Publication date
10/15/14
Volume
35
Number
20
The WatchTower
View From the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1914/20/1914-20-1.html
 
 
 
 
 
EXTRACT 
FROM 
LETTER 
TO 
A 
FRIEND 
Dear 
Brother:- 
I 
arrived 
home 
safe 
FriJay 
afternoon 
after 
a 
somewhat 
ad 
venturesome 
journey. 
At 
Yarmouth, 
I 
had 
an 
interesting 
experience. 
I 
was 
talk­ 
ing 
with 
two 
young 
woml'n 
from 
Annapolis, 
when 
a 
young 
minister 
with 
\diOm 
they 
were 
acquainted 
came 
up, 
and 
they 
introduced 
me. 
K 
oticing 
my 
pin, 
he 
said 
in 
a 
rather 
chal­ 
lengillg 
tow', 
" 
You 
are 
a 
Hussellite 
~" 
"Yes," 
I 
said, 
"I 
am 
a 
Dible 
StuJen 
t; 
and 
you 
are 
an 
Evolutionist." 
" 
Yes," 
he 
sail!' 
I 
then 
said, 
"I 
am 
glad 
to 
meet 
you. 
I 
have 
been 
wanting 
to 
hear 
the 
doctrine 
from 
a 
real 
Evolutionist." 
Hl' 
then 
proc(·(·Jed 
to 
explain 
Evolution. 
I 
then 
asked 
him 
whne 
lieople 
\vOlild 
evo!1'e 
to 
after 
d('ath. 
He 
said 
the 
soul 
kept 
on 
evohillg. 
I 
asked 
him 
where 
lIlen 
got 
their 
souls 
if 
these 
\\ 
ere 
the 
outcome 
of 
Evolution, 
and 
monkeys 
did 
not 
have 
any. 
lie 
replied 
that 
surely 
God 
could 
impart 
to 
each 
Illan 
a 
SDUI, 
He 
gave 
me 
a 
pamphlet 
on 
Evolution 
by 
Dr. 
Elliot, 
and 
I 
gave 
him 
my 
WATCH 
'rOWER 
to 
read. 
When 
I 
had 
finished, 
he 
asked 
what 
I 
thought 
of 
it. 
I 
said, 
"I 
think 
it 
is 
very 
good 
for 
a 
lIlan's 
idea, 
but 
he 
has 
no 
proof 
that 
it 
is 
correct-nothing 
at 
all 
to 
back 
it 
up, 
no 
proof 
of 
any 
kind. 
Now, 
I 
can 
prove 
everything 
I 
believe 
by 
the 
Dible." 
'rhen 
the 
minister 
said, 
"But 
the 
Bible 
is 
sdf-contraJictory; 
and 
\dwt 
proofs 
have 
you 
that 
it 
is 
correcU" 
"No," 
I 
said, 
"the 
Bible 
is 
not 
contradictory 
when 
you 
understalllI 
it; 
but 
it 
is 
the 
most 
lwrmonious 
and 
logical 
book 
ever 
written. 
Anyone 
merely 
reading 
it 
must 
admit 
that 
it 
could 
not 
be 
written 
by 
man." 
lIe 
finally 
promised 
to 
read 
some 
of 
the 
STUDIES 
l~ 
THE 
SCnlP'l'UHES, 
which 
he 
toll! 
me 
he 
had 
in 
his 
home. 
May 
the 
Lord's 
blessing 
be 
with 
you 
and 
all 
the 
dear 
Bethel 
family. 
Your 
sister 
in 
Christ, 
S'l'ELLA 
H. 
WA'rEIDIAN. 
VOL. 
XXXV 
BHOOKLYl\, 
N. 
Y., 
OCTOBER 
15, 
1914 
VIEW 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
20 
The 
Scriptures 
foretell 
tllat 
in 
the 
end 
of 
this 
age 
there 
will 
be 
a 
ery 
of 
"Peace! 
Peace!!" 
Imt 
that 
there 
will 
be 
no 
peace. 
(.Jeremiah 
G:H) 
This 
prophecy 
has 
been 
fulfilled. 
When 
thil 
]J'irst 
National 
Arbitration 
Board 
convened 
at 
Geneva, 
Switzerland, 
and 
gave 
its 
first 
reward, 
September 
14, 
1872, 
the 
try 
of 
"Universal 
Peace" 
went 
up 
all 
over 
the 
world. 
'1'here 
was 
to 
be 
no 
more 
war. 
All 
difficulties 
between 
nations 
were 
to 
be 
settled 
by 
arbitration. 
How 
sadly 
disappointed 
must 
those 
people 
be 
who, 
in 
spite 
of 
the 
many 
wars 
since 
that 
time, 
have 
continued 
to 
cry, 
"Peace! 
Peace!" 
Their 
theory 
has 
been 
that 
universal 
peace 
between 
the 
nations 
would 
speed­ 
ily 
usher 
in 
the 
Messianic 
kingllom. 
How 
few 
look 
to 
the 
Word 
of 
the 
Lord 
to 
see 
what 
he 
has 
to 
say 
on 
the 
subject 
or, 
looking, 
entirely 
disregard 
God's 
testimony 
through 
the 
prophets, 
to 
the 
effect 
that 
the 
present 
age 
waulll 
end 
and 
the 
Millennium 
be 
inaugurated, 
not 
by 
Peace 
Conventions 
and 
Pl'aee 
'1'reaties, 
but 
by 
"A 
time 
of 
trouble 
sueh 
as 
was 
not 
since 
there 
was 
a 
nation." 
(Daniel 
1 
~: 
1; 
Matthew 
24 
:21) 
The 
peace 
cry 
has 
received 
an 
especial­ 
ly 
severe 
shock 
in 
the 
present 
momentous 
war, 
involving 
more 
than 
any 
other 
war 
on 
the 
earth 
ever! 
Instead 
of 
the 
present 
war 
being 
nearly 
over, 
we 
incline 
to 
expect 
much 
more 
serious 
complications 
in 
Europe-that 
other 
nations 
will 
be 
drawn 
into 
the 
war. 
Notwithstanding- 
the 
fact 
that 
the 
President 
and 
the 
Secrdary 
of 
State 
of 
our 
own 
land 
are 
wise 
men, 
lovers 
and 
promoters 
of 
peaee; 
and 
notwithstanding 
the 
fact 
that 
there 
is 
no 
apparent 
reason 
1\'hy 
our 
country 
should 
ever 
be 
involved 
in 
this 
w:1l', 
nevertheless 
we 
are 
apprehensive. 
The 
great 
na­ 
tions 
of 
the 
old 
world, 
impoverishing 
themsdves 
and 
destroying 
their 
commercial 
interests, 
as 
well 
as 
lwing 
robbed 
of 
hun­ 
dreds 
of 
thousanrls 
of 
vahlable 
lives 
bv 
this 
war, 
will 
not 
wish 
to 
see 
the 
Uniteil 
States 
towering 
high 
above 
them 
in 
every 
way 
hy 
rilason 
of 
its 
isolation. 
'We 
may 
he 
sure 
that 
the 
crafty 
statesmen 
of 
Europe, 
while 
professing 
interest 
in 
our 
peace, 
will 
rila 
lly 
do 
all 
in 
their 
power 
to 
em 
broil 
us 
in 
war 
by 
one 
rlevice 
or 
tmother. 
SHORTENING 
OF 
THE 
DAYS 
OF 
TROUBLE 
While 
rlesiring 
peace 
at 
home 
and 
ahroad, 
all 
who 
are 
chililren 
of 
the 
Highest 
must 
desire 
the 
Father's 
will 
to 
be 
ilone-rather 
than 
our 
own. 
Hence, 
should. 
the 
war 
extend 
even 
to 
our 
own 
land, 
in 
spite 
of 
everything 
we 
can 
do 
to 
the 
contrary, 
ld 
us 
not 
he 
discont<'nted, 
but 
still 
pray, 
"Thy 
will 
he 
done!" 
Let 
us 
look 
heyond 
thl' 
present 
terrible 
war 
to 
the 
glorious 
things 
which 
God's 
Word 
assures 
us 
lie 
just 
beyond 
it; 
namely, 
Messiah's 
kingdom. 
WI1l'n 
we 
say 
that 
the 
kingdom 
lies 
just 
beyond 
the 
war, 
Wl' 
shoulrI 
note 
the 
fact 
that, 
according 
to 
the 
Scriptures, 
it 
will 
not 
be 
set 
up 
immediately. 
Following 
the 
terrible 
storm 
of 
this 
war 
will 
come 
a 
great 
revolution, 
symbolically 
styled 
"a 
great 
earthquake." 
(Revelation 
16:18) 
In 
conjunction 
with 
this 
social 
revolution, 
the 
Rible 
indicates 
that 
churchianity 
will 
for 
a 
time 
be 
greatly 
exalted 
as 
the 
hoped-for 
power 
by 
which 
the 
revolution 
may 
be 
offset 
and 
stopped. 
During 
that 
brief 
time 
of 
Babylon 
'8 
prosperity, 
the 
true 
chureh 
will 
be 
in 
hal'll 
lines, 
from 
the 
earthly 
viewpoint. 
Nevertheless," 
all 
things 
shall 
work 
togdher 
for 
good 
to 
them 
that 
love 
God, 
to 
the 
called 
according 
to 
his 
purpose." 
Followin!4 
the 
revolution 
and 
ehurchianity's 
exaltation 
quickly 
will 
come 
the 
anarchy, 
which 
the 
Bible 
every\1'llere 
symbolizes 
by 
fire, 
because 
of 
its 
llestructive 
force 
and 
influ­ 
ence. 
That 
will 
be 
the 
time 
mentioned 
by 
our 
Savior, 
saying, 
"Unless 
those 
days 
should. 
be 
shortened, 
there 
shoulil 
no 
flesh 
be 
saved." 
(Matthew 
24: 
22) 
The 
Master 
tells 
us, 
however, 
that 
those 
days 
of 
anarchy 
and 
general 
strife-" 
e\-ery 
lIlan's 
hand 
against 
his 
brother, 
against 
his 
neighbor, 
a1l1l 
no 
IW:lee 
to 
him 
that 
goeth 
out 
or 
to 
him 
thnt 
cO!lleth 
in' 
'-shall 
Ile 
shortened. 
The 
establishment 
of 
the 
eh\1l'r'h 
in 
glory. 
the 
bringing 
of 
the 
elect 
into 
control 
of 
the 
world, 
will 
shortell 
those 
days 
and 
inaugurate 
the 
reign 
of 
the 
Prince 
of 
Peaee. 
PRAYING 
FOR 
PEACE 
IN 
EUROPE 
Our 
honorable 
President 
with 
praiseworthy 
intent 
rerpll'sh'd 
all 
Christian 
people 
to 
make 
October 
4 
a 
day 
of 
prayer 
for 
peace 
in 
Europe. 
However, 
we 
cannot 
con('.ur 
with 
Ollr 
worthy 
President 
in 
this 
matter. 
Much 
as 
we 
appreciate 
peace-and 
we 
have 
all 
our 
life 
labored 
to 
be 
a 
peacemaker-we 
cannot 
pray 
the 
Almighty 
to 
change 
his 
plans 
to 
conform 
to 
those 
of 
our 
honored 
President. 
For 
twenty-five 
hundred 
years 
God, 
through 
the 
Bible 
prophets, 
has 
been 
telling 
his 
people 
about 
this 
great 
war 
alllI 
concerning 
the 
more 
terrible 
Armageddon 
whieh 
will 
follow 
it; 
and 
can 
we 
expect 
him 
to 
reverse 
the 
program 
at 
our 
hehest'? 
The 
prayers 
of 
those 
millions 
prrrying 
for 
the 
prosperity 
of 
the 
Germans 
and 
the 
extermination 
of 
the 
Allies, 
and 
the 
prayers 
of 
other 
millions 
for 
the 
Sllccess 
of 
the 
Allies 
and 
the 
annihilation 
of 
the 
Germans, 
and 
the 
prayers 
of 
the 
Pope 
and 
of 
our 
President 
and 
other 
good 
people 
that 
this 
awful 
war 
shall 
promptly 
cease 
will 
all 
go 
unansiH'red, 
if 
we 
read 
our 
Bible 
aright. 
The 
war 
will 
proceed 
ana 
will 
eventuate 
in 
no 
glorious 
victory 
for 
any 
nation, 
but 
in 
the 
horrible 
mutilation 
amI 
impoverishment 
of 
all. 
Next 
will 
follow 
the 
awful 
Anna­ 
gedrlon 
of 
anarchy. 
After 
that, 
peace, 
lasting 
peace, 
may 
be 
hoped 
for. 
llP­ 
cause 
God 
has 
declared 
it! 
It 
will 
be 
brought 
in 
by 
Mes­ 
siah's 
kingdom, 
for 
which 
so 
long 
we 
have 
prayed-" 
Thy 
kingdom 
come; 
thy 
will 
be 
done 
on 
earth 
as 
in 
heaven." 
For 
forty 
years 
we 
have 
been 
proclaiming 
this 
very 
war 
and 
its 
glorious 
outcome, 
by 
sermons, 
oral 
and 
printed, 
and 
in 
our 
hooks 
on 
Bihle 
Study 
in 
twenty 
languages. 
Now, 
when 
the 
very 
year 
has 
come 
and 
the 
prophecy 
is 
being 
fulfilled, 
could 
we 
consistently 
ask 
the 
Almighty 
to 
change 
his 
program 
f 
Nay! 
Rather, 
our 
discourse 
on 
October 
4 
was 
from 
the 
Master's 
words, 
respecting 
the 
present 
"Distress 
of 
nations 
with 
per­ 
plexity, 
men's 
hearts 
failing 
them 
for 
fear 
of 
those 
things 
ahout 
to 
come 
on 
the 
earth. 
"-Lukil 
21 
:215, 
26. 
Our 
addrl'ss 
was 
given 
in 
the 
Nilw 
York 
City 
Temple­ 
fifteen 
hundred 
heard 
for 
two 
hours, 
and 
many 
were 
turned 
away. 
CATCHING 
FISH 
WITH 
THE 
GOSPEL 
NET 
I< 
Jesus 
saith 
unto 
them, 
Follow 
me, 
and 
I 
will 
make 
you 
fishers 
of 
men. 
"-Matthew 
4 
:19. 
Our 
Lord's 
parables, 
figures 
of 
speech, 
and 
more 
or 
less 
5: 
1-11) 
The 
boat 
was 
one 
that 
was 
userl 
in 
the 
fishing 
busi- 
"dark 
sayings," 
such 
as 
this 
one, 
were 
usually 
based 
upon 
n 
0 
ss, 
conduded 
by 
Peter. 
James 
and 
.Tohn. 
Following 
this 
iucidl'nts 
conue~ted 
with 
his 
ministry. 
We 
remember 
the 
con- 
discourse, 
.Tesus 
invitpd 
these 
men 
to 
become 
his 
di~ciples, 
text 
here-hl' 
had 
been 
preaching 
at 
the 
Rl'a 
of 
Galilee, 
and 
using 
the 
words. 
"Follow 
me, 
and 
I 
will 
makp 
1'011 
fishl'rs 
of 
had 
put 
out 
in 
a 
hoat 
hecause 
of 
the 
crowd 
of 
people. 
(Luke 
men." 
' 
[5554] 
EXTRACT FROM LETTER TO A FRIEND Dear Brother :— I arrived home safe Friday afternoon after a somewhat adventuresome journey. At Yarmouth, | had an interesting experience. I was talking with two young women from Annapolis, when a young minister with whom they were acquainted came up, and they introduced me, Noticing my pin, he said in a rather challenging tone, ‘‘ You are a Russellite?’’ ‘‘ Yes,’? I said, ‘‘I am a Bible Student; and you are an Evolutionist.’’ ‘‘Yes,’’ he said. 1 then said, ‘‘I am glad to meet you. I have been wanting to hear the doctrine from a real Evolutionist.’’ Ile then proevcded to explain Evolution. I then asked him where people would evolve to after death. He said the soul kept on evolving. I asked him where men got their souls if these were the outcome of Evolution, aud monkeys did not have any. He replied that surely God could impart to each Vou. XXXV VIEW FROM THE The Scriptures foretell that in the end of this age there will be a cry of ‘‘Peaec! Peace!!’’ but that there will be no peace. (Jeremiah 6:14) This propheey has been fulfilled. When the First National Arbitration Board convened at Geneva, Switzerland, and gave its first reward, September 14, 1872, the ery of ‘‘Universal Peace’? went up all over the world. There was to be no more war. All difficulties between nations were to be scttled by arbitration. How sadly disappointed must those people be who, in spite of the many wars since that time, have continued to cry, ‘‘Peace! Peace!’’ Their theory has been that universal peace between the nations would speedily usher in the Messianic kingdom. How few look to the Word of the Lord to see what he has to say on the subject or, looking, entirely disregard God’s testimony through the prophets, to the effect that the present age would end and the Millennium be inaugurated, not by Peace Conventions and Peace Treaties, but by ‘‘A time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation.’’ (Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21) The peace cry has received an especially severe shock in the present momentous war, involving more than any other war on the carth ever! Instead of the present war being nearly over, we incline to expect much more serious complications in Europe—that other nations will be drawn into the war. Notwithstanding the fact that the President and the Seerctary of State of our own land are wise men, lovers and promoters of peace; and notwithstanding the fact that there is no apparent reason why our country should ever be involved in this war, nevertheless we are apprehensive. The great nations of the old world, impoverishing themselves and destroying their commercial interests, as well as being robbed of hundreds of thousands of valuable lives by this war, will not wish to see the United States towering high ahove them in every way by reason of its isolation. We may be sure that the crafty statesmen of Europe, while professing interest in our peace, will really do all in their power to embroil us in war by one device or another. SHORTENING OF THE DAYS OF TROUBLE While desiring peace at home and abroad, all who are children of the Highest must desire the Father’s will to be done—rather than our own. Hence, should the war extend even to our own land, in spite of everything we can do to the contrary, let us not be discontented, but still pray, (‘Thy will be done!’’ Tet us look beyond the "present terrible war to the glorious things which God’s Word assures us lie just beyond it; namely, Messiah’s kingdom. When we say that the. kingdom lies just beyond the war, we shonld note the fact that, according to the Scriptures, it will not be set up immediately. Following the terrible storm of this war will come 2 great revolution, symbolically styled “a great carthquake.’’ (Revelation 16:18) In conjunction with this social are ion, the Bible indicates that churchianity will for a time be ereatly exalted as the hoped-for power by which the revolution may be offset and stopped. During that BROOKLYN, N. Y "9 man a soul, He gave me a pamphlet on Evolution by Dr. Elliot, and I gave him my WatcH Tower to read. When I had finished, he asked what I thought of it. I said, ‘*T think it is very good for a man’s idea, but he has no proof that it is correet—nothing at all to back it up, no proof of any kind. Now, I can prove everything I believe by the Bible.’’ Then the minister said, ‘‘ But the Bible is self-contradictory ; and what proots have you that it is eorrect?’’ “*No,’’? I said, ‘‘the Bible is not contradictory when you understand it; but it is the most harmonious and logical book ever written. Any one merely reading it must admit that it could not be written by man.’’ He finally promised to read some of the STuDIES IN THE ScriprurEs, which he told me he had in his home. May the Lord’s blessing be with you and all the dear Bethel family. Your sister in Christ, STELLA H, WaTERMAN. OCTOBER 15, 1914 WATCH TOWER brief time of Babylon’s prosperity, the true church will be in hard lines, from the earthly viewpoint. Nevertheless, ‘‘all things shall work together for good to them that love God, to the called according to his purpose.’’ Following the revolution and churchianity’s exaltation quickly will come the anarchy, which the Bible everywhere symbolizes by fire, because of its destruetive force and influence. That will be the time mentioned by our Savior, saying, ‘¢Unless those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved.’? (Matthew 24:22) The Master tells us, however, that those days of anarchy and general strife—‘‘every man’s hand against his brother, against his neighbor, and no peace to him that goeth out or to him that cometh in’’—shall he shortened. The establishment of the church in glory, the bringing of the elect into control of the world, will shorten those days and inaugurate the reign of the Prince of Peace. PRAYING FOR PEACH IN EUROPE Our honorable President with praiseworthy intent requested all Christian people to make October 4 a day of prayer for peace in Europe. However, we cannot concur with our worthy President in this matter. Much as we appreciate peace—and we have all our life labored to be a peacemaker—we cannot pray the Almighty to change his plans to conform to those of our honored President. For twenty-five hundred years God, through the Bible prophets, has been telling his people about this great war and concerning the more terrible Armageddon which will follow it; and can we expect him to reverse the program at our behest? The prayers of those millions praying for the prosperity of the Germans and the extermination of the Allies, and the prayers of other millions for the success of the Allies and the annihilation of the Germans, and the prayers of the Pope and of our President and other good people that this awful war shall promptly cease will all go unanswered, if we read our Bible aright. The war will proeced and will eventuate in no glorious victory for any nation, but in the horrible mutilation and impoverishment of all. Next will follow the awful Armageddon of anarchy. After that, peace, lasting peace, may be hoped for, because God has declared it! It will be brought in by Messiah’s kingdom, for which so long we have prayed—‘‘ Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as in heaven.’’ For forty years we have been proclaiming this very war and its glorious outeome, by sermons, oral and printed, and in our books on Bible Study in twenty languages. Now, when the very year has come and the prophecy is being fulfilled, could we consistently ask the Almighty to change his program? Nay! Rather, our discourse on October 4 was from the Master’s words, respecting the present ‘‘Distress of nations with perplexity, men’s hearts failing them for fear of those things about to come on the earth.’’—Luke 21:25, 26. Our address was given in the New York City Temple—fifteen hundred heard for two hours, and many were turned away. CATCHING FISH WITH THE GOSPEL NET ‘*Jesus saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’’—Matthew 4:19. Our Lord’s parables, figures of speech, and more or less ‘dark sayings,’’ such as this one, were usually based upon incidents connected with his ministry. We remember the context here—he had been preaching at the Sea of Galilee, and had put out in a boat because of the crowd of people. (Luke (303-307) 5:1-11) The boat was one that was used in the fishing business, conducted by Peter, James and John. Following this discourse, Jesus invited these men to become his disciples, using the words, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.?? {5554]

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