8
1
8
download/literature/watchtower/1901-16.pdf
../literature/watchtower/1901/16/1901-16-1.html
ZION'S
WATCH
TOWER
ALLEGHENY.
PA.
dllldren.
hy
ehoosing
fellowship
wIth
the
world
;-by
com
mInghng
to
some
extent
wIth
the
world,
the
flesh
and
the
de\
il.
e\
ell
tho.
like
Lot,
disapprovIng
their
surroundings
wllleh
\
ex
their
righteous
souls.
8uch,
the
Apostle
tells
us,
shall
lJe
"saved
"0
as
by
fire."
(1
Cor.
3.15)
Such
the
Lord
Illustrates
as
comIng
up
out
of
great
tribulation,
washing
their
rolJr,;
and
maklllg
them
white,
and
eventually
obtaining
a
ble,,~ing.
but
not
the
('hief
one
whieh
they
might
have
ob
tamed
ha,l
they
followed
faIthfully
with
the
pilgrims
and
stIanger~,
the
"little
flock."-Rev.
7
:!),
14.
The
story
of
Lot's
haste
out
of
Sodom,
and
of
his
wife's
transglhslOn
of
the
angel's
command
in
looking
back
and
hankellllg
after
the
things
left
behInd,
are
brought
to
our
attentJon
!II
that
pal
t
of
our
Lord's
great
prophecy
relating
to
the
end
of
thIS
age;-"Remember
Lot's
WIfe!"
(Luke
17:
3:31
TlJi"
reference
"eems
to
corroborate
the
thought
that
Lot's
eAperiences
were
somewhat
typical.
The
Lord's
people
will
be
tested
along
the
line
of
their
separation
from
the
spirit
of
the
world.
Those
who,
like
Abraham,
are
the
friends
of
God
will
be
far
off
from
the
danger;
others
not
so
faithful
will
he
in
the
full
midst
of
the
trouble,
yet
if
loyal
at
heart
to
the
Lord
they
will
be
delivered
with
great
loss,
and
the
sufferings
which
such
disappointments
and
losses
will
imply;
yet
in
the
end
such
will
gain
the
heawnly,
<;plritual
hfe
for
which
they
started
out.
None,
however,
will
he
de1lY<'red
if
thpY
remain
in
the
city
of
destruction,
Bahylon.
If
they
do
not
avoid
it
at
first,
they
must
at
least
be
WIlling
to
leave
it,
and
that
with
great
energ-y,
ere
its
de"trudlOn
comr,,:
and
if
they
love
the
things
behind,
more
tlw.n
tlH'y
appre(·iatr
delivprance-so
that
they
in
any
de
gorpe
look
Il:lck
or
long
for
the
evil
things
doomed
to
destruc
tIon
III
the
('oming
trouble,
it
will
mean
that
they
will
not
be
worthy
of
having
any
part
or
lot
in
the
deliverance.
The
r('('or<1
is
that
Lot's
wife
became
a
pillar
of
salt,
and
altho
infi<1elity
has
been
inclined
to
dispute
such
a
miracle,
we
have
every
reason
to
believe
the
truthfulness
of
the
recOl
d:
and
Ii'ke
all
miracles,
if
explained,
it
would
no
doubt
seem
reasona
hIe
enough.
An
explanation
of
the
miracle
has
been
sugge~ted
hy
a
traveler,
as
follows:
"Just
as
some
of
the
vlctim~
of
PompeIi
stumbled
in
their
flight,
and
were
buripd
under
the
a
"hes,
which
~till
keep
the
outline
of
their
figure,
so
Lot's
wife
wall
covered
with
the
half-liquid,
slimy
mud."
"An
atmosphere
heavily
charged
with
the
fumes
of
sulphur
and
bItumen
might
easily
plOduce
suffocation,
as
was
the
('ase
with
the
elder
Pliny
in
the
destruction
of
Pom
peii.
And
as
no
dead
body
would
ever
decompose
on
the
shores
of
this
salt
sea,
if
left
in
such
an
atmosphere,
it
would
become
encrusted
with
salt
crystals.
Pillars
of
salt
are
found
in
the
vicinity
which
have
formed
from
the
spray,
mist
and
saline
exhalations
of
the
dead
sea,
and
are
constantly
growing
larger."
SUFFERING
THE
VENGEANCE
OF
ETERNAL
FIRE
Jude
tells
us
that
the
destruction
of
Sodom
was
intended
by
the
Lord
to
be
an
Illustration
of
the
fate
of
the
wicked.
But
it
certainly
does
not
illustrate
what
that
fate
is
gen
erally
supposed
to
be:
It
does
not
illustrate
perpetual
fire,
with
the
Sodomites
continually
burning
and
never
de"troyed,
and
with
demons
poking
the
fires
and
torturing
the
VIctims.
Nothing
of
the
kind.
The
"eternal
fires"
whirh
God
intends
for
the
wicked.
and
which
he
illustrated
in
the
case
of
the
Sodomites,
signify
fires,
whose
work
of
destruction
is
com
plete
and
everlasting.
It
is
divine
vengeance
or
retribution
against
sinners-"they
shall
be
punished
with
an
everlasting
destruction"
(2
Thess.
1:9),
beyond
all
hope
of
rerovery.
The
"lake
of
fire"
of
Revelation,
and
the
Dead
Sea
of
Sodolll
represent
in
symbol
the
second
death-extjnction,
from
which
there
is
no
hope
by
a
resurrection
or
otherwise.
None
will
go
into
the
serond
death
on
account
of
ignorance.
All
\\
ho
enter
it
will
do
so
because
of
wilful,
deliberate
pal
ticipation
in
sin,
or
because
of
sympathy
with
it.
Supposing
Sod
om
to
represent
sin,
the
lesson
would
be
that
all
finding
themselves
in
an
evil
condition
of
life.
evpn
tho,
like
Lot,
their
hearts
be
out
of
sympathy
with
it,
Rhould
and
must
flee
from
it
if
they
would
avert
the
consequences.
They
must
flee
in
haste
and
tarry
not
in
all
the
plain.
Yet
it
is
a
comforting
thought
that
as
the
angel
laid
hold
of
the
hands
of
Lot
and
his
daughters
and
helped,
urged
and
en
couraged
them
to
flee,
so
the
Lord's
providences
will
take
hold
of
everyone
who
shall
seek
to
escape
from
sin.
and
will
so
cooperate
with
their
good
wills
in
the
matter
that
they
shall
eventually
be
fully
rescuccl
from
it.
ALLEGHENY,
PA.,
AUGUST
15,
1901
A
PROPHET,
LIKE
UNTO
MOSES
No.
ltl
"POI'
JIos'"
tnily
saulllllto
the
fathers,
A
prophet
shall
the
Lord
yowr
God
raise
up
unto
you,
of
your
brethren,
like
unto
me;
111111
"ll'lll
,lie
hear
in
all
things
whatsoever
he
shall
say
unto
you.
And
it
shall
come
to
pass
that
every
soul
that
will
not
hear
that
prophet
shall
be
destroyed
from
among
the
people."-Acts
3:
22,
23.
W,·
";tIPP
that
til('
time
for
the
fulfilment
of
this
predic
tIon
h
n,'
II',
c,
en
,It
thr
<lo()r~:
alHl
now
one,
styling
himself
"Rc\',"
.f(,lm
AII',aIH!"r
Dowie,
IH'ralds
himself
to
the
civilized
\\
nrld
a
~
llPlll~
thi,
I'loplll't.
\\'e
are
not
hastily
to
accept
hi,
<II<
tlIlIl.
awl
(0
I',,·],um.
"Vprilv.
thlR
is
he
of
whom
l\fO~PR
III
t
he·
La
\\'.
and
l1w
prophrts
;lid
writp."
Nor,
on
the
otlll'\'
hand.
m,'
\\!'
ha~tIiy
to
d('pide
that
he
iR
an
impo:;tor,
a
f
,1-(,
].,
"ph,·t,
'Illlph'
1)1'(';\I\-r
h('
happpns
to
liyp
in
our
d
l~'
nathpr,
III
'I('W
of
the
f;\(·t
th'lt
we
are
expecting
the
ftI!1il'lII'],l
"f
11'h
~')
ipllIl'('
we
~hould
look
tIl!'
Rubject
care
flIlh'
11\.'1
.11Id
\\"Igh
all
thl'
Scriptural
te~timony.
and
thus
d(',
Ill,'
I,
til
thl'
trnth
or
falRity
of
:\[1'.
Dowie's
claims.
And,
dOlII,j
1<'--.
in
dOlJlg
tid
....
our
investigation
of
the
Rubject
from
a
~'llptnl,tI
~tan(lpoll1t
will
prove
profitahle
to
U",
whether
fa\o",hll'
or
unfavnrahle'
to
Mr.
Dowie;-whether
they
prove
hllll
thp
ProphC't
fordol(l,
or
a
dereived
and
deceiving
false
pr0l'llf't
,\
na
h'
/-111/!
our
t('"t,
we
prr('pive
that
it'!
expression,
"like
unto'"
has
till'
~ellRe
of
antitypieal;
hence
the
Prophet
to
be
e,),,·('j,·11
mlI-L
he
much
goreater
every
way
than
Moses,
as
an
,lIltlt~·!,,,
i~
alway"
far
...
uperior
to
its
type,
Moses
was
the
:\fl'dlllUll
of
thp
Law
Covenant,
and
thus
stood
between
Israel
and
Co<1.
a-
WI'
rl'ad
in
rpf('ren('('
to
the
sealing
and
delivery
of
tl1l'
fA'"
('ovPlIHnt:
"The
Lord
our
Cod
made
a
covenant
witlt
you
ill
HOIeh
.
..
The
Lord
talked
with
you
face
to
far'p
in
thl'
mount
nut
of
the
mid"t
of
fire.
I
stood
between
(;",1
(//1,1
//'1/1
fa
!n,'(liator,
or
goo-hetweeen],
at
that
time,
to
show
von
the
word
of
the
Lord;
for
ye
were
afraid
by
rea
,Oil
of
tl,l'
fire.
and
went
not
up
into
the
mount!'
(Deut.
.'l'
~.,-,
'
From
tl]is
,,('
Rec
that
Moses,
the
typical
prophet,
v:a,
\
('1
V
!fle,lt
'('rv
influential,
lw(l
a
very
high
office;
and
thl-
\I(,phl
-1!!llliv
th~\t
the
future
Prophet
whom
God
had
in
'11tnd.
11"<]
\\
ho~e
(·oming
was
foretold
thirty-five
hundred
',1',
H!!')
hy
:\1o'il's
himself,
and
furtllPl'
pointed
forward
to
th
...
\postle
Ppter
in
our
text,
must.
as
the
antitype
of
he
wOIl(]('rfully
great,
wonderfully
powe'rful,
a
still
grpater
1\1e(1Iator
hetween
God
and
n1l'n.
a
still
mighhpr
Law
giver
whose
word
would
he
omnipotent,
and
violation
of
whit
h
woul,l
eventually
mean
dcstrurtion
:-as
it
i~
WrItten
"Everv
~O]ll
which
wiil
not
h(':1r
that
Prophet
~hall
111'
de
~troye<l
from
among
the
people."
(Apts
3:
23)
Evell
at
first
glanre
ever~'
unprejudiced
mind
would
say
that
J\Ir.
Dowie,
and
every
other
man
on
earth,
sepl1ls
far
too
inSIgnificant,
far
too
small
to
fill
the
reqmrementR.
Not
only
too
'imall
for
the
anti
type,
hut
far
inferior
eVPn
to
the
type'.
Turning
to
thE'
rpcord
of
Mose~'
words
in
the
Old
Testa
ment,
we
find
them
in
Deut.
18:
15,20,
and
here
we
spe
that
the
partirular
feature
of
Mose,,'
work
as
a
prophet
and
law
give]'
to
lRracl,
",hil'h
is
here
referred
to
as
typical
of
a
greater
work
to
be
accomplished
by
a
greater
Law-giver
and
Prophet,
was
the
work
which
he
performed
for
Israel
as
the
Mediator
of
the
Law
Covenant
at
Mount
Sinai,
in
the
dis
trict
called
Horeb,
already
referred
to.
At
the
time
of
the
giving
of
the
Law,
Israel
witnessed
a
wonderful
manifesta
tion
of
divine
power.
"All
the
people
witnessed
the
thunder
ing
and
the
lightning,
and
the
noise
of
the
trumpet
and
the
mountain
smoking;
and
when
the
people
saw
it
they
removed
and
stood
afar
off.
And
thpy
said
unto
Moses,
Speak
thou
with
us
and
we
will
hear;
but
let
not
God
speak
"lith
us,
lest
we
die."
(Exod.
20:18,
19)
In
response
to
this
their
request
God
appointed
Mo'!eR
to
be
their
Me,Hator
or
representative.
Moses
communpd
with
the
Lord
in
the
mount,
and
received
from
him
the
Law,
and
came
to
the
people
and
communicated
the
Law
to
them.
and
obtained
their
assent
to
the
covenant;
and
then,
as
a
representative
both
of
God
and
of
Israel,
Moses
sealed
the
covenant
i-ratified
it
by
taking
the
blood
of
bulls
and
of
goats
and
Rprinkling
first
the
book
of
the
Law,
or
tables
of
stone
on
which
the
commandments
were
written,
as
rppresenting
.Jehovah,
and
sprinkling,
secondly,
the
people,
as
hinding
thpm.
TIm'!
the
covenant
between
God
and
Israel
was
estahlished
at
the
handR
of
MORes,
the
Mediator.
It
was
at
this
time
of
the
recognition
of
Moses
as
the
Mediator
of
[2858]
(258 259) children, by choosing fellowship with the world;—by commingling to some extent with the world, the flesh and the devil, even tho, like Lot, disapproving their surroundings which vex their righteous souls. Such, the Apostle tells us, shall be “saved so as by fire.” (1 Cor. 3.15) Such the Lord illustrates as coming up out of great tribulation, washing therr robes and making them white, and eventually obtaining a blessing, but not the chief one which they might have obtained had they followed faithfully with the pilgrims and strangers, the “little flock.’—Rev. 7:9, 14. The story of Lot's haste out of Sodom, and of his wife’s transcression of the angel’s command in looking back and hankering after the things left behind, are brought to our attention m that pait of our Lord’s great prophecy relating to the end of this age;—‘‘Remember Lot’s wife!” (Luke 17:32) This reference seems to corroborate the thought that Lot’s experiences were somewhat typical. The Lord’s people will be tested along the line of their separation from the spirit of the world. Those who, like Abraham, are the friends of God will be far off from the danger; others not so faithful will he in the full midst of the trouble, yet if loyal at heart to the Lord they will be delivered with great loss, and the sufferings which such disappointments and_ losses will imply; yet in the end such will gain the heavenly, spiritual life for which they started out. None, however, will be delivered if they remain in the city of destruction, Babylon. If they do not avoid it at first, they must at least be willing to leave it, and that with great energy, ere its destruction comes: and if they love the things behind, more than they appreciate deliverance—so that they in any degree Jook hack or long for the evil things doomed to destruction in the coming trouble, it will mean that they will not be worthy of having any part or lot in the deliverance. The record is that Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt, and altho infidelity has been inclined to dispute such a miracle, we have every reason to believe the truthfulness of the record; and like all miracles, if explained, it would no doubt seem reasonable enough. An explanation of the miracle has been suggested by a traveler, as follows: “Just as some of the victims of Pompeii stumbled in their flight, and were buried under the ashes, which still keep the outline of their ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa, figure, so Lot’s wife was covered with the half-liquid, slimy mud.” “An atmosphere heavily charged with the fumes of sulphur and bitumen might easily produce suffocation, as was the ease with the elder Pliny in the destruction of Pompell. And as no dead body would ever decompose on the shores of this salt sea, if left in such an atmosphere, it would become encrusted with salt crystals. Pillars of salt are found in the vicinity which have formed from the spray, mist and saline exhalations of the dead sea, and are constantly growing larger.” SUFFERING THE VENGEANCE OF ETERNAL FIRE Jude tells us that the destruction of Sodom was intended by the Lord to be an illustration of the fate of the wicked. But it certainly does not illustrate what that fate is generally supposed tc be: it does not illustrate perpetual fire, with the Sodomites continually burning and never destroyed, and with demons poking the fires and torturing the victims, Nothing of the kind. The “eternal fires” which God intends for the wicked, and which he illustrated in the case of the Sodomites, signify fires, whose work of destruction is complete and everlasting. It is divine vengeance or retribution against sinners—‘‘they shall be punished with an everlasting destruction” (2 Thess. 1:9), beyond all hope of recovery. The “lake of fire’ of Revelation, and the Dead Sea of Sodom represent in symbol the second death—extinction, from which there is no hope by a resurrection or otherwise. None will go into the second death on account of ignorance. All who enter it will do so because of wilful, deliberate paiticipation in sin, or because of sympathy with it. Supposing Sodom to represent sin, the lesson would be that all finding themselves in an evil condition of life. even tho, like Lot, their hearts be out of sympathy with it, should and must flee from it if they would avert the consequences. They must flee in haste and tarry not in all the plain. Yet it is a comforting thought that as the angel laid hold of the hands of Lot and his daughters and helped, urged and encouraged them to flee, so the Lord’s providences will take hold of every one who shall seek to escape from sin, and will so codperate with their good wills in the matter that they shall eventually be fully rescued from it. Vou. XXIT ALLEGHENY, PA., AUGUST 15, 1901 A PROPHET, LIKE UNTO MOSES No. 16 “For Moses truly savd unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul that twill not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people.”—Acts 3:22, 23. We amee that the time for the fulfilment of this prediction is nerr, even at the doors: and now one, styling himself “Rev.” John Alexander Dowie, heralds himself to the civilized world as hemg this Prophet. We are not hastily to accept his dictum, and ta exelaim, “Verily. this is he of whom Moses in the Law, and the prophets did write.’ Nor, on the other hand, ate we hastily to decide that he is an impostor, a filse qyoophet, simply beeause he happens to live in our diy Rather. im view of the fact that we are expecting the fulfilment of this Scripture we should look the subject carefully over aud weih all the Seriptural testimony, and thus decide as to the truth or falsity of Myr. Dowie’s claims. And, dowstless, in doing this, our investigation of the subject from a Scriptural standpoint will prove profitable to us, whether favorable or unfavorable to Mr, Dowie;—whether they prove him the Prophet foretold, or a deceived and deceiving false prophet Analyzing our text, we perceive that its expression, “like unto,” has the sense of antitypical: hence the Prophet to be expected must be much greater every way than Moses, as an antitvpe is always far superior to its type. Moses was the Mediator of the Law Covenant, and thus stood between Israel and God, as we read in reference to the sealing and delivery of the Law Covenant: “The Lord our God made a covenant with vou In Horeb The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of fire. I stood between God and you [a mediator, or go-hetweeen], at that time, to show vou the word of the Lord; for ye were afraid by reason of the fire. and went not up into the mount.” (Deut. 5:25: From this we see that Moses, the typical prophet, was very great verv influential, hed a very high office; and this would sienify that the future Prophet whom God had in mind. and whose coming was foretold thirty-five hundred «rs avo by Moses himself, and further pointed forward to the Apostle Peter in our text, must, as the antitype of be wonderfully great, wonderfully powerful, a still greater Mediator between God and men, a still mightier Lawgiver whose word would be omnipotent, and violation of which would eventually mean destruction:—as it is written “Every sovl which will not hear that Prophet shall he destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:23) Tven at first glance every unprejudiced mind would say that Mr. Dowie, and every other man on earth, seems far too insignificant, far too small to fill the requirements. Not only too small for the antitype, but far inferior even to the type. Turning to the record of Moses’ words in the Old Testament, we find them in Deut, 18:15-20, and here we see that the particular feature of Moses’ work as a prophet and lawgiver to Israel, which is here referred to as typical of a greater work to be accomplished by a greater Law-giver and Prophet, was the work which he performed for Israel ag the Mediator of the Law Covenant at Mount Sinai, in the district called Horeb, already referred to. At the time of the giving of the Law, Israel witnessed a wonderful manifestation of divine power. “All the people witnessed the thundering and the lightning, and the noise of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it they removed and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us and we will hear; but let not God speak vith us, lest we die.” (Exod. 20:18, 19) In response to this their request God appointed Moses to be their Mediator or representative. Moses communed with the Lord in the mount, and received from him the Law, and came to the people and communicated the Law to them. and obtained their assent to the covenant; and then, as a representative both of God and of Israel, Moses sealed the covenant ;—ratified it by taking the blood of bulls and of goats and sprinkling first the book of the Law, or tables of stone on which the commandments were written, as representing Jehovah, and sprinkling, secondly, the people, as binding them. Thus the covenant between God and Israel was established at the hands of Moses, the Mediator. It was at this time of the recognition of Moses as the Mediator of [2858]
To enhance your experience on our website, we use cookies and similar technologies. Some cookies are essential for the core functionality of our site and cannot be declined. You can choose to accept or decline additional cookies. We want to assure you that none of this data will be sold or used for marketing purposes. You can adjust your preferences at any time by accessing the Privacy Settings from the footer of the page. For more information, please refer to our
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
.
