Publication date
9/1/15
Volume
36
Number
17
The WatchTower
Christian Duty and the War
/../literature/watchtower/1915/17/1915-17-1.html
 
 
(259-260) 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
BaooKI,YN, 
N. 
Y. 
WHEN 
THEIR 
HAPPY 
LIFE 
BEGAN 
DISARLY 
BELOVED 
BROTHER 
RUSSELL:- 
May 
the 
love 
of 
God 
be 
with 
thee! 
It 
has 
long 
been 
my 
desire 
to 
tell 
you 
my 
appreciation 
in 
my 
feeble 
way. 
Three 
years 
ago 
had 
the 
pleasure 
to 
listen 
to 
workman 
in 
the 
APPLICATION 
OF 
THE 
RANSOM 
Following 
references 
are 
helpful 
studied 
in 
connection 
with 
chap­ 
ter 
IV., 
Tabernacle 
Shadows-"The 
Great 
Day 
of 
Atonement:" 
World 
is 
not 
yet 
Bought 
.....•........• 
.. 
_. 
Year 
1912 
Palfe 
107 
Ransom 
Points 
to 
be 
Remembered 
.. 
_. 
1909' 
349 
Deliverance 
from 
the 
Curse 
.. 
_. 
1911 
00 
187 
Ransom-Application 
to 
all 
Mankind 
.. 
_. 
_. 
"1911 
151 
Does 
our 
Lord 
Now 
own 
the 
human 
race 
i. 
,. 
1910 
II 
199 
"Sold 
all 
he 
had 
and 
Bought".............. 
1909" 
379 
Christ 
Made 
Curse 
for 
Israel 
_. 
• 
1912 
197 
What 
the 
Church 
Sacrifices 
.•••.•. 
_. 
1911" 
390 
Incense 
and 
Satisfaction 
of 
Justice 
Who 
Typified 
by 
Levites 
Why 
represented 
in 
Court 
I-Their 
Service 
After 
Day 
of 
Atonement 
Tentative 
Levites 
Type 
Changes 
at 
Glose 
of 
Age.' 
Typical 
and 
Antitypical 
Gifts 
and 
Sacrifices 
Male 
and 
Female 
Distinctions 
to 
Cease-when 
(Luke 
20:34-36) 
.. 
Moses 
Mediator 
before 
Aaron 
Priest 
.....• 
Levites 
had 
no 
Inheritance 
.....•.••...•.... 
"Urim 
and 
Thummim" 
.... 
......•..•..•.. 
Great 
Company 
and 
First 
Resurreetion 
... 
.... 
Were 
the 
Atonement 
Day 
Sin-offerings 
for 
the 
year 
preceding, 
or 
for 
the 
ensuin,g 
year 
1. 
_. 
Were 
the 
Atonement 
Day 
Sin-offermgs 
for 
the 
year 
preceding, 
or 
for 
the 
ensuing 
year 
..• 
Manifesta 
tion 
of 
High 
Priest 
White 
Robe 
of 
High 
Priest 
1911 
1911 
•• 
1911 
1911 
1911 
•• 
1911 
1909 
1909 
1912 
1912 
0' 
1912 
1907 
01 
1913 
1910 
1910 
•• 
239 
•• 
348 
•• 
349 
•• 
349 
•• 
349 
., 
415 
174 
325 
•• 
152 
•• 
186 
•• 
297 
230 
19 
,. 
136 
136 
Standard 
Oil 
Yard, 
Pt. 
Richmond, 
Cal. 
When 
heard 
him 
was 
amazed 
and 
coming 
home 
that 
night 
told 
my 
wife 
that 
had 
heard 
man 
talk 
as 
none 
else 
before 
in 
my 
life, 
although 
used 
to 
seck 
around 
for 
the 
truth, 
but 
had 
failed 
to 
find 
that 
which 
could 
love. 
1\ly 
wife 
asked 
me 
to 
bring 
that 
man 
(Brother 
Starr) 
home, 
so 
brought 
him 
home 
one 
night 
and 
got 
some 
of 
my 
friends 
over 
to 
hear 
him. 
Thanks 
be 
to 
God 
for 
that 
night, 
for 
there 
began 
our 
happy 
life! 
Our 
home 
before 
that 
time 
was 
not 
very 
happy; 
but 
since 
then 
it 
has 
certainly 
changed. 
We 
are 
now 
consecrated 
to 
the 
Lord, 
and 
one 
of 
our 
friends, 
sister, 
has 
done 
the 
same. 
Happiness 
untold 
in 
both 
homes 
is 
now 
to 
be 
found. 
The 
Lord 
has 
been 
feeding 
us 
from 
his 
storehouse, 
and 
each 
time 
when 
we 
read 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER, 
and 
see 
the 
letters 
from 
the 
friends, 
simply 
must 
pray 
for 
each 
one 
of 
them! 
It 
has 
been 
hard 
for 
me 
to 
learn 
certain 
lessons. 
have 
prayed 
for 
patience 
and 
would 
forget 
time 
and 
time 
again. 
am 
hard 
workman 
and 
my 
associates 
are 
very 
impatient. 
So 
in 
re­ 
cent 
WATCH 
TOWER 
you 
told 
us 
to 
pray 
for 
love 
to 
be 
cultivated 
in 
us, 
and 
in 
the 
evening 
report 
to 
our 
heavenly 
Father. 
Since 
then 
have 
had 
great 
blessings 
along 
the 
line 
of 
patience. 
Both 
my 
wife 
and 
love 
the 
brethren, 
for 
among 
them 
we 
spend 
all 
the 
time 
we 
can, 
thanking 
the 
heavenly 
Father 
for 
his 
loving 
kindness 
to 
us. 
My 
wife 
is 
doing 
colporteur 
work 
as 
much 
as 
her 
strength 
permits, 
and 
we 
have 
both 
had 
great 
blessings 
therefrom. 
The 
six 
volumes 
have 
brought 
us 
untold 
happiness. 
Daily 
we 
pray 
the 
Lord 
to 
give 
you 
strength. 
We 
love 
you 
and 
ask 
you 
to 
include 
us 
in 
your 
petitions 
to 
the 
Lord 
that 
we 
may 
be 
among 
that 
little 
flock. 
BROTHER 
AND 
SISTER 
CHRISTIAN 
LARSEN.-Cal. 
VOL. 
XXXVI 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
SEPT'EMBER 
1, 
1915 
No. 
17 
CHRISTIAN 
DUTY 
AND 
THE 
WAR 
As 
the 
war 
progresses 
bitter, 
partisan 
spirit 
spreads. 
that 
this 
war 
is 
not 
like 
other 
wars-that 
God 
has 
let 
loose 
The 
people 
of 
each 
of 
the 
warring 
nations 
are 
convinced 
that 
the 
winds, 
is 
no 
longer 
restraining 
them. 
The 
time 
has 
come 
right 
is 
on 
their 
side, 
and 
that 
everything 
to 
the 
contrary 
is 
for 
him 
to 
allow 
the 
angry 
passions 
of 
men 
to 
bring 
the 
wrong. 
The 
sense 
of 
justice 
seems 
more 
and 
more 
to 
go 
blind. 
whirlwind 
of 
trouble, 
which 
shortly 
will 
lead 
on 
to 
revolution 
Any 
attempt 
to 
consider 
matters 
justly, 
equitably, 
is 
resented 
and 
then 
to 
anarchy, 
and 
will 
thus 
prepare 
the 
way 
of 
the 
as 
disloyalty, 
stupidity, 
etc. 
The 
best 
elements 
of 
the 
natural 
Lord 
and 
his 
kingdom. 
man 
seem 
to 
be 
paralyzing 
under 
the 
influence 
of 
the 
war. 
What 
sad 
spectacle 
the 
war 
presents-twenty 
millions 
Germany 
and 
her 
allies 
claim 
that 
they 
have 
maintained 
the 
of 
soldiers 
engaged, 
at 
cost 
of 
over 
forty 
mil1ion 
dollars 
world's 
peace 
for 
thirty 
years, 
during 
all 
of 
which 
time 
their 
per 
day 
for 
their 
maintenance! 
Twelve 
millions 
of 
men 
in 
jealous 
neighbors, 
noting 
their 
prosperity, 
have 
sought 
to 
the 
prime 
of 
life 
have 
already 
been 
wounded, 
captured 
or 
hinder 
it 
and 
have 
awaited 
only 
favorable 
moment 
for 
killed. 
The 
consumption 
of 
ammunition 
is 
astounding. 
One 
attempting 
their 
destruction. 
To 
them 
their 
commercial 
of 
the 
British 
ministers 
recently 
declared 
that 
in 
one 
battle 
progress 
and 
attempt 
to 
build 
navy 
proportionate 
to 
their 
in 
Belgium 
the 
British 
forces 
used 
more 
ammunition 
than 
in 
population 
have 
aroused 
the 
jealousy 
of 
their 
neighbors 
the 
entire 
Boer 
war! 
already 
entrenched 
commercially 
on 
the 
sea. 
National 
debts 
were 
already 
enormous, 
and 
British 
consols 
They 
claim 
that 
Belgium 
was 
not 
neutral, 
but 
conniving 
(bonds) 
were 
selling 
at 
twenty-five 
per 
cent. 
less 
than 
their 
with 
their 
enemies, 
and 
that, 
any 
way, 
the 
passing 
of 
Ger- 
face 
value 
before 
this 
war 
began. 
Can 
any 
rational 
person 
man 
armies 
through 
Belgium 
was 
military 
necessity. 
suppose 
that 
the 
debts 
of 
the 
warrin~ 
nations 
represented 
by 
Similarly 
they 
claim 
that 
the 
protection 
of 
their 
national 
life 
their 
bonds 
will 
ever 
be 
paid? 
And 
when 
the 
people 
shall 
against 
the 
European 
combination 
makes 
necessary 
their 
sub- 
realize 
the 
meaning 
of 
all 
this 
and 
of 
the 
crash 
of 
financial 
marine 
warfare 
and 
blockade 
and 
other 
things 
which 
they 
do 
institutions 
which 
this 
will 
involve, 
the 
discovery 
will 
be 
not 
prefer. 
They 
claim, 
too, 
that 
necessity 
knows 
no 
law, 
that 
terrible. 
The 
only 
logical 
result 
to 
be 
expected 
of 
the 
dis- 
this 
is 
the 
hour 
of 
their 
necessity, 
and 
that 
the 
object 
of 
war 
couraged 
people 
will 
be 
as 
the 
Bible 
predicts-so 
great 
an 
is 
success-to 
be 
obtained 
as 
honora,bly 
as 
possible, 
but 
to 
be 
earthquake 
as 
was 
not 
since 
man 
was 
on 
the 
earth-social 
obtained. 
earthquake, 
revolution, 
gigantic 
in 
its 
character.-Rev. 
16: 
18. 
Britain 
and 
her 
allies 
take 
the 
contrary 
view. 
They 
de- 
WAR'S 
DEMORALIZING 
INFLUENOE 
clare 
that 
for 
forty 
years 
they 
have 
noted 
the 
progress 
of 
the 
Professed 
ministers 
of 
Christ 
of 
various 
denominations 
Germans 
and 
considered 
it 
menace 
to 
their 
rights. 
Accord- 
seem 
to 
be 
vying 
with 
each 
other 
in 
leaving 
the 
Great 
Captain 
ing-Iy, 
the 
French 
maintained 
an 
army 
of 
equal 
size 
with 
of 
our 
Salvation 
and 
his 
standard 
of 
peace 
and 
love 
in 
order 
Germany; 
Russia, 
an 
army 
of 
double 
the 
size; 
while 
Great 
to 
associate 
themselves 
more 
and 
more 
with 
militarism. 
Alp­ 
Britain 
has 
striven 
to 
have 
navy 
stronger 
than 
that 
of 
all 
pealed 
to 
by 
the 
representatives 
of 
the 
Government, 
these 
the 
r<>maining 
nations 
of 
the 
world. 
If 
Germany 
ibe 
not 
professed 
representatives 
of 
the 
Prince 
of 
Peace 
are 
making 
crushed 
now, 
her 
spirit 
of 
progress 
will 
ultimately 
put 
her 
themselves 
popular 
with 
their 
governments 
by 
preaching 
war. 
at 
the 
head 
of 
the 
nations, 
commercially 
and 
financially. 
Thi" 
We 
hear 
only 
little 
from 
Great 
Britain 
along 
these 
lines, 
would 
mean 
that 
all 
the 
other 
nations 
would 
be 
less 
powerful 
but 
the 
suggestion 
from 
the 
Bishop 
of 
London 
is 
quite 
suffi- 
proportionately. 
TlH'y 
see 
in 
this 
terrible 
nightmare 
of 
cient 
on 
this 
point. 
His 
suggestion 
urges 
boys 
and 
girls 
to 
militarism. 
Germany 
must 
be 
crushed 
at 
any 
cost, 
not 
only 
marry 
early 
and 
to 
raise 
large 
families, 
presumably 
for 
mortal 
for 
the 
sake 
of 
the 
present, 
but 
also 
for 
the 
sake 
of 
future 
combat-not 
to 
be 
soldiers 
of 
the 
Cross 
of 
Christ 
and 
fol- 
generatioIl3. 
lowers 
of 
the 
Lamb, 
but 
soldiers 
of 
the 
Cross 
of 
St. 
George 
The 
Bible 
declares, 
"God 
is 
not 
in 
all 
their 
thoughts." 
which 
marks 
the 
British 
flag. 
(Psalm 
10:4) 
Although 
all 
the 
nations 
of 
the 
Continent, 
Recently 
in 
Canada 
the 
Editor 
was 
astounded 
by 
the 
except 
the 
Turks, 
style 
themselves 
Christian 
nations, 
not 
one 
activity 
of 
the 
preachers 
there--especially 
those 
of 
the 
Church 
of 
them 
manifests 
any 
faith 
in 
God. 
They 
all 
feel 
that 
the 
of 
England. 
One 
was 
out 
in 
Khaki 
uniform 
marching 
through 
entire 
responsibility, 
both 
for 
the 
present 
and 
for 
the 
future, 
the 
streets 
with 
the 
volunteers. 
Asked 
by 
college 
friend, 
rests 
altogether 
upon 
themselves. 
"Did 
see 
you 
in 
the 
ranks?" 
he 
answered, 
"Yes, 
wanted 
"FEAR 
HATH 
SURPRISED 
THE 
HYPOORITES" 
to 
encourage 
the 
boys." 
"And 
did 
you 
think 
of 
going 
to 
the 
Convinced 
of 
having 
divine 
commission 
and 
with 
sundry 
front. 
to 
the 
trenches?" 
"Not 
bit 
of 
it!" 
He 
was 
merely 
forms 
of 
gorlliness, 
hut 
without 
any 
of 
its 
power 
or 
faith. 
acting 
as 
decoy 
to 
get 
others 
to 
the 
front; 
just 
as 
bull 
many 
of 
these 
nations 
are 
only 
now 
awakening 
to 
the 
fact 
they 
have 
at 
one 
of 
the 
Chicago 
stockyards 
which 
meets 
the 
[5754] 
(259-260) Incense and Satisfaction of Justice........... ‘© 1911 +‘ 239 Who Typified by Levites?...-5.............. ‘© 1911 ‘* 348 Why represented in Court?—Their Service After Day of Atonement.............. ‘€ 1911 ‘' 349 Tentative Levites ..........., (eee ‘f 31911 ‘' 349 _Type Changes at Close of Age.......... ‘€ 1911 «=‘* 349 Typical and Antitypical Gifts and Sacrifices... ** 1914 "415 Male and Female Distinctions to Cease—-when? (Luke 20:34-36) 2... cece ecw een een ‘* 1909 174 Moses a Mediator before Aaron a Priest...... ‘* 1909 ‘* 325 Levites had no Inheritance........... see "1912 «=** 152 ‘‘Urim_ and Thummim’’ ......0e cece eee ace ‘© 1912 6 '* «186 Great Company and First Resurrection ‘© 1912 3 ‘* 299 Were the Atonement Day Sin-offerings for the year preceding, or for the ensuing year?.... ‘© 1907 ‘* 280 Were the Atonement Day Sin-offerings for the year preceding, or for the ensuing year?.... ‘* 19138 ** | 619 Manifestation of High Priest..........-..+5. ** 1910 ‘* 186 White Robe of High Priest............0.000e ** 1910 «‘* 136 APPLICATION OF THE RANSOM Following references are helpful studied in connection with chapter IV., Tabernacle Shadows——‘‘The Great Day of Atonement:’’ World is not yet Bought.............ee-eaee Year 1912 Page 107 Ransom Points to be Remembered ........... ** 1909 ‘* 3 Deliverance from the Curse..........+...06- *' 1911 ‘'* 187 Ransom—Application to all Mankind......... ** 19110 ff 151 Does our Lord Now own the human race?...... ‘*- 1910 3‘ 199 ‘*Sold all he had and Bought’’.......-...008 ** 1909 ‘* 379 Christ Made a Curse for Israel.............. ‘©1912 ** 197 What the Church Sacrifices...........++00005 ‘© 1911 ‘* 390 WHEN THEIR HAPPY LIFE BEGAN Dear_y BrLoveD BROTHER RUSSELL :— May the love of God be with thee! It has long been my desire to tell you my appreciation in my feeble way. Three years ago I had the pleasure to listen to a workman in the THE WATCH TOWER Brooxiyn, N. Y. Standard Oil Yard, Pt. Richmond, Cal. When I heard him I was amazed and coming home that night I told my wife that I had heard a man talk as none else before in my life, although I used to seck around for the truth, but had failed to find that which I could love. My wife asked me to bring that man (Brother Starr) home, so I brought him home one night and I got some of my friends over to hear him. Thanks be to God for that night, for there began our happy life! Our home before that time was not very happy; but since then it has certainly changed. We are now consecrated to the Lord, and one of our friends, a sister, has done the same. Happiness untold in both homes is now to be found. The Lord has been feeding us from his storehouse, and each time when we read THE WatcH Tower, and see the letters from the friends, I simply must pray for each one of them! It has been hard for me to Jearn certain lessons. I have prayed for patience and would forget time and time again. I am a hard workman and my associates are very impatient. So in a recent Watcu TowER you told us to pray for love to be cultivated in us, and in the evening report to our heavenly Father. Since then I have had great blessings along the line of patience. Both my wife and I love the brethren, for among them we spend all the time we can, thanking the heavenly Father for his loving kindness to us. My wife is doing colporteur work as much as her strength permits, and we have both had great blessings therefrom, The six volumes have brought us untold happiness. Daily we pray the Lord to give you strength. We love you and ask you to include us in your petitions to the Lord that we may be among that little flock. BROTHER AND SISTER CHRISTIAN LARSEN.—Cal. VoL. XXXVI BROOKLYN, N. Y., SEPTEMBER 1, 1915 No. 17 CHRISTIAN DUTY AND THE WAR As the war progresses a bitter, partisan spirit spreads. The people of each of the warring nations are convinced that right is on their side, and that everything to the contrary is wrong. The sense of justice seems more and more to go blind. Any attempt to consider matters justly, equitably, is resented as disloyalty, stupidity, etc. The best elements of the natural man seem to be paralyzing under the influence of the war. Germany and her allies claim that they have maintained the world’s peace for thirty years, during all of which time their jealous neighbors, noting their prosperity, have sought to hinder it and have awaited only a favorable moment for attempting their destruction. To them their commercial progress and attempt to build a navy proportionate to their population have aroused the jealousy of their neighbors already entrenched commercially on the sea. They claim that Belgium was not neutral, but conniving with their enemies, and that, any way, the passing of German armies through Belgium was a military necessity. Similarly they claim that the protection of their national life against the European combination makes necessary their submarine warfare and blockade and other things which they do not prefer. They claim, too, that necessity knows no law, that this is the hour of their necessity, and that the object of war is success—to be obtained as honorably as possible, but to be obtained. Britain and her allies take the contrary view. They declare that for forty years they have noted the progress of the Germans and considered it a menace to their rights. Accordingly, the French maintained an army of equal size with Germany; Russia, an army of double the size; while Great Britain has striven to have a navy Stronger than that of all the remaining nations of the world. If Germany be not crushed now, her spirit of progress will ultimately put her at the head of the nations, commercially and financially. This would mean that all the other nations would be less powerful proportionately. They see in this a terrible nightmare of militarism, Germany must be crushed at any cost, not only for the sake of the present, but also for the sake of future generations, The Bible declares, “God is not in all their thoughts.” (Psalm 10:4) Although all the nations of the Continent, except the Turks, style themselves Christian nations, not one of them manifests any faith in God. They all feel that the entire responsibility, both for the present and for the future, rests altogether upon themselves. ‘‘FEAR HATH SURPRISED THE HYPOCRITES" Convinced of having a divine commission and with sundry forms of godliness, but without any of its power or faith, many of these nations are only now awakening to the fact - terrible. that this war is not like other wars—that God hag let loose the winds, is no longer restraining them. The time has come for him to allow the angry passions of men to bring the whirlwind of trouble, which shortly will lead on to revolution and then to anarchy, and will thus prepare the way of the Lord and his kingdom. What a sad spectacle the war presents—twenty millions of soldiers engaged, at a cost of over forty million dollars per day for their maintenance! Twelve millions of men in the prime of life have already been wounded, captured or killed. The consumption of ammunition is astounding. One of the British ministers recently declared that in one battle in Belgium the British forces used more ammunition than in the entire Boer war! National debts were already enormous, and British consols (bonds) were selling at twenty-five per cent. less than their face value before this war began. Can any rational] person suppose that the debts of the warring nations represented by their bonds will ever be paid? And when the people shall realize the meaning of all this and of the crash of financial institutions which this will involve, the discovery will be The only logical result to be expected of the discouraged people will be as the Bible predicts—so great an earthquake as was not since man was on the earth—social earthquake, revolution, gigantic in its character.—Rev. 16:18. WAR’S DEMORALIZING INFLUENCE Professed ministers of Christ, of various denominations seem to be vying with each other in leaving the Great Captain of our Salvation and his standard of peace and love in order to associate themselves more and more with militarism. Appealed to by the representatives of the Government, these professed representatives of the Prince of Peace are making themselves popular with their governments by preaching war. We hear only a little from Great Britain along these lines, but the suggestion from the Bishop of London is quite sufficient on this point. His suggestion urges boys and girls to marry early and to raise large families, presumably for mortal combat—not to be soldiers of the Cross of Christ and followers of the Lamb, but soldiers of the Cross of St. George which marks the British flag. Recently in Canada the Editor was astounded by the activity of the preachers there—especially those of the Church of England. One was out in Khaki uniform marching through the streets with the volunteers, Asked by a college friend, “Did I see you in the ranks?” he answered, “Yes, I wanted to encourage the boys.” “And did you think of going to the front, to the trenches?” “Not a bit of it!” He was merely acting as a decoy to get others to the front; just as a bull they have at one of the Chicago stockyards which meets the [5754]

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