Publication date
8/15/14
Volume
35
Number
16
The WatchTower
Four General Conventions
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1914/16/1914-16-1.html
 
 
 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y. 
ices, 
before 
their 
relatives 
or 
acquaintances 
discover 
their 
mental 
impairment; 
so 
they 
say" 
They 
have 
gone 
insane 
over 
religion." 
The 
souree 
may 
be 
that 
in 
themselves 
they 
feel 
a 
loss, 
a 
sense 
of 
insuffieiency, 
and 
in 
searehing 
for 
help 
turn 
to 
any 
or 
all 
forms 
of 
faith. 
I 
am 
sure 
we 
do 
not 
wish 
to 
give 
the 
demons 
more 
glory, 
eredit 
and 
notoriety 
than 
we 
can 
help 
J 
Only 
a 
week 
ago 
a 
bright, 
attractive 
woman 
was 
brought 
to 
the 
hospital, 
and 
to 
my 
usual 
question: 
"What 
do 
you 
think 
is 
the 
cause'?" 
put 
to 
two 
of 
the 
family 
separately, 
the 
prompt 
reply 
from 
each 
was, 
"RusseIlism." 
They 
were 
shown 
that 
she 
had 
been 
insane 
seven 
years 
before 
she 
attended 
a 
meeting. 
'fhis 
is 
the 
third 
case 
in 
which 
this 
cause 
was 
given 
with­ 
Ollt 
any 
hesitation, 
and 
in 
each 
case 
the 
fallacy 
of 
the 
reason­ 
ing 
was 
made 
apparent 
to 
the 
relatives. 
Credulity 
is 
such 
a 
common 
weed! 
and 
it 
flourishes 
because 
it 
requires 
so 
little 
to 
feed 
upon. 
But" 
0, 
the 
blest 
morning 
already 
is 
here 
J 
" 
Your 
sister 
in 
the 
glorious 
hope, 
MARY 
CHRISTIANCY 
(M.D.). 
Of 
State 
Hospital 
for 
Insane. 
VOL. 
XXXV 
BROOKIJYN, 
N. 
Y., 
AUGUST 
15, 
1914 
No. 
16 
VIEW 
FROM 
THE 
TOWER 
The 
long 
expected 
shaking 
of 
the 
social 
earth 
is, 
we 
be- 
determination 
of 
the 
internationals 
to 
oppose 
the 
war 
is 
liel"e, 
already 
in 
progress. 
The 
great 
war 
for 
which 
Eurore 
drowned 
by 
pUblic 
sentiment. 
has 
bepn 
drilling 
its 
'troops, 
preparing 
its 
treasuries 
and 
THE 
WAR 
CLOUD'S 
SILVER 
LINING 
armamenb" 
is 
shaking 
eycry 
nation 
of 
the 
world, 
financially, 
But 
after 
the 
shock 
of 
battle- 
'VhaH 
Such 
a 
war 
as 
is 
s()(-ially, 
politically. 
Strong" 
as 
the 
nations 
feel 
themselves 
to 
now 
progressing 
wm 
surely 
bring 
no 
great 
victory 
to 
:llJY 
he, 
al1 
tr('mhle 
in 
dread 
at 
the 
results 
of 
the 
conflict 
now 
in 
single 
nation 
or 
to 
any 
combination 
of 
nations. 
The 
winners 
progr('ss. 
Only 
the 
Bihle 
can 
or 
does 
speak 
authoritativdy 
in 
the 
war 
will 
surely 
pay 
a 
high 
price 
for 
every 
victory. 
respeeting 
results. 
In 
the 
same 
hreath 
it 
tells 
of 
disaster 
and 
Civilization, 
falsely 
styled 
Cln-istendom 
(Christ's 
kingdom), 
of 
hlessings-disaster 
to 
the 
nations, 
111lt 
ultimate 
blessings 
drenched 
with 
blood 
and 
terribly 
impoverished 
at 
the 
end 
of 
to 
the 
people 
through 
the 
new 
government 
of 
Messiah's 
king- 
the 
war, 
will 
have 
been 
only 
partially 
shaken. 
The 
great 
dom. 
~rmageddon 
battle 
of 
the 
Scriptures 
will 
have 
been 
only 
par- 
St. 
Paul, 
referring 
to 
our 
day 
and 
to 
present 
conditions, 
bally 
fought. 
The 
remnants 
of 
armies, 
returning 
to 
their 
declares 
the 
Lord's 
message, 
"Yet 
once 
more 
will 
I 
shake, 
Lot 
homes 
sour 
and 
discouraged 
with 
defeat 
or 
costly 
victory 
will 
the 
earth 
only, 
but 
also 
the 
heavens." 
By 
inspiration 
the 
be 
war-sick 
and 
mad 
against 
their 
rulers 
who 
led 
to 
the 
car~age. 
Apostle 
informs 
us 
that 
this 
will 
be 
the 
last 
great 
shaking 
Then 
the 
great 
Armageddon 
of 
the 
Bible 
may 
be 
expeetell. 
which 
the 
world 
will 
ever 
have, 
because 
in 
this 
troubled 
time 
Every 
man's 
hand 
will 
be 
against 
his 
neighbor. 
Various 
fac- 
in 
the 
early 
dawn 
of 
the 
Millennium, 
everything 
shakable 
win 
tions 
and 
parties 
will 
proclaim 
panaceas, 
and 
will 
endeavor 
to 
he 
shaken 
and 
destroyed 
so 
thoroughly 
that 
nothing 
will 
remain 
force 
them 
upon 
the 
public. 
As 
a 
result, 
fordold 
in 
prophecy 
except 
that 
which 
is 
unshakable-that 
which 
will 
fully 
have 
"there 
shall 
be 
a 
time 
of 
trouble, 
such 
as 
never 
was 
since 
ther~ 
the 
divine 
approva1. 
The 
Apostle 
says 
that 
the 
only 
thing 
was 
a 
nation. 
"-Daniel 
12: 
1. 
remaining 
unshakahle 
1"ill 
he 
the 
kingdom 
of 
God 
in 
the 
The 
shaking 
process 
will 
continue, 
the 
A 
postle 
tells 
us, 
hands 
of 
The 
Christ-Head 
and 
hOdy.-Hebrews 
12: 
1827. 
until 
Messiah's 
unshakahle 
kingdom 
shall 
assert 
itself 
and 
We 
should 
not 
get 
the 
thought 
that 
the 
shaking 
of 
the 
take 
control 
of 
the 
world's 
affairs. 
The 
Lord 
through 
the 
nations 
is 
just 
beginning, 
but 
rather 
thtlt 
the 
shaking 
that 
Prophet 
Haggai 
tells 
us 
this, 
saying, 
"I 
will 
shake 
all 
nations 
has 
heen 
in 
progress 
for 
some 
time 
is 
now 
reaching 
its 
violent 
and 
the 
desire 
of 
all 
nations 
shall 
come." 
(Chapter 
2: 
7) 
stage. 
For 
years 
Europe 
has 
been 
trembling 
with 
oceasional 
All 
people 
really 
desire 
peace, 
joy, 
happiness, 
blessing, 
such 
as 
violent 
revolutionary 
shocks; 
but 
now 
it 
is 
preparing 
for 
the 
God 
purposes 
to 
provide 
through 
Messiah's 
kingdom. 
The 
great 
shock, 
the 
great" 
earthquake," 
as 
the 
Bible 
symbolically 
world 
really 
wants 
what 
God 
purposes 
to 
give 
them; 
hut 
they 
styl('s 
it.-Revelation 
16: 
18. 
do 
not 
comprehend 
their 
needs, 
and 
are 
seriously 
misled 
as 
Knowledge 
is 
power. 
For 
the 
past 
fifty 
years 
in 
particular 
to 
the 
methods 
by 
which 
they 
might 
be 
obtained. 
knowledge 
has 
heen 
preparing 
the 
masses 
of 
humanity, 
and 
We 
as 
Bible 
students 
are 
coming 
more 
and 
more 
to 
their 
power 
has 
been 
growing 
apace. 
Proportionately 
the 
appreciate 
the 
fact 
that 
the 
divine 
plan 
presenteil 
in 
the 
Bihle 
errors, 
superstitions 
and 
serfdoms 
of 
the 
past 
have 
been 
is 
wonderful 
in 
its 
simplicity 
and 
its 
comprehensivE'ness. 
More 
obliged 
to 
yield. 
A 
social 
revolution 
has 
proportionately 
ana 
more 
we 
are 
coming 
to 
see 
that 
our 
error 
in 
the 
past 
has 
progressed, 
different 
in 
its 
kinil 
from 
anything 
of 
the 
past. 
been 
that 
we 
studied 
not 
the 
Bible. 
hut 
the 
cri'eils-and 
cor- 
Socialism 
is 
a 
revolution 
based 
upon 
increase 
of 
knowledge, 
respondingly 
had 
darkness 
instead 
of 
light. 
even 
though, 
as 
we 
shall 
seek 
to 
ilemonstrate, 
much 
of 
its 
SYMBOLIC 
SHAKING 
AND 
BURNING 
reasoning 
is 
fallacious, 
and 
much 
of 
its 
work 
likely, 
in 
the 
Note 
again 
St. 
Paul's 
quotation 
of 
the 
Lord's 
1yords, 
"Yet 
future, 
to 
be 
terribly 
injurious; 
in 
fact, 
if 
110t 
eventually 
over- 
onee 
more 
I 
shake 
not 
the 
earth 
only, 
hut 
also 
heaven." 
(He- 
ruled 
by 
Christ-'s 
kingdom, 
nothing 
would 
escape 
its 
misguided 
brews 
12: 
26) 
We 
have 
seen 
what 
the 
shaking 
of 
earth 
signifies 
di'structiveness. 
as 
respects 
society, 
governments, 
social 
order. 
In 
the 
same 
NATIONS 
HURRYING 
TO 
ARMAGEDDON 
symbolic 
language 
of 
prophecy 
the 
heavens 
r('present 
the 
Europe 
is 
honeycombed 
with 
Socialism, 
which, 
like 
yeast, 
i'cclesiastical 
systems, 
as 
the 
earth 
represents 
the 
social. 
The 
is 
fermenting 
the 
entire 
social 
fabric. 
Kings 
and 
emperors 
meaning 
of 
the 
Lord's 
words 
is, 
therefore, 
clear; 
the 
coming 
dare 
not 
oppose 
it 
too 
openly, 
and 
all 
of 
their 
secret 
intrigues 
trouble 
is 
not 
to 
he 
merely 
one 
upon 
the 
world 
of 
man 
kin 
a; 
have 
failed 
to 
hindE'r 
its 
development. 
The 
general 
war 
now 
hut 
in 
a 
very 
special 
sense 
it 
is 
to 
signify 
a 
shaking 
of 
the 
hegun 
has 
inspiration 
from 
different 
quarters. 
Politics 
have 
church-the 
ecelesiastical, 
or 
spiritual, 
or 
he:1venly 
powers. 
to 
do 
with 
it-a 
desire 
to 
enlarge 
national 
boundaries. 
Reli- 
There 
are 
douhtless 
saints 
in 
every 
church, 
in 
every 
sect, 
gion 
has 
something 
to 
do 
with 
it-the 
Greek 
and 
the 
Roman 
in 
every 
party. 
And 
these 
alone 
constitute 
the 
true 
church, 
Catholic 
churches 
being 
opponents, 
the 
sympathies 
and 
preju- 
the 
saints 
of 
God-' 
, 
the 
church 
of 
the 
first-barns, 
whose 
names 
dices 
of 
the 
people 
are 
directed 
accordingly. 
are 
written 
in 
heaven." 
(liehrews 
12 
:23) 
The 
masses 
of 
But 
Socialism 
is, 
we 
believe, 
the 
main 
factor 
in 
the 
war 
Christians 
of 
all 
denominations, 
according 
to 
this 
prophecy, 
now 
raging 
and 
which 
will 
be 
earth's 
greatest 
and 
most 
terrible 
will 
be 
shaken-shaken 
in 
faith, 
shaken 
from 
their 
self-conceit, 
war-and 
probably 
the 
last. 
Socialism 
is 
related 
to 
the 
war 
by 
superstitions 
and 
bigotries. 
Only 
the 
true 
church, 
only 
those 
th(' 
fact 
that 
kings 
and 
emperors 
hope 
that 
patriotism 
and 
who 
are 
in 
vital 
union 
with 
Christ, 
only 
the 
saints, 
will 
remain 
self-defense 
will 
cement 
the 
interests 
and 
sympathies 
of 
their 
unshaken 
in 
the 
strenuolls 
storm 
described 
by 
the 
Apostle. 
peoples, 
now 
tending 
to 
disintegrate 
under 
the 
influence 
of 
While 
Socialism 
has 
heen 
shaking 
the 
political 
earth 
for 
Socialism. 
They 
1vould 
rather 
risk 
a 
general 
war 
than 
face 
the 
past 
thirty 
years, 
other 
forces 
have 
been 
shaking 
with 
great 
a 
social 
revolution. 
severity 
the 
ecclesiastical 
heavens. 
Inquire 
where 
we 
may, 
we 
Already 
press 
reports 
tell 
us 
that 
in 
Russia 
patriotic 
find 
that 
not 
only 
ignorance 
and 
superstition 
have 
been 
letting 
enthusiasm 
is 
healing 
dissension. 
They 
tell 
us 
further 
that 
go 
their 
hold 
upon 
all 
Christians, 
but 
additionally 
many 
of 
the 
differences 
between 
the 
Nationalists 
and 
the 
Ulsterites 
of 
God's 
professed 
people 
have 
been 
shaken 
loose 
from 
faith 
in 
a 
Ireland 
are 
being 
forgotten 
in 
the 
presence 
of 
the 
war 
crisis, 
divine 
revelation-many 
even 
shaken 
loose 
from 
faith 
in 
a 
per- 
which 
has 
involved 
Great 
Britain. 
Doubtless 
the 
same 
is 
true 
sonal 
God. 
Indeeil, 
it 
is 
the 
habit 
of 
Christian 
ministers 
to 
in 
Germany 
to 
a 
considerable 
extent. 
The 
various 
political 
hoast 
amongst 
themselves 
that 
they 
have 
lost 
faith 
in 
the 
Bible 
factions 
are 
ignoring 
their 
differences 
in 
the 
presence 
of 
a 
-under 
the 
influence 
of 
what 
is 
known 
as 
higher 
criticism, 
national 
danger. 
Austria-liungary, 
four 
distinct 
peoples 
with 
formerly 
styled 
infidelity. 
varying- 
interests 
and 
centrifugal 
t(>ndencies, 
wiII 
doubtless 
Probably 
not 
more 
than 
one 
in 
ten 
of 
all 
the 
Protestant 
be 
welded 
together 
in 
self-defense. 
Similarly, 
the 
discontented 
ministers 
of 
the 
world 
would 
today 
acknowledge 
that 
he 
still 
of 
France 
and 
Italy 
are 
having 
their 
attention 
diverted 
tem- 
holds 
fast 
his 
faith 
and 
confldence 
in 
the 
Bible 
as 
God's 
in- 
porarily. 
For 
a 
time, 
at 
least, 
the 
peace 
propaganda 
and 
the 
suired 
message. 
The 
other 
nine-tenths, 
if 
cross-questioned. 
[5516J 
(243-244) ices, before their relatives or acquaintances discover their mental impairment; so they say ‘‘They have gone insane over religion.’’ The source may be that in themselves they feel a loss, a sense of insufficiency, and in searching for help turn to any or all forms of faith. I am sure we do not wish to give the demons more glory, credit and notoriety than we can help! Only a week ago a bright, attractive woman was brought to the hospital, and to my usual question: ‘‘What do you think ig the cause?’’ put to two of the family separately, the prompt reply from each was, ‘‘Russellism.’’ They were shown that THE WATCH TOWER Brooktiyn, N. Y. she had been insane seven years before she attended a meeting. This is the third case in which this cause was given without any hesitation, and in each case the fallacy of the reasoning was made apparent to the relatives. Credulity is such a common weed! and it flourishes because it requires so little to feed upon. But ‘‘O, the blest morning already is here!’ Your sister in the glorious hope, Mary CuHrRISTIANCY (M.D.). Of State Hospital for Insane. Vou. XXXV VIEW FROM The long expected shaking of the social earth is, we believe, already in progress. The great war for which Europe has heen drilling its troops, preparing its treasuries and armaments, is shaking every nation of the world, financially, socially, politically. Strong as the nations feel themselves to he, all tremble in dread at the results of the conflict now in progress. Only the Bible can or does speak authoritatively respecting results. In the same breath it tells of disaster and of blessings—disaster to the nations, but ultimate blessings to the people through the new government of Messiah’s kingdom. St. Paul, referring to our day and to present conditions, declares the Lord’s message, ‘‘ Yet once more will I shake, rot the earth only, but also the heavens.’’ By inspiration the Apostle informs us that this will be the last great shaking which the world will ever have, because in this troubled time in the early dawn of the Millennium, everything shakable wil be shaken and destroyed so thoroughly that nothing will remain except that which is unshakable—that which will fully have the divine approval. The Apostle says that the only thing remaining unshakable will be the kingdom of God in the hands of The Christ—-Head and body.—Hebrews 12:18-27. We should not get the thought that the shaking of the nations is just beginning, but rather that the shaking that has been in progress for some time is now reaching its violent stage. For years Europe has heen trembling with occasional violent revolutionary shocks; but now it is preparing for the great shock, the great ‘‘earthquake,’’ as the Bible symbolically styles it.—Revelation 16:18. Knowledge is power. For the past fifty years in particular knowledge has been preparing the masses of humanity, and their power has been growing apace. Proportionately the errors, superstitions and serfdoms of the past have been obliged to yield. A social revolution hag proportionately progressed, different in its kind from anything of the past. Socialism is a revolution based upon inerease of knowledge, even though, as we shall seek to demonstrate, much of its reasoning is fallacious, and much of its work likely, in the future, to be terribly injurious; in fact, if not eventually overruled by Christ’s kingdom, nothing would escape its misguided destructiveness. NATIONS HURRYING TO ARMAGEDDON Europe is honeycombed with Socialism, which, like yeast, is fermenting the entire social fabric. Kings and emperors dare not oppose it too openly, and all of their secret intrigues have failed to hinder its development. The general war now begun has inspiration from different quarters. Politics have to do with it—a desire to enlarge national boundaries. Religion has something to do with it—the Greek and the Roman Catholie churches being opponents, the sympathies and prejudices of the people are directed accordingly. But Soeialism is, we believe, the main factor in the war now raging and which will be earth’s greatest and most terrible war—and probably the last. Socialism is related to the war by the fact that kings and emperors hope that patriotism and self-defense will cement the interests and sympathies of their peoples, now tending to disintegrate under the influence of Socialism. They would rather risk a general war than face a social revolution. Already press reports tell us that in Russia patriotic enthusiasm is healing dissension. They tell us further that the differences between the Nationalists and the Ulsterites of Ireland are heing forgotten in the presence of the war crisis, which has involved Great Britain. Doubtless the same is true in Germany to a considerable extent. The various political factions are ignoring their differences in the presence of a national danger. Austria-Hungary, four distinct peoples with varying interests and centrifugal tendencies, will doubtless be welded together in self-defense. Similarly, the discontented of France and Italy are having their attention diverted temporarily. For a time, at least, the peace propaganda and the BROOKLYN, N. Y., AUGUST 15, 1914 THE TOWER determination of the internationals to oppose the war is drowned by publi¢ sentiment. THE WAR CLOUD’S SILVER LINING But after the shock of batthe—What? Such a war as is now progressing will surely bring no great victory to any single nation or to any combination of nations. The winners in the war will surely pay a high price for every victory. Civilization, falsely styled Christendom (Christ’s kingdom), drenched with blood and terribly impoverished at the end of the war, will have been only partially shaken. The great Armageddon battle of the Scriptures will have been only partially fought. The remnants of armics, returning to their homes sour and discouraged with defeat or costly victory, will be war-sick and mad against their rulers who led to the carnage. Then the great Armageddon of the Bible may be expected. Every man’s hand will be against his neighbor. Various faetions and parties will proclaim panaceas, and will endeavor to force them upon the public. As a result, forctold in prophecy, ‘‘there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.’’—Daniel 12:1. The shaking process will continue, the Apostle tells us, until Messiah’s unshakable kingdom shall assert itself and take control of the world’s affairs. The Lord through the Prophet Haggai tells us this, saying, ‘‘I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.’’? (Chapter 2:7) All people really desire peace, joy, happiness, blessing, such as God purposes to provide through Messiah’s kingdom. The world really wants what God purposes to give them; but they do not comprehend their needs, and are seriously misled as to the methods by which they might be obtained. We as Bible students are coming more and more to appreciate the fact that the divine plan presented in the Bible is wonderful in its simplicity and its comprehensiveness. More and more we are coming to see that our error in the past has been that we studied not the Bible, but the creeds—and correspondingly had darkness instead of light. SYMBOLIC SHAKING AND BURNING Note again St. Paul’s quotation of the Lord’s words, ‘‘ Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.’’ (Hebrews 12:26) We have seen what the shaking of earth signifies as respects society, governments, social order. In the same symbolic language of prophecy the heavens represent the ecclesiastical systems, as the earth represents the social. The meaning of the Lord’s words is, therefore, clear; the coming trouble is not to be merely one upon the world of mankind, but in a very special sense it is to signify a shaking of the church—the ecclesiastical, or spiritual, or heavenly powers. There are doubtiess saints in every church, in every sect, in every party. And these alone constitute the true church, the saints of God—‘‘the church of the first-borns, whose names are written in heaven.’’ (Hebrews 12:23) The masses of Christians of all denominations, according to this prophecy, will be shaken—shaken in faith, shaken from their self-conceit, superstitions and bigotries. Only the true church, only those who are in vital union with Christ, only the saints, will remain unshaken in the strennous storm described by the Apostle. While Socialism has heen shaking the political earth for the past thirty years, other forces have been shaking with great severity the ecclesiastical heavens. Inquire where we may, we find that not only ignorance and superstition have been letting go their hold upon al) Christians, but additionally many of God’s professed people have been shaken loose from faith in a divine revelation—many even shaken loose from faith in a personal God. Indeed, it is the habit of Christian ministers to hoast amongst themselves that they have lost faith in the Bible ——under the influence of what is known as higher criticism, formerly styled infidelity. Probably not more than one in ten of all the Protestant ministers of the world would today acknowledge that he still holds fast his faith and confidence in the Bible as God’s inspired message. The other nine-tenths, if cross-questioned. [5516]

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