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FI':BRUARY
1,
1902
ZION'S
WATCH
TOWER
(46-51)
God
is
able
to
kill
the
soul-able
to
blot
out
exbtence
entirely-and
he
has
threatened
to
do
so
in
all
cases
of
wilful
deliberate
sm,
against
full
light
and
knowledge.
This
is
a
cause
both
for
comfort
and
for
fear.
For
comfort,
as
opposed
to
the
hlse
human
teaching
that
the
masses
will
spend
an
eternity
of
woe:
for
fear,
lest
after
having
tasted
of
divine
goodness
and
learned
of
God's
gracious
provisions
for
such
as
obey
him,
any
of
us
should
seem
to
come
short
and
lose
our
all-lif€!
To
have
the
proper
course
in
life,
to
be
able
to
me('t
the
trials
and
difficulties
of
life
as
they
come
to
us,
and
to
meet
them
in
the
IH
opel'
spi!
it
which
the
Lord
directs-ill
the
spuit
of
rejoicing
in
tribulation,
and
counting
such
experiences
all
joy,-it
is
necessary
that
all
fear
of
man,
which
brings
a
snare,
shall
be
removed.
And
it
is
our
Lord's
diIection
that
we
shall
fear
Jehovah,
and
not
fear
our
mortal
fellows.
The
righteous
are
bold.
as
a
lion,
as
well
as
gentle
a'l
a
dove,
anll
meek
as
a
lamb.
This
peculiar
combinatIOn
should
be
found
in
every
Christian,
and
we
doubt
if
it
will
be
found
elsewhere.
"BETWEEN
EVENINGS"-A
JEWISH
VIEW
Dear
Brother
Russell
:-Allow
me
to
express
to
you
my
deep
gratitude
for
your
kindness
in
supplying
me
gratuitously
With
the
Watch
Tower
and
booklets.
I
have
not
language
at
my
command
to
convey
to
you
how
thankful
I
feel
to
our
heavenly
Father
for
raising
you
up
as
one
of
his
honored
servants
in
the
spreading
of
the
present
truth,
and
trying
to
huild
up
and
assist
those
of
the
household
of
faith
in
their
walk
in
thc
narrow
way.
It
is
proving
a
great
blessing
to
me.
I
lay
awake
for
hours
mediating
on
the
great
and
preci
ous
promi~c'l
of
God
and
the
glorious
prospect
there
is
in
store
for
tho~e
whom
he
has
called
according
to
his
purpose.
In
readlJ1g
the
last
TOl/'cr
for
December
1st,
I
was
much
helped
by
your
interpretations
of
"The
Voices
of
the
Three
I::'lgns,"
al~o
with
the
typical
meaning
of
"The
Passover
Lamb."
But
I
can
not
qUIte
understand
what
you
mean
when
you
~av,
"On
the
fourtrpnth
day
of
the
month
it
was
to
be
killed
betwcen
evenings
(between
six
o'clock
the
one
evening
and
six
o'clock
the
next
evening~the
usual
Jewish
day)."
If
the
lamb
had
to
be
killed
on
the
fourteenth
day,
between
the
evemng
of
that
day
and
the
evening
of
the
next,
which
would
be
the
fifteenth,
it
would
have
to
take
place
after
six
o'l'Iol·k
III
t
11"
CWlllllg
on
the
foUl
teenth
day,
and
that
wonl,l
not
correspond
\I
ith
the
time
of
the
death
of
the
anti
type
as
I
ecol
drll
III
:Ua
tt,
26
:45,
46,
50;
Luke
23:
44,
46,
and
yet
the
proprrtIe'!
which
the
passover
lamb
was
to
possess,
the
mannCr
in
whiph
it
was
to
die.
the
effects
which
were
to
be
produced,
and
the
ceremonies
which
were
to
be
observed.
as
recorded
in
the
twelfth
chapter
of
Exodus,
have
been
fulfilled
in
a
most
remarkahle
and
striking
manner
in
the
promised
Mes
~iah.
,Jr51lS
of
Nazareth,
our
bles5ed
Lord.
HavlIlg
bepn
brought
up
in
the
JeWish
faith
up
to
the
a~e
of
20,
I
always
understood
the
matter
to
be
thus:
The
killing
of
the
lamb
was
on
the
evening
of
the
fourteenth
day,
or
more
correctly
speaking,
according
to
the
original,
Bam
lIaarbayim.
between
the
evening~,
that
is,
between
the
sun's
dedininf{
\I
e~t
and
his
setting
about
three
o'clock
p.
m.
For
the
,Jew~
obsprve
two
evenings
in
each
day.
The
first
com
mences
after
twelve
o'clock
at
noon,
and
the
second
at
thlee
o'clock
p
m.
Between
the~e
two
evenings
the
daily
evening
sacrifice
was
offered
up
and
immediately
after
the
passover
lamb
was
killed
and
prepared.
liut
if
the
passover
fell
on
the
weekly
Sabbath,
i.
e.,
on
Friday,
they
began
an
hour
sooner,
that
they
might
despatch
their
business
by
the
time
that
the
Sabbath
began.
Hence
that
day
is
~aned
the
prep.t·
ration
of
the
passover.-.John
19:
14.
The
Jews
computed
their
days
from
evening
to
evening;
i.
e.,
from
the
setting
of
the
sun
of
One
day
to
the
setting
again
on
the
next
day.
This
appears
to
be
the
command
given
by
Moses,
"From
even
to
even
shall
ye
celebrate
your
Sabbath."
(Lev.
23:
31)
Moses,
in
giving
an
account
of
the
Creation,
says,
"And
there
was
evening
and
there
was
morn
ing,
one
day."
(Gen.
I·
5)
By
the
evening
and
the
morn
ing
the
Jews
understand
the
same
portion
of
time
that
we
call
day
and
night,
or
twenty-four
hours;
the
forme
I
con
tinued
from
the
riSing
of
the
sun
until
itg
setting,
and
from
that
time
till
his
reappearance
was
called
the
night.
The
division
of
time
into
hours
was
not
known
in
the
days
of
.l\Ioses.-Compare
Gen.
15:
12;
18:
I;
19:
1.
•
The
day
was
again
divided
into
two
equal
portions.
from
the
rising
of
the
sun
until
noon
was
the
morning,
and
after
that,
until
the
sun
had
gone
down.
was
the
evening.
Hence
we
read
only
of
morning
and
evening
sacrifices.
Again,
the
morning
and
the
evening
were
divided
each
into
two
equal
parts,
for
the
regulation
of
the
morning
and
evening
sacn·
fices
and
prayers.
The
morning
~.\CI
ifi,'e
awl
pra~'l'r
W<l~
a
J]owl'd
to
])('
olh'It,,[
at
any
time
between
the
rising
of
the
sun
and
the
third
hour,
i.
e.,
9
a.
m.,
and
the
evening
sacrifice
ancI
prayer
may
be
of·
fered
up
at
any
time
during
the
first
evening.
Hebrew,
ere/)
katon,
the
short
or
lesser
evening,
i.
e.,
from
noon
until
ninth
hour,
or
3
p.
m.;
and
from
that
time
until
sun
setting,
is
called
in
the
Hebrew
erev
gadol,
i
e.,
the
greater
evening.
It
was
between
these
two
evenings
the
paschal
lamb
was
to
be
slain,
and
so
was
Jesus.
the
antitype,
the
Lamb
of
God
who
taketh
away
the
sin
of
the
world
as
recorded.
'
I
remain,
dear
Brother
Russell.
Faithfully
yours
in
the
Lord,
J.
Gronowsky,-England.
VOL.
XXIII
ALLEGHENY,
PA.,
FEBRUARY
15,
Hl02
No.4
THE
HOPES
OF
THE
EARLY
CHURCH
RESPECTING
OUR
LORD'S
SECOND
COMING
Some
earnest
and
faithful
Bible
student
has
published
a
little
trart
treating
the
above
subject
so
simply
and
beautifully
that
we
feel
constrawed
to
lay
before
our
readers
copious
extrads
therefrom,
as
follows:-
No
one
can
read
the
]'{ew
Testament
with
care
without
disc-overing
that
the
members
of
the
early
church
were
men
of
hope
as
well
as
men
of
faith.
In,leed,
hope
seem5,
more
than
faith,
to
have
been
the
outstanding
feature
of
the
char
:,,·tpr.
Not
that
they
really
had
more
of
this
than
that;
the
twain
were
onp;
they
formed
one
noble
edifice,
one
stately
~hip.
But
faith
wa5
the
foundation
work;
hope,
raised
upon
it,
raught
the
eye
of
the
beholder.
Faith
lay
beneath
the
w,ltpr
line;
hope
rearell
the
mast
and
spread
the
sail
high
in
the
Sight
of
men.
Their
faith
looked
back
to
Calvary;
but,
in
a
sense,
it
was
an
act
completed.
They
were
not
always
look
ing
backward;
forward
they
peered,
with
steady
gaze.
The
attitude
of
expectation
was
their
daily,
hourly
attitude.
Some
thing
was
about
to
happen-someone
was
coming-and
tIH'y
are
seen
to
be
on
tip-toe,
looking
for
and
hasting
unto
the
event.
To
them
it
clearly
seemed
a
consummation
most
de
voutly
to
be
wished.
They
constantly
referred
to
it
as
"a
lively
hope."
"that
blessed
hope,"
"this
hope,"
"one
hope,"
"our
hope."
"the
hope
of
our
calling,"
"the
hope
set
before
us."
Every
reference
shows
that
it
completely
filled
their
hearts,
and
was
the
dominating
influence
in
their
lives.
It
almost
diverted
them
from
ordinary
work
and
duty,
the
warning
being
reqUIred
not
to
stand
"gazwg
up
into
hpaVi'll."
The
hope
thus
cheIi~hed
was
not
of
a
private
kind,
attain
able
by
this
believer
at
a
certain
time,
and
that
one
at
an
other.
It
was
o~e
great
hopp,
to
be
fullilled
to
all
the
church.
not
even
pxcludlIlg
thrm
that
sh'pt,
at
one
defined
and
selr·
;;arne
time.
"No
prophecy
of
ScrIpture
i~
of
a
pnvate
jlltl'1
pretation,"
and
thiS
hope,
it
is
evident,
was
not
to
he
fulfillell
to
individual
believers.
It
wa'!
not
a
mattpr
of
ppr~onal
and
private
experience;
not
the
coming
of
Cllli'lt
to
the
individual
heart,
nor
the
approach
of
death
to
cadi
sPIJarate
pel~OJl,
but
somdhing
affecting
the
entire
community
of
ChrisilUJl~
at
the
same
point
of
tImc.
r.
\\'hat
was
that
hope
which
so
controllpd
and
eheerrd
those
early
saint~?
]'{one
other
than
"that
ble~spd
hope.
the
g-Iorious
appraling
of
the
great
God
and
our
~avior,
Jesus
Chri'!t."
Thcv
behevpd
With
all
thpir
hearts
in
.Jesus
ChrIst.
in
hi'!
wonllro;ls
lIfe
of
miracle
and
grace,
and
in
his
~acrificial
death
on
Calvary's
~ad
tree.
They
belIeved
that
he
had
triumphed
o'er
the
grave,
and
had
come
forth
to
resurrection
life.
Many
of
them
had
seen
him
in
his
re~urreetioll
form,
lind
had
been
witnessps
of
his
ascension
to
the
heavens.
They
rcmemhered
the
words
of
the
Lord
Je'!us,
how
he
said
unto
them,
"I
go
to
prepare
a
place
for
you;
and
if
I
go
and
pre
pare
a
plare
for
you,
I
Will
come
again
and
receive
you
unto
my~elf,
that
where
I
am,
there
ye
may
be
al'!o."
T1ICY
had
heard
"two
men
in
white
apparel"
say,
"This
sume
Jesus
[2953]
Fesruary 1, 1902 God is able to kill the soul—able to blot out existence entirely—and he has threatened to do so in all cases of wilful deliberate sin, against full light and knowledge. This is a cause both for comfort and for fear. For comfort, as opposed to the false human teaching that the masses will spend an eternity of woe: for fear, lest after having tasted of divine goodness and learned of God’s gracious provisions for such as obey him, any of us should seem to come short and lose our all—life! To have the proper course in life, to be able to meet the ZION’S WATCH TOWER (46-51) trials and difficulties of life as they come to us, and to meet them in the proper spirit which the Lord directs—im the spirit of rejoicing in tribulation, and counting such experiences all Joy,—it is necessary that all fear of man, which brings a snare, shall be removed. And it is our Lord’s direction that we shall fear Jehovah, and not fear our mortal fellows. The righteous are bold as a lion, as well as gentle as a dove, and meek as a lamb. This peculiar combination should be found in every Christian, and we doubt if it will be found elsewhere. “BETWEEN EVENINGS’—A JEWISH VIEW Dear Brother Russell:—Allow me to express to you my deep gratitude for your kindness in supplying me gratuitously with the Watch Tower and booklets. I have not language at my command to convey to you how thankful I feel to our heavenly Father for raising you up as one of his honored servants in the spreading of the present truth, and trying to build up and assist those of the household of faith in their walk in the narrow way. It is proving a great blessing to me. I lay awake for hours mediating on the great and precious promises of God and the glorious prospect there is in store for those whom he has called according to his purpose. In reading the last Tower for December Ist, I was much helped by your interpretations of “The Voices of the Three Signs,” also with the typical meaning of “The Passover Lamb.” But I can not quite understand what you mean when you say, “On the fourteenth day of the month it was to be killed between evenings (between six o’clock the one evening and six o’clock the next evening—the usual Jewish day).” If the lamb had to be killed on the fourteenth day, between the evening of that day and the evening of the next, which would be the fifteenth, it would have to take place after six o’elock in the evening on the fourteenth day, and that would not correspond with the time of the death of the antitype as recorded in Matt. 26:45, 46, 50; Luke 23:44, 46, and yet the properties which the passover lamb was to possess, the manner in which it was to die, the effects which were to be produced, and the ceremonies which were to be observed, as recorded in the twelfth chapter of Exodus, have been fulfilled in a most remarkable and striking manner in the promised Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, our blessed Lord. Having been brought up in the Jewish faith up to the age of 20, I always understood the matter to be thus: The killing of the lamb was on the evening of the fourteenth day, or more correctly speaking, according to the original, Bain Haarbayim, between the evenings, that is, between the sun’s declining west and his setting about three o’clock p.m. For the Jews observe two evenings in each day. The first commences after twelve o'clock at noon, and the second at thiee o’clock p m. Between these two evenings the daily evening sacrifice was offered up and immediately after the passover lamb was killed and prepared. But if the passover fell on the weekly Sabbath, 7. ¢., on Friday, they began an hour sooner, that they might despatch their business by the time that the Sabbath began. Hence that day is called the preparation of the passover.—John 19:14. The Jews computed their days from evening to evening; i. €., from the setting of the sun of one day to the setting again on the next day. This appears to be the command given by Moses, “From even to even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.” (Lev. 23:31) Moses, in giving an account of the Creation, says, “And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” (Gen. 1:5) By the evening and the morning the Jews understand the same portion of time that we call day and night, or twenty-four hours; the former continued from the rising of the sun until its setting, and from that time till his reappearance was called the night. The division of time into hours was not known in the days of Moses.—Compare Gen, 15:12; 18:1; 19:1. The day was again divided into two equal portions, from the rising of the sun until noon was the morning, and after that, until the sun had gone down, was the evening. Hence we read only of morning and evening sacrifices. Again, the morning and the evening were divided each into two equal parts, for the regulation of the morning and evening sacrifices and prayers. The morning saciifiee and praver was allowed to be offered at any time between the rising of the sun and the third hour, t. €., 9 a. m., and the evening sacrifice and prayer may be offered up at any time during the first evening. Hebrew, crep katon, the short or lesser evening, i. e., from noon until ninth hour, or 3 p. m.; and from that time until sun setting, is called in the Hebrew erev gadol, i e., the greater evening. It was between these two evenings the pasechal lamb was to be slain, and so was Jesus, the antitype, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world as recorded, I remain, dear Brother Russell, Faithfully yours in the Lord, J. Gronowsky,—England. Vou. XXII ALLEGHENY, PA., FEBRUARY 15, 1902 No. 4 THE HOPES OF THE EARLY CHURCH RESPECTING OUR LORD’S SECOND COMING Some earnest and faithful Bible student has published a little tract treating the above subject so simply and beautifully that we feel constrained to lay before our readers copious extracts therefrom, as follows:— No one can read the New Testament with care without discovering that the members of the early church were men of hope as well as men of faith. Indeed, hope seems, more than faith, to have been the outstanding feature of the character. Not that they really had more of this than that; the twain were one; they formed one noble edifice, one stately ship. But faith was the foundation work; hope, raised upon it, caught the eye of the beholder. Faith lay beneath the water line; hope reared the mast and spread the sail high in the sight of men. Their faith looked back to Calvary; but, in a sense, it was an act completed. They were not always looking backward; forward they peered, with steady gaze. The attitude of expectation was their daily, hourly attitude. Something was about to happen—someone was coming—and they are seen to be on tip-toe, looking for and hasting unto the event. To them it clearly seemed a consummation most devoutly to be wished. They constantly referred to it as “a lively hope.” “that blessed hope,” “this hope,” “one hope,” “our hope,” “the hope of our calling,” “the hope set before us.” Every reference shows that it completely filled their hearts, and was the dominating influence in their lives, It almost diverted them from ordinary work and duty, the warning being required not to stand “gazing up into heaven,” The hope thus cheri»hed was not of a private kind, attainable by this believer at a certain time, and that one at another. It was one great hope, to be fulfilled to all the church, not even excluding them that slept, at one defined and seltsame time. ‘‘No prophecy of Scripture is of a private inte pretation,” and this hope, it is evident, was not to be fulfilled to individual believers. It was not a matter of personal and private experience; not the coming of Chiist to the individual heart. nor the approach of death to each separate person, but something affecting the entire community of Christians at the same point of time. J. What was that hope which so controlled and cheered those carly saints? None other than “that blessed hope. the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.” They believed with all their hearts in Jesus Christ. in his wondrous life of miracle and grace, and in his sacrificial death on Calvary’s sad tree. They believed that he had triumphed o’er the grave, and had come forth to resurrection life. Many of them had seen him in his resurrection form, and had been witnesses of his ascension to the heavens. They remembered the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said unto them, “I go to prepare a place for you; and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I] am, there ye may be also.” They had heard “two men in white apparel” say, “This same Jesus [2953]
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