Publication date
5/1/00
Volume
21
Number
9
The WatchTower
The Memorial Supper
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1900/9/1900-9-1.html
 
 
(127-131) 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
aation 
to 
he 
their 
"reasonable 
service" 
and 
present 
their 
bodies 
living 
sacrifice~ 
to 
God. 
Pastors 
.1nd 
teachers, 
however, 
should 
seek 
to 
keep 
continually 
before 
the 
Lord's 
consecrated 
flock 
the 
high 
Scripture 
standard, 
realizing 
that 
many 
in­ 
fluences 
are 
continually 
at 
work 
to 
lower 
the 
standard 
of 
holi­ 
ness 
and 
devotion. 
JOHN 
MORE 
THAN 
A 
PROPHET 
The 
multitude 
who 
stood 
about 
must 
have 
heard 
the 
mes­ 
sage 
which 
John's 
disciples 
brought 
to 
JesU'5, 
and 
no 
doubt 
queried 
witllin 
themselves, 
if 
not 
audibly, 
Is 
John 
losing 
faith 
in 
Jesus 
as 
thc 
Messiah? 
If 
John 
is 
a 
prophet 
himself, 
should 
he 
not 
be 
informed 
by 
God 
on 
this 
subject, 
without 
sending 
to 
inquire 
of 
J 
e"us? 
Does 
not 
this, 
in 
connection 
with 
the 
fact 
that 
Jolm 
did 
no 
miracles, 
prove 
that 
John 
was 
not 
a 
prophet. 
but 
merely 
some 
sort 
of 
a 
reformer, 
possibly 
self­ 
appointed? 
Our 
Lord 
seem" 
to 
have 
detected 
such 
a 
ques­ 
t 
IOning-, 
lwd 
hrnce 
after 
John's 
di8clpline 
wel'l' 
gone, 
so 
that 
his 
WOI 
ds 
could 
not 
he 
l'onstrued 
as 
a 
sop 
of 
flattery 
to 
hold 
John's 
confidence, 
he 
delivered 
quite 
a 
eulogy 
upon 
his 
faithful 
forerunner, 
which 
we 
paraphrase 
thm: 
What 
did 
you 
expect 
in 
John-a 
weak, 
pliahle 
character, 
easily 
swayed 
by 
every 
wind 
of 
doctrine 
and 
fancy, 
as 
a 
reed 
is 
easily 
swayed 
by 
the 
wind? 
Those 
,,,ho 
get 
sudl 
an 
impression 
respecting 
his 
char· 
acter 
are 
deceiving- 
themselves. 
On 
the 
contrary, 
he 
is 
a 
prophet, 
yea, 
more 
than 
a 
prophet-he 
is 
a 
special 
ambassador 
and 
messenger 
of 
God 
at 
this 
present 
time, 
to 
do 
an 
intro­ 
ductory 
work 
related 
to 
the 
kingdom 
which 
I 
am 
now 
preach­ 
ing. 
He 
is 
referred 
to 
by 
Malachi 
the 
prophet 
(3: 
1). 
Indeed, 
I 
declare 
to 
you 
that 
there 
has 
never 
arisen 
a 
greater 
prophet 
than 
John, 
and 
yet 
I 
say 
to 
you 
that 
the 
least 
one 
in 
the 
king· 
dom-cla"" 
IS 
greater 
than 
he; 
for 
he 
does 
not 
belong 
to 
the 
kingdom-class 
at 
all, 
hut 
to 
the 
previou'l 
dispensation-"the 
hou"e 
of 
servants." 
"The 
law 
and 
the 
prophets 
were 
until 
John" 
(and 
he 
is 
the 
last 
of 
the 
prophets), 
and 
since 
then 
the 
kingdom 
of 
heaven 
i~ 
preached, 
that 
now 
whosoever 
will 
of 
thia 
d.J.vinely 
fa"ored 
nation 
may 
press 
his 
way 
and 
gain 
an 
entrance 
into 
it 
and 
become 
a 
son 
of 
God.-John 
12: 
L 
~ote 
in 
the 
te"Xt 
the 
clearne~~ 
ut 
our 
Lord',! 
woru, 
re"pect­ 
ing 
the 
distinction 
between 
the 
new 
institution 
which 
he' 
was 
foundlllg 
anrl 
the 
old 
institution 
founded 
by 
.:\-loses, 
and 
which 
was 
then 
coming 
to 
au 
end, 
givmg 
place 
to 
the 
new. 
The 
Apo~tle 
shows 
that 
the 
call 
of 
us 
Gentiles 
during 
this 
Gospel 
age 
to 
a 
joint-heirship 
in 
the 
kingdom 
as 
members 
of 
the 
king­ 
dom-class 
is 
because 
those 
of 
the 
Jews 
ready 
to 
receive 
the 
kingdom 
favor 
upon 
the 
Lord's 
terms 
were 
fewer 
than 
the 
pre· 
determined 
number. 
Our 
call 
is 
to 
fill 
the 
places 
of 
those 
"natural 
branches" 
of 
the 
Abrahamic 
stock, 
by 
being 
grafted 
into 
and 
made 
partakers 
of 
the 
original 
root 
of 
divine 
favor 
-the 
Abrahamic 
promise-to 
be 
members 
of 
the 
seed 
of 
Abra­ 
ham, 
in 
which 
as 
a 
kingdom-class 
all 
the 
families 
of 
earth 
shall 
be 
bles'lcd 
with 
certain 
favors 
of 
knowledge 
and 
oppor­ 
tunity.-Compare 
Rom. 
ll: 
1-33; 
Gal. 
3: 
16, 
29. 
How 
highly 
we 
who 
belong 
to 
the 
new 
dispensation 
should 
value 
its 
privileges 
and 
opportunities, 
and 
seek 
to 
"make 
our 
calling 
and 
our 
election 
sure," 
(2 
Pet, 
1 
:4-11) 
If 
those 
who 
were 
called 
with 
an 
earthly 
calling 
to 
be 
a 
"house 
of 
servants 
' 
rendered 
but 
a 
reasonable 
service 
when 
they 
engaged 
III 
the 
Lord's 
work 
zealously, 
as 
did 
John 
the 
Baptist, 
and 
have 
been 
faithful, 
how 
much 
more 
zeal 
and 
energy 
ought 
we 
to 
put 
forth 
who 
have 
been 
favored 
so 
much 
more 
highly! 
"What 
manner 
of 
persons 
ought 
we 
to 
be. 
in 
all 
holy 
conversation 
and 
godline'ls!" 
Let 
us 
remember 
that 
this 
"high-calling," 
this 
"heavenly 
calling," 
to 
joint-heirship 
with 
our 
Lord 
in 
the 
kingdom, 
is 
a 
very 
special 
and 
a 
very 
limited 
call, 
that 
it 
will 
!'oon 
end, 
and 
that 
so 
far 
as 
the 
diYine 
revelation 
shows, 
it 
will 
never 
be 
repeated. 
In 
view 
of 
these 
things 
let 
us 
lay 
aside 
every 
weight, 
and 
run 
with 
patience 
the 
race 
set 
before 
us 
in 
the 
gospel, 
looking 
unto 
Jesus. 
the 
author, 
until 
he 
shall 
have 
become 
the 
finisher. 
of 
our 
faith.-Heb. 
12: 
1. 
YOLo 
XXI 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
MAY 
1, 
1900 
THE 
MEMORIAL 
SUPPER 
No. 
9 
Each 
year 
seems 
to 
add 
to 
the 
interest 
of 
the 
Lord's 
peo- 
self, 
as 
the 
antit,vpe. 
lYe 
noted 
also 
the 
appropria 
tenes~ 
of 
pIe 
in 
the 
celebration 
of 
the 
great 
event 
which 
lies 
at 
the 
the 
emblems 
which 
Jesus 
ehoose 
to 
represent 
his 
fle'lh 
and 
his 
foundation 
of 
all 
our 
Christian 
hopes-the 
celebration 
of 
the 
blood; 
we 
saw 
that 
unleavened 
bread 
most 
beautifullv 
ill 
us- 
death 
of 
"Christ, 
our 
Passover." 
Each 
year 
the 
matter 
seems 
trated 
the 
purity, 
the 
sinlessness, 
of 
our 
dear 
Redeemer, 
and 
to 
be 
more 
clearly 
grasped 
by 
a 
larger 
number, 
and 
cor· 
that 
the 
cup, 
the 
fruit 
of 
the 
vine, 
represented 
his 
sufferinlts- 
respondingly 
the 
solemnity 
and 
holy 
joy 
proper 
to 
the 
occa- 
not 
sufferings 
that 
were 
grievous, 
but 
joyous, 
endured 
willing· 
sion 
secm,; 
to 
be 
the 
more 
intense, 
and 
the 
overflowing 
bles- 
Ir, 
gladly, 
on 
our 
bQhalf, 
ann 
we 
rejoiced 
in 
these 
thing~. 
sing- 
to 
be 
more 
pronounced. 
\Ve 
considered 
how 
we 
were 
to 
feed 
upon 
the 
Lord 
in 
our 
Many 
of 
the 
little 
companies 
of 
the 
Lord's 
people 
who 
hearts 
while 
using 
the 
bread 
emblematically-that 
we 
could 
celcbratell 
on 
the 
evening 
of 
April 
12th 
have 
responded 
to 
feed 
upon 
his 
flesh 
in 
the 
sense 
of 
calling 
to 
mind 
the 
fact 
our 
rcquc"t 
for 
information 
re"pecting 
the 
numbers 
partici- 
that 
only 
through 
his 
sacrifice 
could 
we 
have 
life, 
only 
by 
his 
pating. 
and 
the 
measure 
of 
the 
Lord's 
Spirit 
and 
blessing 
becoming 
our 
substitute 
in 
death 
could 
we, 
as 
a 
race, 
be 
set 
prevailing. 
From 
thesc 
reports 
we 
judge 
that 
the 
number 
free 
from 
the 
condemnation 
that 
was 
upon 
U'l 
through 
father 
participatIng 
this 
year 
wall 
con'5iderably 
more 
than 
last 
year. 
Adam's 
transgression. 
'We 
considered 
the 
fruit 
of 
the 
vine, 
Though 
wp 
have 
not 
heard 
from 
nearly 
so 
many, 
the 
totals 
are 
the 
symbol 
of 
our 
Lord's 
blood, 
as 
the 
sealing 
of 
the 
Kew 
larger. 
lYe 
hdievp, 
too, 
from 
the 
letters 
that 
the 
meaning 
Covenant 
under 
which 
God, 
through 
Christ, 
could 
be 
merciful 
of 
the 
institution 
was 
very 
deeply 
appreciated, 
not 
only 
as 
toward 
our 
imperfection~. 
accepting 
our 
intentions, 
e"cn 
though 
marking 
the 
great 
sacrifice 
of 
our 
Lord 
Jesus, 
but 
al'lo 
as 
the 
weaknesses 
of 
the 
flesh 
might 
sometimes 
hinder 
us 
from 
marking 
the 
consecration 
of 
his 
people 
to 
be 
one 
with 
him 
attaining 
all 
the 
desired 
results. 
in 
hi'l 
sacrifice. 
Then 
we 
viewed 
the 
matter 
from 
the 
other 
standpoint- 
The 
Allegheny 
church 
ha~ 
a 
most 
hIes 
'led 
season,.about 
290 
the 
secondary 
one 
mentioned 
by 
the 
Apostle 
in 
1 
Cor. 
10:16, 
partil'ipating'. 
\Ye 
filst 
rcne\\ed 
the 
general 
mea~Ing 
of 
the 
17, 
viz" 
that 
the 
entire 
church 
is 
one 
loaf, 
and 
that 
it 
is 
the 
Passovcr 
as 
it 
was 
instituted 
with 
the 
,Jews, 
traclllg 
the 
re- 
duty 
and 
the 
privilege 
of 
all 
who 
have 
become 
members 
of 
lationship 
between 
the 
typical 
Passover 
Lamb 
and 
Christ 
the 
the 
one 
loaf, 
the 
one 
body 
of 
Christ, 
to 
be 
broken 
in 
the 
J~amb 
of 
God, 
our 
Pas~over, 
and 
saw 
in 
the 
first-born 
of 
service 
of 
the 
Head 
and 
in 
the 
service 
of 
each 
other, 
that 
thus 
Isracl 
passell 
over 
in 
that 
nigh~ 
a 
type 
of 
tI.le 
church 
of 
the 
we 
might 
have 
fellowship 
with 
Christ 
in 
his 
sufferings 
and 
tiro.t-born. 
"hich 
GOll 
i" 
passlI1g' 
over 
durIng 
tlus 
Gospel 
ultimately 
be 
sharers 
in 
his 
glory. 
We 
saw 
that 
the 
cup 
of 
night. 
\Ye 
saw 
that 
sub'lequently 
these 
first-born 
ones 
became 
blessing 
with 
which 
we 
bless 
is 
indeed 
our 
communion 
or 
thp 
lpader~ 
of 
Isracl 
as 
a 
whole, 
and 
their 
deliverers 
from 
fellowship 
in 
the 
blood 
[sufferings] 
of 
Christ, 
our 
mingling 
of 
El!yptJan 
honnag-p, 
and 
we, 
saw 
tlu,;t 
the 
anti-type 
of 
that 
our 
lives 
with 
his 
life, 
our 
joining 
with 
him 
in 
"filling 
up 
deliverance 
wIll 
be 
the 
ultImate 
delIverance 
of 
all 
who 
love 
that 
which 
is 
behind 
of 
the 
afflictions 
of 
Christ." 
We 
sought 
God 
and 
who 
desire 
to 
serve 
him, 
from 
the 
bondage 
of 
the 
to 
enter 
into 
the 
very 
deep 
meaning 
of 
the 
beautiful 
symbol, 
world 
and 
of 
sin 
and 
of 
Satan, 
the 
antitype 
of 
Pharaoh, 
and 
and 
to 
have 
it 
in 
our 
hearts 
a 
power 
of 
God, 
leading 
us 
to 
that 
this 
ultimate 
deliverance 
would 
be 
during 
the 
Millennial 
keener 
appreciation 
of 
our 
dear 
Saviour, 
and 
to 
a 
keener 
de- 
aCfp. 
whcn 
·'the 
church 
of 
the 
first-born" 
ones 
will 
be 
as- 
votion 
as 
his 
disciples, 
to 
walk 
in 
his 
footsteps. 
s~cinted 
with 
Christ 
in 
the 
Millennial 
kingdom. 
Then, 
after 
a 
prayer 
of 
thanksgiving 
to 
God 
for 
the 
living 
Next 
we 
saw 
how 
that 
the 
Jews 
had 
celebrated 
the 
type 
for 
Bread 
that 
came 
down 
from 
heaven-for 
Jesus, 
who 
was 
not 
over 
sixteen 
centuries, 
with 
no 
knowledge 
of 
the 
anti 
type, 
and 
a 
condemned 
member 
of 
the 
human 
family, 
but 
a 
specially 
yet 
that 
in 
God's 
due 
time 
Christ, 
the 
antitypical 
Lamb, 
~as 
provided 
one, 
suitable 
to 
be 
our 
Saviour, 
our 
Bread, 
our 
Life· 
slain 
on 
the 
very 
same 
day 
of 
the 
month 
that 
the 
typIcal 
giver, 
and 
for 
all 
the 
blessing 
which 
we 
have 
through 
his 
Lamb 
was 
slain; 
and 
that 
on 
the 
very 
same 
day 
in 
which 
great 
sacrifice, 
we 
partook 
of 
the 
bread. 
After 
this 
we 
gave 
he 
and 
his 
disciples 
met 
as 
Jews 
to 
celebrate 
the 
typical 
Lamb 
thanks 
for 
the 
cup, 
acknowledging 
that 
we 
have 
no 
righteous- 
and 
the 
typical 
passing 
over, 
our 
Lord 
instituted 
a 
new 
ness 
of 
our 
own, 
even 
though 
all 
the 
past 
were 
forgiven, 
and 
memorial, 
which 
would 
not 
look 
back 
to 
the 
type, 
but 
to 
him- 
that 
we 
could 
not 
hope 
to 
stand 
before 
God 
acceptably 
or 
[2622] 
(127-131) cration to be their “reasonable service” and present their bodies living sacrifices to God. Pastors and teachers, however, should seek to keep continually before the Lord’s consecrated flock the high Scripture standard, realizing that many influences are continually at work to lower the standard of holiness and devotion. JOHN MORE THAN A PROPHET The multitude who stood about must have heard the message which John’s disciples brought to Jesus, and no doubt queried within themselves, if not audibly, Is John losing faith in Jesus as the Messiah? If John is a prophet himself, should he not be informed by God on this subject, without sending to inquire of Jesus? Does not this, in connection with the fact that John did no miracles, prove that John was not a prophet, but merely some sort of a reformer, possibly selfappointed? Our Lord seems to have detected such a questioning, and hence after John’s discipline were gone, so that his words could not be construed as a sop of flattery to hold John’s confidence, he delivered quite a eulogy upon his faithful forerunner, which we paraphrase thus: What did you expect in John—a weak, pliable character, easily swayed by every wind of doctrine and fancy, as a reed is easily swayed by the wind? Those who get such an impression respecting his character are deceiving themselves. On the contrary, he is a prophet, yea, more than a prophet—he is a special ambassador and messenger of God at this present time, to do an introductory work related to the kingdom which I am now preaching. He is referred to by Malachi the prophet (3:1). Indeed, I declare to you that there has never arisen a greater prophet than John, and yet I say to you that the least one in the kingdom-class 1s greater than he; for he does not belong to the kingdom-class at all, but to the previous dispensation—“the house of servants.” “The law and the prophets were until John” (and he is the last of the prophets), and since then ZION'S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa the kingdom of heaven ix preavhed, that now whosoever will of this divinely favored nation may press his way and gain an entrance into it and become a son of God.—John 12:1. Note in the text the clearnes: ot our Lord’s words respecting the distinction between the new institution which he was founding and the old institution founded by Moses, and which was then coming to an end, giving place to the new. The Apostle shows that the call of us Gentiles during this Gospel age to a joint-heirship in the kingdom as members of the kingdom-class is because those of the Jews ready to receive the kingdom favor upon the Lord’s terms were fewer than the predetermined number. Our call is to fill the places of those “natural branches” of the Abrahamic stock, by being grafted into and made partakers of the original root of divine favor ~—the Abrahamic promise—to be members of the seed of Abraham, in which as a kingdom-class all the families of earth shall be blessed with certain favors of knowledge and opportunity.—Compare Rom, 11:1-33; Gal. 3:16, 29. How highly we who belong to the new dispensation should value its privileges and opportunities, and seek to “make our calling and our election sure.” (2 Pet. 1:4-11) If those who were called with an earthly calling to be a “house of servants’ rendered but a reasonable service when they engaged in the Lord’s work zealously, as did John the Baptist, and have been faithful, how much more zeal and energy ought we to put forth who have been favored so much more highly! “What manner of persons ought we to be. in all holy conversation and godliness!” Let us remember that this “high-calling,” this “heavenly calling,” to joint-heirship with our Lord in the kingdom, is a very special and a very limited call, that it will soon end, and that so far as the divine revelation shows. it will never be repeated. In view of these things let us lay aside every weight, and run with patience the race set before us in the gospel, looking unto Jesus. the author, until he shall have become the finisher, of our faith_—Heb. 12:1. Vou. XXI = ALLEGHENY, PA., MAY 1, 1900 No. 9 THE MEMORIAL SUPPER Each year seems to add to the interest of the Lord’s people in the celebration of the great event which lies at the foundation of all our Christian hopes—the celebration of the death of “Christ, our Passover.” Each year the matter seems to be more clearly grasped by a larger number, and correspondingly the solemnity and holy joy proper to the occasion seems to be the more intense, and the overflowing blessing to be more pronounced. Many of the little companies of the Lord’s people who celebrated on the evening of April 12th have responded to our request for information respecting the numbers participating, and the measure of the Lord’s Spirit and blessing prevailing. From these reports we judge that the number participating this year was considerably more than last year. Though we have not heard from nearly so many, the totals are larger. We believe, too, from the letters that the meaning of the institution was very deeply appreciated, not only as marking the great sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, but also as marking the consecration of his people to be one with him in his sacrifice. The Allegheny church had a most blessed season, about 290 participating. We first reviewed the general meaning of the Passover, as it was instituted with the Jews, tracing the relationship between the typical Passover Lamb and Christ the Lamb of God, our Passover, and saw in the first-born of Israel passed over in that night a type of the church of the first-born, which God js passing over during this Gospel night. We saw that subsequently these first-born ones became the leaders of Israel as a whole, and their deliverers from Egyptian bondage, and we saw that the anti-type of that deliverance will be the ultimate deliverance of all who love God and who desire to serve him, from the bondage of the world and of sin, and of Satan, the antitype of Pharaoh, and that this ultimate deliverance would be during the Millennial age, when “the church of the first-born” ones will be associated with Christ in the Millennial kingdom. Next we saw how that the Jews had celebrated the type for over sixteen centuries, with no knowledge of the antitype, and yet that in God’s due time Christ, the antitypical Lamb, was slain on the very same day of the month that the typical Lamb was slain; and that on the very same day in which he and his disciples met as Jews to celebrate the typical Lamb and the typical passing over, our Lord instituted a new memorial, which would not look back to the type, but to him self, as the antitvpe. We noted also the appropriateness of the emblems which Jesus choose to represent his flesh and his blood; we saw that unleavened bread most beautifully illustrated the purity, the sinlessness, of our dear Redeemer, and that the cup, the fruit of the vine, represented his sufferings— not sufferings that were grievous, but joyous, endured willingly, gladly, on our behalf, and we rejoiced in these things. We considered how we were to feed upon the Lord in our hearts while using the bread emblematically—that we could feed upon his flesh in the sense of calling to mind the fact that only through his sacrifice could we have life, only by his becoming our substitute in death could we, as a race, be set free from the condemnation that was upon us through father Adam’s transgression. We considered the fruit of the vine, the symbol of our Lord’s blood, as the sealing of the New Covenant under which God, through Christ, could be merciful toward our imperfections, accepting our intentions, even though the weaknesses of the flesh might sometimes hinder us from attaining all the desired results. Then we viewed the matter from the other standpoint— the secondary one mentioned by the Apostle in 1 Cor. 10:16, 17, viz., that the entire church is one loaf, and that it is the duty and the privilege of all who have become members of the one loaf, the one body of Christ, to be broken in the service of the Head and in the service of each other, that thus we might have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings and ultimately be sharers in his glory. We saw that the cup of blessing with which we bless is indeed our communion or fellowship in the blood [sufferings] of Christ, our mingling of our lives with his life, our joining with him in “filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ.” We sought to enter into the very deep meaning of the beautiful symbol, and to have it in our hearts a power of God, leading us to keener appreciation of our dear Saviour, and to a keener devotion as his disciples, to walk in his footsteps. Then, after a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the living Bread that came down from heaven—for Jesus, who was not a condemned member of the human family, but a specially provided one, suitable to be our Saviour, our Bread, our Lifegiver, and for all the blessing which we have through his great sacrifice, we partook of the bread. After this we gave thanks for the cup, acknowledging that we have no righteousness of our own, even though all the past were forgiven, and that we could not hope to stand before God acceptably or [2622]

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