Publication date
3/1/15
Volume
36
Number
5
The WatchTower
The Blood of Sprinkling of the Passover
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1915/5/1915-5-1.html
 
 
EXTEND 
THE 
VOLUNTEER 
WORK 
The 
brethren 
everywhere 
are 
remarkable 
for 
their 
loving 
zeal 
for 
the 
Lord, 
his 
truth 
and 
the 
brethren. 
In 
no 
way 
is 
this 
better 
shown 
than 
in 
what 
we 
term 
the 
Volunteer 
Work­ 
the 
voluntary 
distribution 
of 
the 
Society's 
free 
literature. 
No 
other 
Society 
on 
earth 
ever 
manifested 
so 
much 
self-denying 
zeal 
in 
such 
a 
manner. 
\Ve 
feel 
disinolined 
to 
advise 
any 
in­ 
crease 
along 
this 
line. 
Kevertheless, 
it 
is 
ours 
to 
offer 
sugges­ 
tions 
and 
indicate 
possihilities 
and 
supply 
the 
free 
literature, 
and 
yours, 
dear 
brethren, 
to 
determine 
the 
extent 
of 
your 
reasonable 
and 
possible 
service 
for 
the 
King 
of 
kings. 
\Ve 
do 
know 
that 
there 
are 
millions 
of 
people 
in 
our 
home 
land 
who 
have 
Iwver 
yet 
had 
a 
taste 
of 
the 
spiritual 
food, 
"meat 
in 
due 
season," 
\dlich 
has 
so 
greatly 
refreshed 
and 
Rtrength­ 
encd 
us. 
HlII\(lreds 
of 
citics 
and 
towns 
an(1 
villages 
have 
re,ceived 
no 
volunteer 
attention. 
It 
is 
for 
you 
to 
decide, 
individually 
and 
as 
classe", 
what 
you 
can 
do 
for 
these. 
One 
of 
our 
very 
best 
free 
papers 
has 
been 
widely 
distributed 
ex­ 
cept 
in 
such 
places 
as 
suggested. 
It 
contains 
a 
most 
interest­ 
ing 
article 
on 
"The 
True 
Basis 
for 
Human 
Equality," 
another 
on 
"Battering 
Down 
the 
Walls 
of 
Hell," 
and 
another 
show­ 
ing 
timt 
neHher 
Pastor 
Russell 
nor 
the 
1. 
B. 
S. 
A. 
taught 
"The 
End 
of 
the 
World 
in 
1914," 
hut 
on 
the 
contrary 
that 
"the 
earth 
abideth 
forever." 
\Ve 
have 
400,000 
of 
these 
on 
hand 
for 
use 
in 
such 
pre­ 
viously 
unserved 
places. 
We 
will 
be 
glad 
to 
hear 
from 
all 
who 
are 
able 
and 
willing 
to 
join 
in 
this 
volunteer 
work. 
State 
the 
quantity 
desired 
and 
give 
shipping 
particulars. 
All 
eharges 
will 
he 
prepaid. 
Mention 
No. 
(j 
I, 
Bmu: 
STUDENTS 
MONTHLY. 
VOL. 
xxxvr 
BnOOKLYN, 
N. 
Y, 
MARCH 
1, 
J015 
No.5 
-_._--------_. 
__ 
.•.. 
__ 
._-~ 
- 
.- 
-------- 
THE 
BLOOD 
OF 
SPRINKLING 
OF 
THE 
PASSOVER 
"When 
II 
e 
seeth 
the 
blood 
the 
Lord 
will 
pass 
over 
the 
doo?' 
The 
Passover 
season, 
as 
celebrated 
by 
the 
Jews, 
draws 
near-bel!inlling- 
this 
year 
on 
the 
:30th 
day 
of 
::Vlarch 
(the 
15th 
day 
of 
Nisan 
actually 
starting 
at 
6 
p. 
m. 
Monday, 
March 
29th). 
But 
the 
interest 
of 
Christians 
centers 
especially 
in 
the 
slaying 
of 
the 
lamb, 
which 
preceded 
this 
Passover 
Feast. 
The 
Passover 
lamb 
was 
slain 
on 
the 
14th 
day 
of 
the 
month 
Nisan, 
which 
date 
this 
year 
begins 
at 
6 
p. 
m. 
Sunday, 
March 
28th. 
The 
Memorial 
of 
the 
death 
of 
the 
anti 
typical 
Passover 
Lamb, 
our 
Lord 
Jesus, 
which 
is 
celebrated 
on 
the 
same 
date, 
will 
therefore 
be 
observed 
by 
us 
on 
the 
evening 
of 
Sunday, 
March 
28. 
How 
much 
we 
regret 
that 
while 
millions 
of 
Christians 
and 
Jews 
will 
in 
some 
formal 
ceremonies 
and 
in 
a 
perfunctory 
manner 
celebrate 
this 
great 
event 
of 
his­ 
tory 
but 
f"w 
of 
pith"r 
religion 
discern 
the 
real 
significance 
of 
the 
celebration! 
THE 
PASSOVER 
INSTITUTED 
Could 
the 
minds 
of 
all 
these 
be 
awakened 
thoroughly 
to 
its 
true 
significance 
a 
religious 
revival 
would 
be 
started 
such 
as 
the 
world 
has 
never 
yet 
known. 
But 
alas! 
as 
the 
Apostle 
declares 
the 
god 
of 
this 
world 
has 
blinded 
the 
minds 
of 
many; 
and 
even 
some 
whose 
eyes 
of 
understanding 
are 
partially 
opened 
St. 
Peter 
describes 
as 
being 
blind 
and 
unable 
to 
see 
afar 
off 
or 
holden 
and 
unable 
to 
see 
the 
deep 
things 
of 
God 
in 
respect 
to 
these 
ceremonies 
which 
have 
been 
celebrated 
in 
the 
world 
for 
now 
more 
than 
3500 
years. 
And 
by 
the 
way 
it 
must 
be 
admitted 
even 
by 
Higher 
Crit­ 
ics 
and 
agnostics 
in 
general 
that 
an 
event 
so 
prominently 
marked 
so 
widely 
observed 
for 
so 
long 
a 
time 
must 
have 
a 
foundation 
in 
fact. 
There 
must 
have 
been 
just 
such 
an 
occurrence 
in 
Egypt; 
the 
first-born 
of 
Egypt 
must 
have 
perished 
in 
that 
tenth 
plague 
and 
the 
first-born 
of 
Israel 
must 
have 
been 
presernd 
from 
it 
- 
all 
who 
observed 
the 
injunction 
to 
remain 
uurler 
the 
blood-else 
this 
widespread 
celehration 
of 
the 
eyent 
"auld 
be 
inexplicable. 
IVe 
neerl 
not 
remind 
you 
of 
the 
particulars 
connected 
with 
the 
institution 
except 
to 
say 
that 
the 
Israelites 
were 
held 
in 
a 
measure 
of 
serfrlolll 
l,y 
the 
Egyptians 
and 
that 
when 
the 
time 
in 
the 
Lord's 
proyi(]ence 
arrived 
for 
their 
deliverance 
their 
masters 
s(,ught 
selfishly 
to 
maintain 
their 
bondage 
and 
refuser] 
to 
let 
them 
go 
forth 
to 
the 
land 
of 
Canaan. 
One 
after 
another 
the 
Lord 
sent 
during 
the 
year 
nine 
different 
plagues 
upon 
the 
people 
of 
Egypt 
relieving 
them 
of 
one 
after 
another 
when 
their 
king 
craved 
mercy 
and 
made 
promises 
which 
he 
afterwards 
broke. 
Finally, 
the 
servant 
of 
the 
Lord, 
Moses, 
announced 
a 
great, 
crowning 
disaster-that 
the 
first-born 
in 
every 
family 
of 
Egypt 
would 
die 
in 
one 
night, 
and 
that 
in 
the 
home 
of 
the 
humblest 
peas­ 
ants 
as 
well 
as 
in 
the 
home 
of 
the 
king 
there 
would 
be 
great 
mourning, 
as 
a 
result 
of 
which 
they 
would 
be 
glad 
finally 
to 
yiel(1 
an(l 
let 
th(~ 
[sl'a(.Jik~ 
go-ypa, 
1I1',~" 
thpll1 
to 
go, 
and 
in 
haste-lest 
the 
Lord 
should 
ultimately 
bring 
death 
upon 
the 
entire 
people 
if 
their 
king 
continued 
to 
harden 
his 
heart 
and 
resist 
the 
divine 
mandate. 
The 
first 
three 
plagues 
were 
common 
to 
all 
in 
Egypt, 
in­ 
cluding 
the 
district 
in 
which 
the 
Israelites 
resided. 
The 
next 
six 
plagues 
affected 
only 
the 
district 
occupied 
by 
the 
Egypt­ 
ians. 
The 
last, 
the 
tenth 
plague, 
it 
was 
declared, 
should 
be 
common 
to 
the 
entire 
land 
of 
Egypt, 
including 
the 
part 
appor­ 
tioned 
to 
the 
Israelites, 
except 
as 
the 
latter 
should 
show 
faith 
and 
obedience 
by 
providing 
a 
sacrificial 
lamb, 
whose 
blood 
was 
to 
be 
sprinkled 
upon 
the 
sides 
and 
the 
lintels 
of 
their 
doorways 
and 
whose 
flesh 
was 
to 
be 
eaten 
in 
the 
same 
night, 
with 
bitter 
herbs 
and 
unleavened 
bread, 
the 
eaters 
standing 
staff 
in 
hand 
and 
girded 
ready 
for 
the 
journey-with 
full 
ex­ 
pectancy 
that 
the 
Lord 
would 
smite 
the 
first-born 
of 
the 
and 
not 
suffer 
the 
destroyer 
to 
smite 
you."-Exodus 
12: 
23. 
Egyptians 
with 
death 
and 
make 
them 
willing 
to 
let 
the 
Israel­ 
ites 
go, 
and 
with 
full 
faith 
also 
that 
they 
would 
share 
in 
this 
calamity 
were 
it 
not 
for 
the 
blood 
upon 
their 
door-posts 
and 
lintels. 
THE 
ANTITYPICAL 
PASSOVER 
LAMB 
The 
Israelites 
were 
commanded 
to 
celebrate 
this 
Passover 
as 
the 
first 
feature 
of 
the 
Jewish 
law 
and 
as 
one 
of 
their 
greatest 
memorials 
as 
a 
nation. 
As 
a 
matter 
of 
fact, 
we 
fin(l 
that 
in 
some 
degree 
the 
Passover 
is 
celebrated 
by 
Jews 
in 
all 
parts 
of 
the 
world-even 
by 
those 
who 
claim 
to 
be 
agnostics 
and 
infidels. 
They 
have 
a 
measure 
of 
respect 
for 
it 
as 
an 
a~cient 
custom. 
But 
is 
it 
not 
strange 
that, 
with 
the 
bright 
mlllds 
which 
many 
of 
them 
posse~s, 
our 
.It>wish 
fl'i"llCls 
han' 
never 
thought 
it 
worth 
while 
to 
inquire 
into 
the 
meaning 
of 
this 
celebration 
~ 
Why 
was 
the 
lamb 
slain 
and 
eaten 
~ 
Why 
was 
its 
blood 
sprinkled 
upon 
the 
door-posts 
and 
lintels~ 
Be­ 
cause 
God 
so 
commanded, 
of 
course; 
but 
what 
reason, 
motive, 
object 
or 
lesson 
was 
there 
behind 
the 
divine 
command 
~ 
Truly 
a 
reasonable 
God 
gives 
reasonable 
commands, 
and 
in 
due 
time 
will 
be 
willing 
that 
his 
faithful 
people 
should 
understand 
the 
significance 
of 
every 
requirement. 
Why 
are 
the 
Hebrews 
in­ 
different 
to 
this 
subject! 
Why 
does 
prejudice 
hold 
their 
minds~ 
Although 
Christianity 
has 
the 
answer 
to 
this 
question 
we 
regret 
that 
the 
majority 
of 
Christians, 
because 
of 
carelessness, 
are 
unable 
to 
give 
a 
reason 
and 
ground 
for 
any 
hope 
in 
con­ 
nection 
with 
this 
matter. 
If 
the 
Jew 
can 
realize 
that 
his 
Sabbath 
day 
is 
a 
type 
or 
foreshadowing 
of 
a 
coming 
Epoch 
of 
rest 
and 
blessing 
and 
release 
from 
toil, 
sorrow 
and 
death, 
why 
can 
he 
not 
see 
that 
similarly 
all 
the 
features 
of 
the 
Mosaic 
law 
institution 
were 
designed 
by 
the 
Lord 
to 
be 
foreshadowings 
of 
various 
blessings, 
to 
be 
bestowed 
in 
due 
time'! 
\\ 
1Iy 
C'llI 
lt 
not 
be 
discerned 
by 
all 
that 
the 
Passover 
lamb 
typifie(l, 
repre­ 
sented, 
the 
Lamb 
of 
God, 
that 
its 
death 
represented 
the 
death 
of 
Jesus, 
the 
Messiah' 
and 
that 
the 
sprinkling 
of 
its 
blood 
symbolizes, 
represents, 
the 
imputation 
of 
the 
merit 
of 
the 
death 
of 
Jesus 
to 
the 
entire 
household 
of 
faith, 
the 
passed­ 
over 
class 
~ 
Blessed 
are 
those 
whose 
eyes 
of 
faith 
see 
that 
Jesus 
was 
indeed 
"the 
Lamb 
of 
God 
that 
taketh 
away 
the 
sin 
of 
the 
world"-that 
the 
cancelation 
of 
the 
world's 
sin 
is 
effected 
by 
the 
payment 
of 
Adam's 
penalty-that 
as 
the 
whole 
world 
lost 
the 
favor 
of 
God 
and 
came 
under 
the 
divine 
sentence 
of 
death, 
with 
its 
concomitants 
of 
sorrow 
and 
pain, 
it 
was 
necessary 
before 
this 
sentence 
or 
curse 
could 
be 
removed 
that 
a 
satisfac­ 
tion 
of 
justice 
should 
be 
made; 
and 
that 
therefore, 
as 
the 
Apostle 
declares, 
Christ 
died 
for 
our 
sins-the 
just 
for 
the 
unjust, 
that 
he 
might 
bring 
us 
back 
to 
God. 
Thus 
he 
opened 
up 
"a 
new 
and 
living 
way"-a 
way 
to 
life 
everlasting. 
"A 
KIND 
OF 
FIRST-FRUITS" 
Those 
familiar 
with 
the 
Bible 
have 
noticed 
that 
therein 
the 
church 
of 
Christ 
is 
called 
"the 
church 
of 
the 
first-born," 
and 
again 
"a 
kind 
of 
first-fruits 
unto 
God 
of 
his 
creatures." 
(Heb. 
12:23; 
Jas. 
1:18; 
Rev. 
14:4) 
This 
implies 
others 
ulti­ 
mately 
of 
God's 
family 
later 
born-the 
after-fruits. 
Chris­ 
tian 
people 
seem 
to 
have 
overlooked 
these 
Scriptures 
so 
far 
as 
making 
application 
of 
them 
is 
concerned, 
and 
have 
generally 
come 
to 
believe 
that 
only 
those 
who 
are 
of 
the 
first-fruits 
will 
ever 
be 
saved, 
that 
there 
will 
be 
no 
after-fruits. 
But 
let 
us 
look 
at 
this 
type 
of 
the 
Passover-let 
us 
notice 
that 
it 
was 
God's 
purpose 
to 
save 
all 
Israelites, 
and 
that 
as 
a 
nation 
they 
represented 
all 
of 
mankind 
that 
will 
ever 
come 
into 
harmony 
with 
God 
and 
be 
granted 
eternal 
life 
in 
the 
Land 
of 
Promise. 
Let 
us 
notice 
also 
that 
there 
were 
two 
passovers. 
There 
wae 
a 
great 
one, 
when 
the 
whole 
nation 
by 
divine 
power 
was 
(50-67) 
[5640] 
EXTEND THE VOLUNTEER WORK The brethren everywhere are remarkable for their loving zeal for the Lord, his truth and the brethren. In no wav is this better shown than in what we term the Volunteer Work— the voluntary distribution of the Society’s free literature. No other Society on earth ever manifested so much self-denying zeal in such a manner. We feel disinclined to advise any inerease along this line. Nevertheless, it is ours to offer suggestions and indicate possibilities and supply the free literature, and yours, dear brethren, to determine the extent of your reasonable and possible service for the King of kings. We do know that there are millions of people in our home land who have never yet had a taste of the spiritual food, “meat in due season,” which has so greatly refreshed and strengthened us. Hundreds of cities and towns and villages have received no volunteer attention, It is for you to decide, Vou. XXXVI J BROOKLYN _N. Y, MARCH 1, 1915 individually and as classes, what you can do for these. One of our very best free papers has been widely distributed except in such places as suggested. It contains a most interesting article on “The True Basis for Human Equality,” another on “Battering Down the Walls of Hell,” and another showing that neither Pastor Russell nor the I. B. 8. A. taught “The End of the World in 1914,” but on the contrary that “the earth abideth forever.” We have 400,000 of these on hand for use in such previously unserved places. We will be glad to hear from all who are able and willing to join in this volunteer work, State the quantity desired and give shipping particulars. All charges will be prepaid. Mention No. 61, BIBLE STUDENTS MONTHLY, No. 5 THE BLOOD OF SPRINKLING OF THE PASSOVER “When He seeth the blood the Lord will pass over the door and not suffer the destroyer to smite you.”—Exodus 12:23, The Passover season, as celebrated by the Jews, draws near—heyinning this year on the 30th day of March (the 15th day of Nisan actually starting at 6 p. m. Monday, March 29th). But the interest of Christians centers especially in the slaying of the lamb, which preceded this Passover Feast. The Passover lamb was slain on the 14th day of the month Nisan, which date this year begins at 6 p. m. Sunday, March 28th. The Memorial of the death of the antitypical Passover Lamb, our Lord Jesus, which is celebrated on the same date, will therefore be observed by us on the evening of Sunday, March 28. How much we regret that while millions of Christians and Jews will in some formal ceremonies and in a perfunctory manner celebrate this great event of history but few of either religion discern the real significance of the celebration! THE PASSOVER INSTITUTED Could the minds of all these be awakened thoroughly to its true significance a religious revival would be started such as the world has never yet known. But alas! as the Apostle declares the god of this world has blinded the minds of many; and even some whose eyes of understanding are partially opened St. Peter describes as being blind and unable to see afar off or holden and unable to see the deep things of God in respect to these ceremonies which have been celebrated in the world for now more than 3500 years, And by the way it must be admitted even by Higher Critics and agnostics in general that an event so prominently marked so widely observed for so long a time must have a foundation in fact. There must have been just such an occurrence in Egypt; the first-born of Egypt must have perished in that tenth plague and the first-born of Israel must have been preserved from it—all who observed the injunction to remain under the blood—else this widespread celebration of the event would be inexplicable. We need not remind you of the particulars connected with the institution except to say that the Israelites were held in a measure of serfdom by the Egyptians and that when the time in the Lord's providence arrived for their deliverance their masters sought selfishly to maintain their bondage and refused to let them go forth to the land of Canaan. One after another the Lord sent during the year nine different plagues upon the people of Egypt relieving them of one after another when their king craved mercy and made promises which he afterwards broke. Finally, the servant of the Lord, Moses, announced a great, crowning disaster—that the first-born in every family of Egypt would die in one night, and that in the home of the humblest peasants as well as in the home of the king there would be great mourning, as a result of which they would be glad finally to yield and let the [sraelites go—yea, urge them to go, and in haste—lest the Lord should ultimately bring death upon the entire people if their king continued to harden his heart and resist the divine mandate. The first three plagues were common to all in Egypt, ineluding the district in which the Israelites resided. The next six plagues affected only the district occupied by the Egyptians. The last, the tenth plague, it was declared, should be common to the entire land of Egypt, including the part apportioned to the Israelites, except as the latter should show faith anit obedience by providing a sacrificial lamb, whose blood was to be sprinkled upon the sides and the lintels of their doorways and whose flesh was to be eaten in the same night, with bitter herbs and unleavened bread, the eaters standing staff in hand and girded ready for the journey—with full expectancy that the Lord would smite the first-born of the (50-67) Egyptians with death and make them willing to let the Israclites go, and with full faith also that they would share in this calamity were it not for the blood upon their door-posts and lintels. THE ANTITYPICAL PASSOVER LAMB The Israelites were commanded to eclebrate this Passover as the first feature of the Jewish law and as one of their greatest memorials as a nation. As a matter of fact, we find that in some degree the Passover is celebrated by Jews in all parts of the world—even by those who claim to be agnostics and infidels. They have a measure of respect for it as an ancient custom. But is it not strange that, with the bright minds which many of them possess, our Jewish friends have never thought it worth while to inquire into the meaning of this celebration? Why was the lamb slain and eaten? Why was its blood sprinkled upon the door-posts and lintels? Because God so commanded, of course; but what reason, motive, object or lesson was there behind the divine command? Truly a reasonable God gives reasonable commands, and in due time will be willing that his faithful people should understand the significance of every requirement. Why are the Hebrews indifferent to this subject? Why does prejudice hold their minds? Although Christianity has the answer to this question we regret that the majority of Christians, because of carelessness, are unable to give a reason and ground for any hope in connection with this matter. If the Jew can realize that his Sabbath day is a type or foreshadowing of a coming Epoch of rest and blessing and release from toil, sorrow and death, why can he not see that similarly all the features of the Mosaic law institution were designed by the Lord to be foreshadowings of various blessings, to be bestowed in due time? Why ean it not be discerned by all that the Passover lamb typified, represented, the Lamb of God, that its death represented the death of Jesus, the Messiah? and that the sprinkling of its blood symbolizes, represents, the imputation of the merit of the death of Jesus to the entire household of faith, the passedover class? Blessed are those whose eyes of faith see that Jesus was indeed “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world”—that the cancelation of the world’s sin is effected by the payment of Adam’s penalty—that as the whole world lost the favor of God and came under the divine sentence of death, with its concomitants of sorrow and pain, it was necessary before this sentence or curse could be removed that a satisfaction of justice should be made; and that therefore, as the Apostle declares, Christ died for our sins—the just for the unjust, that he might bring us back to God. Thus he opened up “a new and living way”’—a way to life everlasting. ‘“‘A KIND OF FIRST-FRUITS’’ Those familiar with the Bible have noticed that therein the church of Christ is called “the church of the first-born,” and again “a kind of first-fruits unto God of his creatures.” (Heb. 12:23; Jas. 1:18; Rev. 14:4) This implies others ultimately of God’s family later born—the after-fruits. Christian people seem to have overlooked these Scriptures so far as making application of them is concerned, and have generally come to believe that only those who are of the first-fruits will ever be saved, that there will be no after-fruits. But let us look at this type of the Passover—let us notice that it was God’s purpose to save all Israelites, and that as a nation they represented all of mankind that will ever come into harmony with God and be granted eternal life in the Land of Promise. Let us notice also that there were two passovers. There was a great one, when the whole nation by divine power was [5640]

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