Publication date
3/15/09
Volume
30
Number
6
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
/../literature/watchtower/1909/6/1909-6-1.html
 
 
 
 
(79-83) 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALI 
.. 
IlGHIlNY, 
PA. 
fetish 
or 
chal 
to 
ward 
off 
the 
adversary, 
but 
take 
it 
intelli­ 
gently, 
as 
unto 
the 
Lord, 
and 
throw 
your 
influence 
in 
favor 
of 
it 
to 
all 
the 
dear..brethren 
Christ. 
There 
is 
blessing 
in 
it, 
and 
the 
quicker 
you 
take 
it, 
the 
quicker 
you 
wIll 
share 
in 
that 
bless­ 
ing, 
which 
many 
others 
an 
already 
confessing. 
"Make 
straight 
paths 
for 
your 
feet." 
THE 
NEW 
COVENANT 
AND 
THE 
NEW 
TESTAMENT 
These 
two 
words 
in 
our 
Ellglibh 
are 
the 
same 
word 
in 
the 
Greek. 
The 
explanation 
of 
the 
matter 
is 
this:- 
The 
blessings 
of 
God 
upon 
Abraham 
were 
ostensibly 
given 
to 
the 
Jewish 
nation. 
Lut 
not 
actually 
so. 
hidden 
meaning, 
or 
spirit, 
made 
that 
blessing, 
under 
the 
Law, 
applicable 
only 
to 
Jesus. 
who 
alone 
kept 
the 
law 
and 
inheritl'd 
its 
blessings. 
Secondly, 
that 
spiritual 
inheritance 
of 
the 
law 
blessing 
came 
to 
all 
those 
who 
a<'cepted 
ChriRt 
as 
the 
end 
of 
the 
law 
and 
be­ 
came 
united 
to 
him 
by 
consecration 
unto 
death. 
Thus, 
spiritual 
Israelites 
arc 
the 
heirs 
with 
Jesus 
of 
everything 
pertaining 
to 
the 
Abrahamic 
C'ovl'nant. 
Howl'ver, 
our 
Lord's 
object 
in 
keeping 
tJ1E' 
Ic1w 
wll.~ 
not 
merely 
to 
gain 
life 
for 
himself, 
but 
by 
dying 
and 
getting 
the 
new 
nature 
for 
himself 
to 
be 
able 
to 
give 
to 
natural 
Israel, 
in 
harmony 
with 
the 
divine 
law. 
tIl<' 
blessings 
whil'h 
they 
had 
originally 
re­ 
l'eive<l, 
but 
were 
unable 
to 
retain 
through 
weakness 
of 
the 
flesh. 
Thus, 
through 
Jesus' 
death, 
testament-good-will--or 
bless­ 
ing, 
was 
entailed 
upon 
natural 
hrael; 
but 
instead 
of 
giving 
them 
that 
blessing 
at 
onc<', 
hy 
divinl' 
arrangement 
it 
is 
given 
first 
to 
spiritual 
Israel, 
the 
"holy 
nation," 
the 
"royal 
priest- 
hood," 
the 
"peculiar 
people;" 
it 
is 
given 
to 
these 
conditionally 
-that 
they 
will 
not 
keep 
it 
to 
themselves, 
but 
dying 
as 
mem­ 
bers 
of 
the 
body 
of 
Christ, 
they 
will 
join 
with 
their 
Head 
in 
his 
will, 
or 
testament, 
giving 
all 
those 
earthly 
rights 
as 
the 
seed 
of 
Abraham, 
to 
fleshly 
Israel. 
As 
soon 
as 
all 
the 
members 
of 
the 
testator 
shall 
have 
died, 
this 
New 
Testament 
or 
New 
Cove­ 
nant 
will 
thereby 
be 
sealed, 
or 
made 
effective, 
operative 
toward 
natural 
Israel. 
Thus 
Jesus 
was 
the 
minister, 
or 
servant, 
of 
the 
New 
Cove­ 
nant 
which 
God 
proposed 
to 
make 
with 
Israel. 
Although 
he 
had 
right 
to 
all 
that 
is 
to 
go 
to 
Israel, 
he 
kept 
it 
not, 
but 
freely 
surrendered 
it 
for 
us 
and 
them. 
We 
as 
his 
brethren, 
justified 
through 
faith 
in 
his 
blood 
(not 
through 
faith 
in 
the 
New 
Covenant), 
were 
permitted 
to 
become 
"able 
ministers 
of 
the 
New 
Covenant 
or 
New 
Testament"-able 
or 
fully 
qualified 
by 
our 
justification 
and 
by 
the 
terms 
of 
our 
sanctification, 
to 
be 
associated 
with 
our 
Lord 
and 
Head 
as 
sharers 
in 
his 
suffer­ 
ings, 
proclaimers 
of 
his 
grace, 
announcrrs 
of 
the 
New 
Covenant, 
and 
aSRistants 
one 
of 
another 
as 
members 
of 
his 
body 
in 
the 
filling 
up 
of 
the 
sufferings 
of 
Christ 
to 
the 
intended 
end. 
SOME 
INTERESTING 
LETTERS 
DEAR 
BROTHER 
RU8SEI.L: 
Enclosed 
newspaper 
clipping 
from 
Dayton, 
Ohio, 
paper 
is 
worthy 
of 
more 
than 
passing 
notice 
as 
piece 
of 
church 
news 
:- 
"Rev. 
E. 
E. 
Baker, 
formerly 
of 
this 
city, 
but 
lately 
of 
Los 
Angeles, 
Cal., 
has 
withdrawn 
from 
the 
ministry 
to 
become 
west­ 
ern 
manager 
for 
the 
fowllool 
of 
salesmanship. 
In 
his 
farewell 
to 
his 
congregation 
Mr. 
Baker 
said:- 
'The 
pastor 
of 
the 
present 
dal 
has 
to 
.pr~ach 
what 
h~s 
.con­ 
gregation 
wants 
him 
to, 
or 
he 
won 
keep 
~lS 
Job. 
If 
mmIS~E'r 
were 
not 
depending 
npon 
the 
people 
he 
IS 
bupposed 
to 
uphft, 
we 
would 
have 
broader, 
trUl'r 
and 
more 
~ffective 
work 
from 
the 
pulpit 
today.' 
Mr. 
Baker 
was 
pastor 
of 
the 
First 
Lutheran 
CHurch 
of 
Day­ 
ton 
and 
was 
one 
of 
the 
most 
popular 
clergymen 
of 
the 
eity. 
Ill' 
reRigned 
his 
charge 
to 
acecpt 
call 
to 
the 
Woodward 
Avenue 
Preflbyterian 
('h111"('h 
in 
Cleveland, 
and 
later 
accepted 
call 
to 
the 
Los 
Angeles 
('hurch. 
About 
ten 
years 
ago 
Rev. 
Baker 
accepted 
from 
me, 
for 
criti­ 
cism 
coPy 
of 
your 
"What 
Say 
the 
Scriptures 
About 
Hell." 
Afte~ 
lookmg 
it 
over, 
he 
not 
only 
failed 
to 
criticise, 
but 
stated 
that 
person 
could 
not 
preach 
from 
the 
pulpit 
all 
one 
thought. 
His 
takin~ 
thiR 
stand 
at 
this 
time 
seems 
to 
me 
to 
be 
the 
result 
of 
ten-vears' 
battle 
in 
his 
mind, 
and 
am 
pleased 
to 
note 
that 
he 
now 
has 
the 
l'ourage 
to 
stand 
by 
his 
convictions. 
Your 
brother 
in 
Christ, 
G. 
C. 
DRISCOLl 
•. 
DEAR 
BROTHER 
RUSSELL:- 
'Ve 
again 
express 
to 
you 
our 
continued 
and 
growing 
love 
for 
yourself, 
and 
also 
for 
the 
work 
entrusted 
to 
your 
hands. 
We 
would 
also 
like 
to 
express 
our 
satisfaction 
with 
"the 
vow" 
in 
many, 
many 
ways; 
and 
particularly 
blessed 
have 
we 
been 
by 
the 
prayer 
for 
you 
all 
there 
and 
the 
work 
in 
your 
hands 
and 
our 
humble 
part 
therein. 
This 
vow 
hae 
been 
also 
the 
means 
of 
bringing 
home 
to 
us 
th", 
fulness 
of 
the 
consecration 
vow 
long 
since 
made, 
and 
has 
('aused 
us 
to 
be 
much 
more 
careful 
in 
our 
scrutiny 
of 
our 
daily 
life. 
not 
only 
in 
the 
home, 
but 
before 
the 
world 
as 
well. 
The 
Word 
has 
been 
made 
more 
precious 
to 
us 
than 
ever 
before, 
and 
we 
cannot 
but 
feel 
that 
the 
vow 
has 
been 
instrumental 
in 
large 
measure 
in 
this. 
We 
are 
indeed 
pained 
to 
know 
that 
some 
are 
offended 
by 
that 
which 
it 
would 
appear 
could 
not 
offend 
any 
who 
do 
not 
desire 
to 
be 
somewhat 
entangled 
in 
the 
yoke 
of 
sin. 
The 
bless­ 
ing 
to 
those 
who 
take 
it 
in 
its 
fulness 
will 
surely 
be 
manifest 
in 
the 
general 
church. 
With 
kindest 
regards 
to 
yourself 
and 
the 
friends, 
and 
espe­ 
cially 
to 
Brothl"r 
Page, 
who, 
we 
note, 
is 
with 
you 
again, 
we 
are, 
Very 
sincerely 
yours, 
C. 
H. 
DICKINSON 
AND 
WIJ'E. 
VOL. 
XXX 
ALLEGHENY, 
A., 
MARCH 
15, 
1909 
VIE\VS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No.6 
CHRISTIAN 
NATIONS 
PERPLEXED 
Onr 
drar 
fril'llds, 
Vv 
ho 
do 
not 
believe 
in 
future 
.:\:llIJpn­ 
nium, 
attempt 
to 
prove 
that 
we 
are 
now 
enjoy.in~ 
the 
bl~ssings 
of 
Cllrist's 
kingdom, 
and 
point 
us 
to 
the 
ChrIstIan 
natIons 
of 
the 
world, 
called 
"Christendom." 
They 
are 
greatly 
perplexed 
",h('n 
we 
illquil'l' 
why 
if 
Chri~t 
is 
King- 
he 
should 
have 
<111ierent 
forms 
of 
g-oVl'rnllle~t, 
and 
why 
his 
different 
governme,nts 
for 
('enturie'3 
have 
fonght 
each 
other 
and 
today 
are 
wastmg 
the 
blessings 
of 
our 
day 
on 
armies 
an.d 
navies 
.and 
fortific~tion~? 
Alas! 
the 
name 
"Christendom' 
IS 
delUSIOn. 
Satan 
IS 
stIll 
"the 
pr~nee 
of 
this 
world" 
and 
the 
term 
"Satandom" 
would 
be 
the 
truer 
title. 
But 
our 
"wily" 
adversary 
is 
so 
crafty 
that 
he 
puts 
darkness 
for 
light 
and 
deludes 
the 
poor 
world. 
Thank 
God 
that 
soon 
Satan 
shall 
be 
bound 
for 
thousand 
years 
that 
he 
lllay 
dec'eive 
the 
nations 
(peoples) 
no 
more, 
until 
the 
thousand 
vears 
are 
finished.-Rev. 
20 
:3. 
Meantime, 
however. 
so",e 
useful 
purposes 
are 
being 
served 
by 
the 
military 
expenditures. 
Employment 
is 
being 
~ven 
to 
millions 
of 
men 
not 
only 
in 
military 
and 
naval 
serVIces, 
but 
also 
in 
thl' 
builrling 
of 
guns 
and 
fort" 
and 
battleships,-the 
mininO' 
of 
the 
ore, 
the 
Rmeltin~ 
and 
rolling 
of 
the 
steel, 
etc. 
And 
n~t 
the 
poor, 
hut 
the 
riell, 
foot 
the 
bills 
in 
taxes. 
The 
fol­ 
lowing 
from 
the 
Atlantic 
Monthly 
is 
interetlting:- 
CAUSE 
OF 
NATIONAL 
DEFICIT 
All 
the 
great 
nations 
are 
today 
facing 
deficits, 
caueed 
in 
every 
cai'le 
by 
the 
military 
and 
naval 
experts. 
Into 
what 
tangle 
the 
finances 
of 
Russia 
and 
Japan 
have 
been 
brought 
by 
militarists 
is 
known 
to 
everybody. 
Germany 
has, 
in 
single 
generation, 
increased 
her 
national 
debt 
from 
eighteen 
million 
dollars 
to 
more 
than 
one 
billion 
dollars. 
The 
German 
Mim"tt'r 
of 
Finance 
looks 
wildly 
around 
in 
search 
of 
new 
sources 
of 
na­ 
tional 
income. 
Financial 
experts 
confess 
that 
France 
is 
ap­ 
proaching 
the 
limit 
of 
her 
sources 
of 
revenue. 
Her 
deficit 
is 
created 
by 
her 
army 
and 
navy. 
The 
British 
government 
is 
al­ 
ways 
seeking 
for 
new 
devices 
by 
means 
of 
which 
to 
fill 
de­ 
pleted 
treasury. 
Her 
dreadnoughts 
keep 
her 
poor. 
Italy 
has 
for 
years 
staggered 
on 
the 
verge 
of 
bankruptcy 
because 
she 
car­ 
ries 
an 
overgrown 
army 
on 
her 
back. 
Even 
our 
own 
rich 
re­ 
public 
faces 
this 
year 
deficit 
of 
over 
hundred 
million 
dol­ 
lars, 
largely 
due 
to 
the 
one 
hundred 
and 
thirty 
millions 
we 
are 
Rpending 
on 
our 
navy. 
Mr. 
Cortelyou 
has 
called 
our 
attention 
to 
the 
fact 
that 
while 
in 
thirty 
years 
we 
have 
increased 
our 
pop­ 
ulation 
by 
85 
per 
cent. 
and 
our 
wealth 
by 
185 
per 
cent., 
we 
have 
increased 
our 
national 
expenses 
by 
400 
per 
cent. 
MANY 
SECESSIONS 
FBOJot: 
THE 
CIlRMAN 
STATE 
CHURCH 
Ecclesiastical 
circles 
in 
Germany 
are 
much 
exercised 
at 
the 
rapidly 
increasing 
desertionR 
from 
the 
State 
church 
.. 
Although 
the 
process 
of 
official 
separation 
from 
t~e 
.church 
iq 
one 
of 
the 
greatest 
difficulty, 
delay 
and 
expense, 
It 
IS 
com­ 
puted 
that 
in 
Berlin 
alone 
considerably 
over 
Ib,ooo 
persons 
have 
seyered 
thpir 
connf'ction 
with 
the 
church 
during 
the 
past 
[4350] 
(79-83) fetish or chaim to ward off the adversary, but take it intelligently, as unto the Lord, and throw your influence in favor of it to all the dear brethren in Christ. There is a blessing in it, and THE WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa. the quicker you take it, the quicker you will share in that blessing, which many others are already confessing. “Make straight paths for your feet.” THE NEW COVENANT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT These two words in our English are the same word in the Greek. The explanation of the matter is this:— The blessings of God upon Abraham were ostensibly given to the Jewish nation, but not actually so. A hidden meaning, or spirit, made that blessing, under the Law, applicable only to Jesus, who alone kept the law and inherited its blessings. Secondly, that spiritual inheritance of the law blessing came to all those who accepted Christ as the end of the law and became united to him by consecration unto death. Thus, spiritual Israelites arc the heirs with Jesus of everything pertaining to the Abrahamic Covenant. However, our Lord’s object in keeping the law was not merely to gain life for himself, but by dying and getting the new nature for himself to be able to give to natural] Israel, in harmony with the divine law. the blessings which they had originally received, but were unable to retain through weakness of the flesh. Thus, through Jesus’ death, a testament—good-will—or blessing, was entailed upon natural Israel; but instead of giving them that blessing at once, by divine arrangement it is given first to spiritual Israel, the “holy nation,” the “royal priest hood.” the “peculiar people;” it is given to these conditionally —that they will not keep it to themselves, but dying as members of the body of Christ, they will join with their Head in his will, or testament, giving all those earthly rights as the seed of Abraham, to fleshly Israel. As soon as all the members of the testator shall have died, this New Testament or New Covenant will thereby be sealed, or made effective, operative toward natural Israel. Thus Jesus was the minister, or servant, of the New Covenant which God proposed to make with Israel. Although he had a right to all that is to go to Israel, he kept it not, but freely surrendered it for us and them. We as his brethren, justified through faith in his blood (not through faith in the New Covenant), were permitted to become “able ministers of the New Covenant or New Testament”—able or fully qualified by our justification and by the terms of our sanctification, to be associated with our Lord and Head as sharers in his sufferings, proclaimers of his grace, announcers of the New Covenant, and assistants one of another as members of his body in the filling up of the sufferings of Christ to the intended end. SOME INTERESTING LETTERS Dear BRoTHER RUSSELL: Enclosed newspaper clipping from a Dayton, Ohio, paper is worthy of more than passing notice as a piece of church news :— “Rev, E. E. Baker. formerly of this city, but lately of Los Angeles, Cal., has withdrawn from the ministry to become western manager for the school of salesmanship. In his farewell to his congregation Mr. Baker said :— . “«The pastor of the present day has to preach what his congregation wants him to, or he won’t keep his job. If a minister were not depending upon the people he is supposed to uplift, we would have a broader, truer and more effective work from the pulpit today.’ ” Mr, Baker was pastor of the First Lutheran caurch of Dayton and was one of the most popular clergymen of the city. He resigned his charge to accept a call to the Woodward Avenue Presbyterian church in Cleveland, and later accepted a call to the Los Angeles church. About ten years ago Rev. Baker accepted from me, for criticism, a copy of your “What Say the Scriptures About Hell.” After looking it over, he not only failed to criticise, but stated that a person could not preach from the pulpit all one thought. His taking this stand at this time seems to me to be the result of a ten-years’ battle in his mind, and I am pleased to note that he now has the courage to stand by his convictions. Your brother in Christ, G. C. Driscoir. Dear BROTHER RUSSELL :— We again express to you our continued and growing love for yourself, and also for the work entrusted to your hands. We would also like to express our satisfaction with “the vow” in many, many ways; and particularly blessed have we been by the prayer for you all there and the work in your hands and our humble part therein. This vow has been also the means of bringing home to us the fulness of the consecration vow long since made, and has caused us to be much more careful in our scrutiny of our daily life. not only in the home, but before the world ag well. The Word has been made more precious to us than ever before, and we cannot but feel that the vow has been instrumental in a large measure in this. We are indeed pained to know that some are offended by that which it would appear could not offend any who do not desire to be somewhat entangled in the yoke of sin. The blessing to those who take it in its fulness will surely be manifest in the general church. With kindest regards to yourself and the friends, and especially to Brother Page, who, we note, is with you again, we are, Very sincerely yours, C. H. Dickinson anp WIFE. Vou. XXX ALLEGHENY, PA., MARCH 15, 1909 No. 6 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER CHRISTIAN NATIONS PERPLEXED Our doar friends, who do not believe in a future Millennium, attempt to prove that we are now enjoying the blessings of Christ’s kingdom, and point us to the Christian nations of the world, called “Christendom.” They are greatly perplexed when we inquire why if Christ is King he should have ditterent forms of government, and why his different governments for centuries have fought each other and today are wasting the blessings of our day on armies and navies and fortifications? Alas! the name “Christendom” is a delusion. Satan is still “the prince of this world” and the term “Satandom” would be the truer title. But our “wily” adversary is so crafty that he puts darkness for light and deludes the poor world. Thank God that soon Satan shall be bound for a thousand years that he may deceive the nations (peoples) no more, until the thousand years are finished.—Rev. 20:3, Meantime, however. some useful purposes are being served by the military expenditures. Employment is being given to millions of men not only in military and naval services, but also in the building of guns and forts and battleships,—the mining of the ore, the smelting and rolling of the steel, etc. And not the poor, but the rich, foot the bills in taxes. The following from the Aélantie Monthly is interesting:— CAUSE OF NATIONAL DEFICIT All the great nations are today facing deficits, caused in every case by the military and naval experts. Into what a tangle the finances of Russia and Japan have been brought by militarists is known to everybody. Germany has, in a single generation, increased her national] debt from eighteen million dollars to more than one billion dollars. The German Minster of Finance looks wildly around in search of new sources of national income. Financial experts confess that France is approaching the limit of her sources of revenue. Her deficit is created by her army and navy. The British government is always seeking for new devices by means of which to fill a depleted treasury. Her dreadnoughts keep her poor. Italy has for years staggered on the verge of bankruptcy because she carries an overgrown army on her back. Even our own rich republic faces this year a deficit of over a hundred million dollars, largely due to the one hundred and thirty millions we are spending on our navy. Mr. Cortelyou has called our attention to the fact that while in thirty years we have increased our population by 85 per cent. and our wealth by 185 per cent., we have increased our national expenses by 400 per cent. MANY SECESSIONS FROM THE C@RMAN STATE CHURCH Ecclesiastical circles in Germany are much exercised at the rapidly increasing desertions from the State church. Although the process of official separation from the church is one of the greatest difficulty, delay and expense, it is computed that in Berlin alone considerably over 10,000 persons have severed their connection with the church during the past [4350]

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