Publication date
2/15/02
Volume
23
Number
4
The WatchTower
The Hopes of the Early Church Respecting Our Lord's Coming
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1902/4/1902-4-1.html
 
 
 
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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