Publication date
2/1/10
Volume
31
Number
3
The WatchTower
The Great Priest Will Mediate
/../literature/watchtower/1910/3/1910-3-1.html
 
 
 
 
J.\NUARY 
15, 
1910 
THE 
WATCH 
TOTVER 
(24-51) 
image 
and 
llkeness 
of 
his 
Creator. 
The 
uplifting 
or 
resurrec­ 
tIOn 
work 
St. 
Peter 
refers 
to 
as 
the 
"Restltution 
of 
all 
things 
whieh 
God 
hath 
spoken 
by 
the 
mouth 
of 
all 
his 
holy 
prophe~s 
since 
the 
world 
lJegan."-Acts 
3: 
21. 
NOT 
UNIVERSALISM 
EITHEB 
Nor 
does 
this 
mt'an 
uIllversal 
everlasting 
life, 
for 
the 
Scripture,s 
declare 
that 
such 
as 
refuse 
to 
profit 
by 
the 
glorious 
opportunities 
of 
the 
Millennium; 
such 
as 
refuse 
to 
be 
uplitted 
to 
perfectIOn, 
shall 
be 
destroycd 
from 
amongst 
the 
people 
in 
the 
second 
death-"They 
shall 
be 
as 
though 
they 
had 
not 
hcen." 
(Obad. 
16) 
remind 
you 
again 
of 
our 
Lord's 
teaching 
on 
this 
subjet't. 
lIe 
entered 
the 
synagogue 
at 
Capernaum 
and, 
being 
asked 
to 
read 
the 
lesson, 
He 
chose 
Isaiah, 
the 
sixty-first 
chapter. 
and 
read 
respeding 
Himself 
and 
His 
work 
-thnt 
part 
of 
it 
would 
be 
'·to 
open 
the 
prison 
doors 
and 
st't 
at 
llherty 
the 
eaptlves. 
\Ve 
are 
well 
aware 
that 
our 
Lord 
did 
not 
open 
any 
of 
the 
literal 
prisons, 
such 
as 
John 
the 
Bap­ 
tist 
was 
eon 
fined 
in. 
He 
made 
no 
dfort 
to 
succor 
him. 
The 
prison·house 
whi('h 
Christ 
WIll 
open 
is 
the 
great 
prison-house, 
the 
tomb, 
whi('h 
now 
holds 
approximately 
twenty 
thousand 
millions 
of 
ollr 
race. 
At 
his 
second 
advent 
our 
Lord 
will 
open 
this 
great 
prison-house 
and 
allow 
all 
the 
prisoners 
to 
come 
forth, 
just 
as 
truly 
as 
he 
(lirl 
in 
the 
example-in 
the 
case 
of 
Lazarus. 
Nor 
will 
he 
call 
thpll1 
from 
heaven, 
purgatory 
and 
hpll. 
but, 
just 
as 
He 
deelarC'd, 
"Lazaru~, 
come 
forth," 
"all 
that 
are 
in 
tIlPir 
graws 
shall 
[H'ar 
His 
voice 
and 
come 
forth." 
WHERE 
ARE 
THE 
DEAD? 
;\Iy 
dC'ar 
friends, 
you 
luul 
before 
your 
minds 
the 
an'iwers 
to 
our 
lplP~tion 
from 
the 
highest 
to 
the 
lowest 
earthly 
authon­ 
tiC's. 
None 
of 
thC'm 
waR 
~atiRfaetorv. 
Now 
you 
have 
heard 
the 
te~timony 
of 
GOll'S 
'Vord-thp 
'divine 
drclaration 
as 
to 
"\\'here 
are 
the 
d"ad?" 
Harkelllng 
to 
the 
voil'c 
from 
heaven 
we 
arc 
assurcll 
that 
they 
are 
r('ally 
dpad 
and 
that 
all 
their 
hopes 
as 
re'pcl·t~ 
the 
future 
are 
cC'ntcn'd, 
first, 
upon 
the 
re­ 
demptive 
work 
of 
our 
Lord 
.Jesus, 
ae('omplishell 
at 
Calvary, 
and, 
sC'eondly, 
upon 
the 
work 
of 
resurredlOn 
which, 
at 
His 
sc('ond 
advent, 
He 
is 
to 
aC'eolllplish 
for 
those 
whom 
He 
reo 
deemed. 
If 
pl'r('han('e 
you 
have 
shadC' 
of 
disappointment 
as 
respeds 
saintly 
hrother 
or 
sist('r, 
father 
or 
mother 
or 
child, 
who 
you 
hopPll 
was 
already 
in 
hpaven, 
then 
as 
consolation 
look 
at 
the 
otllPr 
side 
of 
the 
question-bphold 
how 
many 
of 
your 
loved 
ones, 
kith 
and 
kin, 
friends 
and 
foes 
and 
npigbbors. 
aC'cording 
tD 
your 
tht'ory 
and 
all 
the 
prevalent 
thpories, 
have 
IJPen 
SUffering 
untellable 
wop 
siJ]('e 
their 
death 
and 
would 
he 
suffE'ring 
similarly 
for 
long 
cC'nturips 
to 
eome-eonsider 
the 
relief 
of 
mind 
and 
heart 
you 
gE't 
from 
the 
knowledge 
of 
the 
truth; 
that 
thl'Y 
are 
not 
alive 
anywhpre, 
hut 
simply 
dead, 
or 
more 
poetieally 
they 
arl' 
"AsIl'Pp 
in 
Jesus," 
in 
the 
sense 
that 
He 
is 
their 
Rpde('mer, 
in 
whom 
all 
their 
hopes 
of 
future 
awakening 
residE'. 
PRESENT 
YOUR 
BODIES 
SACRIFICES 
Just 
closing 
word! 
Our 
subject 
would 
lack 
proper 
finish 
if 
we 
did 
not 
explain 
Seripturally 
why 
God 
has 
delayed 
the 
world's 
blessing, 
the 
resurrection, 
nE'arly 
two 
thousand 
years 
since 
the 
death 
of 
Jesus. 
The 
reason 
is 
such 
glorious 
one! 
It 
must 
appeal 
to 
eYE'ry 
true 
Christian 
hE'art 
and 
makp 
it 
glad. 
It 
is 
this: 
God 
purposed 
the 
selection 
of 
the 
church 
before 
the 
bless­ 
ing 
of 
resurrpctlOn 
should 
go 
to 
thE' 
world. 
This 
chureh 
is 
called 
sometimes 
"the 
hody 
of 
Christ, 
whieh 
is 
the 
chur('h,." 
of 
which 
J('sus 
is 
the 
Head. 
Again 
it 
is 
styled 
"the 
bndp­ 
the 
Lamb'" 
wife." 
EVl'r 
since 
Pent('cost 
the 
Hcavenly 
Father 
has 
been 
drawing 
believers 
to 
Jesus' 
sidp. 
After 
having 
been 
jURtified 
through 
faith 
in 
the 
precious 
blood. 
they 
have 
hC'~n 
invited 
to 
become 
.Jesus' 
di'H'ipll's, 
his 
follO\VPrs, 
to 
walk 
1Il 
his 
stE'pS, 
to 
lay 
down 
thC'ir 
livE''\ 
in 
the 
l"athpr's 
serviee, 
as 
Jesus 
did, 
and 
to 
develop 
in 
th('ir 
ll('art~ 
the 
fruits 
and 
graces 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
to 
sudl 
dpgrpe 
that 
they 
might 
be 
called 
"Copies 
of 
God's 
dear 
Son." 
The 
promise 
to 
these 
is 
not 
the 
resurn'etion 
of 
restitution 
promised 
the 
world 
during 
the 
Mill('nnium. 
On 
the 
eontrary, 
th('se 
have 
"heavenly 
calling." 
AftE'r 
thpir 
consecration 
they 
are 
bE'gottpn 
of 
thp 
holy 
Spirit 
and 
then 
instruetl'd 
in 
the 
school 
of 
Christ 
and 
s{lumitted 
to 
trials 
and 
disl'iplinp 
in 
various 
ways, 
for 
the 
purpose 
of 
chiseling 
and 
poliRhing 
their 
characters 
as 
new 
preatures. 
ThE'se 
are 
"little 
flo('k," 
gath­ 
erpd 
one 
hpre 
and 
one 
there; 
"saints" 
from 
all 
denominations 
and 
from 
outside 
of 
all 
dpnominationR, 
for 
"the 
Lord 
knowpth 
thpm 
that 
are 
hi'\." 
\Vhen 
the 
predestined 
number 
of 
the 
"elpC't" 
shall 
have 
hpl'n 
Relectpd 
nnd 
polishpd 
the 
prC'sl'nt 
age 
will 
end. 
Our 
Lord 
will 
come 
in 
Re('onll 
advpnt 
glory 
and 
powpr. 
His 
e[Pct 
hrillp 
will 
constitute 
the 
first 
re'mrrection 
clasR, 
from 
parthlv 
to 
IH'avC'nly 
nature, 
"('hangC'l! 
in 
mo­ 
mC'nt," 
for 
"flpsh 
'an,l 
blood 
cannot 
inherit 
the 
kingdom 
of 
God."-l 
Cor. 
15:50. 
'I'hpn 
will 
come 
the 
holy, 
invi~ible 
l\Iilll'TlIlial 
kingdom 
and 
the 
binding 
of 
Satan 
and 
the 
dl'~truetion 
of 
his 
unholy, 
in­ 
visihle 
kingdom, 
and 
the 
sptting 
loo~e 
of 
agPIH'ies 
for 
thc 
en, 
lightening 
and 
uplifting 
of 
the 
wholl' 
raee. 
To 
those 
who 
are 
already 
the 
Lurd's 
eOllseeratC'11 
saints, 
Ray, 
Lift 
up 
your 
head" 
TIll 
l'l'alize 
more 
fully 
than 
ever 
he 
fore 
the 
glorious 
fulness 
of 
the 
hea 
\"l·nly 
('alling, 
of 
which 
you 
have 
becn 
made 
partakprfl. 
To 
otllPrs 
who 
have 
the 
hear· 
ing 
ear 
and 
appreciate 
thi,.; 
high 
calling 
we 
say, 
pl'rmit 
the 
love 
of 
God, 
and 
of 
Chri,.;t 
to 
l'on,train 
you 
and 
hel'ome 
diS, 
C'ipll's 
inllel'l! 
of 
Jesus, 
laying' 
asidp 
every 
weight 
anll 
every 
be­ 
~ettin~ 
sin, 
and 
entering 
the 
raee 
and 
pn's'lIIg 
With 
vigor 
to 
its 
end 
and 
crown 
of 
glory! 
THE 
SCRIPTURES 
CONCERNING 
HELL? 
If 
they 
speak 
not 
aocording 
to 
this 
Word, 
it 
is 
beoouse 
there 
IS 
no 
Light 
in 
them."-Isa. 
8: 
20. 
fRpprint 
from 
.March 
15, 
1900, 
bsnp, 
whil'h 
please 
;;pC'.1 
WHAT 
SAY 
"To 
the 
Law 
and 
to 
the 
Testi 
mo,ny 
VOL. 
XXXI 
BHOOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
FEBRUARY 
1, 
lDI0 
No.3 
THE 
GREAT 
PRIEST 
WILL 
MEDIATE 
prip,.;t 
in 
til(' 
only 
true 
~en~e 
i,.; 
nll'cliator 
!JC'twpcn 
God 
and 
fallpn 
cf('atures, 
to 
reRtore 
and 
establi,h 
harmony 
on 
leg-a 
hasis. 
inquire 
thl'n, 
Is 
not 
Jesus 
the 
Priest' 
to 
the 
('hurch 
and 
would 
not 
this 
imply 
that 
he 
is 
the 
church's 
:MC'diator. 
to 
restorl' 
and 
establi,.;h 
harmony 
on 
legal 
ha~is?" 
'Ye 
answpr. 
]\0. 
After 
we 
have 
become 
members 
of 
the 
('hureh 
we 
arc 
new 
prpaturps, 
to 
whom 
old 
things 
have 
passed 
away 
and 
all 
things 
have 
heC'ame 
new 
anll 
again~t 
whom 
thC're 
is 
no 
cOIlllemna 
tion. 
The 
new 
creaturefl 
are 
not 
to 
be 
rpstored. 
It 
is 
not 
true 
that 
we 
were 
npw 
creaturps 
at 
firBt 
and 
fell 
from 
that 
('ondition 
and 
are 
to 
be 
rl',.;tored 
to 
it. 
\Ye 
fell 
as 
human 
C'l'eaturps. 
and 
as 
such 
we 
are 
npver 
to 
be 
"reRtored 
to 
harmony 
with 
God 
on 
legal 
basis." 
Sueh 
restitution 
God 
has 
provided 
for 
the 
world 
during 
the 
l\Iillennium, 
but 
not 
for 
the 
chureh. 
As 
nl'W 
C'rcature'\ 
we 
art' 
nwmberR 
of 
the 
Priest 
who 
is 
to 
thus 
rcstorp 
the 
world-our 
Lord 
is 
the 
Head 
and 
we 
are 
his 
"ml'IlllJPrs." 
Thp 
picture 
of 
the 
future 
is 
that 
of 
]'lelchi~e­ 
deC"s-a 
priest 
upon 
hi'\ 
throne. 
'''!Ipn 
we 
read. 
"Considcr 
Jpsu", 
the 
High 
Priest 
of 
our 
profp8slon," 
the 
meaning 
is, 
tIl(' 
C'hipf 
Prit'st 
of 
OUr 
kind 
or 
ordpr 
of 
pripsb. 
\\'e 
are 
to 
ponsicler 
him 
as 
our 
example, 
that, 
as 
mcmherR, 
we 
may 
present 
our 
sa('rificE' 
as 
he, 
our 
FO!"l'runnpl", 
presentc,I 
his. 
As 
priest 
in 
reeeivin" 
us 
as 
meml1Prs 
of 
his 
own 
body, 
the 
l'hurcll, 
his 
attitude 
to"ward 
us 
woul,1 
npC'essal'ily 
be 
aR 
ditl'l'!"l'nt 
as 
ifl 
thp 
rl'1ation,hip 
into 
whi('h 
we 
are 
receivel!. 
.JC'sus 
!"l'l'C'ivC'11 
thp 
apo,t1C's 
on 
aI" 
count 
of 
their 
faith 
anll 
con~pl'rat 
ion 
hdore 
I\(' 
diell 
for 
tlll'ir 
sins 
anll 
hdore 
he 
"appC'arp(l 
in 
the 
IJl'C'spn('c 
of 
Go(l 
for 
us" 
to 
make 
atonpment 
for 
thl'ir 
sin, 
anll 
ours 
anll 
to 
speure 
for 
thpm 
and 
for 
us 
thp 
evil!pnl'e 
of 
f(','onl·iliation 
to 
1.hp 
Fathpr­ 
the 
holy 
flpirit 
hE'getting. 
IIp 
ha,.; 
apppan'l! 
for 
all 
of 
the 
same 
class-not 
as 
l\Iediator, 
hut 
a~ 
an 
A(I\'ocatl' 
applying 
his 
bloo(l 
on 
our 
l)('ha1f 
b('c'ausp 
of 
our 
faith 
:lIIll 
ohedil'II1·e. 
HE 
IS 
ADVOCATE 
FOR 
ALL 
WHO 
OBEY 
HIM 
"I 
notice 
that 
YUU 
make 
It 
elpar 
distinetion 
lwtween 
thlJ 
('hurch 
and 
the 
wo'rlrl 
ill 
the 
matter 
of 
"in,atonpment-prov, 
ing 
(I 
b('lieve 
R('ripturally), 
that 
our 
Lord 
has 
thus 
far 
made 
atonPTlI(,llt 
to 
justice 
only 
on 
Ilt'half 
of 
('on,pl'rated 
helievers, 
and 
that 
atonPIllent 
will 
not 
he 
ma,le 
for 
tll(' 
flins 
of 
the 
world 
until 
thE' 
pII(1 
of 
this 
Cosppl 
agp, 
wlH'n 
the 
great 
Priest 
will 
prp~ent 
the 
mC'rit 
of 
hi., 
ran,.;om 
saprifiC'c 
on 
hphalf 
of 
the 
world, 
a8 
it 
is 
now 
approprintpd 
to 
the 
chureh: 
only 
that 
now 
it 
is 
granted 
to 
the 
l·hun·h 
a~ 
ba,is 
for 
sacrifi('p 
unto 
dpath 
of 
the 
f1psh 
and 
all 
its 
earthly 
rights, 
wherC'as 
the 
ppropria­ 
tion 
of 
the 
future 
to 
the 
world 
will 
he 
unto 
life 
and 
actual 
restitution. 
"I 
noti('p 
also 
your 
presentation 
that 
the 
drawing 
of 
the 
world 
will 
be 
during 
the 
Millpnnial 
age, 
and 
hy 
the 
grE'at 
[4553] 
THE Tanuary 15, 1910 image and hkeness of his Creator. The uplifting or resurrection work St, Peter refers to as the ‘Restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”—Acts 3:21. NOT UNIVERSALISM EITHER Nor does this mean universal everlasting life, for the Scriptures declare that such as refuse to profit by the glorious opportunities of the Millennium; such as refuse to be upliited to perfection, shall be destroyed from amongst the people in the second death—*They shall be as though they had not been.” (Obad. 16) I remind you again of our Lord’s teaching on this subject. We entered the synagogue at Capernaum and, being asked to read the lesson, He chose Isaiah, the sixty-first chapter, and read respecting Himself and His work —that a part of it would be “to open the prison doors and set at lberty the captives. We are well aware that our Lord did not open any of the literal prisons, such as John the Baptist was confined in, He made no effort to succor him, The prison-house which Christ will open is the great prison-house, the tomb, which now holds approximately twenty thousand millions of our race. At his second advent our Lord will open this great prison-house and allow all the prisoners to come forth, just as truly as he did in the example—in the case of Lazarus. Nor will he call them from heaven, purgatory and hell, but, just as He declared, “Lazarus, come forth,” ‘‘all that are in their graves shall hear His voice and come forth.” WHERE ARE THE DEAD? My dear friends, you had before your minds the answers to our question from the highest to the lowest earthly authorties. None of them was satisfactory. Now you have heard the testimony of God’s Word—the divine declaration as to “Where are the dead?” Harkening to the voice from heaven we are assured that they are really dead and that all their hopes as respects the future are centered, first, upon the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus, accomplished at Calvary, and, secondly, upon the work of resurrection which, at His second advent, He is to accomplish for those whom He redeemed. If perchance you have a shade of disappointment as respects a saintly brother or sister, father or mother or child, who you hoped was already in heaven, then as a consolation look at the other side of the question—behold how many of your loved ones, kith and kin, friends and foes and neighbors, according to your theory and all the prevalent theories, have been suffering untellable woe since their death and would be suffering similarly for long centuries to come—consider the relief of mind and heart you get from the knowledge of the truth; that they are not alive anywhere, but simply dead, or more poetically they are ‘Asleep in Jesus,” in the sense that He is their Redeemer, in whom all] their hopes of a future awakening reside. WATCH TOWER (24-51) PRESENT YOUR BODIES SACRIFICES Just a closing word! Our subject would lack a proper finish if we did not explain Scripturally why God has delayed the world’s blessing, the resurrection, nearly two thousand years since the death of Jesus. The reason is such a glorious one! It must appeal to every true Christian heart and make it glad. It is this: God purposed the selection of the church before the blessing of resurrection should go to the world, This church 18 called sometimes “the body of Christ, which is the church,” of which Jesus is the Head. Again it is styled ‘the bride— the Lamb’s wife.” Ever since Pentecost the Heavenly Father has been drawing believers to Jesus’ side. After having been justified through faith in the precious blood, they have been invited to become Jesus’ disciples, his followers, to walk in his steps, to lay down their lives in the Father's service, as Jesus did, and to develop in their hearts the fruits and graces of the holy Spirit to such a degree that they might be called “Copies of God’s dear Son.” ; The promise to these is not the resurrection of restitution promised the world during the Millennium. On the contrary, these have a “heavenly calling.” After their consecration they are begotten of the holy Spirit and then instructed in the school of Christ and submitted to trials and discipline in various ways, for the purpose of chiseling and polishing their characters as new creatures. These are a “little flock,” gathered one here and one there; “saints” from all denominations and from outside of all denominations, for “the Lord knoweth them that are his.’ When the predestined number of the “elect” shall have been selected and polished the present age will end. Our Lord will come in second advent glory and power. His elect bride will constitute the first resurrection class, from earthly to heavenly nature, ‘changed in a moment,” for “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.”—1 Cor, 15:50. Then will come the holy, invisible Millennial kingdom and the binding of Satan and the destruction of his unholy, invisible kingdom, and the setting loose of agencies for the enlightening and uplifting of the whole race. To those who are already the Lord's consecrated saints, | say, Lift up your heads and realize more fully than ever he fore the glorious fulness of the heavenly calling, of which you have been made partakers. ‘To others who have the hear. ing ear and appreciate this high calling we say, permit the love of God, and of Christ to constrain you and become disciples indeed of Jesus, laying aside every weight and every besetting sin, and entering the race and pressing with vigor to its end and crown of glory! WHAT SAY THE SCRIPTURES CONCERNING HELL? “To the Law and to the Testimony; If they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no Light in them.”—Isa. 8:20. [Reprint from March 15, 1900, issue, which please see. ] Vou. XXXI BROOKLYN, N. Y., FEBRUARY 1, 1910 THE GREAT PRIEST WILL MEDIAT A priest in the only true sense is a mediator between God and fallen creatures, to restore and establish harmony on a legal] basis. I inquire then, Is not Jesus the Priest to the church and wold not this imply that he is the church’s Mediator, to restore and establish harmony on a legal basis?” We answer, No. After we have become members of the church we are new creatures, to whom old things have passed away and all things have became new and against whom there is no condemnation. The new creatures are not to be restored. It is not true that we were new creatures at first and fell from that condition and are to be restored to it. We fell as human creatures, and as such we are never to be “restored to harmony with God on a legal basis.” Such restitution God has provided for the world during the Millennium, but not for the church. As new creatures we are members of the Priest who is to thus restore the world—our Lord is the Head and we are his “‘members.” The picture of the future is that of Melchisedec’s—a priest upon his throne. When we read, “Consider Jesus, the High Priest of our profession,” the meaning is, the Chief Priest of our kind or order of priests. We are to consider him ag our example, that, as members, we may present our sacrifice as he, our Forerunner, presented his. As a priest in receiving us as members of his own hody, the church, his attitude toward us would necessarily be as different as is the relationship into which we are received. Jesus received the apostles on account of their faith and consecration before he died for their sins and before he “appeared in the presence of God for us” to make atonement for their sins and ours and to secure for them and for us the evidence of reconciliation tothe Father— the holy Spirit begetting. He has appeared for all of the same class—not as Mediator, but as an Advocate applying his blood on our behalf because of our faith and obedience, HE IS ADVOCATE FOR ALL WHO OBEY HIM “T notice that you make a clear distinction between the church and the world in the matter of sin-atonement—proving ({ believe Scripturally), that our Lord has thus far made atonement to justice only on behalf of consecrated believers, and that atonement will not be made for the sins of the world until the end of this Gospel age, when the great Priest will present the merit of his ransom sacrifice on behalf of the world, as it is now appropriated to the church: only that now it is granted to the church as a basis for sacrifice unto death of the flesh and all its earthly rights, whereas the appropriation of the future to the world will be unto life and actual restitution. “I notice also your presentation that the drawing of the world will be during the Millennial age, and by the great [4553]

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