Publication date
4/1/05
Volume
26
Number
7
The WatchTower
The Heavens Rolling Together
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1905/7/1905-7-1.html
 
 
 
MARCH 
15. 
1905 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(95-99) 
raising 
up 
out 
of 
sin 
and 
death 
conditions, 
to 
perfection 
and 
life 
conditions. 
The 
calling 
forth 
of 
Lazarus, 
therefore, 
is 
a 
good 
picture 
of 
what 
may 
be 
expected 
early 
in 
the 
Millennial 
reign, 
after 
the 
living 
nations 
shall 
have 
been 
to 
some 
extent 
enlightened 
and 
brought 
under 
the 
influence 
of 
the 
heavenly 
Kingdom. 
Then 
all 
that 
are 
in 
their 
graves, 
order 
by 
order, 
class 
by 
class, 
generation 
by 
generation, 
will 
come 
forth 
as 
Laz­ 
arus 
dId 
to 
a 
measure 
of 
health 
and 
a 
measure 
of 
strength, 
but 
not 
to 
perfllction 
of 
being. 
Their 
cases, 
however, 
will 
be 
differ­ 
ent 
from 
his, 
in 
that 
his 
release 
from 
death 
was 
merely 
a 
tem­ 
porary 
one: 
later 
on 
he 
died 
again. 
Those 
in 
the 
Millennial 
age, 
on 
the 
contrary, 
who 
will 
come 
forth 
under 
the 
new 
conditions 
of 
that 
Millennial 
kingdom, 
need 
never 
die 
again, 
but 
instead, 
by 
hearing 
the 
voice 
of 
the 
I:)on 
of 
Man, 
by 
obeying 
the 
same, 
going 
onward 
step 
by 
step, 
they 
shall 
emerge 
grauually 
from 
all 
the 
weight 
of 
the 
curse, 
from 
all 
the 
weaknesses 
and 
imper­ 
fections 
of 
the 
present 
dying 
condition, 
to 
the 
full 
life 
and 
per­ 
fection 
and 
joy 
of 
the 
life-eternal 
condition, 
at 
the 
close 
of 
the 
Millennial 
age. 
Theirs 
wIll 
be 
the 
resurrection 
by 
judgments, 
by 
disciplines, 
by 
corrections 
in 
righteousness-by 
their 
gradual 
attainment 
under 
the 
systems 
of 
rewards 
and 
punishments 
then 
in 
vogue­ 
to 
all 
the 
glorious 
perfections 
of 
huma:l 
nature, 
as 
our 
Lord 
declared, 
"Though 
deau, 
yet 
shall 
they 
live." 
This 
will 
include 
not 
only 
the 
dead 
in 
the 
tombs, 
but 
also 
the 
other 
dead 
who 
buried 
their 
dead-those 
who 
are 
now 
nine-tenth" 
dead 
aud 
uu­ 
der 
sentence 
of 
death, 
but 
who, 
contrasting 
themselves 
with 
those 
in 
the 
tomb, 
speak 
of 
themselves 
as 
ahve. 
Then, 
whoso­ 
ever 
living 
shall 
be 
obedient 
to 
the 
Lord 
at 
heart 
shall 
never 
die, 
but 
will 
be 
granted 
an 
entrance 
to 
the 
eternal 
conditions 
beyond 
the 
Millennial 
age, 
approved 
by 
the 
Father 
as 
true 
sleep. 
-Matt. 
25:34. 
LAZARUS 
NOT 
IN 
HEAVEN 
It 
would 
be 
preposterous 
to 
suppo"e 
that 
Lazarus 
was 
in 
heaven 
for 
four 
aays 
and 
that 
the 
Lord 
in 
mercy 
and 
compas­ 
sion 
called 
him 
away 
from 
blessed 
scenes 
there. 
The 
tears 
of 
Jesus 
and 
~is 
fail~re 
to 
o~er 
!lony 
such 
explanation 
of 
death, 
no 
less 
than 
hIS 
awakmg 
o~ 
hIS 
fnend 
Lazarus 
as 
a 
mark 
of 
his 
sym­ 
pathy 
and 
love, 
all 
forbId 
the 
thought 
that 
Lazarus 
had 
been 
in 
heaven. 
Besides 
this, 
we 
have 
the 
Lord's 
positive 
declaration 
that 
"~o 
man 
ha~ 
ascended 
uP. 
to 
heaven." 
(John 
3: 
13) 
Again 
the 
umform 
testImony 
of 
SCrIpture 
is 
that 
death 
is 
death, 
and 
further 
our 
Lord's 
declaration 
is 
that 
when 
Lazarus 
was 
dead 
he 
was 
asleep. 
In 
his 
sleep 
of 
death 
the 
four 
days 
were 
but 
as 
a 
moment; 
his 
awaking 
thought 
was 
next 
to 
the 
one 
he 
had 
when 
he 
fell 
asleep 
in 
death. 
"GREATER 
THINGS 
THAN 
THESE 
SHALL 
YE 
DO" 
Stupenaous 
as 
this 
miracle 
was, 
we 
ourselves 
see 
in 
some 
respects 
still 
greater 
miracles. 
Many 
of 
the 
Lord's 
people 
have 
seen 
in 
themselves 
and 
in 
each 
other 
great 
transtormatiOlll:! 
spoken 
of 
in 
Scripture 
as 
passing 
from 
death 
unto 
lifc. 
At 
our 
recent 
New 
York 
ConventIOn 
one 
person 
in 
attclldanee 
spoke 
to 
the 
Editor 
after 
the 
meeting 
about 
consecration. 
and 
remarkcd 
that 
for 
some 
years 
she 
had 
been 
an 
infidel, 
el'tranged 
f, 
om 
the 
Lord 
and 
his 
book 
by 
her 
acquaintanee 
with 
some 
whose 
COll­ 
duct 
in 
life 
caused 
her 
to 
lose 
all 
faith 
in 
Christianity. 
She 
ex­ 
plained 
that 
the 
remarkable 
conversion 
of 
her 
si"ter-in-Iaw 
by 
the 
truth 
had 
drawn 
her 
attention 
to 
it. 
She 
added, 
"I 
ncver 
saw 
so 
great 
a 
change 
in 
any 
human 
being 
in 
my 
life, 
nor 
did 
I 
suppose 
such 
a 
change 
possible. 
It 
led 
me 
to 
believc 
that 
there 
was 
a 
power 
in 
Christianity. 
and 
I 
began 
to 
investigate 
the 
re­ 
ligious 
teachings 
set 
forth 
in 
MILLENNIAI, 
DAWNS 
which 
had 
>:0 
powerfully 
affected 
my 
sister-in-law. 
I 
am 
convinced 
of 
its 
truth, 
and 
am 
considering 
the 
subject 
of 
consecration, 
and 
trust 
that 
you 
will 
pray 
for 
me." 
"'So 
let 
our 
lives 
and 
tongues 
express 
The 
glorious 
Gospel 
we 
profess; 
1:'0 
let 
the 
glories 
in 
us 
shine, 
That 
all 
may 
know 
that 
we 
are 
thine." 
READING 
FROM 
THE 
SWEDISH 
REVISED 
BIBLE 
DEAR 
BROTHER 
RUSSELL 
:-Herewith 
I 
hand 
you 
some 
inter­ 
esting 
readings 
from 
the 
Revised 
Swedish 
Bible. 
Yours, 
KIHLGREN. 
Iso.. 
21 
:12. 
"The 
watchman 
answereth: 
Morning 
has 
come, 
and 
still 
it 
is 
night. 
If 
ye 
will 
ask 
more, 
[than 
the 
question 
in 
verse 
11] 
ye 
may 
ask; 
come 
back 
again" 
[for 
more 
informa­ 
tion 
?]. 
Iso.. 
28:8-13. 
"For 
all 
tables 
are 
full 
of 
nauseating 
vomits, 
not 
a 
clean 
spot 
is 
found. 
Who 
thcn 
[asks 
the 
class 
mentioned 
in 
verse 
7?] 
is 
it 
he 
desires 
to 
learn 
understanding, 
and 
whom 
can 
he 
make 
to 
give 
attention 
to 
his 
preaching?-Are 
we 
then 
recently 
weaned 
from 
the 
mother's 
milk, 
recently 
taken 
from 
the 
mother's 
breast? 
For 
it 
is 
nagging 
upon 
nagging, 
nagging 
upon 
nagging, 
prating 
upon 
prating, 
prating 
upon 
prating, 
a 
little 
here, 
a 
little 
there 
[as 
if 
this 
class 
should 
say: 
'What 
does 
he 
take 
us 
for 
?-we 
are 
no 
babies 
either; 
it 
was 
not 
yester­ 
day 
we 
discarded 
the 
old-fashioned 
theory 
of 
the 
fall 
and 
the 
redemption 
of 
man, 
etc.,-we 
are 
full-grown 
mature 
Higher 
Critics; 
and 
yet 
there 
are 
a 
few 
old 
fogies 
who 
never 
let 
us 
alone, 
but 
are 
nagging 
at 
us 
ceaselessly, 
giving 
out 
tracts, 
papers 
and 
books, 
which 
represent 
us 
before 
the 
public 
as 
deceivers,' 
etc.] 
Well, 
yes, 
through 
stammering 
lips 
and 
in 
a 
strange 
language 
shall 
he 
speak 
to 
this 
people, 
he 
who 
ncvertheless 
has 
said 
unto 
them: 
'Here 
is 
the 
place 
of 
rest, 
let 
the 
weary 
get 
rest; 
here 
is 
the 
place 
where 
refreshment 
is 
givcn 
out,' 
but 
sueh 
they 
would 
not 
hear. 
And 
thus 
the 
Lord's 
Word 
shall 
be 
for 
them, 
'nagging 
upon 
nagging, 
nagging 
upon 
nagging, 
prating 
upon 
prating, 
prating 
upon 
prating, 
a 
little 
herc. 
a 
lIttle 
the1'e,' 
so 
that 
they, 
as 
they 
walk 
on, 
fall 
backward 
and 
are 
crushed, 
become 
ensnared 
and 
captured." 
[Refusing 
to 
accept 
God's 
grand 
plan 
for 
salvation, 
which 
would 
give 
them 
rest, 
they 
are 
annoyed 
by 
those 
who 
are 
pointing 
out 
its 
beauty, 
which 
to 
them 
is 
merely 
prating, 
and 
the 
result 
is 
that 
they 
fall 
completely 
into 
the 
snares 
of 
the 
adversary]. 
The 
context 
seems 
to 
favor 
the 
thought 
brought 
out 
in 
this 
rendering, 
though 
differing 
from 
the 
English 
rendering. 
VOL. 
XXVI 
ALLEGHENY, 
P 
A., 
APRIL 
1, 
1905 
THE 
HEAVENS 
ROLLING 
TOGETHER 
No.7 
During 
the 
past 
twenty-five 
years 
we 
have 
several 
times 
expectations, 
as 
heretofore 
set 
forth 
in 
these 
columns, 
are 
that 
called 
attention 
to 
the 
Scriptures 
which 
speak 
of 
the 
Day 
of 
after 
the 
federative 
influences 
already 
begun 
in 
Protestantism 
the 
Lord 
and 
declare 
that 
in 
it 
the 
"heavens 
shall 
roll 
together 
shall 
have 
knit 
the 
joints 
and 
members 
the 
more 
closely 
the 
like 
a 
scrol1." 
(Iso.. 
34:4) 
We 
have 
pointed 
out 
that 
this 
one 
to 
the 
other, 
the 
entire 
federation 
of 
Protestants 
will 
re­ 
means 
a 
coming 
together 
of 
the 
extremes 
of 
Christianity, 
Ro- 
ceive 
some 
kind 
of 
Episcopal 
sanction, 
recognition, 
or 
ordina­ 
man 
Catholicism 
and 
Protestantism. 
Other 
Scriptures 
show 
tion 
through 
the 
Episcopal 
system, 
and 
that 
theneeforth 
Pro­ 
lIS 
that 
the 
consolidation, 
federation 
and 
unification 
of 
Protes- 
testantism 
the 
world 
over 
will 
assume 
a 
more 
activc 
and 
dog­ 
tants 
is 
now 
in 
order. 
This 
is 
already 
well 
under 
way 
and 
con- 
matic 
influence 
in 
the 
civil 
life 
and 
political 
affairs 
of 
Christen­ 
stitutes 
in 
the 
symbolic 
book 
of 
Revelation 
the 
"image 
of 
the 
dom, 
co-operating 
with 
Roman 
Catholicism 
as 
a 
sister 
institu­ 
beast"-the 
symbolic 
beast 
itself 
represented 
by 
Papacy. 
We 
tion. 
might 
here 
remark 
that 
nothing 
in 
this 
word 
"beast" 
is 
spe- 
These 
are 
the 
two 
extremes 
of 
the 
heavens 
or 
ecclesiastical 
dally 
derogatory 
or 
invidious-neither 
in 
our 
use 
of 
the 
word 
powers 
of 
the 
present 
time, 
and 
our 
Lord's 
declaration 
that 
110r 
lD 
the 
Scriptural 
use. 
Throughout 
the 
Scriptures, 
in 
the 
they 
shall 
be 
rolled 
together 
as 
a 
scroll 
signifies, 
not 
that 
they 
symbolisms 
of 
Daniel 
and 
the 
Apocalypse, 
beasts 
are 
freely 
used 
will 
ever 
become 
one 
roll, 
but, 
remaining 
two 
rolls, 
will 
be 
as 
symbols 
for 
nations, 
governments, 
earthly 
power, 
though 
dr?-Wll 
together 
~y 
mutual 
interest 
and 
nec{'ssity 
for 
co-oper­ 
never 
used 
as 
representing 
the 
divine 
power-the 
true 
church, 
atIon. 
Theso 
thmgs 
mmt 
be 
expected 
before 
the 
outbreak 
of 
thE.' 
true 
kingdom, 
which 
shall 
ultimately 
prevai1. 
the 
weat 
tribulation, 
which 
will 
evcntuate 
in 
the 
>:ymbolical 
We 
have 
already 
pointed 
out 
It 
general 
organization 
of 
"the 
burning 
or 
destruction 
not 
only 
of 
the 
present 
Elodal 
structure 
image 
of 
the 
beast" 
effected 
in 
1846, 
and 
arc 
waiting 
for 
what 
represented 
n~ 
the 
earth. 
but 
thp 
burning 
and 
consuming 
al~o 
in 
the 
symbol 
iEl 
referred 
to 
a~ 
the 
"giving 
of 
life 
to 
the 
image." 
of 
the 
symbolipal 
h{'aven~ 
rolled 
togethcr 
as 
It 
s{'roll. 
That 
This 
life, 
or 
vital 
energy. 
which 
the 
image 
is 
to 
receive 
shortly, 
drpadful 
anar{'hy. 
whiph 
will 
rlestroy 
everything 
of 
our 
present 
comes 
from 
what 
is 
described 
as 
the 
two-horned 
beast, 
which 
in 
{'onditionEl 
and 
civilization. 
will 
in 
so 
doing 
prepare 
the 
way 
for 
our 
understanding 
is 
the 
church 
of 
England 
and 
Ireland. 
Our 
the 
establishment 
of 
the 
heavenly 
kingdom. 
In 
view 
of 
these 
[3531] 
Marca 15, 1905 raising up out of sin and death conditions, to perfection and life conditions. The calling forth of Lazarus, therefore, is a good picture of what may be expected early in the Millennial reign, after the living nations shall have been to some extent enlightened and brought under the influence of the heavenly Kingdom. Then all that are in their graves, order by order, elass by class, generation by generation, will come forth as Lazarus did to a measure of health and a measure of strength, but not to perfection of being. Their cases, however, will be different from his, in that his release from death was merely a temporary one: later on he died again. Those in the Millennial age, on the contrary, who will come forth under the new conditions of that Millennial kingdom, need never die again, but instead, by hearing the voice of the Son of Man, by obeying the same, going onward step by step, they shall emerge gradually from all the weight of the curse, from all the weaknesses and imperfections of the present dying condition, to the full life and perfection and joy of the life-eternal condition, at the close of the Millennial age. Theirs will be the resurrection by judgments, by disciplines, by corrections in righteousness—by their gradual attainment under the systems of rewards and punishments then in vogue— to all the glorious perfections of human nature, as our Lord declared, “Though dead, yet shall they live.” This will include not only the dead in the tombs, but also the other dead who buried their dead—those who are now nine-tenths dead and under sentence of death, but who, contrasting themselves with those in the tomb, speak of themselves as alive. Then, whosoever living shall be obedient to the Lord at heart shall never die, but will be granted an entrance to the eternal conditions beyond the Millennial age, approved by the Father as true sleep. —Matt. 25:34. LAZARUS NOT IN HEAVEN It would be preposterous to suppose that Lazarus was in heaven for four days and that the Lord in mercy and compassion called him away from blessed scenes there. The tears of ZION’S WATCH TOWER (95-99) Jesus and his failure to offer any such explanation of death, no less than his awaking of his friend Lazarus as a mark of his sympathy and love, all forbid the thought that Lazarus had been in heaven. Besides this, we have the Lord’s positive declaration that “no man has ascended up to heaven.” (John 3:13) Again the uniform testimony of Scripture is that death is death, and further our Lord’s declaration is that when Lazarus was dead he was asleep. In his sleep of death the four days were but as a moment; his awaking thought was next to the one he had when he fell asleep in death. “GREATER THINGS THAN THESE SHALL YE DO”’ Stupenaous as this miracle was, we ourselves see in some respects still greater miracles. Many of the Lord’s people have seen in themselves and in each other great transtormations spoken of in Scripture as passing from death unto life. At our recent New York Convention one person in attendance spche to the Editor after the meeting about consecration, and remarked that for some years she had been an infidel, estranged f.om the Lord and his book by her acquaintance with some whose conduct in life caused her to lose all faith in Christianity. She explained that the remarkable conversion of her sister-in-law by the truth had drawn her attention to it. She added, “I never saw so great a change in any human being in my life, nor did I suppose such a change possible. It led me to believe that there was a power in Christianity, and I began to investigate the religious teachings set forth in MILLENNIAL Dawns which had so powerfully affected my sister-in-law. I am convinced of its truth, and am considering the subject of consecration, and trust that you will pray for me.” “So let our lives and tongues express The glorious Gospel we profess; So let the glories in us shine, That all may know that we are thine.” READING FROM THE SWEDISH REVISED BIBLE Dear BRoTHER RUSSELL:—Herewith I hand you some interesting readings from the Revised Swedish Bible. Yours, KIHLGREN, Isa, 21:12, “The watchman answereth: Morning has come, and still it is night. If ye will ask more, [than the question in verse 11] ye may ask; come back again” [for more information?]. Isa, 28:8-13. “For all tables are full of nauseating vomits, not a clean spot is found. Who then [asks the class mentioned in verse 7?] is it he desires to learn understanding, and whom can he make to give attention to his preaching?—Are we then recently weaned from the mother’s milk, recently taken from the mother’s breast? For it is nagging upon nagging, nagging upon nagging, prating upon prating, prating upon prating, a little here, a little there [as if this class should say: ‘What does he take us for ?—we are no babies either; it was not yesterday we discarded the old-fashioned theory of the fall and the redemption of man, etc.—we are full-grown mature Higher Critics; and yet there are a few old fogies who never let us alone, but are nagging at us ceaselessly, giving out tracts, papers and books, which represent us before the public as deceivers,’ etc.] Well, yes, through stammering lips and in a strange language shall he speak to this people, he who nevertheless has said unto them: ‘Here is the place of rest, let the weary get rest; here is the place where refreshment is given out,’ but such they would not hear. And thus the Lord’s Word shall be for them, ‘nagging upon nagging, nagging upon nagging, prating upon prating, prating upon prating, a little here, a lttle there,’ so that they, as they walk on, fall backward and are crushed, become ensnared and captured.” [Refusing to accept God’s grand plan for salvation, which would give them rest, they are annoyed by those who are pointing out its beauty, which to them is merely prating, and the result is that they fall completely into the snares of the adversary]. The context seems to favor the thought brought out in this rendering, though differing from the English rendering. Vou. XXVI ALLEGHENY, PA., APRIL 1, 1905 No. “Il THE HEAVENS ROLLING TOGETHER During the past twenty-five years we have several times called attention to the Scriptures which speak of the Day of the Lord and declare that in it the “heavens shall roll together like a scroll.” (Isa. 34:4) We have pointed out that this means a coming together of the extremes of Christianity, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, Other Scriptures show us that the consolidation, federation and unification of Protestants is now in order. This is already well under way and constitutes in the symbolic book of Revelation the “image of the beast”—the symbolic beast itself represented by Papacy. We might here remark that nothing in this word “beast” is specially derogatory or invidious—neither in our use of the word mor in the Scriptural use, Throughout the Scriptures, in the symbolisms of Daniel and the Apocalypse, beasts are freely used as symbols for nations, governments, earthly power, though never used as representing the divine power—the true church, the true kingdom, which shall ultimately prevail. We have already pointed out a general organization of “the image of the beast” effected in 1846, and are waiting for what in the symbol is referred to as the “giving of life to the image.” This life, or vital energy, which the image is to receive shortly, comes from what is described as the two-horned beast, which in our understanding is the church of England and Ireland. Our expectations, as heretofore set forth in these columns, are that after the federative influences already begun in Protestantism shall have knit the joints and members the more closely the one to the other, the entire federation of Protestants will receive some kind of Episcopal sanction, recognition, or ordination through the Episcopal system, and that thenceforth Protestantism the world over will assume a more active and dogmatic influence in the civil life and political affairs of Christendom, co-operating with Roman Catholicism as a sister instituion. These are the two extremes of the heavens or ecclesiastical powers of the present time, and our Lord’s declaration that they shall be rolled togethcr as a scroll signifies, not that they will ever become one roll, but, remaining two rolls, will be drawn together by mutual interest and necessity for co-operation. These things must be expected before the outbreak of the great tribulation, which will eventuate in the symbolical burning or destruction not only of the present social structure represented as the earth. but the burning and consuming also of the symbolical heavens rolled together as a scroll. That dreadful anarchy, which will destroy everything of our present conditions and civilization, will in so doing prepare the way for the establishment of the heavenly kingdom. In view of these [3531]

This website uses cookies to improve the website and your experience. By continuing to browse this website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. If you require further information or do not wish to accept cookies when using this website, please visit our Privacy Policy    Terms of Use    .