Publication date
2/15/14
Volume
35
Number
4
The WatchTower
Job's Experiences Typical of Human History
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1914/4/1914-4-1.html
FEBRUARY 
I. 
1914 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
is 
getting 
better 
and 
better 
as 
we 
near 
the 
end; 
and 
how 
precious 
are 
its 
lessons 
to 
all! 
As 
we 
visit 
each 
place 
we 
hear 
many 
expressions 
of 
appreciation 
from 
the 
friends. 
I 
close 
with 
Christian 
love. 
Your 
loving 
brother 
in 
Christ, 
THOS. 
P. 
YATES. 
SWORD 
OF 
TRUTH 
FLASHING 
RIGHT 
AND 
LEFT 
Dear 
Brother 
Russell:- 
Wherever 
I 
go, 
among 
college 
men 
or 
others, 
I 
find 
pres­ 
ent 
truth 
permeating 
remarkably, 
able 
financial 
and 
business 
men 
even 
conceding 
that 
an 
unparalleled 
panic 
is 
coming. 
Great 
numbers 
advance 
some 
of 
present 
truth 
that 
must 
have 
come 
from 
the 
STUDIES 
IN 
THE 
SCRIPTURES, 
and 
do 
not 
know 
where 
it 
came 
from. 
This 
demonstrates 
to 
my 
mind 
that 
these 
fundamental 
truths 
which 
are 
to 
unify 
all 
the 
human 
race 
are 
making 
rapid 
advance 
beyond 
those 
of 
the 
ideas 
of 
federation 
that 
are 
now 
operating 
to 
some 
extent 
among 
the 
denomina­ 
tions. 
Ashamed 
of 
the 
spectacle 
of 
a 
house 
divided 
against 
itself, 
as 
nominal 
Christendom 
is, 
they 
are 
striving 
for 
an 
im­ 
possible 
unity, 
which 
at 
best 
can 
be 
but 
nominal. 
The 
triumph 
of 
truth 
is 
now 
beginning 
to 
show 
a 
glorious 
reali 
ty; 
thanks 
be 
to 
our 
heavenly 
Father 
and 
our 
Lord 
Jesus, 
and 
to 
you, 
the 
faithful 
under-shepherd, 
and 
to 
all 
of 
the 
co­ 
workers 
for 
the 
kingdom 
of 
heaven! 
Standing 
on 
the 
"sea 
of 
glass" 
we 
are 
lost 
in 
wonder 
as 
we 
see 
clearly 
this 
mighty 
conflict-the 
sword 
of 
truth 
flash­ 
ing 
right 
and 
left, 
forcing 
out 
the 
adversary 
from 
his 
refuge 
of 
lies. 
The 
words 
of 
a 
poet, 
"Lean 
far 
out 
into 
silence 
and 
listen 
for 
the 
thunder 
of 
the 
voice 
of 
God," 
have 
now 
a 
literal 
aI'plication 
for 
those 
who 
have 
the 
hearing 
ear. 
Marvelous! 
Surely 
Satan 
is 
being 
bound! 
Longing 
for 
that 
day 
when 
truth 
shall 
triumph, 
the 
whole 
groaning 
creation 
have 
cried 
in 
hope, 
"Truth 
crushed 
to 
earth 
shall 
rise 
again; 
The 
eternal 
years 
of 
God 
are 
hers." 
o 
glorious 
day! 
At 
last 
it 
has 
come-literally 
in 
sight! 
Y 
our 
brother 
trying 
to 
help 
in 
the 
harvest 
work, 
NEWTON 
T. 
HARTSHORN,-N. 
H. 
TlnNKS 
"WATCH 
TOWER" 
TIMED 
TO 
:MINUTE 
Dear 
Brother 
Russell;- 
A 
deep 
sense 
of 
appreciation 
to 
the 
Lord 
for 
the 
results 
of 
your 
labors 
in 
his 
name, 
particularly 
for 
the 
many 
blessings 
I 
am 
receiving 
from 
the 
reading 
of 
back 
TOWERS, 
and 
especial­ 
ly 
from 
the 
one 
just 
finished 
(June 
1, 
1900), 
urges 
me 
to 
ex­ 
press 
my 
thanks 
to 
you 
and 
to 
the 
Lord. 
I 
never 
received 
so 
much 
in 
such 
a 
short 
space 
as 
in 
this 
WATCH 
TOWER. 
It 
seemed 
as 
if 
almost 
every 
paragraph 
was 
written 
specially 
for 
me 
and 
timed 
right 
to 
the 
minute. 
I 
notice 
in 
so 
many 
of 
the 
letters 
written 
by 
the 
dear 
friends 
that 
questions 
which 
per­ 
plexed 
them 
were 
so 
often 
answered 
in 
the 
next 
TOWER, 
with­ 
out 
suggestion. 
I 
have 
the 
same 
experience, 
both 
with 
the 
current 
TOWERS 
and 
the 
old 
ones; 
in 
fact, 
some 
of 
my 
experi­ 
ences 
and 
the 
reading 
following 
them 
have 
startled 
me 
by 
their 
remarkable 
evidence 
of 
the 
Lord's 
leading 
and 
provi­ 
dence. 
Some 
of 
the 
letters 
are 
so 
inspiring, 
and 
it 
is 
so 
interesting 
to 
watch 
the 
Truth 
grow! 
I 
read 
a 
little 
faster 
than 
a 
year's 
WATCH 
TOWERS 
a 
month, 
so 
while 
I 
have 
lost 
many 
blessings 
in 
experiences, 
yet 
the 
Lord 
makes 
up 
to 
me 
in 
this 
way. 
I 
have 
recently 
seen 
a 
little 
souvenir 
with 
your 
picture 
and 
some 
quotations, 
with 
comment. 
It 
touched 
me 
deeply, 
and 
I 
hope 
to 
get 
some 
when 
I 
place 
my 
next 
order. 
My 
wife 
(Sister 
H.) 
continues 
to 
make 
beautiful 
progress 
along 
the 
narrow 
way, 
and 
is 
truly 
a 
great 
help 
and 
inspira­ 
tion 
to 
me. 
In 
harmony 
with 
comment 
on 
the 
MANNA 
text 
for 
Sept. 
1, 
we 
are 
very 
thankful 
to 
God 
for 
the 
leading 
he 
provides 
for 
us. 
It 
is 
our 
prayer 
that 
you 
may 
be 
kept 
faith­ 
ful 
and 
strong 
till 
all 
the 
divine 
pleasure 
may 
be 
fully 
aCCOm­ 
plished 
in 
you. 
May 
we 
all 
meet 
soon 
in 
the 
general 
assem- 
bly 
of 
the 
church 
of 
the 
first-boms! 
Your 
brother 
in 
hope. 
W. 
E. 
HULLINGER. 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
SAMSON-DECEASED 
The 
next 
morning, 
Sunday, 
his 
body 
was 
found 
in 
bed 
ap­ 
parently 
asleep. 
He 
had 
passed 
beyond" 
in 
a 
moment, 
in 
tbe 
twinkling 
of 
an 
eye," 
with 
evidently 
no 
struggle, 
no 
pain. 
\Ve 
rejoice 
with 
the 
dear 
Brother, 
believing 
that 
he 
has 
gone 
1)('fore 
to 
the 
heavenly 
condition-where 
so 
many 
of 
us 
arc 
hoping 
ere 
long 
to 
join 
the 
Savior 
and 
him 
and 
all 
the 
mem­ 
bers 
of 
the 
body 
of 
Christ. 
PILGRIM 
BROTHER 
HAYDEN 
Many 
of 
our 
readers 
knew 
and 
dearly 
loved 
Brother 
Hayden 
Samson, 
\vho 
has 
served 
the 
Lord 
and 
the 
Brethren 
under 
the 
auspices 
of 
the 
Watch 
Tower 
Bible 
and 
Tract 
Society 
for 
the 
past 
fomteen 
years. 
For 
several 
years 
past 
he 
has 
been 
in 
feeble 
health-yet 
persever"d 
to 
lay 
dOlm 
his 
life 
in 
the 
serv­ 
iee 
of 
the 
Lord, 
the 
truth 
and 
the 
brethren. 
Returning 
home 
he 
experienced 
a 
severe 
attack 
of 
indigl'stion 
January 
Twenty­ 
Fourth. 
He 
got 
relief, 
however, 
and 
went 
to 
bed 
as 
usual. 
----- 
.. 
_~-----_ 
.. 
_-_.---- 
~-~ 
-~._--- 
---_ 
... 
_"------- 
_ 
... 
_-------------- 
YOLo 
XXXV 
BROOKI.JYN, 
N. 
Y., 
FEBRUARY 
15, 
1914 
No.4 
JOB'S 
EXPERIENCES 
TYPICAL 
OF 
HUMAN 
HISTORY 
"All 
these 
things 
happened 
unto 
them 
for 
ensamples 
[margin, 
types], 
and 
they 
are 
written 
for 
our 
admonition 
upon 
whom 
the 
ends 
of 
the 
ages 
are 
come.' 
'-1 
Corinthians 
10: 
11. 
The 
Book 
of 
Job 
is 
credited 
with 
being 
the 
finest 
piece 
of 
literature 
in 
the 
Hebrew 
language. 
It 
is 
a 
poem: 
and 
all 
scholars 
admit 
that 
no 
translation 
yet 
given 
does 
it 
justice. 
Martin 
Luther, 
after 
reviewing 
his 
last 
effort 
to 
translate 
it 
into 
the 
German, 
said, 
"Job 
is 
suffering 
more 
from 
my 
ver­ 
sion 
than 
from 
the 
taunts 
of 
his 
friends, 
and 
would 
prefer 
his 
dunghill 
to 
my 
translation 
of 
his 
lamentation." 
The 
Book 
of 
Job 
"is 
admitted, 
with 
hardly 
a 
dissenting 
voice, 
to 
be 
the 
most 
sublime 
religious 
poem 
in 
the 
literature 
of 
the 
world," 
said 
Samuel 
Cox. 
' 
'I 
call 
that 
one 
of 
the 
grandest 
things 
ever 
written 
with 
pen 
. 
. 
. 
. 
There 
is 
nothing 
written, 
in 
the 
Bible 
nor 
out 
of 
it, 
of 
equal 
literary 
merit," 
said 
Thomas 
Carlyle. 
Whoever 
was 
used 
of 
God 
as 
the 
penman, 
his 
name 
is 
not 
given. 
The 
book 
is 
introduced 
with 
a 
prose 
narrative 
of 
Job's 
losses 
and 
sufferings. 
(The 
account 
of 
Satan's 
conversation 
with 
God 
concerning 
Job 
should 
be 
considered 
as 
allegorical-after 
the 
style 
of 
Pilgrim's 
Progress.) 
Then 
his 
patient 
endurance 
is 
set 
forth. 
Next 
follow 
the 
poetic 
colloquies 
between 
Job 
and 
his 
three 
friends, 
then 
Elihu's 
argument, 
then 
the 
Almighty's 
address, 
then 
Job's 
confession. 
The 
conclusion, 
relating 
to 
Job's 
return 
to 
favor 
and 
blessing, 
and 
his 
death, 
is 
in 
prose. 
Some 
have 
assumed 
that 
the 
Book 
of 
.Tob 
is 
merely 
a 
parable; 
and 
that 
Job 
himself 
is 
merely 
an 
imaginary 
char­ 
acter. 
But 
if 
this 
were 
the 
case, 
the 
teachings 
of 
the 
book 
would 
not 
be 
different. 
However, 
we 
see 
no 
cause 
to 
doubt 
that 
such 
a 
person 
did 
live 
and 
pass 
through 
the 
experiences 
related. 
In 
Ezekiel 
14; 
14 
and 
.1 
ames 
5; 
11, 
Job 
is 
classed 
with 
other 
holy 
men, 
which 
would 
not 
be 
the 
case 
were 
this 
narra­ 
tive 
merely 
a 
parable. 
Besides, 
there 
are 
particular 
details 
given, 
such 
as 
are 
not 
common 
to 
parables. 
The 
fact 
that 
Job 
lived 
a 
hundred 
and 
forty 
years 
after 
his 
adversities, 
or 
probably 
over 
t\yO 
hundred 
years 
in 
all, 
to­ 
gether 
with 
the 
fact 
that 
neither 
he 
nor 
his 
friends 
make 
any 
allusion 
to 
Israel 
or 
Mosps 
or 
the 
Law, 
nor 
to 
Abraham 
and 
God's 
Covenant 
made 
with 
him, 
seems 
to 
indicate 
beyond 
rloubt 
that 
he 
belonged 
to 
the 
Patriarchal 
age. 
Possibly 
he 
lived 
about 
the 
same 
time 
as 
Abraham. 
His 
home 
was 
evi­ 
dently 
in 
Arabia, 
and 
probably 
not 
far 
from 
Palestine. 
Job 
is 
introduced 
as 
a 
man 
of 
great 
lparning 
and 
influence; 
as 
a 
man 
of 
great 
piety, 
who 
knew 
and 
reverenced 
God 
anrl 
appreciated 
justice; 
as 
a 
man 
of 
great 
generosity, 
who 
con­ 
sidered 
the 
widow 
and 
the 
orphan; 
and 
as 
a 
merchant 
prince 
of 
great 
wealth, 
who 
by 
his 
numerous 
servants 
and 
three 
thou­ 
sand 
camels, 
carried 
on 
an 
extended 
and 
very 
prosperous 
traffic. 
Suddenly 
disaster 
came 
upon 
him 
and 
he 
was 
bereft 
of 
his 
chilrlren, 
his 
wealth, 
his 
influence 
and 
his 
hpalth. 
He 
sought 
in 
vain 
for 
an 
explanation 
as 
to 
why 
God 
should 
permit 
such 
evils 
to 
befall 
him. 
Yet 
still 
he 
trusted 
in 
God, 
saying, 
, 
'Though 
he 
slay 
me, 
yet 
will 
I 
trust 
in 
him!" 
His 
wife 
urged 
that 
it 
had 
been 
without 
divine 
appreciation 
that 
he 
had 
sought 
to 
do 
justice 
and 
mercy 
all 
his 
life, 
and 
exclaimed, 
, 
'Curse 
God 
and 
die!" 
His 
three 
friends 
came 
to 
visit 
him, 
and, 
taking 
much 
the 
same 
view, 
told 
him 
in 
lengthy 
argument 
that 
he 
must 
have 
been 
a 
great 
sinner 
and 
a 
hypocrite. 
But, 
conscious 
of 
his 
own 
heart-honesty 
toward 
God, 
Job 
defends 
himself 
and 
goes 
to 
too 
great 
an 
extreme 
in 
declaring 
his 
innocence, 
but 
silences 
his 
crities. 
He 
seem~ 
to 
realize 
his 
need 
of 
some 
one 
to 
represent 
his 
cause 
before 
the 
Lord. 
He 
cries 
out 
that 
he 
is 
as 
righteous 
as 
he 
knows 
how 
to 
be; 
that 
he 
cannot 
reason 
the 
matter 
with 
God, 
being 
so 
much 
beneath 
him 
in 
knowledge 
[5401] 
FEBRUARY I, 1914 Tue WatcH Tower is getting better and better as we near the end; and how precious are its lessons to all! As we visit each place we hear many expressions of appreciation from the friends. I close with Christian love. Your loving brother in Christ, TuHos. P. YarEs. SWORD OF TRUTH FLASHING RIGHT AND LEFT Dear Brother Russell:— Wherever I go, among college men or others, I find present truth permeating remarkably, able financial and business men even conceding that an unparalleled panic is coming. Great numbers advance some of present truth that must have come from the STUDIES IN THE ScRIPTURES, and do not know where it came from. This demonstrates to my mind that these fundamental truths which are to unify all the human race are making rapid advance beyond those of the ideas of federation that are now operating to some extent among the denominations, Ashamed of the spectacle of a house divided against itself, as nominal Christendom is, they are striving for an impossible unity, which at best can be but nominal. The triumph of truth is now beginning to show a glorious reality; thanks be to our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus, and to you, the faithful under-shepherd, and to all of the coworkers for the kingdom of heaven! Standing on the ‘‘sea of glass’’ we are lost in wonder as we see clearly this mighty conflict—the sword of truth flashing right and left, forcing out the adversary from his refuge of lies. The words of a poet, ‘‘Lean far out into silence and listen for the thunder of the voice of God,’’ have now a literal application for those who have the hearing ear. Marvelous! Surely Satan is being bound! Longing for that day when truth shall triumph, the whole groaning creation have cried in hope, ‘¢Truth erushed to earth shall rise again; The eternal years of God are hers.’’ THE WATCH TOWER (47-51) O glorious day! At last it has come—literally in sight! Your brother trying to help in the harvest work, Newron T. HARtsHoRN, ” N. HL THINKS ‘‘WATCH TOWER’’ TIMED TO MINUTE Dear Brother Russell:— A deep sense of appreciation to the Lord for the results of your labors in his name, particularly for the many blessings I am receiving from the reading of back Towers, and especially from the one just finished (June 1, 1900), urges me to express my thanks to you and to the Lord. I never received so much in such a short space as in this WatcH Tower. It seemed as if almost every paragraph was written specially for me and timed right to the minute. I notice in so many of the letters written by the dear friends that questions which perplexed them were so often answered in the next Tower, without suggestion. I have the same experience, both with the current TOWERS and the old ones; in fact, some of my experiences and the reading following them have startled me by their remarkable evidence of the Lord’s leading and providence. Some of the letters are so inspiring, and it is so interesting to watch the Truth grow! I read a little faster than a year’s WatcH TOWERS a month, so while I have lost many blessings in experiences, yet the Lord makes up to me in this way. I have recently seen a little souvenir with your picture and some quotations, with comment. It touched me deeply, and I hope to get some when I place my next order. My wife (Sister H.) continues to make beautiful progress along the narrow way, and is truly a great help and inspiration to me. In harmony with comment on the MANNA text for Sept. 1, we are very thankful to God for the leading he provides for us. It is our prayer that you may be kept faithful and strong till all the divine pleasure may be fully accomplished in you. May we all meet soon in the gencral assembly of the church of the first-borns! Your brother in hope. W. E. HULLINGER. PILGRIM BROTHER HAYDEN SAMSON—DECEASED Many of our readers knew and dearly loved Brother Hayden Samson, who has served the Lord and the Brethren under the auspices of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society for the past fourteen years. For several years past he has been in feeble health—-yet persevered to lay down his life in the service of the Lord, the truth and the brethren. Returning home he experienced a severe attack of indigestion January TwentyFourth. He got relief, however, aud went to bed as usual. Ve OL. XXxv “BROOKLYN, N, Y,, “FEBRUARY 15, 1914 The next morning, Sunday, his body was found in bed apparently asleep. He had passed beyond ‘‘in a moment, in tbe twinkling of an eye,’’ with evidently no struggle, no pain. We rejoice with the dear Brother, believing that he has gone lefore to the heavenly condition—where so many of us are hoping cre long to join the Savior and him and all the members of the body of Christ. No. 4 “JOB'S. EXPERIENCES TYPICAL ‘OF HUMAN, HISTORY ‘* All these things happened unto them for ensamples [margin, types], and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages are come.’’—1 Corinthians 10:11. The Book of Job is credited with being the finest piece of literature in the Hebrew language. It is a poem: and all scholars admit that no translation yet given does it justice. Martin Luther, after reviewing his last effort to translate it into the German, said, ‘‘Job is suffering more from my version than from the taunts of his friends, “and would prefer his dunghill to my translation of his lamentation. *? The Book of Job “‘is admitted, with hardly a dissenting voice, to be the most sublime religious poem in the literature of the world,’’ said Samuel Cox. ‘‘I call that one of the grandest things ever written with pen. ... There is nothing written, in the Bible nor out of it, of equal literary merit,’’ said Thomas Carlyle. Whoever was used of God as the penman, his name is not given. The book is introduced with a prose narrative of Job’s losses and sufferings. (The account of Satan’s conversation with God concerning Job should be considered as allegorical—after the style of Pilgrim’s Progress.) Then his patient endurance is set forth. Next follow the poetic colloquies between Job and his three friends, then Elihu’s argument, then the Almighty’s address, then Job’s confession. The conclusion, relating to Job’s return to favor and blessing, and his death, is in prose. Some have assumed that the Book of Job is merely a parable; and that Job himself is merely an imaginary character. But if this were the case, the teachings of the book would not be different. However, we see no cause to doubt that such a person did live and pass through the experiences related. In Ezekiel 14:14 and James 5:11, Job is classed with other holy men, which would not be the case were this narrative merely a parable. Besides, there are particular details given, such as are not common to parables, The fact that Job lived a hundred and forty years after his adversities, or probably over two hundred years in all, together with the facet that neither he nor his friends make any allusion to Israel or Moses or the Law, nor to Abraham and God’s Covenant made with him, scems to indicate beyond doubt that he belonged to the Patriarchal age. Possibly he lived about the same time as Abraham. His home was evidently in Arabia, and probably not far from Palestine. Job is introduced as a man of great learning and influence; as a man of great piety, who knew and reverenced God and appreciated justice; as a man of great generosity, who considered the widow and the orphan; and as a merchant prince of great wealth, who by his numerous servants and three thousand camels, carried on an extended and very prosperous traffic. Suddenly disaster came upon him and he was bereft of his children, his wealth, his influence and his health. He sought in vain for an explanation as to why God should permit such evils to befall him. Yet still he trusted in God, saying, “‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him!’’ His wife urged that it had been without divine appreciation that he had sought to do justice and mercy all his life, and exclaimed, ““Curse God and die!’’ His three friends came to visit him, and, taking much the same view, told him in lengthy argument that he must have been a great sinner and a hypocrite. But, conscious of his own heart-honesty toward God, Job defends himself and goes to too great an extreme in declaring his innocence, but silences his critics. He seems to realize his need of some one to represent his cause before the Lord. He cries out that he is as righteous as he knows how to be; that he cannot reason the matter with God, being so much beneath him in knowledge [5401]

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