Publication date
3/1/01
Volume
22
Number
5
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1901/5/1901-5-1.html
 
 
FEBRUARY 
15. 
1901 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(80-83) 
in 
the 
first 
resurrection 
is 
not 
to 
be 
attained 
through 
perfec­ 
tion 
of 
our 
own, 
but 
through 
his 
perfection, 
provided 
we 
shall 
have 
attested 
to 
the 
Lord 
our 
full 
loyalty 
of 
heart, 
of 
inten· 
tion, 
of 
will, 
however 
imperfect 
the 
results 
of 
our 
efforts 
to 
glorify 
him 
in 
our 
bodies 
and 
spirits. 
The 
Evangelist 
records 
that 
our 
Lord 
prayed, 
"Father, 
if 
it 
be 
possible, 
let 
this 
cup 
pass 
from 
me." 
It 
may 
be 
that 
our 
Lord 
meant 
by 
this, 
If 
your 
infinite 
love 
and 
mercy 
see 
it 
possible 
in 
any 
manner 
to 
accomplish 
your 
purpose 
of 
sal· 
vation 
for 
mankind 
without 
it 
being 
necessary 
for 
me 
to 
die, 
then 
grant 
it 
to 
be 
so. 
But 
if 
this 
were 
the 
Lord's 
thought 
it 
would 
imply 
that 
he 
had 
not 
fully 
grasped 
the 
Father's 
plan 
of 
a 
restitution 
for 
mankind, 
made 
possible 
through 
a 
ransom 
price 
for 
Adam 
and 
his 
sin; 
for, 
seeing 
this, 
our 
Lord 
could 
not 
have 
~mpposed 
that 
anything 
short 
of 
the 
full 
ransom 
could 
secure 
the 
results. 
Quite 
possibly, 
however, 
the 
thought 
which 
bore 
heavily 
upon 
him 
was 
the 
realization 
now 
coming 
vividly 
to 
his 
mind 
that 
if 
apprehended 
as 
a 
blasphemer 
it 
would 
be 
the 
policy 
of 
his 
enemies 
not 
to 
destroy 
him 
secretly, 
but 
to 
deliver 
him 
over 
to 
the 
Romans; 
and 
he 
could 
realize 
the 
influence 
and 
power 
they 
would 
exert 
to 
secure 
the 
per­ 
formance 
of 
their 
wishes. 
and 
he 
knew 
that 
the 
Roman 
method 
of 
execution 
was 
that 
of 
crucifixion, 
and 
he 
knew 
also 
that 
the 
Scriptures 
explicitly 
said, 
"Cursed 
is 
everyone 
that 
hangeth 
on 
a 
tree." 
Here, 
then, 
seems 
to 
have 
been 
the 
centre 
of 
his 
thought: 
I 
shall 
be 
esteemed 
of 
all 
my 
countrymen 
as 
forsaken 
of 
God. 
and 
as 
accursed 
of 
him; 
I 
shall 
die 
as 
a 
blasphemer, 
as 
a 
malefaC'tor; 
whereas 
my 
every 
sentiment 
is, 
and 
has 
alwavs 
been, 
fealty, 
loyalty 
to 
the 
Father. 
This, 
we 
believe, 
was 
the 
special 
feature 
of 
our 
Lord's 
anxiety, 
called 
the 
"cup" 
of 
sor­ 
row, 
which 
he 
wished, 
if 
possible, 
might 
be 
removed. 
We 
be­ 
lieve 
that 
he 
knew 
his 
death 
to 
be 
necessary, 
unavoidable, 
as 
he 
had 
many 
times 
informed 
his 
disciples; 
but 
that 
it 
was 
this 
ignominious 
form 
of 
death, 
"even 
the 
death 
of 
the 
cross," 
that 
staggered 
him; 
for 
it 
not 
only 
bespoke 
shame 
and 
mis­ 
representation 
before 
the 
people. 
and 
those 
whom 
he 
loved 
and 
to 
whom 
he 
sought 
to 
do 
good. 
hut 
it 
carried 
with 
it 
also 
the 
thought 
that 
he 
was 
aC'cursed 
of 
God; 
and 
if 
accursed 
of 
God 
he 
could 
have 
no 
hope 
for 
a 
realization 
of 
the 
glorious 
promise 
of 
a 
rl'~urredion. 
But 
when 
a.,~ured 
through 
the 
angel 
that 
he 
would 
not 
be 
actually 
accursed 
of 
God, 
even 
tho 
he 
would 
for 
a 
timp 
take 
the 
place 
of 
the 
accursl'd 
Adam 
and 
he 
"made 
a 
curse 
for 
us." 
his 
raC'e. 
then 
even 
the 
cross 
and 
its 
shame 
could 
he 
endured 
with 
fortitude. 
WATCH 
AND 
PRAY 
LEST 
YE 
ENTER 
INTO 
TEMPTATION 
In 
thc 
case 
of 
our 
Lord 
and 
the 
apostle., 
we 
see 
illus­ 
trated 
the 
valne 
of 
watC'hfulnl's" 
and 
prayer 
m 
the 
(lark 
honr 
of 
trouhlc. 
Our 
Lord 
followed 
the 
direction 
he 
gave 
to 
the 
di~('ipll'~: 
he 
watehl'd, 
he 
prayed. 
he 
got 
a 
blessing. 
he 
was 
strpngthenpd. 
and 
came 
off 
vietor. 
Thev 
did 
not 
watch 
and 
did 
not 
pray, 
failing 
to 
realize 
the 
necessitie., 
of 
the 
occasion. 
and 
as 
a 
re~ult 
we 
find 
them 
scattered. 
bewildered 
;-and 
one 
of 
them. 
the 
very 
Rtrongest 
of 
them 
all, 
who 
boastingly 
had 
said 
a 
little 
while 
hefore, 
"Tho 
all 
men 
forsake 
thpe 
yet 
will 
not 
I." 
was 
so 
overpowered 
by 
his 
surroundings, 
and 
~o 
weak 
through 
lack 
of 
the 
very 
strength 
he 
should 
have 
obtained 
through 
watching 
and 
prayer. 
that 
he 
denied 
the 
Lord 
with 
profanity. 
""henever 
we 
find 
the 
Lord's 
people 
attempting 
to 
live 
a 
life 
of 
holiness 
and 
consecration, 
yet 
ignoring 
the 
injunction 
of 
our 
Lord 
to 
watch 
and 
pray, 
we 
know 
that 
they 
are 
unwise; 
and 
that 
however 
much 
they 
may 
be 
virgins, 
pure 
one." 
they 
are 
foolish: 
they 
cannot 
hope 
to 
gain 
the 
victory 
over 
self 
and 
sin 
and 
the 
Adversarv, 
singlehanded, 
alone. 
If 
the 
Master 
himself 
needed 
strengthening, 
surely 
we 
also 
need 
it; 
and 
if 
he 
received 
it 
in 
response 
to 
supplications 
with 
strong 
cryings 
and 
tears, 
it 
is 
an 
intimation 
to 
us 
of 
the 
way 
in 
which 
God 
is 
pleased 
to 
bestow 
the 
full 
assurance 
of 
faith 
which 
is 
able 
to 
strengthen 
us 
as 
good 
soldiers 
to 
endure 
any 
and 
every­ 
thing 
in 
his 
name 
and 
service. 
Those 
who 
seek 
the 
Lord 
earnestly 
and 
in 
prayer 
are 
as 
sure 
to 
receive 
a 
blessing 
as 
was 
the 
Lord 
Jesus 
himself; 
and 
altho 
there 
will 
not 
come 
to 
them 
the 
same 
kind 
of 
heavenly 
messenger 
to 
comfort 
and 
en· 
courage 
them, 
nevertheless 
a 
heavenly 
messenger 
of 
another 
kind 
will 
surely 
be 
sent. 
It 
may 
be 
in 
the 
person 
of 
a 
fellow­ 
disciple, 
able 
to 
enter 
into 
and 
sympathize 
with 
us 
in 
our 
trials 
or 
difficulties, 
as 
none 
of 
the 
apostles 
could 
sympathize 
with 
our 
Lord 
or 
assist 
him. 
Or 
it 
may 
be 
that 
the 
messenger 
sent 
will 
be 
one 
of 
the 
apostles 
themselves, 
through 
the 
many 
gracious 
words 
of 
inspiration 
which 
God 
has 
communicated 
to 
us 
through 
them 
in 
his 
Word. 
But 
however 
the 
strength 
may 
come, 
it 
must 
be 
the 
assurance, 
not 
of 
men 
nor 
of 
angels, 
but 
of 
God, 
that 
we 
are 
pleasing 
and 
acceptable 
to 
him,-and 
that 
we 
may 
claim 
and 
expect 
the 
exceeding 
great 
and 
precious 
things 
which 
he 
has 
in 
reservation 
for 
them 
that 
love 
him. 
So 
to 
speak, 
we 
are 
now 
in 
the 
hour 
of 
trial 
which 
cometh 
upon 
the 
whole 
world 
to 
try 
them. 
The 
present 
is 
represented 
in 
the 
Scriptures 
to 
be 
"the 
hour 
of 
temptation" 
or 
testing 
at 
the 
close 
of 
this 
age. 
It 
is 
the 
GetlH,emane 
hour, 
in 
this 
sense 
of 
the 
word, 
to 
all 
who 
are 
the 
Lord's 
true 
people, 
fully 
con­ 
secrated 
to 
him. 
It 
is 
the 
hour, 
therefore, 
in 
which 
we, 
like 
our 
Lord, 
should 
be 
seeking 
the 
Father's 
face 
to 
receive 
the 
full 
assurance 
that 
we 
are 
his, 
and 
that 
he 
is 
ours; 
and 
that 
we 
may 
1 
ely 
confidently 
on 
his 
strength 
to 
carry 
us 
through 
this 
timl'. 
It 
is 
the 
time 
in 
which 
we 
are 
to 
make 
sure, 
as 
we 
sometimes 
bing: 
"0 
let 
no 
earthborn 
cloud 
arise 
To 
hide 
thee 
from 
thy 
servant's 
eyes." 
It 
is 
a 
time 
in 
which 
those 
who 
negll'ct 
the 
Master's 
words, 
"'Vatch 
and 
pray, 
lest 
ye 
entl'r 
into 
temptation," 
will 
be 
sure 
to 
enter 
into 
temptation, 
and 
be 
tolerahlv 
sure 
to 
fall 
therl'in. 
And 
the 
fall 
will 
be 
severe,-and 
l'ven' 
tho. 
like 
Peter, 
they 
Rhould 
afterward 
be 
recovered 
out 
of 
it, 
it 
will 
be 
with 
weep­ 
ing. 
Some 
make 
the 
mistake 
of 
praying 
without 
watching; 
others 
make 
the 
mistake 
of 
watching 
without 
praying: 
hut 
the 
safe 
and 
only 
proper 
method 
is 
that 
whif'h 
our 
Lord 
di­ 
rl'C'ted, 
to 
combine 
the 
two. 
'Ye 
are 
to 
watC'h, 
and 
to 
be 
on 
our 
guard 
against 
the 
encroachments 
of 
the 
world, 
the 
flesh 
and 
the 
devil. 
'Ve 
are 
to 
watch 
for 
all 
the 
enC'ouragement~ 
of 
the 
Lord's 
Word, 
the 
evidence 
of 
their 
fulfilment. 
the 
signs 
that 
betoken 
his 
presence 
and 
the 
great 
changc~ 
of 
rli~pensa­ 
tion 
just 
at 
hand. 
We 
are 
to 
watch 
for 
eyerything 
that 
will 
strengthen 
llS 
in 
faith 
and 
hope 
and 
loyalty 
and 
loye; 
and 
while 
watding 
we 
are 
to 
pra~" 
without 
cca~!I1g 
"'p 
arc 
to 
pray 
together 
as 
the 
Lord's 
pcople; 
we 
are 
to 
pray 
in 
our 
homes, 
as 
families; 
we 
are 
to 
pray 
in 
secret, 
in 
private. 
'Ye 
are 
to 
have 
the 
spirit 
of 
prayer 
in 
all 
that 
we 
sav 
and 
do: 
that 
is 
to 
say, 
our 
hearts 
should 
hf' 
going 
out 
contllluall~' 
to 
the 
Lord 
for 
guidance 
in 
all 
of 
life's 
affairs, 
that 
we 
may 
do 
with 
our 
might 
what 
our 
hands 
find 
to 
do. 
in 
a 
manner 
that 
will 
be 
acC'eptablc 
to 
him. 
and 
that 
we 
may 
he 
~hil'ldf'll 
hy 
him 
from 
temptation 
that 
would 
otherwise 
bf' 
beyond 
our 
endur­ 
ance, 
and 
that 
we 
mav 
be 
ultimately 
delivered 
from 
the 
evil 
one 
and 
haye 
a 
place' 
in 
our 
Lord's' 
kingllom. 
Brethren 
and 
sisters, 
let 
us 
more 
and 
more 
rememher 
anll 
put 
into 
practice. 
in 
eyery 
home 
in 
whiC'h 
the 
'''ATCH 
TOWER 
i~ 
a 
Yisitor. 
thl'se 
wordR 
'of 
our 
Lord, 
"'VatC'h 
and 
pray. 
le"t 
yc 
enter 
into 
temptation." 
VOL, 
XXII 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
MARCH 
1, 
1901 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
Xo, 
:) 
CORROBORATIONS 
OF 
SCRIPTURE 
TESTIMONY 
Gradually. 
but 
surely 
and 
relatively 
swiftly, 
we 
see 
un­ 
folding 
thl' 
various 
features 
of 
the 
divine 
plan 
which 
the 
Scriptures 
have 
taught 
us 
to 
expect-pointing 
them 
out 
in 
a 
genpral 
way 
in 
advance-namely, 
preparations 
for 
the 
Millennium 
of 
blessing 
and 
preparations 
also 
for 
the 
great 
time 
of 
trouble 
with 
which 
it 
will 
be 
introduced. 
The 
testimonies 
following 
are 
all 
the 
more 
forceful 
because 
they 
come 
from 
men 
who, 
so 
far 
as 
we 
are 
aware, 
have 
no 
such 
expectations 
as 
we 
hold-no 
such 
light 
as 
we 
enjoy, 
relative 
to 
the 
teachings 
of 
the 
Scripture.~ 
on 
these 
matters. 
For 
instance, 
many 
have 
opposed 
our 
presentation 
of 
the 
Bible's 
teaf'hingf! 
on 
1'estitution 
(Acts 
3: 
19-21), 
claiming- 
( 
I 
) 
That 
there 
would 
not 
be 
standing 
room 
for 
so 
many 
as 
probably 
have 
been 
born, 
reasonahlv 
estimated 
at 
about 
fifty 
thousand 
millions. 
We 
answered 
thif! 
by 
a 
mathematical 
demonstration 
that 
twice 
this 
numher 
could 
find 
standing 
room 
in 
either 
Texa., 
or 
France, 
and 
that 
thl' 
whole 
earth 
und!'r 
good 
climatic 
condition'> 
will 
be 
ample 
for 
all. 
They 
then 
ohjected- 
(2) 
That 
the 
earth 
can 
scarcely 
feed 
its 
present 
popula­ 
tion, 
as 
attested 
by 
the 
famine" 
in 
India 
and 
f!outhern 
Russia. 
We 
replied 
to 
this, 
that 
God 
if! 
able 
to 
provide 
for 
the 
fulfil· 
ment 
of 
all 
hif! 
promises; 
and 
pointt'd 
out 
the 
declaration 
'I 
of 
the 
hoI 
v 
prophets 
respecting 
thc~e 
"timt'., 
of 
restitution," 
that 
then 
"the 
earth 
shall 
yield 
hpr 
increase" 
and 
the 
"wilder. 
ness 
shall 
blof!som 
as 
the 
rose."-Isa. 
33: 
1; 
P"a. 
67: 
9. 
Note 
now 
how 
scienC'e 
comes 
forward 
to 
corroborate 
the 
Bi­ 
ble's 
testimony; 
and 
let 
m 
remember 
that 
now 
i" 
just 
the 
[2775] 
ZION’S Fesruary 15, 1901 in the first resurrection is not to be attained through perfection of our own, but through his perfection, provided we shall have attested to the Lord our full loyalty of heart, of intention, of will, however imperfect the results of our efforts to glorify him in our bodies and spirits. The Evangelist records that our Lord prayed, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” It may be that our Lord meant by this, If your infinite love and mercy see it possible in any manner to accomplish your purpose of salvation for mankind without it being necessary for me to die, then grant it to be so. But if this were the Lord’s thought it would imply that he had not fully grasped the Father’s plan of a restitution for mankind, made possible through a ransom price for Adam and his sin; for, seeing this, our Lord could not have supposed that anything short of the full ransom could secure the results. Quite possibly, however, the thought which bore heavily upon him was the realization now coming vividly to his mind that if apprehended as a blasphemer it would be the policy of his enemies not to destroy him secretly, but to deliver him over to the Romans; and he could realize the influence and power they would exert to secure the performance of their wishes, and he knew that the Roman method of execution was that of crucifixion, and he knew also that the Scriptures explicitly said, “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” Here, then, seems to have been the centre of his thought: I shall be esteemed of all my countrymen as forsaken of God, and as accursed of him; I shall die as a blasphemer, as a malefactor; whereas my every sentiment is, and has always been, fealty, loyalty to the Father. This, we believe, was the special feature of our Lord’s anxiety, called the “cup” of sorrow, which he wished, if possible, might be removed. We believe that he knew his death to be necessary, unavoidable, as he had many times informed his disciples; but that it was this ignominious form of death, “even the death of the cross,” that staggered him; for it not only bespoke shame and misrepresentation before the people, and those whom he loved and to whom he sought to do good. but it carried with it also the thought that he was accursed of God; and if accursed of God he could have no hope for a realization of the glorious promise of a resurrection. But when assured through the angel that he would not be actually accursed of God, even tho he would for a time take the place of the accursed Adam and he “made a curse for us,” his race, then even the cross and its shame could be endured with fortitude. WATCH AND PRAY LEST YE ENTER INTO TEMPTATION In the case of our Lord and the apostles we see illustrated the value of watchfulness and prayer in the dark hour of trouble. Our Lord followed the direction he gave to the disciples: he watched, he prayed, he got a blessing, he was strengthened, and came off victor. They did not watch and did not pray, failing to realize the necessities of the occasion. and as a result we find them scattered, bewildered;—and one of them. the very strongest of them all, who hoastingly had said a little while before, “Tho all men forsake thee yet will not I,” was so overpowered by his surroundings, and so weak through lack of the very strength he should have obtained through watching and prayer, that he denied the Lord with profanity. Whenever we find the Lord’s people attempting to live a life of holiness and consecration, yet ignoring the injunction of our Lord to watch and pray, we know that they are unwise; and that however much they may be virgins, pure ones, they are foolish: they cannot hope to gain the victory over self and sin and the Adversary, singlehanded, alone. If the Master himself needed strengthening, surely we also need it; and if WATCH TOWER (80-83) he received it in response to supplications with strong cryings and tears, it is an intimation to us of the way in which God is pleased to bestow the full assurance of faith which is able to strengthen us as good soldiers to endure any and everything in his name and service. Those who seek the Lord earnestly and in prayer are as sure to receive a blessing as was the Lord Jesus himself; and altho there will not come to them the same kind of heavenly messenger to comfort and encourage them, nevertheless a heavenly messenger of another kind will surely be sent. It may be in the person of a fellowdisciple, able to enter into and sympathize with us in our trials or difficulties, as none of the apostles could sympathize with our Lord or assist him. Or it may be that the messenger sent will be one of the apostles themselves, through the many gracious words of inspiration which God has communicated to us through them in his Word. But however the strength may come, it must be the assurance, not of men nor of angels, but of God, that we are pleasing and acceptable to him,—and that we may claim and expect the exceeding great and precious things which he has in reservation for them that love him. So to speak, we are now in the hour of trial which cometh upon the whole world to try them. The present is represented in the Scriptures to be “the hour of temptation” or testing at the close of this age. It is the Gethsemane hour, in this sense of the word, to all who are the Lord’s true people, fully consecrated to him. It is the hour, therefore, in which we, like our Lord, should be seeking the Father’s face to receive the full assurance that we are his, and that he is ours; and that we may iely confidently on his strength to carry us through this time. It is the time in which we are to make sure, a3 we sometimes sing: “O let no earthborn cloud arise To hide thee from thy servant’s eyes.” It is a time in which those who neglect the Master’s words, ‘Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation,” will be sure to enter into temptation, and be tolerably sure to fall therein. And the fall will be severe——and even tho, like Peter, they should afterward be recovered out of it, it will be with weeping. Some make the mistake of praying without watching; others make the mistake of watching without praying: but the safe and only proper method is that which our Lord directed, to combine the two. We are to watch, and to be on our guard against the encroachments of the world, the flesh and the devil. We are to watch for all the encouragements of the Lord’s Word, the evidence of their fulfilment, the signs that betoken his presence and the great changes of dispensation just at hand. We are to watch for everything that will strengthen us in faith and hope and lovaltvy and love; and while watching we are to pray without ceasing We are to pray together as the Lord’s people; we are to prav in our homes, as families; we are to prav in secret, in private. We are to have the spirit of prayer in all that we sav and do: that is to say, our hearts should be going out continually to the Lord for guidance in all of life’s affairs, that we may do with our might what our hands find to do, in a manner that will be acceptable to him, and that we may be shielded by him from temptation that would otherwise he beyond our endurance, and that we may be ultimately delivered from the evil one and have a place in our Lord’s kingdom. Brethren and sisters, let us more and more remember and put into practice, in every home in which the WatTcu Tower is a visitor, these words of our Lord, “Watch and pray, lest ve enter into temptation.” Vou, XXII ALLEGHENY, PA., MARCH 1, 1901 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER CORROBORATIONS OF SCRIPTURE TESTIMONY Gradually. but surely and relatively swiftly, we see unfolding the various features of the divine plan which the Scriptures have taught us to expect—pointing them out in a general way in advance—namely, preparations for the Millennium of blessing and preparations also for the great time of trouble with which it will be introduced. The testimonies following are all the more forceful because they come from men who, so far as we are aware, have no such expectations as we hold—no such light as we enjoy, relative to the teachings of the Scriptures on these matters. For instance, many have opposed our presentation of the Bible’s teachings on restitution (Acts 3:19-21), claiming— (1) That there would not be standing room for so many as probably have been born, reasonably estimated at about fifty thousand millions. We answered this by a mathematical demonstration that twice this number could find standing room in either Texas or France, and that the whole earth under good climatie conditions will be ample for all. They then ohjected— (2) That the earth can scarcely feed its present population, as attested by the famines in India and southern Russia. We replied to this, that God is able to provide for the fulfilment of all his promises; and pointed out the declarations of the holy prophets respecting these “times of restitution,” that then “the earth shall yield her increase” and the “wilderness shall blossom as the rose.”—Isa. 35:1; Psa. 67:9. Note now how science comes forward to corroborate the Bible’s testimony; and let us remember that now is just the [2775]

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