Publication date
8/15/04
Volume
25
Number
16
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1904/16/1904-16-1.html
 
 
(239-243) 
ZION}S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA. 
all 
who 
lost 
it 
through 
Adam's 
transgression, 
and 
therefore 
guaranteed 
a 
restoration 
to 
perfect 
and 
everlasting 
life 
to 
every 
man? 
Answer.-Very 
few 
Universalists 
of 
this 
kind 
are 
to 
be 
found. 
Generally, 
they 
either 
directly 
or 
indirectly 
deny 
the 
Ransom-deny 
that 
Christ's 
death 
purchased 
everlasting 
life 
for 
anybody. 
Their 
theory 
generally 
rests 
upon 
the 
assumption 
that 
there 
was 
no 
divine 
sentence 
to 
be 
met; 
that 
divine 
mercy 
could 
exercise 
itself 
without 
meeting 
the 
demands 
of 
divine 
jus· 
tice; 
that 
our 
Lord 
Jesus 
died, 
not 
to 
purchase 
us, 
not 
to 
pay 
the 
ransom 
price, 
not 
to 
redeem 
us, 
not 
as 
a 
substitute 
for 
Adam, 
but 
merely, 
they 
say, 
as 
an 
example 
to 
us 
of 
full 
obe· 
dience 
to 
righteousness, 
even 
at 
the 
cost 
of 
life. 
To 
such 
we 
answer 
that 
if 
Jesus 
was 
merely 
our 
example, 
and 
not 
our 
Redeemer, 
then 
our 
only 
hope 
would 
be 
to 
keep 
his 
example 
to 
such 
an 
extent 
that 
we 
would 
be 
individually 
pleasing 
to 
the 
Father 
as 
he 
was; 
and 
this 
would 
mean 
that 
we 
must 
keep 
the 
whole 
law 
blameless 
as 
he 
did. 
Those 
who 
understand 
this 
proposition 
must 
see 
clearly 
that, 
if 
that 
be 
true, 
there 
is 
no 
hope 
for 
any 
of 
us, 
for, 
as 
the 
Apostle 
de­ 
clares, 
"By 
the 
deeds 
of 
the 
law 
shall 
no 
flesh 
be 
justified 
in 
God'sosight." 
Christ 
was 
justified 
by 
the 
deeds 
of 
the 
law, 
but 
perfect 
deeds 
were 
possible 
to 
him, 
because 
he 
was 
born 
holy, 
harmless, 
undefiled, 
separate 
from 
sinners. 
Perfect 
deeds, 
per· 
feet 
fulfilment 
of 
the 
divine 
requirements, 
are 
absolutely 
im­ 
possible 
for 
us 
who 
were 
born 
in 
sin, 
shapen 
in 
iniquity. 
If, 
therefore, 
Jesus 
be 
merely 
our 
pattern, 
our 
exemplar, 
and 
not 
also 
our 
Redeemer, 
we 
are 
of 
all 
men 
most 
miserable, 
for 
seeing 
salvation 
we 
shall 
be 
wholly 
unable 
to 
attain 
it. 
Our 
whole 
hope 
is 
in 
the 
declaration 
of 
the 
Lord's 
Word 
that 
the 
right· 
eousness 
of 
Christ 
is 
imputed 
to 
us, 
that 
his 
death 
was 
to 
meet 
the 
penalty 
against 
Ug 
as 
a 
race-for 
Adam's 
sins 
and 
ours. 
Our 
hope 
is 
that, 
being- 
covered 
by 
faith 
with 
the 
robe 
of 
his 
righteousness, 
our 
imperfect 
attempts 
to 
follow 
his 
example 
in 
obedience 
to 
the 
Father's 
will 
will 
be 
accounted 
as 
though 
they 
were 
perfect-"throug-h 
the 
merit 
of 
him 
who 
loved 
us 
and 
bought 
us 
with 
his 
own 
precious 
blood." 
But 
if 
there 
be 
Universalists 
who 
take 
the 
position 
implied 
in 
this 
question, 
our 
answer 
would 
be 
as 
heretofore, 
that 
Christ's 
death 
did 
purcha<;e 
lasting 
life 
for 
all 
who 
lost 
it 
through 
Adam's 
transgression. 
and 
that 
God 
has 
guaranteed 
a 
full 
restoration 
of 
all 
that 
was 
lost 
"to 
every 
soul 
of 
man 
that 
believeth"-in 
the 
Scriptural 
senSe 
of 
obedient 
believing. 
Noth. 
ing 
in 
this 
implies 
that 
they 
will 
get 
all 
these 
things 
at 
the 
moment 
of 
their 
awakening 
from 
thE' 
tomb. 
At 
that 
time 
they 
will 
get 
a 
beginning 
of 
perfect 
life 
if 
they 
are 
obedient 
to 
the 
voice 
of 
the 
great 
Physician, 
which 
will 
E'ventuate 
in 
their 
absolute 
perfection 
in 
the 
close 
of 
that 
Millennial 
day. 
Our 
Lord, 
describing 
the 
matter 
in 
John 
5:29, 
declares 
that 
the 
dead 
will 
come 
forth 
unto 
a 
resurrection 
by 
judgment. 
They 
will 
come 
forth 
from 
the 
tomb, 
from 
oblivion, 
to 
physical 
con· 
ditions 
somewhat 
similar 
to 
those 
enjoyed 
before 
they 
died, 
with 
surrounding'S 
in 
every 
way 
much 
more 
advantageous; 
with 
Satan 
bound 
that 
he 
can 
deceive 
them 
no 
more; 
with 
the 
good 
influences 
of 
righteousness 
and 
truth 
let 
loose 
in 
the 
world 
to 
such 
an 
extent 
that 
ultimately 
the 
knowledge 
of 
the 
Lord 
shall 
fill 
the 
whole 
earth; 
with 
judges 
and 
law 
givers 
under 
the 
su­ 
pervision 
of 
the 
royal 
priesthood 
to 
look 
after 
their 
best 
in­ 
terests, 
to 
reprove 
and 
correct 
and 
chastise 
their 
failures, 
and 
to 
encourage, 
reward 
and 
bless 
their 
endeavors, 
and 
thus, 
by 
judgments, 
of 
rewards 
and 
punishments, 
they 
would 
be 
grad­ 
ually 
brought 
up 
step 
by 
step, 
up, 
up, 
up 
to 
the 
highway 
of 
holiness, 
to 
the 
absolute 
perfection 
at 
the 
farther 
end, 
which 
the 
Lord 
is 
pleased 
to 
grant 
to 
all 
who 
will 
have 
it 
upon 
these 
his 
terms, 
obedience 
to 
his 
Son. 
"But 
it 
shall 
come 
to 
pailS 
that 
the 
soul 
that 
will 
not 
hear 
[to 
obey] 
that 
Prophet 
shall 
be 
cut 
off"-in 
the 
second 
death, 
from 
which 
there 
will 
be 
no 
redemption 
and 
no 
recovery. 
THE 
SPIRIT 
AND 
BRIDE 
SAY 
COME 
Question.-When 
will 
the 
spirit 
and 
the 
bride 
say, 
Come? 
-Rev. 
22:17. 
Answer.-This 
will 
be 
fulfilled 
in 
the 
future 
for 
several 
reasons: 
( 
1) 
There 
is 
no 
"bride" 
now. 
The 
church, 
the 
"little 
flock," 
is 
now 
the 
"chaste 
virgin" 
"espoused" 
to 
the 
Lord. 
She 
will 
be 
the 
bride 
at 
marriage, 
and 
for 
long 
centuries 
she 
has 
been 
look­ 
ing 
forward 
to 
that 
great 
event 
at 
the 
close 
of 
this 
Gospel 
age. 
(2) 
The 
context 
refers 
to 
the 
river 
of 
the 
water 
of 
life 
of 
verses 
1 
and 
2 
of 
the 
same 
chapter. 
There 
is 
no 
such 
river 
now, 
nor 
will 
there 
be 
until 
the 
establishment 
of 
the 
king­ 
dom; 
for 
this 
is 
the 
picture: 
the 
New 
Jerusalem 
(the 
church 
in 
glory, 
the 
kingdom) 
comes 
down 
from 
God 
out 
of 
heaven, 
adorned 
"as 
a 
bride" 
and 
then 
from 
its 
throne 
will 
proceed 
the 
"river 
of 
the 
water 
of 
life" 
of 
which 
all 
may 
drink 
freely, 
and 
to 
which 
the 
spirit 
and 
the 
bride 
will 
invite 
all. 
Now 
the 
prospective 
members 
of 
the 
bride 
class 
have 
the 
Lord's 
spirit 
in 
them, 
"n 
well 
of 
water 
springing 
up 
unto 
everlasting 
lite."­ 
John 
4:14. 
By 
and 
by 
these 
well-springs 
brought 
together 
in 
glory 
with 
the 
Lord 
shall 
constitute 
the 
source 
of 
the 
great 
river 
of 
life 
which 
shall 
bless 
and 
heal 
all 
the 
nations. 
"In 
thv 
seed 
shall 
all 
the 
families 
of 
the 
earth 
be 
blessed." 
(Gal. 
3: 
29) 
By 
and 
by 
the 
prophecy 
will 
be 
fulfilled: 
"He 
that 
believeth 
in 
me, 
out 
of 
his 
belly 
shall 
flow 
rivers 
of 
living 
water." 
(3) 
Now 
the 
call 
is 
a 
different 
one 
and 
is 
not 
open 
to 
man­ 
kind. 
Our 
Lord 
declared, 
"No 
man 
can 
come 
unto 
me 
except 
the 
Father 
which 
sent 
me 
draw 
him." 
The 
Apostle 
declares 
that 
now 
many 
are 
blinded 
by 
the 
adversary 
and 
hence 
could 
not 
see 
even 
if 
there 
were 
a 
river 
of 
life 
flowing, 
and 
could 
not 
hear 
even 
if 
there 
were 
a 
bride 
to 
say, 
Come. 
HE 
SHALL 
• 
'POUR 
OUT 
HIS 
SPIRIT 
UPON 
ALL 
FLESH" 
Question.-Does 
Joel's 
prophecy 
concerning 
the 
pouring 
out 
of 
the 
Lord's 
"spirit 
upon 
all 
flesh," 
apply 
to 
the 
present 
or 
to 
the 
future 
age! 
Ansu;er.-It 
applies 
to 
the 
coming 
age-the 
Millennium. 
God 
is 
now 
pouring 
out 
his 
spirit 
only 
upon 
the 
church-Hhis 
servanb 
and 
hand-maidens." 
See 
MILLENNIAL 
DAWN, 
Vol. 
5, 
page 
179. 
VOL. 
XXV 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
AUGUST 
15, 
1904 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
16 
DISBELIEF 
IN 
A 
FUTURE 
LIFE 
DANGEROUS 
Professor 
Goldwin 
Smith 
notes 
the 
fact 
that 
the 
tendency 
of 
our 
times 
is 
to 
destroy 
faith 
in 
a 
future 
life, 
or, 
as 
the 
Profes­ 
sor 
states 
it, 
faith 
in 
immortality. 
(We 
need 
not 
quarrel 
over 
terms, 
especially 
when 
the 
Professor's 
use 
of 
the 
word 
immor­ 
tality, 
though 
less 
exact 
than 
our 
own, 
is 
the 
usual, 
the 
cus­ 
tomary 
one 
in 
our 
day. 
In 
his 
use 
of 
this 
word, 
he 
is 
in 
accord 
with 
the 
teachings 
of 
the 
Scripture, 
that 
God 
has 
pro­ 
vided 
a 
future 
life, 
through 
a 
resurrection, 
for 
every 
member 
of 
Adam's 
racf:'.) 
We 
give 
extracts 
from 
his 
article, 
which 
was 
publi~hed 
in 
The 
North 
.American 
Review, 
as 
follows: 
"It 
would 
seem 
that 
we 
have 
come 
practically 
to 
a 
point 
at 
which--evollltioll 
and 
th(' 
higher 
criticism 
having 
between 
them 
done 
the 
work 
of 
demolition, 
and 
the 
work 
of 
reconstruc­ 
tion, 
if 
it 
is 
ever 
to 
be 
done, 
being 
still 
in 
the 
future-no 
small 
part 
of 
educated 
mankind 
has 
renounced 
or 
is 
gradually 
renouncing 
the 
hope 
of 
a 
future 
life 
and 
acting 
on 
the 
belief 
that 
death 
ends 
all. 
"A 
general 
contraction 
of 
views 
to 
the 
man's 
own 
life 
must 
apparently 
be 
the 
consequence 
of 
the 
conviction 
that 
this 
life 
is 
all. 
A 
man 
of 
sense 
will 
probably 
be 
inclined 
to 
let 
reforms 
alone, 
and 
to 
consider 
how 
he 
may 
best 
go 
through 
the 
brief 
journey 
of 
life 
with 
comfort, 
if 
possible 
with 
enjoyment 
to 
himself 
and 
in 
pleasant 
intercour~e 
with 
his 
fellowmen. 
Hi!1:h 
social 
or 
political 
aspirations, 
or 
high 
aspirations 
of 
any 
kind, 
will 
hardly 
survive 
the 
disillusion. 
"We 
have 
an 
interest 
in 
our 
own 
children. 
But 
otherwise 
what 
interest 
have 
we 
in 
the 
generations 
that 
are 
to 
corne 
after 
us 
on 
which 
a 
religion 
of 
humanity 
can 
be 
founded' 
It 
is 
not 
a 
very 
lively 
interest 
that 
we 
feel 
even 
in 
the 
remoter 
members 
of 
the 
human 
race, 
to 
say 
nothing 
of 
those 
in 
the 
next 
street. 
Yet 
these 
exist; 
and 
of 
their 
existence 
we 
are 
conscious, 
and 
are 
reminded 
by 
the 
electric 
cable. 
Of 
the 
existence 
of 
future 
generations, 
supposing 
there 
is 
no 
future 
life, 
we 
shall 
not 
be 
('onS('IOUS, 
and, 
thl'refore, 
for 
u" 
thev 
will 
not 
exist. 
'Ve 
cannot 
even 
say 
with 
absolute 
certainty 
that 
they 
will 
exist 
at 
all. 
The 
end 
of 
man's 
dwelling· 
place, 
and, 
therefore, 
of 
all 
human 
progress, 
science 
tells 
us, 
will 
be 
a 
physical 
catastrophe; 
and 
there 
are 
even 
those 
who 
seem 
to 
think 
that 
this 
catastrophe 
may 
be 
forestalled 
by 
a 
recurrence 
of 
the 
glacial 
era. 
Natural 
law. 
",hidl 
"eipnl'p 
lJicl" 
11<; 
vf:'llprate. 
clepal 
h. 
it 
mu"t 
be 
re­ 
membered, 
with 
the 
lawgiver. 
Nothing 
remains 
but 
physical 
forces 
without 
a 
guiding 
mind, 
the 
play 
of 
which 
it 
is 
impos­ 
sible 
to 
forecast. 
As 
to 
posthumous 
fame, 
it 
would 
be 
an 
arrant 
delusion, 
even 
if 
one 
man 
in 
a 
million 
could 
hope 
to 
obtain 
it. 
"Whatever 
conduces 
to 
the 
enjoyment 
and 
prolongation 
of 
this 
life 
will 
probably 
be 
sought 
more 
energetically 
than 
be­ 
fore. 
Material 
progress. 
therefore, 
may 
quicken 
its 
pacf:'. 
~ 
or 
is 
it 
likely 
that 
men 
will 
be 
quite 
so 
ready 
as 
they 
are 
now 
to 
throwaway 
their 
lives 
in 
war. 
At 
present 
the 
soldier 
in 
facing 
[3410] 
(239-243) all who lost it through Adam’s transgression, and therefore guaranteed a restoration to perfect and everlasting life to every man? Answer—Very few Universalists of this kind are to be found. Generally, they either directly or indirectly deny the Ransom—deny that Christ’s death purchased everlasting life for anybody. Their theory generally rests upon the assumption that there was no divine sentence to be met; that divine mercy could exercise itself without meeting the demands of divine justice; that our Lord Jesus died, not to purchase us, not to pay the ransom price, not to redeem us, not as a substitute for Adam, but merely, they say, as an example to us of full obedience to righteousness, even at the cost of life. To such we answer that if Jesus was merely our example, and not our Redeemer, then our only hope would be to keep his example to such an extent that we would be individually pleasing to the Father as he was; and this would mean that we must keep the whole law blameless as he did. Those who understand this proposition must see clearly that, if that be true, there is no hope for any of us, for, as the Apostle declares, “By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in God’sesight.” Christ was justified by the deeds of the law, but perfect deeds were possible to him, because he was born holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. Perfect deeds, perfect fulfilment of the divine requirements, are absolutely impossible for us who were born in sin, shapen in iniquity. If, therefore, Jesus be merely our pattern, our exemplar, and not also our Redeemer, we are of all men most miserable, for seeing salvation we shall be wholly unable to attain it. Our whole hope is in the declaration of the Lord’s Word that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, that his death was to meet the penalty against us as a race—for Adam’s sins and ours. Our hope is that, being covered by faith with the robe of his righteousness, our imperfect. attempts to follow his example in obedience to the Father’s will will be accounted as though they were perfect—“through the merit of him who loved us and bought us with his own precious blood.” But if there be Universalists who take the position implied in this question, our answer would be as heretofore, that Christ’s death did purchase lasting life for all who lost it through Adam’s transgression. and that God has guaranteed a full restoration of ali that was lost “to every soul of man that believeth”—in the Scriptural sense of obedient believing. Nothing in this implies that they will get all these things at the moment of their awakening from the tomb. At that time they will get a beginning of perfect life if they are obedient to the voice of the great Physician, which will eventuate in their absolute perfection in the close of that Millennial day. Our Lord, describing the matter in John 5:29, declares that the dead will come forth unto a resurrection by judgment. They will come forth from the tomb, from oblivion, to physica] conditions somewhat similar to those enjoyed before they died, with surroundings in every way much more advantageous; with Satan bound that he can deceive them no more; with the good ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa. influences of righteousness and truth let loose in the world to such an extent that ultimately the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth; with judges and law givers under the supervision of the royal priesthood to look after their best interests, to reprove and correct and chastise their failures, and to encourage, reward and bless their endeavors, and thus, by judgments, of rewards and punishments, they would be gradually brought up step by step, up, up, up to the highway of holiness, to the absolute perfection at the farther end, which the Lord is pleased to grant to all who will have it upon these his terms, obedience to his Son. “But it shall come to paag that the soul that will not hear [to obey] that Prophet shall be cut off’—in the second death, from which there will be no redemption and no recovery. THE SPIRIT AND BRIDE SAY COME Question.—When will the spirit and the bride say, Come? —Rev. 22:17. Answer.—This will be fulfilled in the future for several reasons: (1) There is no “bride” now. The church, the “little flock,” is now the “chaste virgin” “espoused” to the Lord. She will be the bride at marriage, and for long centuries she has been looking forward to that great event at the close of this Gospel age. (2) The context refers to the river of the water of life of verses 1 and 2 of the same chapter. There is no such river now, nor will there be until the establishment of the kingdom; for this is the picture: the New Jerusalem (the church in glory, the kingdom) comes down from God out of heaven, adorned “as a bride” and then from its throne will proceed the “river of the water of life” of which all may drink freely, and to which the spirit and the bride will invite all. Now the prospective members of the bride class have the Lord’s spirit in them, “a well of water springing up unto everlasting lite.”— John 4:14, By and by these well-springs brought together in glory with the Lord shall constitute the source of the great river of life which shall bless and heal all the nations. “In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Gal. 3:29) By and by the prophecy will be fulfilled: “He that believeth in me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (3) Now the call is a different one and is not open to mankind. Our Lord declared, “No man can come unto me except the Father which sent me draw him.” The Apostle declares that now many are blinded by the adversary and hence could not see even if there were a river of life flowing, and could not hear even if there were a bride to say, Come. HE SHALL ‘‘POUR OUT HIS SPIRIT UPON ALL FLESH’’ Question.—Does Joel’s prophecy concerning the pouring out of the Lord’s “spirit upon all flesh,” apply to the present or to the future age? Answer.—It applies to the coming age—the Millennium. God is now pouring out his spirit only upon the church—“his servants and hand-maidens.” See MILLENNIAL Dawn, Vol. 6, page 179. Vou. XXV ALLEGHENY, PA., AUGUST 15, 1904 No. 16 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER DISBELIEF IN A FUTURE LIFE DANGEROUS Professor Goldwin Smith notes the fact that the tendency of our times is to destroy faith in a future life, or, as the Professor states it, faith in immortality. (We need not quarrel over terms, especially when the Professor’s use of the word immortality, though less exact than our own, is the usual}, the customary one in our day. In his use of this word, he is in accord with the teachings of the Scripture, that God has provided a future life, through a resurrection, for every member of Adam’s race.) We give extracts from his article, which was published in The North American Review, as follows: “It would seem that we have come practically to a point at which—evolution and the higher criticism having between them done the work of demolition, and the work of reconstruction, if it is ever to be done, being still in the future—no small part of educated mankind has renounced or is gradually renouncing the hope of a future life and acting on the belief that death ends all. “A general contraction of views to the man’s own life must apparently be the consequence of the conviction that this life is all. A man of sense will probably be inclined to let reforms alone, and to consider how he may best go through the brief journey of life with comfort, if possible with enjoyment to himself and in pleasant intercourse with his fellowmen. High social or political aspirations, or high aspirations of any kind, will hardly survive the disillusion. “We have an interest in our own children. But otherwise what interest have we in the generations that are to come after us on which a religion of humanity can be founded? It is not a very lively interest that we feel even in the remoter members of the human race, to say nothing of those in the next street. Yet these exist; and of their existence we are conscious, and are reminded by the electric cable. Of the existence of future generations, supposing there is no future life, we shall not be conscious, and, therefore, for us thev will not exist. We cannot even say with absolute certainty that they will exist at all. The end of man’s dwelling-place, and, therefore, of all human progress, science tells us, will be a physical catastrophe; and there are even those who seem to think that this catastrophe may be forestalled by a recurrence of the glacial era. Natural law. which science bids us venerate, departs. it must be remembered, with the lawgiver. Nothing remains but physical forces without a guiding mind, the play of which it is impossible to forecast. As to posthumous fame, it would be an arrant delusion, even if one man in a million could hope to obtain it. “Whatever conduces to the enjoyment and prolongation of this life will probably be sought more energetically than before. Material progress, therefore, may quicken its pace. Nor is it likely that men will be quite so ready as they are now to throw away their lives in war. At present the soldier in facing [3410]

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