Publication date
10/1/14
Volume
35
Number
19
The WatchTower
Rejoicing in Tribulation
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1914/19/1914-19-1.html
 
 
 
 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y. 
they, 
also, 
recognize 
Bible 
ordination, 
that 
they 
are 
not 
merely 
dependent 
upon 
each 
other. 
But 
we 
challenge 
them 
to 
prove 
that 
they 
ever 
had 
a 
divine 
ordination 
or 
that 
they 
ever 
think 
of 
it. 
They 
merely 
think 
of 
a 
sectarian 
ordination, 
or 
author­ 
ization, 
each 
from 
his 
own 
sect 
or 
party. 
True, 
Catholics 
and 
Episcopalians 
are 
different 
and 
do 
recognize 
a 
Divine 
ordination. 
They 
claim 
that 
Jesus 
ordained 
his 
twelve 
apostles 
and 
that 
these 
have 
successors 
in 
the 
bishops, 
who 
are 
styled" 
apostolic 
bishops," 
and 
under 
the 
theory 
of 
"apostolic 
succession" 
have 
the 
same 
power 
as 
the 
original 
Twelve 
Apostles 
to 
ordain 
and 
to 
teach. 
Bible 
students 
believe 
that 
they 
err 
in 
this 
claim 
and 
that 
the 
doctrine 
of 
"apostolic 
succession" 
is 
unscriptural. 
The 
Bible 
recognizes 
only 
twelve 
apostles. 
More 
than 
that, 
the 
Bible 
denounces 
all 
apostolic 
bishops 
as 
being 
in 
error. 
Heferring 
to 
them, 
Jesus 
said 
that 
they 
claimed 
to 
be 
apostles, 
and 
are 
not, 
but 
do 
lie. 
(Revelation 
2: 
2.) 
In 
other 
words, 
contrary 
to 
the 
superstitions 
of 
Catholics 
and 
Episcopalians, 
their 
hishops 
have 
no 
authority 
whatever 
to 
ordain 
anybody. 
What, 
then, 
is 
the 
proper 
ordination 
of 
a 
minister 
of 
Christ, 
and 
how 
can 
it 
be 
obtained, 
according 
to 
the 
Bible 
~ 
We 
answer 
that 
God's 
ordination, 
or 
authorization, 
of 
any 
man 
to 
preach 
is 
by 
the 
impartation 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
to 
him. 
Whoever 
has 
received 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
has 
received 
the 
power 
and 
authority 
to 
teach 
and 
to 
preach 
in 
the 
name 
of 
God. 
Whoever 
has 
not 
rl'ceived 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
has 
no 
divine 
author­ 
ity 
or 
sanction 
to 
his 
preaching. 
In 
other 
words, 
he 
is 
un­ 
ordained 
in 
the 
highest, 
truest 
sense 
of 
that 
word. 
What 
is 
the 
secret 
of 
the 
opposition 
and 
slander 
that 
is 
Leing 
raised 
up 
against 
me 
and 
against 
all 
who, 
like 
me, 
are 
Bible 
students 
1 
It 
is 
malice, 
hatred, 
envy, 
strife, 
on 
the 
part 
of 
those 
who 
are 
still 
hugging 
the 
nonsense 
of 
the 
dark 
ages 
and 
neglecting 
true 
Bible 
study. 
They 
see 
that 
their 
influence 
is 
waning. 
But 
they 
have 
not 
yet 
awakened 
to 
the 
true 
situa­ 
tion. 
They 
think 
that 
I 
am 
responsible 
for 
their 
smaller 
con­ 
gregations 
and 
small 
collections. 
But 
not 
so. 
The 
real 
diffi­ 
culty 
with 
them 
is 
that 
the 
people 
are 
becoming 
more 
intelligent 
and 
can 
no 
longer 
be 
driven 
with 
the 
crack 
of 
a 
merely 
man­ 
devised 
whip 
of 
fear. 
The 
colleges 
of 
the 
world 
have 
been 
teaching 
that 
the 
Bible 
is 
a 
foolish 
old 
book, 
until 
few 
preach­ 
ers 
and 
few 
of 
the 
educated 
of 
the 
world 
believe 
it 
to 
be 
of 
divine 
inspiration. 
Losing 
faith 
in 
the 
Bible, 
in 
the 
preachers 
and 
in 
the 
creeds, 
the 
people 
are 
drifting 
toward 
atheism. 
That 
is 
the 
real 
difficulty. 
While 
my 
work 
does 
not, 
indeed, 
help 
to 
build 
up 
any 
of 
the 
sects 
of 
Christendom, 
it 
is 
helping 
to 
establish 
Christian 
people 
in 
a 
true 
faith 
in 
God 
and 
in 
the 
Bible. 
It 
is 
giving 
them 
a 
firm 
foundation 
and 
an 
intelligent 
understanding 
such 
as 
they 
had 
prayed 
for 
and 
hoped 
for 
before, 
but 
never 
found. 
This 
is 
not 
because 
of 
great 
ability 
on 
my 
part, 
nor 
on 
the 
part 
of 
my 
associates, 
but 
because 
God's 
time 
has 
come 
for 
blessing 
Bible 
study 
in 
the 
light 
of 
present-day 
opportunities. 
It 
is 
as 
Jesus 
promised-the 
wise 
virgin 
class 
of 
Christian 
people, 
who 
"trim 
their 
lamps' 
'-study 
the 
Bible-find 
it 
tu 
shine 
out 
brightly 
and 
to 
point 
them 
to 
the 
new 
age 
of 
blessing 
under 
Messiah's 
kingdom. 
"Of,. 
XXXV 
BHOOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
OCTOBER 
1, 
1914 
No. 
19 
REJOICING 
IN 
TRIBULATION 
"Blessed 
are 
ye 
when 
men 
shall 
revile 
you, 
and 
persecute 
you, 
and 
shall 
say 
all 
manner 
of 
evil 
against 
you 
falsely, 
for 
my 
sake. 
Rejoice, 
and 
be 
exceeding 
g'lad, 
for 
great 
is 
your 
reward 
in 
heaven; 
for 
so 
persecuted 
they 
the 
prophets 
which 
were 
before 
you.' 
'- 
Matthew 
5: 
11, 
12. 
These 
words 
ot' 
our 
Lord 
are 
ad<1ressed 
to 
his 
disciples-not 
her 
own 
heart 
to 
see 
\yhether 
or 
not 
she 
was 
as 
faithful 
as 
she 
merely 
his 
apostles, 
who 
were 
chosen 
to 
he 
his 
special 
mes- 
knew 
how 
to 
be. 
Upon 
her 
reply 
we 
said, 
"ProhalJly 
you 
take 
sengers, 
but 
all 
his 
fullowers 
throughout 
this 
age. 
A 
disciple 
your 
persecutions 
with 
such 
grace 
that 
you 
are 
happy 
UTu1er 
is 
a 
pupil-one 
who 
is 
being 
taught 
by 
another. 
All 
who 
them." 
The 
sister 
replied 
that 
she 
would 
be 
happy 
if 
she 
are 
.1 
esus' 
disciples 
are 
to 
take 
the 
message 
of 
our 
text 
to 
them- 
thought 
that 
was 
the 
case. 
Then 
we 
told 
her 
that 
the 
only 
selves. 
"Blessed 
are 
ye," 
signifies 
that 
persecution 
is 
a 
other 
explanation 
we 
could 
think 
of 
was 
that 
the 
Lord 
was 
favor 
from 
God. 
Consider 
it 
as 
a 
favor 
from 
the 
Father 
when 
allowing 
her 
time 
to 
gain 
strength 
in 
ordcr 
that 
she 
might 
men 
shall 
revile 
you-not 
hecause 
of 
the 
reviling, 
but 
because 
bear 
what 
would 
come 
to 
her 
later. 
We 
told 
her 
to 
pray 
about 
they 
shall 
say 
these 
things 
of 
you 
falsely, 
for 
Christ's 
sake. 
it. 
A 
year 
or 
two 
after 
we 
again 
saw 
the 
sister. 
We 
recnlled 
Noone 
would 
choose 
naturally 
to 
be 
persecuted 
or 
to 
the 
circumstances, 
and 
asked 
her 
if 
she 
had 
yet 
had 
any 
per- 
have 
evil 
spoken 
against 
him. 
The 
Scriptures 
say 
that 
a 
good 
secution. 
She 
answered, 
"Oh, 
yes. 
I 
have 
hnd 
plenty 
of 
name 
is 
more 
to 
he 
esteemed 
than 
great 
riches. 
But 
if 
it 
is 
persecution, 
but 
I 
am 
happy 
and 
rejoicing 
in 
it! 
" 
for 
Christ's 
sake 
that 
we 
suffer, 
we 
IlIny 
know 
that 
the 
Lord 
It 
is 
impossible 
to 
rejoice 
in 
persecution 
until 
we 
get 
will 
recompense 
us. 
In 
thr 
Lord's 
arrangement 
there 
is 
to 
be 
the 
right 
focus 
on 
the 
subject. 
We 
cannot 
do 
this 
of 
ourselves, 
a 
time 
of 
"evrning 
up" 
for 
all 
we 
suffPI' 
here. 
Thus 
we 
lay 
and 
need, 
thereforr, 
to 
take 
the 
matter 
to 
the 
Lord 
and 
confer 
up 
treasure 
in 
heaven. 
All 
thnt 
we 
suffer 
now 
is 
storing 
up 
,,-ith 
him. 
After 
we 
have 
had" 
a 
little 
talk 
with 
.Jesus," 
our 
for 
us 
n 
fnr 
more 
excee(1ing 
:!IH1 
eternal 
weight 
of 
glory, 
if 
faith 
takes 
hold 
on 
him. 
The 
Apostle 
Paul 
tells 
us 
that 
we 
are 
homo 
for 
him. 
to 
be 
exceeding 
glad 
and 
joyful 
in 
persecution 
and 
affliction 
From 
this 
sta11(1point 
we 
should 
ren 
11y 
desire 
persecution. 
for 
Christ. 
The 
Apostle 
Peter 
also 
declares, 
"If 
ye 
be 
re- 
We 
nre 
not 
to 
stri 
ve 
for 
it, 
not 
to 
e11(1envor 
to 
bring 
it 
upon 
proached 
for 
the 
name 
of 
Christ, 
happy 
are 
ye; 
for 
the 
spirit 
ourselves 
unnecessnrily; 
hut 
realizing' 
that 
if 
we 
lack 
persecu- 
of 
glory 
and 
of 
God 
resteth 
upon 
you. 
On 
their 
part 
he 
is 
tion 
we 
lack 
one 
of 
the 
evidencrs 
of 
heing 
true 
d~sciples 
of 
evil 
spoken 
of, 
but 
on 
your 
part 
he 
is 
glorified. 
But 
let 
none 
the 
Lord, 
,ye 
rejoice 
when 
in 
the 
provi<1encc 
of 
God 
it 
is 
our 
of 
you 
suffer 
as 
... 
an 
evil-doer, 
or 
as 
a 
busybody 
in 
other 
portion. 
Some, 
it 
is 
true. 
might 
he 
reviled 
for 
something 
evil 
men's 
matters; 
yet 
if 
any 
man 
suffer 
as 
a 
Christian, 
let 
him 
or 
unwise 
thnt 
they 
hn<1 
done. 
There 
,Youl(1 
he 
no 
blessing 
in 
glorify 
God 
on 
this 
behalf. 
"-1 
Peter 
4 
:14, 
15. 
such 
nn 
experience. 
The 
hlessing 
comes 
when 
the 
accusation 
The 
Master 
was 
not 
surprised 
at 
the 
attitude 
of 
the 
chief 
agninst 
118 
is 
falsc 
and 
is 
for 
the 
truth's 
sake. 
priests 
and 
religious 
leaders 
of 
his 
day. 
He 
knew 
from 
the 
" 
All 
who 
will 
liye 
godly 
in 
Christ 
.Jesus 
Sll:111 
suffer 
perse- 
beginning 
that 
he 
would 
have 
their 
opposition 
and 
hostility, 
eution." 
Hencc 
we 
should 
investigate 
our 
lives 
to 
see 
whether 
and 
he 
warned 
his 
(1isciples 
not 
to 
expect 
otherwise 
As 
to 
the 
we 
have 
this 
evidence 
that 
,ye 
are 
living 
godly. 
The 
Lord 
is 
reason 
why 
there 
shoul<1 
he 
persecution 
against 
the 
Lorc1 
and 
the" 
true 
light 
thnt 
lighteth 
every 
man 
that 
cometh 
into 
the 
those 
who 
faithfully 
follow 
in 
his 
footsteps, 
he 
himself 
tells 
us, 
,,·orIc1." 
We 
arc 
the 
lesser 
lights. 
In 
letting 
our 
lights 
shine 
saying, 
t, 
The 
darkness 
hateth 
the 
light." 
Darkness 
stands 
for 
faithfully, 
we 
shall 
hring 
upon 
ourselves 
persecution. 
Let 
us 
Satan, 
for 
sin, 
for 
everything 
contrary 
to 
righteousness. 
God 
not 
imagine 
that 
escape 
from 
persecution 
in 
our 
own 
ease 
is 
the 
is 
renresented 
as 
the 
great 
light, 
"anr1 
in 
him 
is 
no 
darkness 
result 
of 
s11perior 
wisc10m 
or 
tact 
on 
our 
part. 
"All 
who 
will 
at 
all." 
Light 
is 
healing, 
beneficial, 
health-giving. 
live 
godly 
shall 
suffer 
persecution," 
is 
the 
promise, 
the 
assur- 
They 
who 
are 
of 
the 
darkness 
hate 
those 
who 
are 
of 
the 
ance 
of 
Scripture. 
We 
should 
not 
court 
it. 
hut 
should 
desire 
light, 
because 
the 
light 
reproves 
the 
darkness, 
and 
the 
darkness 
this 
evidence 
of 
our 
faithfulness, 
and 
should 
wish 
to 
be 
one 
does 
not 
like 
to 
be 
reproved. 
Wherever 
righteousness 
is, 
it 
is 
of 
the 
t 
t 
blessed" 
ones, 
of 
,yhom 
the 
Master 
speaks 
in 
our 
text. 
a 
rebuke 
to 
that 
which 
is 
sinful, 
dark. 
Our 
Lord 
stood 
for 
the 
Then 
let 
us 
ask 
ourselves, 
Do 
I 
have 
persecution 
for 
Christ's 
light. 
He 
represented 
the 
truth, 
the 
heavenly 
Father. 
And 
sake' 
We 
should 
make 
a 
prayerful 
examination 
of 
our 
hearts 
those 
who 
were 
in 
darkness 
were 
in 
opposition 
to 
him 
in 
prop 
or- 
to 
see 
whether 
we 
arc 
fully 
loyal 
to 
God, 
to 
see 
whether 
we 
are 
tion 
to 
their 
darkness-some 
of 
these 
knowingly, 
others 
in 
letting 
our 
light 
shine 
out 
properly. 
If 
we 
lack 
this 
proof 
of 
more 
or 
less 
of 
ignorance. 
"The 
god 
of 
this 
world 
hath 
sonship, 
we 
should 
inquire, 
Wbat 
is 
the 
reason' 
hlinded 
the 
minds 
of 
all 
them 
which 
believe 
not." 
Satan 
has 
PERSECUTION 
A 
SURE 
RESULT 
OF 
FAITHFULNESS 
been 
skilful 
in 
putting 
darkness 
for 
light 
and 
light 
for 
dark- 
A 
sister 
once 
said 
to 
the 
Editor, 
t, 
I 
hnve 
no 
persecution, 
ness. 
no 
opposition. 
E"erything 
seems 
to 
be 
going 
favorahly 
with 
Thr 
fact 
that 
many 
of 
the 
world 
are 
in 
opposition 
to 
God 
me." 
She 
seemec1 
troubleil. 
We 
asked 
the 
sister 
to 
study 
and 
righteousness 
is 
not 
because 
as 
a 
rule 
they 
are 
evil 
of 
[5544] 
(287-291) they, also, recognize Bible ordination, that they are not merely dependent upon each other. But we challenge them to prove that they ever had a divine ordination or that they ever think of it. They merely think of a sectarian ordination, or authorization, each from his own sect or party. True, Catholics and Episcopalians are different and do recognize a Divine ordination. They claim that Jesus ordained his twelve apostles and that these have successors in the bishops, who are styled ‘‘apostolic bishops,’’ and under the theory of ‘‘apostolic suecession’’ have the same power as the original Twelve Apostles to ordain and to teach. Bible students believe that they err in this claim and that the doctrine of ‘‘apostolic succession’’ is unscriptural. The Bible recognizes only twelve apostles. More than that, the Bible denounces all apostolic bishops as being in error. Referring to them, Jesus said that they claimed to be apostles, and are not, but do lie. (Revelation 2:2.) In other words, contrary to the superstitions of Catholics and Episcopalians, their bishops have no authority whatever to ordain anybody. What, then, is the proper ordination of a minister of Christ, and how can it be obtained, according to the Bible? We answer that God’s ordination, or authorization, of any man to preach is by the impartation of the holy Spirit to him. Whoever has received the holy Spirit has received the power and authority to teach and to preach in the name of God. Whoever has not received the holy Spirit has no divine authority or sanction to his preaching. In other words, he is unordained in the highest, truest sense of that word. Vou. XXXV THE WATCH TOWER BROOKLYN, N.Y. Brooxryn, N. Y, What is the secret of the opposition and slander that is Leing raised up against me and against all who, like me, are Bible students? It is malice, hatred, envy, strife, on the part of those who are still hugging the nonsense of the dark ages and neglecting true Bible study. They see that their influence is waning. But they have not yet awakened to the true situation. They think that I am responsible for their smaller congregations and small collections. But not so. The real difficulty with them is that the people are becoming more intelligent and can no longer be driven with the crack of a merely mandevised whip of fear. The colleges of the world have been teaching that the Bible is a foolish old book, until few preachers and few of the educated of the world believe it to be of divine inspiration. Losing faith in the Bible, in the preachers and in the creeds, the people are drifting toward atheism. That is the real difficulty. While my work does not, indeed, help to build up any of the sects of Christendom, it is helping to establish Christian people in a true faith in God and in the Bible. It is giving them a firm foundation and an intelligent understanding such as they had prayed for and hoped for before, but never found. This is not because of great ability on my part, nor on the part of my associates, but because God’s time has come for blessing Bible study in the light of present-day opportunities. It is as Jesus promised—the wise virgin class of Christian people, who ‘‘trim their lamps’’—study the Bible—find it to shine out brightly and to point them to the new age of blessing under Messiah’s kingdom. OCTOBER 1, 1914 No. 19 REJOICING IN TRIBULATION ‘¢Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’’—~ Matthew 5:11, 12. These words of our Lord are addressed to his disciples—not merely his apostles, who were chosen to be his special messengers, but all his followers throughout this age. A disciple is a pupil—one who is being taught by another. All who are Jesus’ disciples are to take the message of our text to themselves. ‘‘Blessed are ye,’’ signifies that persecution is a favor from God. Consider it as a favor from the Father when men shall revile you—not because of the reviling, but because they shall say these things of you falsely, for Christ’s sake. No one would choose naturally to be persecuted or to have evil spoken against him. The Scriptures say that a good name is more to be esteemed than great riches. But if it is for Christ’s sake that we suffer, we may know that the Lord will recompense us. In the Lord’s arrangement there is to be a time of ‘‘evening up’’ for all we suffer here. Thus we lay up treasure in heaven. All that we suffer now is storing up for us a far more exeecding and eternal weight of glory, if borne for him. From this standpoint we should really desire persecution. We are not to strive for it, not to endeavor to bring it upon ourselves unnecessarily; but realizing that if we lack persecution we lack one of the evidenees of heing true disciples of the Lord, we rejoice when in the providence of God it is our portion. Some, it is true, might be reviled for something evil or unwise that they had done. There would be no blessing in such an experience. The blessing comes when the accusation against us is false and is for the truth’s sake. ““ All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer perseeution.’’ Hence we should investigate our lives to see whether we have this evidenee that we are living godly. The Lord is the ‘‘true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.’? We are the lesser lights. In letting our lights shine faithfully, we shall bring upon ourselves persecution. Let us not imagine that escape from persecution in our own case is the result of superior wisdom or tact on our part. ‘‘AII who will live godly shall suffer persecution,’’ is the promise, the assurance of Scripture. We should not court it. but should desire this evidence of our faithfulness, and should wish to be one of the ‘‘blesscd’’ ones, of whom the Master speaks in our text. Then let us ask ourselves, Do I have persecution for Christ’s sake? We should make a prayerful examination of our hearts to see whether we are fully loyal to God, to see whether we are letting our light shine out properly. If we lack this proof of sonship, we should inquire, What is the reason? PERSECUTION A SURE RESULT OF FAITHFULNESS A sister once said to the Editor, ‘‘I have no persecution, no opposition. Everything seems to be going favorably with me.’’ She seemed troubled. We asked the sister to study her own heart to see whether or not she was as faithful as she knew how to be. Upon her reply we said, ‘‘ Probably you take your persecutions with such grace that you are happy under them.’’ The sister replied that she would be happy if she thought that was the case. Then we told her that the only other explanation we could think of was that the Lord was allowing her time to gain strength in order that she might bear what would eome to her later. We told her to pray about it. A year or two after we again saw the sister. We recalled the circumstances, and asked her if she had yet had any persecution, She answered, ‘‘Oh, yes. I have had plenty of persecution, but I am happy and rejoicing in it!’’ It is impossible to rejoice in persecution until we get the right focus on the subject. We cannot do this of ourselves, and need, therefore, to take the matter to the Lord and confer with him. After we have had ‘‘a little talk with Jesus,’’ our faith takes hold on him. The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to be excceding glad and joyful in persecution and affliction for Christ. The Apostle Peter also declares, ‘‘If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But Iet none of you suffer as... an evil-doer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters; yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him glorify God on this behalf.’’—1 Peter 4:14, 15. The Master was not surprised at the attitude of the chief priests and religious leaders of his day. He knew from the beginning that he would have their opposition and hostility, and he warned his disciples not to expect otherwise As to the reason why there should be persecution against the Lord and those who faithfully follow in his footsteps, he himself tells us, saying, ‘‘The darkness hatcth the light.’’ Darkness stands for Satan, for sin, for everything contrary to righteousness. God is represented as the great light, ‘‘and in him is no darkness at all.’’? Light is healing, beneficial, health-giving. They who are of the darkness hate those who are of the light, because the light reproves the darkness, and the darkness does not like to be reproved. Wherever righteousness is, it is a rebuke to that which is sinful, dark. Our Lord stood for the light. He represented the truth, the heavenly Father. And those who were in darkness were in opposition to him in proportion to their darkness—some of these knowingly, others in more or less of ignorance. ‘‘The god of this world hath hlinded the minds of all them which believe not.’’? Satan has been skilful in putting darkness for light and light for darkness. The fact that many of the world are in opposition to God and righteousness is not because as a rule they are evil of [5644]

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