Publication date
6/1/01
Volume
22
Number
11
The WatchTower
A High Priest of Coming Good Things
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1901/11/1901-11-1.html
 
 
M" 
15, 
1901 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(176179) 
promised 
blessings 
and 
kmgdom. 
In 
addition 
to 
this, 
it 
was 
the 
custom 
for 
many 
of 
the 
most 
religious 
to 
per~anent~y 
remove 
to 
Jerusalem 
in 
their 
old 
age, 
that 
they 
might 
dIe 
there 
j 
and 
thus 
we 
see 
that 
the 
Lord's 
arrangements, 
and 
ihe 
human 
arrangements 
which 
his 
providence 
had 
fa.vored, 
all 
cooperated 
at 
this 
time 
for 
the 
favorable 
presentatIOn 
of 
the 
good 
tidings 
that 
Messiah 
had 
come, 
and 
that 
he 
had 
redeemed 
Israel 
and 
the 
world, 
according 
to 
the 
prophets 
and 
the 
types; 
that 
he 
haa 
ascended 
to 
the 
Father 
as 
the 
great 
High 
Priest 
for 
his 
people; 
and 
that 
this 
Pentecostal 
blessing 
rcpresented 
the 
divine 
favor 
bestowed 
through 
him, 
and 
open 
to 
as 
man~' 
as 
would 
really 
receive 
him 
and 
become 
his 
followers­ 
disciples. 
When 
we 
consider 
the 
class 
of 
hearers, 
and 
the 
miraculous 
power 
resting 
upon 
the 
speakers, 
it 
need 
not 
8urprise 
us 
that 
so 
many 
were 
converted 
in 
so 
short 
a 
time­ 
three 
thousand.-Acts 
2: 
41. 
\Ve 
are 
givrn 
but 
a 
meagre 
account 
of 
the 
preaching; 
viz., 
an 
extract 
from 
Peter's 
discoufi'le; 
but 
from 
the 
number 
of 
('on 
verts 
it 
is 
evident 
that 
all 
of 
the 
apostles 
engaged 
in 
the 
8ervice. 
A 
summary 
of 
their 
preaching 
is 
given 
in 
vs. 
11, 
where 
the 
hearers 
arc 
represented 
as 
saying, 
"We 
do 
hear 
them 
speak 
in 
our 
tongues 
the 
wonderful 
works 
of 
God." 
Thrse 
wonderful" 
orks 
we 
have 
already 
referred 
to 
as 
relating 
to 
our 
Lord's 
death 
and 
resurrection, 
and 
his 
commission 
to 
his 
apostles, 
which 
they 
were 
now 
carrying 
out. 
True, 
it 
is 
~n 
id 
tha 
t 
thr 
apostles 
used 
other 
words, 
amongst 
them, 
"Save 
yoursl'lves 
from 
tId., 
untoward 
generation"-thus 
intimating 
the 
condemnation 
of 
the 
Jewish 
church 
and 
polity, 
and 
the 
firl' 
of 
divine 
wrath, 
the 
trouble, 
shortly 
to 
come 
upon 
them. 
But 
the 
main 
part 
of 
their 
di.,eourses 
was 
not 
a 
tirade 
again~t 
the 
Jews, 
but 
rather 
a 
showing 
forth 
of 
the 
wonderful 
featurl'S 
of 
the 
divine 
plan: 
and 
even 
in 
the 
charge 
against 
the 
rulers 
and 
the 
people 
for 
the 
great 
crime 
they 
had 
com­ 
mittNl. 
in 
crucifying 
Jesus, 
thc 
Apostle 
puts 
the 
ll1att~r 
as 
kindly 
as 
posEdble, 
saying, 
"I 
\Vat 
that 
in 
ignorance 
ye 
did 
it, 
as 
dill 
also 
your 
rulers." 
Herein 
we 
have 
a 
valuable 
lesson 
for 
all 
the 
followers 
of 
Christ 
who 
pleach 
in 
his 
name 
and 
who 
would 
win 
souls 
from 
the 
darknl'Ss 
of 
error 
to 
harmony 
with 
God. 
TIll' 
proper, 
the 
effective 
preaching, 
today 
and 
then, 
is 
that 
which 
tells 
of 
thl' 
won,lerful 
works 
of 
God 
in 
man's 
I 
edemption, 
and 
not 
that 
which 
tirades 
agoainst 
the 
nominal 
"hurch-even 
though 
it 
be 
neces'lary 
occasionally 
to 
point 
out 
the 
enors 
of 
Babylon, 
as 
the 
apostles 
pointed 
out 
the 
errors 
of 
Judaism. 
Our 
course, 
like 
theirs, 
should 
be 
one 
of 
great 
mod­ 
eration 
and 
kindness, 
as 
well 
as 
plainness 
of 
speech, 
"speaking 
the 
truth 
in 
love." 
The 
harvest 
work 
of 
the 
present 
time 
reminds 
us 
much 
of 
this 
gathering 
of 
the 
harvest 
in 
Israel. 
Now, 
us 
then, 
those 
who 
are 
addressed 
by 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
are 
the 
Israelites 
indeed­ 
"devout 
men 
out 
of 
every 
nation 
under 
heaven." 
And 
so 
prominently 
is 
this 
the 
direction 
in 
which 
the 
holy 
Spiri~ 
is 
lYuiding 
in 
this 
harvest 
work 
that 
one 
of 
the 
charges 
agamst 
the 
work 
is, 
that 
we 
are 
not 
going 
after 
the 
drunkards 
and 
harlots 
and 
O'amblers 
and 
thieves 
and 
vagabonds, 
but 
are 
seek­ 
ing 
to 
feed 
the 
Lord's 
sheep 
and 
lambs,-seeking 
to 
present 
present 
truth, 
meat 
in 
d~e 
se!1son 
to 
.the 
devout 
of 
ev~ry 
nation. 
And 
such, 
we 
belIeve, 
IS 
the 
Will 
of 
God 
concernmg 
us; 
and 
so 
we 
advise 
that 
all 
of 
the 
Lord's 
people, 
as 
they 
seek 
to 
proclaim 
the 
grace 
of 
God, 
remember 
the 
words 
of 
the 
Lord, 
that 
we 
are 
to 
feed 
his 
sheep 
and 
his 
lamb'l, 
and 
not 
spend 
unnecessary 
time 
with 
the 
goats 
and 
the 
wolves, 
as 
soon 
as 
we 
recognize 
their 
kind, 
except 
it 
be 
to 
drive 
them 
off 
or 
to 
expose 
their 
true 
character 
to 
the 
sheep. 
Our 
commission 
is 
to 
"preach 
the 
Gospel 
to 
the 
meek," 
not 
to 
the 
froward 
and 
the 
vile; 
to 
bind 
up 
the 
broken-hearted. 
not 
to 
seek 
to 
break 
the 
hard 
hearts. 
The 
Lord 
has 
his 
own 
plan 
for 
dealing 
with 
the 
stony 
hearts 
in 
the 
time 
of 
trouble 
which 
is 
near, 
and 
during 
the 
Millennial 
age, 
in 
which 
the 
necessary 
force 
will 
be 
used 
to 
restrain 
the 
evil 
and 
to 
open 
their 
eyes 
and 
ears 
of 
understanding. 
Now 
our 
commission 
is 
to 
go 
to 
those 
who 
have 
'a~ 
ear. 
"He 
that 
hath 
an 
ear 
let 
him 
hear." 
Those 
who 
have 
hot 
the 
ears 
to 
hear 
the 
message. 
and 
who 
have 
not 
the 
hearts 
to 
appreciate 
its 
beauty, 
should 
not 
be 
argued 
with 
or 
wrangled 
with, 
but 
wisely 
left 
as 
quietly 
as 
possible 
in 
their 
ignorance 
and 
blindness 
until 
the 
Lord's 
due 
time 
for 
scattering 
the 
raIl 
of 
darkness, 
the 
gross 
darkness 
which 
Satan 
has 
brought 
upon 
the 
people. 
We 
had 
rather 
leave 
in 
ignorance 
and 
under 
the 
bonds 
of 
superstition 
those 
who 
manifest 
no 
appreciation 
of 
the 
grace 
of 
God 
j 
for 
doubtless, 
if 
their 
superstitions 
were 
loosed 
in 
the 
present 
time, 
it 
would 
be 
nothing 
to 
their 
advantage; 
perhaps 
to 
the 
dis­ 
advantage 
of 
others. 
Let 
us 
remember 
that 
the 
GO'lpel 
message 
is 
to 
gather 
out 
the 
Lord's 
peculiar 
people, 
a 
little 
flock, 
and 
that 
so 
far 
as 
the 
world 
is 
concerned 
the 
Gospel 
is 
only 
1\ 
"witness" 
now. 
"01,. 
XXII 
~--,-=--o_._=-_- 
__ 
-_ 
-. 
-_- 
__ 
-_,,- 
__ 
-~_- 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
JUNE 
1, 
1901 
No. 
11 
A 
HIGH 
PRIEST 
OF 
COMING 
GOOD 
THINGS 
HEB. 
9:11-14; 
24-28.-JuNE 
2. 
GOLDEN 
TEXT:-"He 
e1Jer 
liveth 
to 
make 
intercession."-Heb. 
7 
:25. 
~0 
sIgnature 
is 
attached 
to 
the 
Book 
of 
Hebrews, 
nor 
does 
the 
writer 
of 
it 
in 
any 
way 
identify 
himself, 
except 
as 
we 
see 
111 
its 
style, 
close 
reasoning, 
deep 
penetration 
and 
wide 
knowl­ 
edge 
of 
the 
divine 
plan, 
strong 
evidence 
that 
it 
was 
written 
by 
the 
Apostle 
Paul. 
Who 
but 
he 
could 
have 
written 
itT 
It 
is 
not 
addressed 
to 
Jews. 
as 
if 
with 
the 
intention 
of 
converting 
those 
who 
did 
not 
believe 
in 
Christ-but 
to 
the 
Hebrews­ 
to 
tho'le 
who 
were 
the 
children 
of 
Abraham 
according 
to 
the 
flesh, 
but 
who 
had 
accepted 
Christ.* 
The 
Apostle 
would 
strengthen 
llnd 
establish 
the 
faith 
of 
these 
(and 
indirectly 
of 
all 
others 
who 
would 
come 
to 
a 
similar 
knowledge 
of 
God's 
dealings 
with 
Israel). 
In 
this 
epistle 
he 
seeks 
to 
show 
that, 
so 
far 
from 
the 
new 
dispensation 
repudiating 
the 
old 
one, 
it 
was 
merely 
an 
advance 
step 
whil'h 
was 
being 
taken 
because 
its 
due 
time 
had 
corne. 
The 
.Tewish 
system 
was 
not 
being 
re­ 
pudiated 
as 
a 
divine 
institution, 
but 
was 
being 
established 
as 
such, 
everything 
in 
the 
new 
diflpensation 
having 
an 
analogy 
to 
the 
things 
in 
the 
old 
one, 
but 
on 
a 
higher 
plane. 
Thus 
all 
the 
Mosaic 
arrangements 
were 
honored, 
and 
shown 
to 
be 
of 
divine 
institution, 
good 
for 
the 
time, 
and 
serving 
a 
noble 
purpose 
as 
types 
and 
lessons 
of 
instruction 
and 
preparations 
for 
the 
GOflpel. 
The 
time 
had 
now 
come 
for 
the 
establishment 
of 
the 
antitype-the 
antitypical 
Covenant 
through 
the 
antitvpical 
Mediator, 
sealed 
with 
the 
antitypical 
blood 
of 
the 
Cov~nant. 
and 
to 
be 
followed 
by 
the 
anti 
typical 
----.>Nev~~theless, 
we 
believe 
the 
Book 
of 
Hebrews 
to 
be 
a 
presenta­ 
tion 
of 
the 
Gospel 
specially 
suitable 
as 
a 
message 
to 
unbeheving 
Jews­ 
superior 
in 
its 
influence 
to 
anything 
which 
we 
or 
others 
could 
present. 
Accordingly, 
we 
are 
preparing 
a 
booklet 
giving 
this 
Epistle 
in 
the 
Hebrew-Jar/<on, 
familiar 
to 
Jews 
of 
all 
nationalittes, 
for 
use 
among 
lhem.-hoping 
that 
throuRh 
the 
assi~tance 
of 
onr 
re"ders 
In 
all 
lands 
it 
may 
be 
the 
means 
~nder 
clivin!! 
providence 
of 
blessing 
a!,d 
enlighten­ 
ing 
some. 
and 
preparmR 
them 
for 
the 
mercy 
future, 
mentIOned 
hy 
the 
Apostle 
in 
Romans 
11 
:31. 
We 
will 
send 
a 
copy 
of 
this 
hrochure 
when 
issued 
to 
each 
WATCH 
TOWER 
subscriber. 
and 
trust 
that 
fe 
.... 
if 
any 
will 
be 
wasted,-the 
stewardship 
then 
will 
be 
yours, 
Day 
of 
Atonement, 
preceding 
the 
anti 
tYPICal 
blessing 
of 
the 
people 
and 
their 
full 
and 
permanent 
release 
from 
sin 
and 
con­ 
demnation. 
In 
line 
with 
the 
foregoing, 
the 
Apostle, 
in 
the 
lesson 
be· 
fore 
us, 
is 
pointing 
to 
Jesus, 
ascended 
and 
in 
the 
heavens, 
as 
the 
antitype 
of 
the 
earthly 
high 
priests 
when 
they 
went 
into 
the 
"most 
holy" 
on 
the 
day 
of 
atonement 
to 
sprinkle 
the 
blood 
of 
the 
atonement 
upon 
the 
ml'rcy 
seat. 
It 
will 
be 
remem­ 
bered* 
that 
on 
the 
day 
of 
atonement 
the 
high 
priest 
put 
on 
his 
linen 
~arments 
(not 
his 
glorious 
garments.) 
and 
with 
the 
blood 
of 
the 
sacrifice 
went 
into 
the 
mo~t 
holy 
to 
present 
it 
as 
the 
ransom 
price-thl' 
atonpmpnt. 
'Vhile 
he 
was 
within 
the 
people 
had 
no 
evidence 
of 
divil'e 
favor 
re'lulting 
from 
his 
'lucrifiee, 
but 
waited 
on 
thpir 
fa('PfI 
in 
the 
dUflt, 
representing 
the 
prostrate 
and 
helpless 
l'onrlition 
of 
mankind 
in 
degra­ 
dation, 
needing 
and 
waitinl! 
for 
the 
divine 
blessing. 
So 
now, 
our 
great 
High 
Priest 
comes 
forth 
with 
the 
promised 
blessingc; 
the 
blp~sings 
of 
restitution 
until 
all 
the 
work 
of 
atonement 
be 
accomplished, 
and 
until 
all 
the 
members 
of 
his 
body 
shall. 
with 
their 
Head, 
have 
put 
on 
the 
garmpnts 
of 
glory 
and 
beauty, 
typifying 
honor, 
rna 
ieflty 
and 
authority. 
Then 
the 
blpssinO' 
will 
quickly 
follow. 
from 
the 
uplifted 
hands 
(mani­ 
fested 
power), 
of 
our 
great 
High 
Priest; 
then, 
ind~ed, 
res­ 
titution 
bleflfling'l 
will 
prevail 
toward 
the 
whole 
creatIOn 
now 
groaning 
and 
travailing 
in 
pain 
tog-ether.-Rom. 
8 
'22. 
It 
is 
in 
re~pect 
to 
thi'l 
corning 
blessing 
that 
the 
Apostle 
declares 
our 
Lord 
to 
he 
a 
High 
Priest 
of 
coming 
good 
things 
-coming 
blesflings-ohtained 
of 
God 
in 
a 
higher 
tabernacle 
or 
temple 
than 
the 
Jewish 
earthlv 
one-a 
tabernacle, 
the 
Holy 
of 
Holies 
of 
which 
is 
heaven 
itself, 
from 
which 
in 
due 
time 
our 
great 
High 
Priest 
comes 
forth 
with 
the 
promised 
blessings 
of 
restitution, 
etc. 
• 
See 
TaberMCle 
Shadows 
of 
Better 
Silcrmces-this 
office. 
[2821] 
May 15, 1901 promised blessings and kingdom. In addition to this, it was the custom for many of the must religious to permanently remove to Jerusalem in their old age, that they might die there; and thus we see that the Lord’s arrangements, and the human arrangements which his providence had favored, all cooperated at this time for the favorable presentation of the good tidings that Messiah had come, and that he had redeemed Israel and the world, according to the prophets and the types; that he had aseended to the Father as the great High Priest for his people; and that this Pentecostal blessing represented the divine favor bestowed through him, and open to as many as would really receive him and become his followers— disciples. When we consider the class of hearers, and the miraculous power resting upon the speakers, it need not surprise us that so many were converted in so short a time— three thousand.—Acts 2:41. We are given but a meagre account of the preaching; viz., an extract from Peter’s discourse; but from the number of converts it is evident that all of the apostles engaged in the service. A summary of their preaching is given in vs. 11, where the hearers are represented as saying, “We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” These wonderful works we have already referred to as relating to our Lord’s death and resurrection, and his commission to his apostles, which they were now carrying out. ‘True, it is said that the apostles used other words, amongst them, “Save yourselves from this untoward generation”—thus intimating the condemnation of the Jewish church and polity, and the fire of divine wrath, the trouble, shortly to come upon them. But the main part of their discourses was not a tirade against the Jews, but rather a showing forth of the wonderful features of the divine plan: and even in the charge against the rulers and the people for the great crime they had committed in erucifving Jesus, the Apostle puts the matter as kindly as possible, saying, “I wot that in ignorance ve did it, as did also your rulers.” Herein we have a valuable lesson for all the followers of Christ who preach in his name and who would win souls from the darkness of error to harmony with God. The proper, the effective preaching, today and then, is that which tells of the wonderful works of God in man’s redemption, and not that which tirades against the nominal church—even though it be necessary occasionally to point out ZION’S WATCH TOWER (176 -179) the errors of Babylon, as the apostles pointed out the errors of Judaism. Our course, like theirs, should be one of great moderation and kindness, as well as plainness of speech, “speaking the truth in love.” The harvest work of the present time reminds us much of this gathering of the harvest in Israel. Now, as then, those who are addressed by the holy Spirit are the Israelites indeed— “devout men out of every nation under heaven.” And s0 prominently is this the direction in which the holy Spirit is guiding in this harvest work that one of the charges against the work is, that we are not going after the drunkards and harlots and gamblers and thieves and vagabonds, but are seeking to feed the Lord’s sheep and lambs,—seeking to present present truth, meat in due season to the devout of every nation. And such, we believe, is the will of God concerning us; and so we advise that all of the Lord’s people, as they seek to proclaim the grace of God, remember the words of the Lord, that we are to feed his sheep and his lambs, and not spend unnecessary time with the goats and the wolves, as soon as we recognize their kind, except it be to drive them off or to expose their true character to the sheep. Our commission is to “preach the Gospel to the meek,” not to the froward and the vile; to bind up the broken-hearted, not to seek to break the hard hearts. The Lord has his own plan for dealing with the stony hearts in the time of trouble which is near, and during the Millennial age, in which the necessary force will be used to restrain the evil and to open their eyes and ears of understanding. Now our commission is to go to those who have-an ear. “He that hath an ear let him hear.” Those who have hot the ears to hear the message, and who have not the hearts to appreciate its beauty, should not be argued with or wrangled with, but wisely left as quietly as possible in their ignorance and blindness until the Lord’s due time for scattering the pall of darkness, the gross darkness which Satan has brought upon the people. We had rather leave in ignorance and under the bonds of superstition those who manifest no appreciation of the grace of God; for doubtless, if their superstitions were loosed in the present time, it would be nothing to their advantage; perhaps to the disadvantage of others. Let us remember that the Gospel message is to gather out the Lord’s peculiar people, a little flock, and that so far as the world is concerned the Gospel is only a “witness” now. Vou. XXTI ALLEGHENY, PA., JUNE J, 1901 A HIGH PRIEST OF COMING GOOD THINGS HEB. 9:11-14; 24-28—June 2. GOLDEN TEXT:—“He ever liveth to make intercession.’—Heb. 7:25. No signature is attached to the Book of Hebrews, nor does the writer of it in any way identify himself, except as we see in its style, close reasoning, deep penetration and wide knowledge of the divine plan, strong evidence that it was written by the Apostle Paul. Who but he could have written it? It is not addressed to Jews, as if with the intention of converting those who did not believe in Christ—but to the Hebrews— to those who were the children of Abraham according to the flesh, but who had accepted Christ.* The Apostle would strengthen and establish the faith of these (and indirectly of all others who would come to a similar knowledge of God’s dealings with Israel). In this epistle he seeks to show that, so far from the new dispensation repudiating the old one, it was merely an advance step which was being taken because its due time had come. The Jewish system was not being repudiated as a divine institution, but was being established as such, everything in the new dispensation having an analogy to the things in the old one, but on a higher plane. Thus all the Mosaic arrangements were honored, and shown to be of divine institution, good for the time, and serving a noble purpose as types and lessons of instruction and preparations for the Gospel. The time had now come for the establishment of the antitype—the antitypical Covenant through the antitypical Mediator, sealed with the antitypical blood of the Covenant, and to be followed by the antitypical * Nevertheless, we believe the Book of Hebrews to be a presentation of the Gospel specially suitable as a message to unbelieving Jews— superior in its influence to anything which we or others could present. Accordingly, we are preparing a booklet giving this Epistle in the Hebrew-Jargon, familiar to Jews of all nationalities, for use among them,—-hoping that through the assistance of our readers in all lands it may be the means under diviné providence of blessing and enlightening some, and preparing them for the mercy future, mentioned by the Apostle in Romans 11:31. We will send a copy of this brochure when issued to each WatcH Tower subscriber, and trust that few if any will be wasted,—the stewardship then will be yours. Day of Atonement, preceding the antitypical blessing of the people and their full and permanent release from sin and condemnation. In line with the foregoing, the Apostle, in the lesson before us, is pointing to Jesus, ascended and in the heavens, as the antitype of the earthly high priests when they went into the “most holy” on the day of atonement to sprinkle the blood of the atonement upon the mercy seat. It will be remembered* that on the day of atonement the high priest put on his linen garments (not his glorious garments) and with the blood of the sacrifice went into the most holy to present it as the ransom price—the atonement. While he was within the people had no evidence of divine favor resulting from his sacrifice, but waited on their faces in the dust, representing the prostrate and helpless condition of mankind in degradation, needing and waiting for the divine blessing. So now, our great High Priest comes forth with the promised blessings the blessings of restitution until all the work of atonement be accomplished, and until all the members of his body shall, with their Head, have put on the garments of glory and heauty, typifying honor, majesty and authority. Then the blessing will quickly follow. from the uplifted hands (manifested power), of our great High Priest; then, indeed, restitution blessings will prevail toward the whole creation now groaning and travailing in pain together.—Rom. 8-22. It is in respect to this coming blessing that the Apostle declares our Lord to he a High Priest of coming good things —coming blessings—obtained of God in a higher tabernacle or temple than the Jewish earthly one—a tabernacle, the Holy of Holies of which is heaven itself, from which in due time our great High Priest comes forth with the promised blessings of restitution, etc. * See Tabernacle Shadows of Better Sacrifices—this office. [2821]

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