
prophecy of the King's Son, His Bride and the virgins her companions of Psalm 45.
Concerning this we further read: "It is appropriate that we
should remind ourselves afresh of the beautiful suggestion laid before us through the
prophet David, respecting the wedding garment of the Bride. (Psa. 45:9-14.) Here the Lord,
through the Prophet, tells us that the Bride as the Queen shall be presented before the
King in 'raiment of fine needle work' as well as in 'clothing of wrought gold.' The -gold
clothing, as we have heretofore seen, represents the immortality (an element of the Divine
nature) with which the Church shall be invested in her resurrection glory. The raiment of
fine needle work can be none other than the fine linen garment, clean and white, mentioned
in Revelation. But here we have the additional suggestion given, that this garment will be
finely embroidered. The robe that was merely loaned to us at first, and which constituted
our invitation to the marriage, to joint-heirship with the King's Son, was not at first
our own, it was merely loaned or imputed to us. But it became a permanent gift from the
Bridegroom to as many as accepted the invitation to union with Him; and examining it
carefully, they found upon it in delicate outline a stamping in graceful lines,
corresponding to the embroidered robe worn by the King's Son. The suggestion of copying
His robe was not only thus hinted at, but it was plainly declared that 0.11 who would be
accounted worthy to be His 'elect' companions, should in all respects be copies of the
Bridegroom.--Rom. 8:29. "The careful setting of the
stitches in the embroidering of this wedding garment has been the chief duty and constant
occupation of the espoused virgin while waiting for the nuptial feast, at the return of
the Bridegroom. True, much of the embroidering now done by us is very imperfect, because
of first, our unskilfulness, secondly, our imperfections, and thirdly, the disturbing
influences about us (the world, the flesh and the devil). Nevertheless, we can well
understand that it is the blessing of experience that is designed, and that every
painstaking effort is strengthening character, and bringing us into
fuller sympathy with our Lord; and that He, when He inspects His Church, will take
pleasure in even our imperfect results, if they give evidence, that we have bestowed
EFFORT, because desirous of bringing all into conformity with His will; and He will accept
of our imperfect work as though it were perfect, and in the resurrection He will grant us
ideal bodies with ideal powers and the ideal character embroidered perfectly upon the new
robe, which will be OURS through His grace. "And even here, the great
company, the foolish virgins, not worthy to be the Bride, and hence rejected from that
place of the 'elect,' are nevertheless pictured, in verses 14 and 15--'The virgins her
[The Queen's] companions that follow her shall be brought to thee; with gladness and
rejoicing shall they be brought [even though it be through great tribulation, they shall
ultimately shout Hosanna]; they shall enter into the King's palace."--Z.97-162,163. Another distinction between these two
classes will be noted by the careful Bible student: "These two classes, we remember,
are distinctly shown in Rev. 7. The little flock--144,000, the spiritual Israelites
-represent the faithful members of the Body of Christ, glorified; the other, a great
multitude whose number was not fixed or predestinated by the Lord, which will come through
tribulation,, and receive palm branches as servants before the Throne rather than crowns
as overcomers in the Throne."--Z.'07-231. SUMMARYAt this point in our study of the
seven-sealed Scroll and its unfolding, we believe it will specially help to an
understanding of the visions that follow, to briefly summarize our conclusions: 1. We have seen the Lord Jesus, the
only one found worthy, given power by the Eternal One to open the seven-scaled Scroll. Up
to this point of our studies, six seals have been broken by Him, the seventh yet remains.
The breaking of the six seals, was, to the Lamb, a revelation of the future history of His
followers embracing the whole Gospel Age. The particular time that this knowledge was
given Him was after His resurrection, before His ascension when all power in heaven and in
earth was committed to Him. 2. To St. John, who was a spectator
of the Divine drama, it meant simply to see the symbolic transactions themselves. 3. To the followers of Christ at this
time it signifies that they have the privilege of seeing that the actors and events which
the symbols foreshadow, have been graven very distinctly on the pages of history, and only
a small measure now awaits fulfillment., "And when [we read next] the
Lamb opened the seventh seal," the complete Scroll of Jehovah's purposes was made
known to Christ. This must have taken place before His ascension. It is at this time that
the words, "There was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour," had
its fulfilment. It began at Christ's ascension
to heaven. This symbolic silence is followed by St. John's beholding seven angels standing
in the presence of God to whom were given seven trumpets. HITHERTO AND HENCEFORTHHitherto the Lord hath helped us, Henceforth let us trust Him fully, Hitherto
the. Lord hath blessed us, OUR RISEN LORD.--APRIL
20 -- MATTHEW 28:1-10--
Golden Text.-He is risen, even as He
said.-Matthew 28:6.
IN NO Christian doctrine does there
seem to be a greater confusion in all denomi-nations than on the subject of this
lesson-the resurrection of the dead--the resurrection of our Lord. 'Nevertheless, as with
one voice, all Christendom
unites in declaring that
our Lord's resur rection was an indispensable necessity to our salvation, in this
agreeing perfectly with the plain statement of the Apostle, "If Christ be not risen
then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain; - -. Ye are yet in your sins.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." (I Cor. 15:13-18.)
How strange that a subject of so vast importance as this should be so obscure! How strange
that, recognizing its importance, thinking minds should treat it so lightly, and be
willing to accept theories respecting it, the absurdity of which are manifest to all upon
the mere statement of them! HE POURED OUT HIS SOUL UNTO DEATH"Those who claim that our Lord Himself
did not die, but that merely His flesh died, are totally unable to answer or harmonize the
Scriptural declarations on this subject,' which are most pointedly to the effect that
"He poured out His soul unto death;" "He made His soul an offering for
sin." It was Adam's soul (being, existence) that came under the sentence of death
through disobedience. It was not merely a sin of his body, but, as the Scriptures declare,
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die." It was Adam's soul that needed to be
redeemed, and not merely his body, because if the soul were redeemed God could give it a
new body as it pleased Him. God's proposition is not to give back, atom for atom, the same
bodies that moulder into dust. On the contrary, it matters little what becomes of these
mortal bodies, for, it was not these that were redeemed, nor these that are to be
restored. It was the soul that needed redemption; it was the soul that was redeemed; it
was the soul of our Lord Jesus that was given as a ransom price for the soul of Adam; and
the result is that the souls of Adam and his posterity are all guaranteed a resurrection. This central thought of the
resurrection is wholly overlooked by Christian people in general, who leave the soul out
of the question-out of redemption and out of the resurrection, whereas it is
all-important. It is because the Apostle Paul recognized this matter so clearly that he
stated himself so positively on this subject in his
great chapter on the resurrection, 1 Corinthians, 15. He recognized that it was
Christ's soul that died-that His very existence had ceased in death; that not merely His
body, but Himself, was absolutely dead three days, and this is our Lord's own statement, "I am He that
liveth and was dead." He does not say, I am He who lived always and who never died,
but whose body died for the brief space of a few hours. It was because Christ's soul
(being) was dead that the Apostle could declare that unless His soul, being, was made
alive again by a resur-rection there could be no hope in Him as. a Savior and a
Life-giver--there could be no hope of His ever exalting His Church to joint-heirship with
Him in His Kingdom nor of His and their blessing all the families of the earth during a
Millennial reign of righteousness-if He were dead, extinct, if He had not risen from the
dead. he
Apostle Peter also marks this point well, that it was the soul of Christ that was
dead-that went to hades, the grave, the state or
condition of death. Note how the Apostle Peter, on the day of Pentecost, quoted from the
inspired prophet David, the words, "Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell [Heb., sheol, Gr., hades,
English, the state or condition of death]." St. Peter informs us that the Prophet
spoke not of his own soul, but of Christ's soul, that it was not left in hades--that, on the contrary, it was raised up from
the dead on the third day. (Acts 2:27, 30-33.) Whoever sees that it was our Lord's soul
that went into the state of death can see abundant evidence for all the stress which the
Apostles in their writings lay upon the fact of His resurrection. If Christ be risen, it
is an evidence of Divine favor, and Divine favor is an evidence of His perfection-that He
did the work of sacrifice which He undertook, and in a manner acceptable to the Father;
and these things being true, it follows that His exaltation to the Father's right hand of
power means that we have in this a full assurance of faith that all the exceeding great
and precious promises of God to the world and to the Church, centered in Him, shall have a
fulfillment in due time. WOMAN HONORED AT JESUS' TOMBWoman had the honor of being first to
be made acquainted With the fact of our Lord's resurrection, and to receive His first
message thereafter. Perhaps this was in part because the feminine mind seems naturally to
grasp such subjects more quickly than the masculine mind, by what is sometimes termed
intuitive faith, in contradistinction to what might be termed analytical faith. Or this
may have been as a special recognition of woman's tender sympathy, which sought the
earliest opportunity to bring balms and spices and to otherwise show sympathy and love for
the deceased. At all events the women, who were earliest at the sepulchre, had a rich
reward for their service, and for the love which prompted it. They were fearful and surprised when
they received the angel's message that Jesus was risen; yet they grasped the fact by
"intuitive faith." As they eagerly ran to carry the joyful news to the brethren,
Jesus met them in the way, revealing Himself in such a body as they could recognize. They
worshiped at His feet, and held Him fast, as though fearful that He would leave them; but
the Master consoled them, and sent them on their journey as bearers of His message to His
disciples. His words, "Touch Me not, for I
am not yet ascended to My Father . . . and to your Father, to My God and to your God"
(John 20:17), were doubtless uttered at this time, and need examination; because they have
been sadly misconstrued. Professor Young's Lexicon shows that the word here rendered touch
has the significance of "hold on." Mary evidently
had already touched the Lord, for, as Matthew
declares, they were holding the Lord by the feet. They evidently were fearful that the
power which had raised our Lord would transport Him elsewhere. Probably, too, from the
time the angels told them that He was risen, they had been discussing the matter and
remembered that He had so told them and had said that He would "ascend up where He
was before." So, now, when they saw Him and really embraced His feet they feared to
let go, lest they should see Him no more. From this standpoint of view our Lord's words
plainly meant: Do not hold Me as though fearful that you will never see Me more; My time
to ascend to your Father and God and mine has not yet come. Go carry the news to the
brethren. And remember that My God is your God, My Father in heaven is your Father in
heaven. In view of the fact that our Lord
thus sent women as His special messengers, we may well consider it as an indication to us
that while the Lord and the Apostles never commissioned women to take the chief public
place in the preaching of the Gospel, yet they have a good place in this great service of
the Truth, a not less noble, though less public mission in connection with the
promulgation of the Gospel. It is safe for us to suppose that the natural tenderness and
love supplemented by the Holy Spirit of love, fits and qualifies her for many important
though less obtrusive and aggressive services for the Lord and His people. And happy are
the brethren, and happy the sisters in the Church of Christ, where their mutual
helpfulness in the service is recognized, and where each co-operates with the other, and
seeks to follow as nearly as possible the Divine order and custom in the use of their
respective talents. The narrative of the sealing of the
sepulchre and the setting of the watch, lest the disciples should steal away the Lord's
body, seems to show conclusively that the religious leaders of the Jews were thoroughly
blinded, and that our Lord's character, works and teachings, had no influence whatever
upon them-that they had not the slightest suspicion of who He was, nor of the fulfilment
of His prediction that He would. arise from the dead. Their only thought was that a fraud
might be perpetrated by His disciples. But their evil suspicions were overruled by the
Lord for good,, and became a testimony of the truth, and an assistance to faith on the
part of believers. MADE ALIVE IN THE SPIRITIt was not necessary to our Lord's
resurrection that the stone before the sepulchre should be moved, and the body from within
also be removed; because the body which He has now is no more His former body of flesh
than that body of flesh was His former spirit body, which He had before He became a man:
nor were the atoms of matter composing this earthly body transformed into spiritual atoms
to compose His spiritual body, any more than our natural bodies will be our spiritual
bodies, if we have part in the First Resurrection, or their elements be required from
which to construct our spiritual bodies. The Apostle Paul makes this very clear by his
statement, "There is an animal body and there is a spiritual body." These two kinds of bodies are
dissimilar. A fleshly, an earthly or animal body is composed of flesh, blood and bones;
but, as our Master declared, "a spirit hath not flesh and bones," etc. As our
Lord could not use His heavenly or spirit body, when He came to be man's substitute and
ransom price, and as He was therefore obliged to lay aside the glory of that higher nature
and humble Himself and take "the form. of a servant, for the suffering of death," so, when He had finished the
suffering and death, finished the work that the Father had given Him to do, and was to be
received up again into the glory which He had with the Father before the world was, the
human body would no longer be suitable. He must have again a spirit body. "That which
is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit." The
form of a servant would not be suitable for Him whom the Father delighted to honor and to
highly exalt, even above His former glorious station--"far above angels and
principalities and powers and every name that is named." He therefore must be given a
glorious body, "the express image of the Father's person;" and such His
resurrection body was. It is difficult for some, because of
long-established habits of incorrect thought on this subject, to realize what the Apostle
Paul means when he says, "Though we have known
Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him [so] no more;" or what the
Apostle Peter means when he says, "He was put to death in the. flesh, but quickened
in spirit." just what this means may be seen with greatest clearness, perhaps, from
the words of the Apostle Paul, in describing the. resurrection of the over coming
Church, "the first [chief] resurrection," in which all the members of the Body
of Christ are to share, with their Head and Lord. Since we are to know "the power of
His resurrection" as members of His Body (Phil. 3:10), it follows that any
description that we can obtain of what our resurrection will be, must of necessity be a
description also of His resurrection, since we are to share His resurrection--the First
Resurrection. Concerning this First Resurrection,
the Apostle teaches that not the body that is sown will be raised, but another body,
according to Divine arrangement. And contrasting these two bodies, the one which we now
have, and the one which we shall have, he declares that the body which dies is sown in
corruption, the body which shall be is raised in incorruption; the body which dies, dies
in weakness, the body which shall be raised will be raised in power; the body which dies,
dies in dishonor, the body which is raised will be raised in glory. The body which dies is
a natural body, an animal body, an earthly body; the body of the resurrection will be a
spiritual body, a heavenly body, not flesh and blood-not a human body. WHY JESUS APPEARED IN BODY OF FLESHThe point of connection between our
Lord's earthly body and His spiritual body is confused in the minds of many by reason of a
certain fact which is not generally taken into consideration, namely, that our Lord, after
His resurrection, had a work to do with His disciples to establish their faith in His
resurrection, and to prepare and equip them for the work before them, of proclaiming the
Gospel to every creature. Because they were still natural
men, and had not yet fully received the baptism of the Holy Spirit which came upon
them at Pentecost, after Jesus was glorified, therefore they were not prepared to
understand or appreciate spiritual things; as the Apostle Paul declares, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit
of God, neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned." But it was
necessary that the disciples should believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, before He ascended
to the Father, in order that they might be in the proper attitude of heart to be made the
recipients of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, for it was not to come upon unbelievers, but
upon believers. In choosing how He would reveal
Himself to His disciples and make known His resurrection from the dead, our Lord surely
chose the best method; and yet His method was different from that which He afterward
adopted in dealing with the Apostle Paul. To St. Paul He showed His real body, the
brightness of which affected his eyesight, making him blind, and felling him to the earth;
shining, as he declared, with greater brightness than the sun at noonday. Had our Lord
appeared thus to the women when they went to the sepulchre, or to the disciples, as He met
them subsequently, the effect would have been much less favorable than by the method which
He did pursue; they were already astounded enough, at the wonderful things which had
transpired in the preceding few days. He therefore adopted the method which had been in
vogue previously, the method used by angels sent on special missions to men, and by our
Lord Himself on some of these missions, before His nature was changed -before He "was
made flesh"--while He was still a spirit being. For instance, He appeared as a man to
Abraham, and talked with him and ate with him; but that appearance to Abraham was not a
change of nature, but merely a vailing of the heavenly nature in a body of human flesh.
Thus vailed, He could talk with Abraham and Sarah and
-do so without alarming them. just so it was after His resurrection; although He was no longer a man, but had become a partaker
of the Divine nature, and the express image of His Father's person, yet he appeared as a man and in different forms at different times;
once as the gardener, to Mary; again as a stranger, to the two who went to Emmaus; and
again, in the upper room, He appeared in a body like to His former self, bearing marks of
the nails and of the spear. This was to convince Thomas, who declared that otherwise he
would not believe in the resurrection; nevertheless with the desired evidence the Lord
gave a gentle reproof to the effect that others, who could believe without demanding that
physical test, were the more blessed. Even as it was, with all these precautions and evidences to the "natural man," we are informed that though they worshiped Him, "some doubted." If he had appeared to them as He appeared to Saul of Tarsus later, can we doubt that they would have been perplexed more than enlightened? They would have been unable to recognize that it was the Lord who had previously been a spirit being, and who became a human being for our redemption, who had now been revived from death, no longer a man but a spirit being; that now He possessed all -the powers of a spirit being, to appear -in any form found desirable-as a burning bush or as a man, as a fisherman, or as a gardener, or as a wayfarer, or as His former self. As the Apostles had time to gradually take in the situation, they understood that it was He, their Lord, yet that He was now changed, and totally unlike His former self, and without human limitations. They were not prepared to understand the meaning of the teaching that we must all be "changed," in the twinkling of an eye, during the last trumpet, in order that we may "be like Him, and see Him as He is"--not as He was, nor as we are. THE HOLY. SPIRIT OUR HELPER-APRIL 27-JOHN 16:7-15; Acts 2:1-18--
Golden Text.-If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
them that ask Him?--Luke 11:13. OUR Lord's
long conversation with His disciples just before His trial and crucifixion (John 13-16)
was the climax of His teaching, reaching to the most profound depths and the loftiest
heights. The crown of all this wonderful discourse is the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord, on the way to Gethsemane on
the night of His betrayal, gave the discourse of this lesson to His disciples. He had been
telling them what they must expect as His followers; that they would be misunderstood,
persecuted, reviled, because of their faithfulness to Him and to the brethren, whom He
represented, "But these things have I told you that when the time shall come ye may
remember that I told you of them." (V. 4.) He had not told them of all that they
might expect, intimating this when He said, "I have many things to tell you, but ye
cannot bear them now." The same may be said to
be true of all that ever
become the Lord's disciples. They see a sufficiency of light for one -step at a time, but
the trials and difficulties future are graciously held from them that they may not be
overwhelmed by them. "Sufficient unto the day is the -evil thereof." This was
not deception, not the alluring of His disciples into doing something contrary to their
wills. At the very outstart the Master assures us that unless we take up our cross and
follow Him we cannot be His disciples. if we take this step honestly and sincerely we see
plenty of difficulty in connection therewith, without knowing particulars of the troubles
to come. Indeed, if we knew of our future trials we should be unjustly overwhelmed
thereby, since at first we could but imperfectly appreciate the meaning of our Lord's
words, "My grace is sufficient for thee; my strength, is made perfect in your
weakness," and the assurance that He will not suffer us to be tempted above that
which we are able, but will with every temptation provide a way of escape. (2 Cor. 12:9; 1
Cor. 10:13.) Hence, as the Lord's people take one step after another they find these
promises quite true; they find themselves sustained, they find they have no more than they
can bear, and that although their trials are indeed severer than at the beginning of the
way, yet these can be overcome, because of growth in grace and knowledge. The power by which the Lord would
grant His aid to His persecuted followers during His personal absence was something
difficult for them to understand. In our lesson the Master makes the matter as plain as
possible, calling the power, the influence which He would exert on their behalf the Holy
Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of the Truth. As the influence
thus to be exerted upon them would be sustaining and comforting, the Lord denominated this
Spirit or power a comforter, a sustainer, a helper. He did not say that He would send
another person to deal with them; no other person could deal with them better than
Himself. It was a spirit, an influence, a power which He would send, and this would fully
represent the Father and fully represent Himself, so that in having the Holy Spirit they
would be having the fellowship of the Father and the fellowship of the Son. This Holy
Spirit is properly enough spoken of in the masculine, even as the Father and the Son are
represented in the masculine. As it stands the propriety is obvious. THE HOLY TRINITYDuring the Dark Ages a great deal of
confusion of thought prevailed and the clear teachings of the Scriptures were lost sight
of. Indeed, the Bible for a time was little in use. The Bishops were credited with being
the equals of the Apostles in inspiration, under the doctrine of the Apostolic Succession.
Hence when these met in councils their vote or decision on, a doctrine was accepted as
apostolic, authoritative. Seemingly it was overlooked that the Lord chose but twelve
Apostles and said nothing about any successors to them, and that in Revelation He
intimated there would be no successors when He pointed out the New Jerusalem with twelve
foundations only, and in those twelve foundations the names of the twelve Apostles of the
Lamb.-Rev. 21:14. Quite clearly in the second century the
influence of the Grecian philosophy upon the Church is quite noticeable, and various
errors became prominent. One of these especially related to our Lord, practically
putting Him on a par with the Grecian philosophers, Socrates and Plato, and denying His
special birth and His pre-human existence. In combating those errors some, loyal to the
Lord, went to the other extreme and declared Him, contrary to His own words, equal to the
Father. (John 10:29; 14:28.) Next came disputation respecting the Holy Spirit, and these
same extremists took the ground that there are three gods, the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit, "equal in power and glory." Peculiarly enough, after claiming
that they were equal, which implies that they are not. the same in person, but different
persons, the claim was made that they are really one
in person. Of course, such unscriptural, illogical reasoning cannot support itself,
and hence those taking this position were driven to various expedients and subterfuges of
argument. At times some of them claimed that there are really three Gods in one person,
while others claimed that there are really three persons in one God, and not being able to
explain either of the nonsensical statements, they have resorted to that word so useful to
error and superstition, namely, "Mystery," "Mystery." They tell us
that the matter of the Trinity is so mysterious that neither they nor anyone need to
understand it. If they do not understand it, they, indeed, should not discuss it; but this
should not hinder others who can understand it, and who see most clearly that the entire
mystery is of their own making; that the Bible teaching on the subject is most clear,
simple, harmonious and satisfactory. When the Apostle discusses the question of God, he says to us, There is one living and true God, not three! He proceeds to say that this one living and true God is the Father; then he adds that there is one Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 8:6.) As we have already seen, this same Apostle declares that the Father highly exalted the Lord Jesus and gave Him a name which is above every name; that all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. (Phil. 2:9, 10; John 5:23.) This means that there are two persons, for in no other way could one exalt and honor another; and if the Son is to be honored as is the Father, it follows, as other Scriptures show, that He is now partaker of the Divine nature and that He was exalted to this high honor and dignity--"far above angels, principalities and powers"--as a reward for His obedience to the Father's will, in having come into the world and redeemed mankind at the cost of His own life in pursuance of the Divine purposes. This we have already seen from John 1:1--that our Lord, before He came into the world, before the world was made by Him as the Father's agent, was the Logos, the Word, the Messenger of the God, Jehovah, and that He was a God, a mighty one, superior to angels, the One "by whom all things were made that were made; and without Him was not
anything made that was made." It will be noticed that the Apostle,
in speaking of the Father and the Son, refers to them as separate persons, and that He
does not refer to the Holy Spirit as another God, nor as the third part of God. Not that
the Apostle ignores the Holy Spirit, however, for throughout all of his epistles it is
recognized as the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Son, representing both Father
and Son in the Church. Nor are we to understand that the Holy Spirit is a spirit being-as
when we read, "God is a spirit" -but that the word used signifies the spirit of
a being, the power, influence, will, purpose, strength or whatever proceeds from the
person. The Holy Spirit is said to proceed from the Father and from the Son as an
influence or power, and this influence or power in the Church of consecrated believers
operates in turn upon those with whom they mingle. It is always a good and holy spirit or
influence, and is thus clearly distinct from the spirit of the world, the disposition of
the world, the influence of the world, the spirit of sin, the spirit of anti-Christ, etc. "THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS NOT YET GIVEN"Our Lord gently broke to His
sorrowing, bewildered disciples the news of His prospective departure to the Father who
sent Him. They did not ask where, for they believed His word, that He had come forth from
the Father and that He would return to the Father who sent Him. But sorrow bad filled
their hearts. What would they do without the Lord! How could the promise of the Kingdom
ever be fulfilled if He went away! Had they been following a delusion for three years?
They would not doubt the Lord, but they were perplexed. Our Lord, therefore, explained
that if they understood matters properly, it would relieve them of much of their distress,
as it really was to their advantage, in their interest, that He should go away. Had He not
gone away it would have been impossible for the Father to beget them of the Spirit and
recognize them as sons of God; hence it would not have been possible for them ever to be
more than human beings, ever to become spirit beings or partakers of the Divine nature,
together with its glories and honors. Indeed, without the departure of our Lord it would
have been impossible for them to attain even to human restitution, for the entire work of
salvation, both as respects the Church and the world, was dependent upon our Lord's
fulfilling the demands of justice. On the following day, as the Lamb of God, He died for
the sin of Adam, which rested upon the entire race, and on the third day the Father raised
Him up by His own power. In this great transaction on our behalf a most important work was
accomplished: but the benefits of that work, under the Divine arrangement, could not come
either to the Church or to the world, until first our Lord would ascend on high and appear
in the presence of the Father and present the merit of His sacrifice as an oblation on
behalf of His people. Had Jesus remained with His followers all through this Age, even as
a spirit being (as He was with them during the forty days), no one could have been
begotten of the Holy Spirit. It was necessary for Christ to ascend and present the merit
of His sacrifice before we could be accepted and adopted, before we could receive the Holy
Spirit. When the Apostles received the Holy
Spirit at Pentecost, they said, "This is that which was spoken of by the Prophet
Joel"--not, This is he who was spoken of by the Prophet Joel. They called it a
baptism with the Holy Spirit! - A baptism with a person is not a
conceivable or proper
thought; nor could it be a proper thought that the Holy Spirit as a person is personally
present in each believer's heart! Whenever we attach the thought of personality it implies
place. Thus we. see that God is a spirit, not that God is spirit; but we do not speak of
the Holy Spirit as being separate, as though it were a person separate and distinct from
the Father and from the Son; it is referred to in the Scriptures as the Spirit of God,
belonging to God, emanating from God; a Spirit of Christ, emanating from Christ; a Spirit
or* influence or power which is all pervasive, which can exercise itself in any place or
in any number of places at any time and perform any kind of work or mission. How much more
satisfactory is the true thought respecting the Holy Spirit than the absurd and
unscriptural ones! We might remark in this connection that the word "him" of
verse 7 in the Greek could, with equal propriety, be translated, "it"--"I
will send it unto you"--nevertheless, we have no objection whatever to urge against
the use of the word Him, since this Holy Spirit or influence is of or from Him, the
Father. Similarly the word "he" in verse 8 could, with equal propriety,
according to the Greek, be translated "it." NOT THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLDAmong the various false ideas of the
operations of the Holy Spirit is one which claims that the Holy Spirit as a person has
been busy going hither and thither all through this Gospel Age convincing people of sin
and converting them to righteousness. Some go so far in the erroneous thought as to tell
us that no one could be converted from sin unless God's Holy Spirit miraculously. operated
upon him. If these thoughts approximated the truth in any degree they would imply that God
alone is responsible for the fact that the world is not converted today, because the Holy
Spirit has failed to do its part in converting and reproving and convicting. But all this
is a serious mistake. The Holy Spirit does not operate at
all in the hearts of the world; but, as our Lord declares, It shall be in you, His
disciples, the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit or disposition of the Son, the spirit of
the Truth, the spirit of a sane mind, the spirit of holiness to the Lord. None of these
qualities of the Holy Spirit is found in the sinful world; they belong to and are intended
only for the "sanctified in Christ Jesus." The power of God operates upon the
hearts that are fully consecrated to Him, energizing them, cleansing them, separating them
from the spirit of the world and using them in the Divine service. The spirit of the world
is the spirit of sin and selfishness; the Spirit of the Lord is the spirit of holiness and
consecration to the Divine will. "HE WILL REPROVE THE WORLD"How, then, will the Holy Spirit in
you reprove them! We answer that all of the
Church, begotten of the Holy Spirit and thus enlightened, are to let their light so shine
before men that it will reprove the world. That which reproves the world is the holiness
of the Church. The Spirit of the Lord, the disposition of the Lord in His people, brings reproof to those who
are living in sin. It was so in our Lord's case, as He declared. The Father's Spirit was
imparted to Him in this special sense at the time of His baptism; as John testified,
"I beheld the Holy Spirit descending and resting upon Him and abiding." He received the Father's Spirit
without measure, without limitation, for, as the perfect one, in the image and likeness of
God, He could receive the Spirit of God in full measure. We, on the contrary, imperfect,
defective through- the fall, can receive the Spirit only, in limited measure because of
our defects-some more and some less; but, thank God, it is the privilege of each to be
more and more filled with the Holy Spirit and sanctified by it as the days go by. Our
Lord's light, which He let shine before men, was a great one. Our lights are feeble in
comparison; but we are to emulate our Lord's example, and be more and more filled with the
spirit of the Truth, the light of the Truth, and let it shine forth with wisdom upon all
those who are in range of our influence. The effect of this will be threefold,
as stated in verses 8-11. (1) "It will reprove the world
of sin"--that is to say, it will make the world conscious of its sinful condition; it
will show to the world more and more the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Many of the world
have so lost the image of God and are so devoid of conscience that they cannot with great
distinctness discriminate between honesty and dishonesty, between truth and falsity,
between righteousness and sin. The world has been in the habit of measuring itself with
itself; but now in Christ and His Church the Lord has established a new standard for the
world; and the Church, not only by its words, but also by its actions, is to uphold the
glorious standards of the Lord's words along the lines of justice and love. (2) It is not enough that the world
be convicted of sin; it needs to understand something about righteousness, the opposite of
sin; that a considerable measure of righteousness is possible and that the difficulty in
attaining it is due to the fallen nature. The world is to be convinced that righteousness
is the proper standard, the only one which God could recognize, and that in His wonderful
Plan He has arranged for eternal life to be granted only to the righteous. In this
connection it is unavoidable that those who give the instruction, the spirit-enlightened
ones, will find it necessary to make clear that no one can come into accord with the'
Father through any works of righteousness of his own, but that the forgiveness, the
covering for sins provided through the merit of Christ's sacrifice is necessary. (3) The Spirit of the Lord in His
people will convince their neighbors, all who come within the range of their light and
their message, that the present life is not all that there is, that there is a trial
purposed in God's arrangement for the whole world of mankind, a judgment, a test. Whoever
hears this message must concede its reasonableness, and it becomes a basis for joy and
hope to all those who desire eternal life. Such as are rightly and deeply exercised by
these convictions will seek the Lord and His various means of grace in the present life
that they may also have their judgment and trial as part of the Church. But such as are
not thus exercised of influenced are to be instructed through the Church; in proportion,
however, as they have light or knowledge they have responsibility. In God's Plan He has
provided a day of judgment in the future for the world, in which all shall have full
opportunity of being judged, of being tested along the lines of their loyalty to the Lord.
Nevertheless their conduct in the present life has to do with that future judgment or
trial. In proportion as they may disobey their conscience and fail to follow the leadings
of the Truth in the present time, they will have stripes, difficulties to overcome in the
future, and to whatever extent they now seek to live in accord with righteousness they
will lay up for themselves a blessing which shall assist them in that day of judgment. "BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED NOT"The Holy Spirit of Truth in the
Church will make known to the world that their continuance in the attitude of sinners,
"children of wrath," is because they do not believe in and accept of Christ and His meritorious sacrifice for sin. The
Holy Spirit in the Church will make known to the world that there is such a thing as
righteousness, an imputed righteousness which has been secured by our Lord Jesus through
His sacrifice, which He presented before the Father. The Holy Spirit in the Church will
instruct the world that the present order of things cannot continue, that a new order of
things will be ushered in at the Second Advent of our Lord, as He has already redeemed the
world, thus securing the legal right to dispossess Satan, the prince of the present order
of evil. "HE WILL SHOW YOU THINGS TO COME"Our Lord prepared His followers for a
still larger amount of instruction after His ascension than they had received from Him
during His presence. He explains that the necessity for this was their unpreparedness
until they should be endued with power from on high. Until this they would be natural men,
and, as the Apostle points out, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
This is the explanation, then, of why our Lord Jesus did not present as deep teachings
along spiritual lines as did some of the Apostles. It was not inability on His part to
present them, but those truths would have been meat out of season to His disciples, which
might have choked them, injured them. Hence the deeper things of our Lord's teachings were
stated considerably in parabolic form, which would not hurt them at the time and which
later they would come to appreciate and understand. Thus He said again, "I have told
you earthly things and ye believed not [are unable to receive them], how would you believe
if I told you of heavenly things ?"--John 3:12. But the Spirit of Truth, when it
shall come, will guide you into all Truth, yet it will be only a channel and not an
authority, for it will make known to you various features of the Divine Plan, and these
will include things not yet made manifest to you, but which in due time will be brought to
your attention through the Word and through the influence of the Holy Spirit. I shall be
glorified by this Holy Spirit, for it will be My
things that will be
shown unto you, for all things that the Father hath are Mine; "therefore, said I,
that he [it] shall take of Mine and shall show them unto you." Note in this statement
the prominence of the Father. All things are of the Father, but the Father hath made the
Son joint-heir with Him, His associate, and nothing is said to belong to the Holy Spirit,
because it is merely the Divine channel or agency through which communications, blessings,
instructions, etc., will be communicated. The Holy Spirit is not a person, but the spirit
or influence or power of the Almighty God and His everlasting Son, our Lord. "GIVE YOU ANOTHER COMFORTER"Our Golden Text is beautiful,
helpful. It speaks to us of the love and tenderness on the part of our Heavenly Father,
and assures us that the most precious of all gifts is His own Holy Spirit. Indeed, our
Lord explains that the Holy Spirit as a comforting influence, as a guide, as an instructor
and helper to the Lord's people in the Narrow Way would be a gift from the Father. This
agrees with the Apostle's statement in the record of the Pentecostal blessing. Explaining
the matter, the Apostle Peter said that our Lord, having been exalted to the right hand of
Divine power, received this Holy Spirit, power, from the Father and shed it forth or
sprayed it forth upon His followers at Pentecost. These descriptions fit well to the right
view of the Holy Spirit, but are very much out of line with the, wrong view, that the Holy
Spirit is a person. How could a person be sprayed
or shed forth! How could one equal in authority
pray to another that a third one equal to either of them should be shed forth as a
gift! The inconsistency of the error is very manifest as soon as our eyes open to its
falsity. But how beautiful is the true thought; that as soon as our Lord Jesus had
appeared before the Father as our Advocate and had presented at the Mercy Seat the merit
of His sacrifice on our behalf, the Father was well pleased to grant His Holy Spirit, His
holy influence and power upon us, and adopt us into His family and treat us as sons! How precious is the thought that the
Pentecostal blessing was not merely for those who received it, but for the entire Church,
as shown in the type! The kings, as well as the priests,. in the olden times were
anointed, set apart to special service, and Christ and His Church are the true Kings and
the true Priests of the Melchizedec order, through whose ministries as Kings and Priests
all the families of the earth will be blessed. Our Lord is the Head, we are His members in
particular. The coming of the Holy Spirit upon Him to fit and prepare Him to be the, King,
to fit and prepare Him to be the Priest of the Melchizedec
order, was symbolized in the type by the anointing of oil. Thus the Prophet speaks of
this anointing as being poured upon Aaron's head
and running down his beard even unto the skirts of His garments. This, as we see,
represents the adoption of the Holy Spirit, which came upon our Lord Jesus the Head at His
baptism, and which was shed forth at Pentecost upon all those who were ready and waiting
to be accepted as His members, and we who since have believed on Him through their word
have come into membership in the same Body and have received of the same anointing; and
"this anointing which ye received of Him abideth in you," and shall be in you.
This anointing did not represent a person, but an influence and blessing. What a satisfaction, what a comfort,
has come to the Lord's people through their privilege of being used by Him and adopted
into His family by the begetting of the Holy Spirit, the adoption of the Holy Spirit, the
anointing of the Holy Spirit, the Holy influence, the blessing of the Father and of the
Son, guiding our judgments, guiding our hearts, opening to us the Scriptures, causing our
hearts to burn within us as we are brought to a still greater appreciation of the lengths
and breadths and heights and depths of our Father's glorious Plan of salvation for
ourselves and all the families of the earth! This abiding was not to be a
temporary matter, fora day, a month, a year, but to the end of the Age, age-lasting, for
the entire period. How glad we are that this, is so, and how blessed are the instructions
and guidance which we have enjoyed! Truly, as our Lord said, the Holy Spirit shows us
things to come, and explains to us, things that are past. How many of our blessings
arealong the line of appreciation of coming things-the Millennial Kingdom, the times of
restitution, the uplifting and strengthening of all the families of the earth! ENCOURAGING 'LETTERSREJOICES IN OLD PATHSDEAR BRETHREN: Please find enclosed -money order as
subscription to THE HERALD for one year. Have just seen sample copy for December lst
issue, and must say that the general style and get-up of same does the Committee great
credit. More important, however, in my estimation, is the message which it contains and
the general spirit and policy of same. So far as I can judge, it is an honest attempt to
get back to the old paths and to be free from all trammels and delusions. So long as this
spirit and outlook is maintained, you can reckon on my fullest support. . . . Like yourselves, I have had to come
through the fire . . . and I praise the Lord, for His guidance and care over me in all my
ways. With love in the Lord. Yours in His service, W. C., Eng. REMAINED CLOSE TO FIRST TABLEDEAR BRETHREN IN THE LORD: A dear Sister sent me a couple of
copies of THE HERALD OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM-the first I knew of its publication. I am so
remote from any of God's people, but now can get in touch with those of like precious
faith. Have been so bewildered and perplexed
. . . but have remained close to the first table of the Lord, spread by that wise and
faithful servant. Am enclosing $1.00 for THE HERALD.
Please send all back numbers. The Lord bless the Pastoral Bible Institute. MRS. I. V. 0., Ariz. DESIRES TO CO-OPERATEDEAR BRETHREN: I have greatly enjoyed reading THE
HERALD, Number 1, and would be glad if you will kindly forward copies regularly to the
following: . . . Foreign money order for 1 pound enclosed herewith, and should you care to
send me a few copies of Number I issue it will be a pleasure to distribute same amongst
friends, who, I feel sure, would enjoy the reading. I should like to express my deep
appreciation of the spirit in which the articles in your journal are written and also of
the resolutions you have formed respecting the conduct of its future management. If there
is anything I am enabled to do on this side of -the Atlantic to help forward your good
work I Shall be glad to undertake it. Wishing for you and your labors the
Lord's continued guidance and blessing, believe me, Your brother in His bonds, H. J. S., Eng. OBEDIENCE BETTER THAN SACRIFICE DEAR BRETHREN:We are writing today to tell you of
our appreciation of the HERALD and its message.
We want to assure you of our loyal support of its publication so long as it continues to
carry the message of "glad tidings." We wish to add to this our personal
testimony and if you deem this of profit to the readers of the HERALD, you have our permission to publish same. A year and a half ago when the great
change came in our midst as a whirlwind of confusion, seeing that a personal stand for
truth and liberty in Christ Jesus was the only honorable course for us to take, my wife
and I strongly resented having our liberty curtailed, and fought for our rights and the
rights, of others of the Lord's dear people, and above all for the Truth as we had learned
it, and had been assured of for years, not realizing at the time that we were taking a
stand for the right thing in the wrong way. We have come to realize since then
that we were very severe and had wounded some who had not seen eye to eye with us in this
matter, and having come to a realization of our wrong, and knowing "that to right a
wrong is quite as creditable as doing right," we took advantage of a large Convention
held here by the brethren just recently, to "go to our brother" and acknowledge
our mistake in the testimony meeting. In doing this, a misunderstanding has arisen to the
effect that we had acknowledged that we were in error as to our stand. This is a mistake,
as we still stand loyal to the Truth and to the voice of the Good Shepherd who knows His
sheep and are, known by His. My testimony (which included my
wife's), was simply to ask forgiveness for having wounded anyone in the strong stand we
took to preserve the Truth in its purity, and the liberty which Christ gives us and which
He admonishes us to hold fast to. Having followed the Master's injunction in this, we
expressed our desire and readiness to continue to follow His guidance, and to take
whatever steps Divine providence led us to. To comprehend fully that
"whatsover we do unto one of the least of the Lord's brethren we have done it unto
Him," would speedily start a reformation amongst the Lord's people world-wide that
would be marvelous. "May God help us to "awake to righteousness [justice] and
sin not"--is the-prayer of Your brother and sister in Christ, MR. AND MRS. C. W. HATT--Mich. VOL. II. April 15, 1919 No. 8 HOLDING FAST TO
THE LORD
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