Publication date
7/1/16
Volume
37
Number
13
The WatchTower
Signs of the Presence of the King
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1916/13/1916-13-2.html
 
JULY 
1. 
1916 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(196-197) 
realize 
this; 
for 
this 
kingdom 
cometh 
not 
with 
outward 
ob­ 
servation-with 
outward 
show 
and 
display. 
Therefore 
they 
cannot 
say, 
"Lo, 
here," 
or 
"Lo, 
there." 
In 
spite 
of 
the 
awful 
war 
now 
raging, 
growing 
fiercer 
and 
more 
deadly 
every 
day, 
these 
continue 
to 
hope 
for 
peace, 
try­ 
ing 
to 
convince 
themselves 
and 
others 
that 
the 
trouble 
must 
800n 
be 
brought 
to 
an 
end, 
and 
that 
matters 
will 
then 
go 
on 
as 
formerly. 
They 
blind 
themselves 
to 
the 
true 
conditions 
and 
refuse 
to 
believe 
that 
God 
has 
determined 
to 
permit 
this 
trouble 
to 
spread 
and 
involve 
the 
entire 
world 
and 
to 
bring 
about 
the 
utter 
overthrow 
of 
the 
present 
order 
of 
things. 
Selfishness, 
pTide 
and 
love 
of 
money 
have 
closed 
their 
eyes. 
We 
give 
here 
an 
extract 
from 
a 
poem 
written 
some 
years 
ago 
by 
a 
Christian 
minister, 
which 
forcefully 
describes 
present 
conditions 
and 
the 
judgment 
of 
God 
which 
is 
now 
to 
be 
visited 
upon 
the 
world 
for 
their 
lasting 
good: 
"Woe 
to 
the 
Age 
when 
gold 
is 
god, 
and 
law 
a 
solemn 
jest, 
That 
helps 
the 
boldly 
vile 
to 
crush 
the 
noblest 
and 
the 
best! 
When 
Mammon 
o'er 
cheap 
millions 
flings 
his 
gilded 
harness 
strong, 
And 
drives 
them 
tame 
beneath 
his 
lash 
down 
broad 
high­ 
ways 
of 
wTong; 
While 
Truth's 
shNll 
clarion 
dow!) 
the 
sky 
peals 
faintly 
o'er 
the 
rout, 
And 
dust 
and 
fumes 
of 
earth 
and 
sin 
shut 
Heaven's 
blest 
sunlight 
out! 
Then 
look 
for 
lightning 
!--God's 
red 
bolts 
must 
cleave 
the 
stifling 
gloom, 
In 
righteous 
wrath 
to 
purge 
the 
world 
in 
Sodom's 
fearful 
doom! 
" 
But 
we 
are 
thankful 
that 
while 
the 
judgments 
of 
a 
right­ 
eous 
God 
against 
sin 
must 
come 
at 
this 
time, 
yet 
the 
ultimate 
results 
will 
be 
glurious, 
when 
the 
world 
will 
come 
forth 
chastened, 
subdued, 
purified 
by 
the 
awful 
baptism 
of 
fire 
and 
blood; 
when 
they 
shall 
come 
to 
see 
that 
sin, 
selfishness, 
and 
uOITuption 
have 
wrought 
their 
legitimate 
outcome. 
Then 
mankind 
will 
be 
ready 
to 
cry 
to 
the 
Lord 
and 
to 
long 
for 
his 
deliverance, 
and 
he 
will 
be 
entreated 
of 
them 
and 
will 
lift 
them 
up 
and 
bless 
them. 
But 
the 
coming 
o,f 
the 
King 
means 
much 
trouble 
and 
the 
general 
overturning 
of 
the 
kingdoms 
of 
this 
world 
which, 
while 
professing 
to 
be 
kingdoms 
of 
God, 
are 
really 
under 
the 
uontrol 
of 
the 
"prince 
of 
this 
world," 
Satan, 
"the 
prince 
of 
the 
power 
of 
the 
air, 
the 
spirit 
that 
now 
worketh 
in 
the 
chil­ 
cIrrn 
of 
di 
.. 
;obrdience." 
(John 
14:30; 
16:11; 
Ephesians 
2:2) 
It 
means 
the 
shaking 
of 
society 
in 
a 
manner 
and 
to 
an 
extent 
nrnr 
before 
known, 
and 
as 
thoroughly 
that 
another 
shaking 
will 
never 
be 
necessary. 
(Hebrews 
12: 
26, 
27) 
It 
means 
the 
breaking 
in 
piccps 
of 
the 
empires 
and 
governments 
of 
the 
world 
as 
a 
potter's 
vessel. 
It 
means 
the 
passing 
away 
of 
the 
present 
eeelesiastieal 
"heavens," 
and 
the 
fall 
of 
many 
of 
its 
bright 
"stars." 
At 
present 
the 
sunlight 
of 
the 
true 
Gospel, 
and 
the 
moonlight 
of 
the 
law 
with 
its 
types 
and 
shadows, 
are 
obscured 
by 
the 
thick 
clouds 
of 
worldly 
wisdom. 
"The 
sun 
shall 
be 
turned 
into 
darkness, 
the 
moon 
into 
blood."--Joel 
2:30, 
31. 
While 
many 
would 
rejoice 
to 
see 
society 
relieved 
of 
many 
of 
its 
selfish, 
life-sapping 
ulcers, 
they 
seem 
to 
realize 
that 
so 
just 
and 
impartial 
a 
Judge 
as 
the 
Lord 
himself 
might 
cut 
off 
certain 
long-cherished 
sins 
to 
which 
they 
desire 
to 
cling; 
they 
fear 
to 
have 
their 
personal 
selfishness 
touched. 
And 
their 
fears 
are 
well-founded. 
He 
will 
bring 
to 
light 
all 
the 
hidden 
things 
of 
darkness, 
and 
correct 
and 
suppress 
private 
as 
well 
as 
public 
sin 
and 
selfishness. 
He 
will 
expose 
depths 
of 
cor­ 
ruption 
never 
before 
realized. 
He 
will 
make 
"Justice 
the 
line 
and 
righteousness 
the 
plummet; 
and 
the 
hail 
shall 
sweep 
a 
way 
the 
refuge 
of 
lies, 
and 
the 
waters 
shall 
overtiow 
the 
hid­ 
ing 
place." 
(R. 
V.) 
He 
will 
"bring 
down 
them 
that 
dwell 
on 
high, 
the 
lofty 
city 
[Babylon] 
he 
layeth 
low, 
... 
even 
to 
the 
dust." 
He 
will 
bring 
down 
them 
who 
have 
"made 
lies 
their 
refuge."_Isaiah 
28: 
15, 
17, 
18; 
26: 
5, 
6. 
LIFT 
UP 
TRUTH'S 
GLORIOUS 
BANNER 
I 
It 
is 
written 
that 
the 
day 
of 
the 
Lord 
would 
eo 
me 
as 
a 
thief 
and 
a 
snare 
upon 
the 
whole 
world, 
and 
that 
only 
God's 
fully 
consecrated 
chureh 
would 
be 
in 
the 
light 
and 
not 
be 
taken 
unawares. 
Many 
of 
the 
consecrated 
have 
been 
deeei':ed 
by 
looking 
for 
the 
heavenly 
King 
to 
come 
again 
in 
the 
tiesh. 
They 
forgot 
that 
the 
only 
reason 
for 
his 
coming 
in 
the 
tiesh 
at 
his 
first 
advent 
was 
"for 
the 
suffering 
of 
death" 
as 
man';;; 
corresponding-price; 
and 
that 
now 
he 
is 
highly 
exalted, 
a 
glorious 
spirit 
Being. 
"He 
was 
put 
to 
death 
in 
flesh, 
but 
madp 
alive 
in 
spirit." 
(1 
Peter 
3: 
18) 
They 
forgot 
that 
the 
Apos­ 
tle 
Paul 
also 
said, 
"Though 
we 
have 
known 
Christ 
after 
the 
flesh, 
yet 
henceforth 
know 
we 
him 
[so] 
no 
more." 
(2 
Corinth. 
ians 
5: 
16) 
The 
true 
children 
of 
God 
are 
eoming 
more 
and 
more 
to 
see 
how 
the 
J\'Iaster 
eomes 
at 
his 
second 
advent, 
and 
are 
not 
expecting 
to 
see 
him 
in 
the 
flesh 
and 
with 
their 
natural 
eyes. 
"Ve 
who 
know 
that 
the 
King 
of 
Glory 
and 
his 
blessed 
king­ 
dom 
are 
the 
only 
remedy 
for 
the 
wrongs 
and 
woes 
of 
man 
should 
be 
pointing 
the 
groaningcrpation 
to 
this 
kingdom, 
rather 
than 
to 
the 
poultices 
of 
their 
own 
contriving 
whieh 
ean 
do 
no 
real 
good. 
Tell 
them 
the 
meaning 
of 
present 
world­ 
wide 
conditions, 
and 
how, 
beyond 
the 
troubles 
now 
oversprp:td­ 
inO' 
the 
world, 
will 
come 
the 
glorious 
times 
of 
restitution 
fore­ 
tofd 
bv 
all 
the 
holy 
prophets 
since 
the 
world 
began. 
Tell 
them 
that 
the 
death 
of 
Jesus 
was 
the 
redemption-price 
for 
the 
pn­ 
tire 
race 
of 
Adam, 
and 
that 
his 
return 
is 
for 
the 
purpose 
not 
only 
of 
delivering 
his 
church, 
but 
to 
bind 
Satan 
and 
set 
free 
all 
his 
captives, 
including 
all 
who 
are 
in 
the 
graves, 
giving 
all 
who 
will 
an 
opportunity 
to 
eome 
into 
the 
liberty 
of 
sons 
of 
God, 
undpr 
the 
terms 
of 
the 
Xew 
Covenant, 
soon 
to 
be 
es­ 
tablished. 
SEEKING 
MEMBERSHIP 
IN 
GOD'S 
KINGDOM 
"Seek 
ye 
first 
the 
kingdom 
of 
God 
and 
his 
righteousness."-Matthew 
6: 
33. 
At 
the 
]J('ginning 
of 
our 
Lord's 
earthly 
ministry 
the 
Jew- 
h(' 
had 
cOlls<'eLlted 
himself 
a 
sanifiee 
for 
sin, 
whieh 
\vould 
ish 
nation 
wen' 
in\ 
ited 
to 
beeomc 
the 
kingdom 
of 
God. 
The 
('onstitute 
a 
basis 
for 
the 
establishment 
of 
the 
killgdom 
on 
offer 
of 
God's 
phief 
blessing 
was 
"to 
the 
Jew 
first." 
For 
earth. 
many 
epnturies 
they 
had 
been 
God's 
special 
peoplt'. 
They 
had 
TRUE 
AND 
FALSE 
IDEAS 
OF 
THE 
KINGDOM 
bet'n 
called 
to 
be 
unto 
God 
"a 
kingdom 
of 
priests 
and 
an 
holy 
The 
sermon 
on 
the 
Mount. 
from 
which 
our 
text 
is 
taken. 
nation"-a 
peculiar 
treasure 
unto 
God, 
composed 
of 
a 
priestly 
points 
out 
the 
earnestness 
and 
singleness 
of 
hpart 
necessary 
dass 
and 
a 
chosen, 
holy 
people. 
(Exodus 
19: 
5, 
6) 
We 
do 
not 
in 
those 
who 
would 
become 
membcrs 
of 
the 
kingdom 
dass. 
understand 
that 
all 
Israel 
from 
the 
time 
of 
the 
giving 
of 
the 
The 
Master 
intimates 
that 
not 
all 
of 
this 
favored 
nation 
who 
law 
could 
have 
been 
of 
the 
heavenly 
kingdom, 
however 
faith- 
heard 
his 
nwssage 
would 
be 
ready 
to 
aeeept 
it. 
Many 
\vere 
ful 
they 
have 
bpell. 
Xone 
could 
be 
of 
this 
kingdom 
class 
be- 
absorbed 
in 
the 
things 
of 
this 
lifL~in 
what 
they 
wou1d 
Pilt, 
fore 
Jesus 
pame 
to 
earth; 
for 
he 
was 
the 
Forerunner 
of 
this 
what 
they 
would 
drink, 
what 
they 
would 
wear. 
But 
in 
ordpr 
plass. 
The 
offer 
was 
made 
to 
the 
Jews 
of 
his 
day. 
But 
those 
to 
be 
ready 
to 
reueive 
the 
proffered 
blessing, 
in 
ordpr 
to 
be 
of 
the 
nation 
who 
lived 
previolh;ly, 
and 
who 
had 
been 
faithful 
aecpptable 
to 
God, 
they 
must 
make 
the 
kingdom, 
their 
first 
to 
God, 
truc 
to 
their 
covenant, 
shall 
be 
greatly 
blessed 
of 
the 
intere;;;t. 
"Seek 
ye 
first 
the 
kingdom 
of 
GOll 
and 
his 
righteous- 
Lord 
on 
the 
human 
plane. 
They 
shall 
be 
used 
to 
bless 
all 
na- 
ness," 
enjoined 
the 
Savior, 
not 
the 
earthly 
things. 
If 
the 
tions 
undpr 
spiritual 
Israel-the 
kingdom 
of 
God 
now 
being 
kingdom 
wa;;; 
made 
first, 
all 
their 
earthly 
needs 
would 
be 
sup- 
.set 
lip. 
plicd; 
"All 
these 
things 
shall 
be 
added 
unto 
you," 
was 
his 
God's 
special 
favor 
to 
the 
people 
of 
natural 
Israel 
in 
choos- 
promise. 
lng 
thl'm 
above 
any 
other 
nation 
was 
especially 
because 
they 
Not 
many 
of 
the 
Jews 
were 
ready 
for 
so 
(lrastie 
a 
Teacht>r. 
were 
the 
seed 
of 
his 
faithful 
friend, 
Abraham. 
God 
had 
prom- 
They 
had 
their 
own 
plans-business 
plans, 
pulitieal 
plans, 
ised 
Abraham 
that 
because 
of 
his 
faith 
and 
obedience 
his 
seed 
social 
functions. 
Hence 
this 
invitation 
of 
Jesus 
to 
leave 
all 
flhould 
be 
blessed. 
It 
was 
not 
because 
they 
were 
of 
themselves 
to 
obtain 
a 
kingdom 
of 
which 
thcy 
knew 
nothing 
and 
which 
holier 
or 
better 
than 
other 
peoples. 
(See 
Exodus 
32 
:9-13; 
seempd 
so 
intangible 
did 
not 
find 
a 
very 
ready 
respon~e. 
The 
Deuteronomy 
9: 
4-8) 
But 
for 
their 
fathers' 
sakes 
God 
chose 
twelve 
apostles 
were 
among 
the 
first 
to 
accept 
his 
offer. 
At 
them 
to 
be 
his 
people. 
the 
time 
of 
,Jesus' 
death, 
something 
over 
five 
hundred 
had 
At 
our 
Lord's 
first 
advent 
the 
time 
had 
come 
for 
the 
offer 
joined 
themselves 
to 
him 
as 
his 
disciples. 
Of 
these 
we 
are 
of 
membership 
in 
the 
kingdom, 
for 
the 
testing 
of 
the 
whole 
told 
that 
one 
hundred 
and 
twenty 
w('re 
gathered 
in 
the 
upper 
nation 
of 
Israel, 
to 
prove 
whether 
they 
were 
ready 
for 
this 
room 
on 
the 
day 
of 
Pentecost, 
where 
they 
received 
the 
be- 
l-hoice 
blessing. 
Jesus 
was 
the 
One 
to 
offer 
this 
kingdom; 
for 
getting 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit. 
After 
Pentecost 
some 
thousands 
VII-7 
[5917] 
Juny 1, 1916 realize this; for this kingdom cometh not with outward observation—with outward show and display. Therefore they cannot say, “Lo, here,” or “Lo, there.” In spite of the awful war now raging, growing fiercer and more deadly every day, these continue to hope for peace, trying to convince themselves and others that the trouble must soon be brought to an end, and that matters will then go on as formerly. They blind themselves to the true conditions and refuse to believe that God has determined to permit this trouble to spread and involve the entire world and to bring about the utter overthrow of the present order of things. Selfishness, pride and love of money have closed their eyes. We give here an extract from a poem written some years ago by a Christian minister, which forcefully describes present conditions and the judgment of God which is now to be visited upon the world for their lasting good: “Woe to the Age when gold is god, and law a solemn jest, That helps the boldly vile to crush the noblest and the best! When Mammon o’er cheap millions flings his gilded harness strong, And drives them tame beneath his lash down broad high ‘ways of wrong; While Truth’s shnill clarion down the sky peals faintly o’er the rout, And dust and fumes of earth and sin shut Heaven’s blest sunlight out! Then look for lightning!—God’s red bolts must cleave the stifling gloom, In righteous wrath to purge the world in Sodom’s fearful doom!” But we are thankful that while the judgments of a righteous God against sin must come at this time, yet the ultimate results will be glorious, when the world will come forth chastened, subdued, purified by the awful baptism of fire and blood; when they shall come to see that sin, selfishness, and corruption have wrought their legitimate outcome. Then mankind will be ready to ery to the Lord and to long for his deliverance, and he will be entreated of them and will lift them up and bless them. But the coming of the King means much trouble and the general overturning of the kingdoms of this world which, while professing to be kingdoms of God, are really under the control of the “prince of this world,” Satan, “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” (John 14:30; 16:11; Ephesians 2:2) It means the shaking of society in a manner and to an extent never before known, and ag thoroughly that another shaking will never be necessary. (Hebrews 12:26, 27) It means the breaking in pieces of the empires and governments of the world as a potter’s vessel. It means the passing away of the present ecclesiastical “heavens,” and the fall of many of its THE WATCH TOWER (196-197) bright “stars.” At present the sunlight of the true Gospel, and the moonlight of the law with its types and shadows, are obscured by the thick clouds of worldly wisdom. ‘‘The sun shall be turned into darkness, the moon into blood.”—Joel 2:30, 31. While many would rejoice to see society relieved of many of its selfish, life-sapping ulcers, they seem to realize that so just and impartial a Judge as the Lord himself might cut off certain long-cherished sins to which they desire to cling; they fear to have their personal selfishness touched. And their fears are well-founded. He will bring to ight all the hidden things of darkness, and correct and suppress private as well as publie sin and selfishness. He will expose depths of corruption never before realized. He will make “Justice the line and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overtlow the hiding place.’ (R. V.) He will “bring down them that dwell on high, the lofty city [Babylon] he layeth low, ... even to the dust.” He will bring down them who have ‘made lies their refuge.”’—Isaiah 28:15, 17, 18; 26:5, 6. LIFT UP TRUTH’S GLORIOUS BANNER! It is written that the day of the Lord would come as a thief and a snare upon the whole world, and that only God’s fully consecrated church would be in the light and not be taken unawares. Many of the consecrated have been deceived by looking for the heavenly King to come again in the flesh. They forgot that the only reason for his coming in the flesh at his first advent was “for the suffering of death” as man’s eorresponding-price; and that now he is highly exalted, a glorious spirit Being. ‘“He was put to death in flesh, but made alive in spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18) They forgot that the Apostle Paul also said, “Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet. henceforth know we him [so] no more.” (2 Corinthians 5:16) The true children of God are coming more and more to see how the Master comes at his second advent, and are not expecting to see him in the flesh and with their natural eyes. y We who know that the King of Glory and his blessed king dom are the only remedy for the wrongs and woes of man should be pointing the groaning creation to this kingdom, rather than to the poultices of their own contriving which can do no real good. Tell them the meaning of present worldwide conditions, and how, beyond the troubles now overspreading the world, will come the glorious times of restitution foretold by all the holy prophets since the world began. Tell them that the death of Jesus was the redemption-price for the entire race of Adam, and that his return is for the purpose not only of delivering his church, but to bind Satan and set free all his captives, including all who are in the graves, giving all who will an opportunity to come into the liberty of sons of God, under the terms of the New Covenant, soon to be established. SEEKING MEMBERSHIP IN GOD’S KINGDOM “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.”—Matthew 6:33. At the beginning of our Lord’s earthly ministry the Jewish nation were invited to become the kingdom of God. The offer of God’s chief blessing was ‘to the Jew first.” For many centuries they had been God’s special people. They had been called to be unto God “a kingdom of priests and an holy nation”—a peculiar treasure unto God, composed of a priestly class and a chosen, holy people. (Exodus 19:5, 6} We do not understand that all Israel from the time of the giving of the law could have been of the heavenly kingdom, however faithful they have been. None could be of this kingdom class before Jesus came to earth; for he was the Forerunner of this class. The offer was made to the Jews of his day. But those of the nation who lived previously, and who had been faithful to God, true to their covenant, shall be greatly blessed of the Lord on the human plane. They shall be used to bless all nations under spiritual Israel—the kingdom of God now being set up. God’s special favor to the people of natural Israel in choosing them above any other nation was especially because they were the seed of his faithful friend, Abraham, God had promised Abraham that because of his faith and obedience his seed should be blessed. It was not because they were of themselves holier or better than other peoples. (See Exodus 32:9-13; Deuteronomy 9:4-8) But for their fathers’ sakes God chose them to be his people. At our Lord’s first advent the time had come for the offer of membership in the kingdom, for the testing of the whole nation of Israel, to prove whether they were ready for this choice blessing. Jesus was the One to offer this kingdom; for Vil—7 he had consecrated himself a sacrifice for sin, which would constitute a basis for the establishment of the kingdom on earth. TRUE AND FALSE IDEAS OF THE KINGDOM The sermon on the Mount, from which our text is taken, points out the earnestness and singleness of heart necessary in those who would become members of the kingdom class. The Master intimates that not all of this favored nation who heard his message would be ready to accept it. Many were absorbed in the things of this life—in what they would eat, what they would drink, what they would wear. But in order to be ready to receive the proffered blessing, in order to be acceptable to God, they must make the kingdom, their first interest. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” enjoined the Savior, not the earthly things. If the kingdom was made first, all their earthly needs would be supplied; “All these things shall be added unto you,” was his promise. Not many of the Jews were ready for so drastic a Teacher. They had their own plans—business plans, political plans, social functions. Hence this invitation of Jesus to leave all to obtain a kingdom of which they knew nothing and which seemed so intangible did not find a very ready response, The twelve apostles were among the first to accept his offer. At the time of Jesus’ death, something over five hundred had joined themselves to him as his disciples. Of these we are told that one hundred and twenty were gathered in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, where they received the begetting of the holy Spirit. After Pentecost some thousands [5917]

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