Publication date
5/1/13
Volume
34
Number
9
The WatchTower
Evidences of the Anointing of the Holy Spirit
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1913/9/1913-9-1.html
 
 
 
 
APRIL 
IS. 
1913 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
the 
Apostle 
declares, 
"Israel 
hath 
not 
obtained 
that 
which 
he 
seeketh 
for 
[to 
be 
the 
spiritual 
seed 
of 
Abraham]; 
but 
the 
election 
hath 
obtained 
it, 
and 
the 
rest 
were 
blinded." 
The 
election 
obtained 
this 
blessed 
state 
through 
the 
cove­ 
nant 
of 
sacrifice, 
in 
which 
Jesus 
acted 
as 
their 
Advocate. 
The 
first 
members 
were 
accepted 
at 
Pentecost. 
The 
last 
members, 
we 
trust, 
will 
soon 
finish 
their 
course 
with 
joy. 
Then 
the 
spiritual 
seed 
of 
Abraham 
will 
be 
complete 
and 
ready 
to 
serve 
the 
world 
as 
the 
great 
anti 
typical 
Mediator-of 
the 
New 
Covenant. 
The 
Abrahamic 
Covenant 
was 
God's 
own 
covenant, 
or 
promise. 
Because 
it 
was 
unconditional, 
it 
has 
no 
mediator 
(Gal. 
3: 
19, 
20), 
neither 
did 
it 
need 
to 
be 
sealed 
with 
blood. 
Rather, 
we 
might 
say 
that 
God 
sealed 
it 
with 
his 
oath. 
(Heb. 
6:16-18) 
The 
Law 
Covenant 
needed 
the 
blood 
of 
bulls 
and 
goats 
as 
an 
offset 
to 
the 
sins 
of 
the 
people, 
who 
were 
to 
be 
blessed 
typically. 
The 
New 
Covenant 
needs 
the 
blood 
of 
better 
sacrifices 
as 
satisfaction 
for 
the 
sins 
of 
the 
people, 
who 
are 
to 
be 
blessed 
actually. 
These 
two 
covenants 
could 
not 
go 
into 
effect 
without 
the 
shedding 
of 
blood 
and 
remission 
of 
sins. 
But 
the 
Abrahamic 
Covenant 
centers 
itself 
in 
the 
new 
creatures. 
From 
the 
first, 
God 
meant 
primarily 
the 
spiritual 
seed 
of 
Abraham, 
the 
new 
creation, 
which 
has 
never 
known 
sin. 
Jesus 
himself 
was 
holy, 
harmless, 
undefiled 
and 
separate 
from 
sinners, 
and 
needed 
not 
any 
atonement 
for 
sin 
in 
order 
to 
enter 
into 
that 
covenant 
relationship 
and 
become 
Abra­ 
ham's 
spiritual 
seed 
and 
heir. 
Those 
accepted 
as 
his 
members 
would 
have 
had 
no 
such 
standing 
or 
worthiness 
except 
as 
he 
adopted 
them 
as 
his 
members, 
imputed 
his 
own 
merit 
to 
them 
and 
offered 
them 
sacrificially 
as 
his 
own 
flesh. 
Hence, 
strictly 
speaking, 
we 
cannot 
say 
that 
the 
Abra­ 
hamic 
Covenant 
has 
ever 
been 
sealed 
with 
blood, 
or 
that 
it 
will 
ever 
be 
so 
sealed. 
This 
does 
not 
alter 
the 
fact, 
however, 
that 
not 
without 
blood 
(death) 
could 
Jesus 
have 
become 
the 
great 
antitypical 
Prophet, 
Priest 
and 
King; 
and 
not 
without 
blood 
(death) 
could 
we, 
his 
members, 
be 
accepted 
through 
him. 
Only 
in 
this 
indirect 
way 
can 
it 
be 
said 
that 
the 
Abra­ 
hamic 
Covenant 
is 
sealed 
with 
blood. 
St. 
Paul 
intimates 
that 
it 
was 
sealed 
by 
the 
oath 
of 
Jehovah.-Heb. 
6: 
13-18. 
Ah, 
yes 
I 
'tis 
short-yet 
time 
enough 
To 
run 
thy 
course, 
so 
steep 
and 
rough; 
Just 
time 
to 
reap 
"the 
fields," 
so 
white, 
Before 
the 
coming 
of 
"the 
night' 
' 
- 
Just 
time, 
my 
soul, 
just 
time 
I 
THE 
TIME, 
MY 
SOUL, 
IS 
SHORT 
I 
No 
time 
to 
linger 
by 
the 
way, 
No 
time 
for 
ease, 
no 
time 
for 
play; 
No 
time 
for 
earthly 
loves 
or 
joys, 
No 
time 
for 
worldly 
cares 
or 
toys- 
The 
time, 
my 
soul, 
is 
short 
I 
No 
time 
to 
murmur 
or 
complain, 
No 
time 
to 
heed 
the 
heart's 
dull 
pain; 
No 
time 
for 
tears 
or 
mournful 
song, 
No 
time 
to 
ask, 
How 
far 
f 
How 
long 
f­ 
The 
time, 
my 
soul, 
is 
short 
I 
Just 
time 
to 
make 
thy 
heart 
more 
pure, 
Just 
time 
to 
make 
thy 
"calling 
sure," 
Just 
time 
to 
enter 
through 
"the 
door," 
To 
reign 
with 
Christ 
for 
evermore- 
Just 
time, 
my 
soul, 
just 
time! 
GERTRUDE 
W. 
SEIBERT. 
Question.-Is 
there 
any 
way 
of 
determining 
our 
standing 
before 
Godf 
Answer.-The 
Apostle 
John 
says 
that 
"If 
our 
hearts 
con­ 
demn 
us 
not, 
then 
we 
have 
confidence 
toward 
God." 
(1 
John 
3 
: 
21) 
In 
order 
that 
we 
may 
begin 
to 
measure 
ourselves 
and 
our 
progress, 
to 
know 
whether 
or 
not 
we 
are 
pleasing 
God 
in 
the 
affairs 
of 
life, 
we 
must 
know 
first 
of 
all 
whether 
we 
have 
taken 
steps 
to 
come 
into 
his 
family. 
Have 
we 
made 
a 
full 
consecration 
of 
ourselves 
to 
do 
the 
divine 
will 
f 
If 
we 
know 
that 
we 
have 
made 
a 
full 
consecration 
of 
ourselves, 
the 
next 
question 
should 
be, 
To 
what 
extent 
do 
I 
know 
God's 
will, 
and 
to 
what 
extent 
am 
I 
seeking 
to 
do 
it 
f 
Do 
I 
use 
my 
time, 
strength, 
influence 
ahd 
all 
that 
I 
have, 
sacrificially, 
to 
the 
best 
of 
my 
ability, 
not 
counting 
my 
life 
dear 
unto 
myselH 
If 
we 
find 
that 
in 
a 
general 
way 
this 
is 
the 
course 
we 
are 
follow­ 
ing, 
then 
there 
is 
every 
reason 
for 
us 
to 
have 
great 
satisfaction. 
Then 
we 
find 
that 
the 
thing 
to 
be 
expected 
is 
that 
all 
AN 
INTERESTING 
QUESTION 
those 
who 
will 
"live 
godly 
in 
Christ 
Jesus 
shall 
suffer 
per­ 
secution.' 
, 
(2 
Tim. 
3: 
12) 
If 
we 
find 
that 
we 
have 
not 
this 
witness 
of 
the 
Spirit, 
if 
we 
have 
no 
persecution, 
then 
we 
have 
not 
been 
letting 
our 
light 
shine 
out. 
This 
should 
not 
lead 
us 
into 
anything 
foolish, 
but 
we 
should 
examine 
ourselves 
to 
see 
whether 
we 
are 
laying 
down 
our 
lives 
in 
his 
service. 
If 
we 
find 
no 
suffering 
in 
the 
present 
time, 
it 
should 
be 
a 
cause 
of 
perplexity 
to 
us. 
If 
we 
find 
persecutions, 
then 
we 
should 
make 
sure 
that 
our 
persecutions 
are 
not 
from 
any 
wrong 
which 
we 
have 
done 
ourselves, 
nor 
from 
busybodying 
in 
other 
men's 
matters, 
but 
that 
we 
are 
suffering 
for 
the 
truth's 
sake, 
for 
the 
brethren's 
sake. 
If 
we 
have 
these 
evidences 
that 
we 
have 
come 
into 
God's 
family, 
if 
we 
are 
studying 
to 
know 
and 
to 
do 
his 
will, 
if 
we 
are 
having 
trials 
and 
difficulties 
in 
the 
pathway 
and 
are 
being 
rightly 
exercised 
thereby, 
we 
may 
count 
ourselves 
as 
his 
faithful 
people. 
VOL. 
XXXIV 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
MAY 
1, 
1913 
No.9 
EVIDENCES 
OF 
THE 
ANOINTING 
OF 
THE 
HOLY 
SPIRIT 
"Christ 
in 
you, 
the 
hope 
of 
glory. 
"-Colossians 
1 
:27. 
The 
scriptures 
frequently 
speak 
of 
the 
Church 
as 
being 
"in 
Christ," 
giving 
the 
thought 
of 
membership 
in 
his 
body. 
(Romans 
12 
:4, 
5; 
1 
Corinthians 
12: 
12-27; 
2 
Corinthians 
5: 
17) 
Our 
Lord 
himself 
used 
the 
figure 
of 
a 
vine 
and 
its 
branches 
to 
convey 
the 
same 
thought. 
He 
spoke 
of 
himself 
as 
the 
vine, 
and 
of 
the 
church 
as 
the 
branches 
in 
the 
Vine, 
partaking 
of 
nourishment 
therefrom. 
(John 
15:1, 
2) 
It 
is 
not 
this 
thought, 
however, 
that 
is 
expressed 
by 
the 
Apostle's 
words, 
"Christ 
in 
you, 
the 
hope 
of 
glory." 
The 
word 
Christ 
signifies 
anointed. 
All 
who 
will 
be 
mem­ 
bers 
of 
the 
royal 
priesthood 
will 
be 
anointed-not 
separately, 
but 
collectively. 
This 
was 
pictured 
during 
the 
Jewish 
age 
by 
the 
installation 
into 
office 
of 
both 
the 
kings 
and 
the 
high 
priests 
of 
Israel. 
According 
to 
the 
Jewish 
law, 
every 
king 
and 
every 
high 
priest 
must 
be 
anointed, 
else 
he 
could 
not 
serve. 
The 
oil 
which 
was 
used 
in 
this 
ceremony 
was 
of 
a 
peculiar 
kind, 
which 
might 
not 
be 
used 
for 
any 
other 
purpose.-Exodus 
30 
:22-33. 
The 
anointing 
which 
our 
Lord 
and 
the 
members 
of 
his 
mystical 
body 
have 
received 
is 
different 
from 
anything 
else 
in 
the 
whole 
world. 
It 
is 
the 
anointing 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
which 
is 
variously 
spoken 
of 
as 
the 
spirit 
of 
holiness, 
the 
spirit 
of 
a 
sound 
mind, 
the 
spirit 
of 
the 
truth, 
and 
the 
Spirit 
of 
God. 
It 
is 
not 
the 
truth, 
but 
the 
spirit 
of 
the 
truth; 
it 
is 
not 
the 
Word 
of 
God, 
authough 
it 
is 
in 
harmony 
with 
the 
Word; 
it 
is 
not 
holiness, 
yet 
it 
is 
in 
full 
accord 
with 
holiness. 
It 
is 
the 
spirit, 
the 
disposition, 
which 
is 
associated 
with 
a 
sound 
mind, 
with 
holiness, 
with 
truth 
and 
with 
the 
Word 
of 
God. 
As 
the 
anointing 
of 
kings 
and 
priests 
in 
Israel 
was 
the 
divine 
evidence 
that 
they 
were 
accepted 
to 
office, 
so 
was 
it 
with 
our 
Lord 
Jesus. 
St. 
Peter 
tells 
us 
that 
"God 
anointed 
Jesus 
of 
Nazareth 
with 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
and 
with 
power." 
(Acts 
10: 
38) 
Our 
Lord 
was 
set 
apart 
for 
a 
very 
high 
office. 
In 
harmony 
with 
the 
divine 
arrangement, 
He 
is 
to 
be 
the 
great 
antitypical 
King 
and 
Priest-" 
after 
the 
order 
of 
Mel· 
chizedek. 
' 
, 
During 
the 
Gospel 
age, 
God 
has 
been 
setting 
apart 
those 
who 
are 
to 
be 
members 
of 
the 
body 
of 
Christ. 
These 
are 
invited 
to 
be 
kings 
and 
priests 
unto 
our 
God-a 
royal 
priest­ 
hood. 
Consequently, 
when 
one 
is 
received 
into 
this 
body, 
under 
the 
headship 
of 
Christ, 
he 
comes 
under 
the 
anointing 
of 
the 
[5227] 
APRIL 15, 1913 the Apostle declares, ‘‘Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for [to be the spiritual seed of Abraham]; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.’’ The election obtained this blessed state through the covenant of sacrifice, in which Jesus acted as their Advocate. The first members were accepted at Pentecost. The last members, we trust, will soon finish their course with joy. Then the spiritual seed of Abraham will be complete and ready to serve the world as the great antitypical Mediator—of the New Covenant. The Abrahamie Covenant was God’s own covenant, or promise. Because it was unconditional, it has no mediator (Gal. 3:19, 20), neither did it need to be sealed with blood. Rather, we might say that God sealed it with his oath. (Heb. 6:16-18) The Law Covenant needed the blood of bulls and goats as an offset to the sins of the people, who were to be blessed typically. The New Covenant needs the blood of better sacrifices as satisfaction for the sins of the people, who are to be blessed actually. These two covenants could not go into effect without the shedding of blood and remission of sins. THE WATCH TOWER (127-131) But the Abrahamic Covenant centers itself in the new creatures, From the first, God meant primarily the spiritual seed of Abraham, the new creation, which has never known sin. Jesus himself was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners, and needed not any atonement for sin in order to enter into that covenant relationship and become Abraham’s spiritual seed and heir. Those accepted as his members would have had no such standing or worthiness except as he adopted them as his members, imputed his own merit to them and offered them sacrificially as his own flesh. Hence, strictly speaking, we cannot say that the Abrahamic Covenant has ever been sealed with blood, or that it will ever be so sealed. This does not alter the fact, however, that not without blood (death) could Jesus have become the great antitypical Prophet, Priest and King; and not without blood (death) could we, his members, be accepted through him, Only in this indirect way can it be said that the Abrahamie Covenant is sealed with blood. St. Paul intimates that it was sealed by the oath of Jehovah.—Heb. 6:13-18. THE TIME, MY SOUL, IS SHORT! No time to linger by the way, No time for ease, no time for play; No time for earthly loves or joys, No time for worldly cares or toys— The time, my soul, is short! No time to murmur or complain, No time to heed the heart’s dull pain; No time for tears or mournful song, No time to ask, How far? How long?— The time, my soul, is short! Ah, yes! ’tis short—yet time enough To run thy course, so steep and rough; Just time to reap ‘‘the fields,’’ so white, Before the coming of ‘‘the night’’— Just time, my soul, just time! Just time to make thy heart more pure, Just time to make thy ‘‘calling sure,’’ Just time to enter through ‘‘the door,’’ To reign with Christ for evermore— Just time, my soul, just time! GERTRUDE W. SEIBERT. AN INTERESTING QUESTION Question.—Is there any way of determining our standing before God? Answer.—The Apostle John says that ‘‘If our hearts condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God.’’ (1 John 3:21) In order that we may begin to measure ourselves and our progress, to know whether or not we are pleasing God in the affairs of life, we must know first of all whether we have taken steps to come into his family. Have we made a full consecration of ourselves to do the divine will? If we know that we have made a full consecration of ourselves, the next question should be, To what extent do I know God’s will, and to what extent am I seeking to do it? Do I use my time, strength, influence and all that I have, sacrificially, to the best of my ability, not counting my life dear unto myself? If we find that in a general way this is the course we are following, then there is every reason for us to have great satisfaction. Then we find that the thing to be expected is that all Vou. XXXIV BROOKLYN, N. Y., MAY 1, 1913 those who will ‘‘live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.’? (2 Tim. 3:12) If we find that we have not this witness of the Spirit, if we have no persecution, then we have not been letting our light shine out. This should not lead us into anything foolish, but we should examine ourselves to see whether we are laying down our lives in his service. If we find no suffering in the present time, it should be a cause of perplexity to us. If we find persecutions, then we should make sure that our persecutions are not from any wrong which we have done ourselves, nor from busybodying in other men’s matters, but that we are suffering for the truth’s sake, for the brethren’s sake. If we have these evidences that we have come into God’s family, if we are studying to know and to do his will, if we are having trials and difficulties in the pathway and are being rightly exercised thereby, we may count ourselves as his faithful people. No. 9 EVIDENCES OF THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT “‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’’—Colossians 1:27. The scriptures frequently speak of the Church as being ‘tin Christ,’’ giving the thought of membership in his body. (Romans 12:4, 5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; 2 Corinthians 5:17) Our Lord himself used the figure of a vine and its branches to convey the same thought. He spoke of himself as the vine, and of the church as the branches in the Vine, partaking of nourishment therefrom. (John 15:1, 2) It is not this thought, however, that is expressed by the Apostle’s words, ‘‘ Christ in you, the hope of glory.’’ The word Christ signifies anointed. All who will be members of the royal priesthood will be anointed—not separately, but collectively. This was pictured during the Jewish age by the installation into office of both the kings and the high priests of Israel. According to the Jewish law, every king and every high priest must be anointed, else he could not serve. The oil which was used in this ceremony was of a peculiar kind, which might not be used for any other purpose.—Exodus 30 :22-33. The anointing which our Lord and the members of his mystical body have received is different from anything else in the whole world. It is the anointing of the holy Spirit, which is variously spoken of as the spirit of holiness, the spirit of a sound mind, the spirit of the truth, and the Spirit of God. It is not the truth, but the spirit of the truth; it is not the Word of God, authough it is in harmony with the Word; it is not holiness, yet it is in full accord with holiness. It is the spirit, the disposition, which is associated with a sound mind, with holiness, with truth and with the Word of God. As the anointing of kings and priests in Israel was the divine evidence that they were accepted to office, so was it with our Lord Jesus. St. Peter tells us that ‘‘God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and with power.’’ (Acts 10:38) Our Lord was set apart for a very high office. In harmony with the divine arrangement, He is to be the great antitypical King and Priest—‘‘after the order of Melchizedek.’? During the Gospel age, God has been setting apart those who are to be members of the body of Christ. These are invited to be kings and priests unto our God—a royal priesthood. Consequently, when one is received into this body, under the headship of Christ, he comes under the anointing of the [5227]

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