Publication date
1/15/16
Volume
37
Number
2
The WatchTower
"Lord, Teach Us to Pray"
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1916/2/1916-2-1.html
 
 
(14-19) 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
BROOKI,YN. 
N. 
Y. 
divine 
power 
and 
made 
their 
message 
the 
more 
impressive. 
The 
essence 
of 
the 
preaching 
was 
that 
Jesus 
who 
had 
been 
crucified, 
had 
risen 
from 
the 
dead 
and 
had 
now 
shed 
forth 
this 
miraculous 
power 
upon 
his 
followers. 
This 
led 
to 
the 
mention 
of 
the 
prophecy 
of 
David 
which 
foretold 
the 
resur­ 
rection 
of 
Messiah, 
saying, 
"Thou 
wilt 
not 
leave 
my 
soul 
in 
Sheol"-Hades. 
(Psalm 
16:10; 
Acts 
2:27) 
The 
apostles 
pointed 
out 
that 
this 
was 
fulfilled 
in 
Jesus, 
in 
that 
God 
raised 
him 
from 
the 
dead; 
but 
that 
it 
was 
never 
fulfilled 
in 
the 
Prophet 
David, 
who 
on 
the 
contrary 
was 
still 
dead 
in 
his 
sepulchre, 
awaiting 
resurrection. 
David, 
as 
a 
prophet, 
had 
merely 
foretold 
the 
resurrection 
of 
Jesus. 
With 
the 
various 
details 
the 
preaching 
went 
on, 
explain­ 
ing 
the 
righteousness 
of 
Jesus, 
the 
beauties 
of 
his 
teaching, 
the 
wickedness 
of 
those 
who 
had 
crucified 
him 
without 
a 
cause, 
and 
showing 
how 
the 
entire 
Jewish 
nation 
was 
guilty 
before 
&od, 
because 
as 
a 
people 
they 
were 
bound 
by 
their 
Law 
Covenant 
and 
the 
action 
of 
their 
officials 
had 
brought 
condemnation 
and 
guilt 
upon 
the 
whole 
people. 
Three 
thousand 
believed. 
The 
case 
was 
so 
plain 
that 
they 
were 
pricked 
to 
the 
heart-they 
realized 
that 
Jesus 
was 
the 
Son 
of 
God, 
and 
that 
a 
great 
crime 
had 
been 
committed 
in 
crucifying 
him. 
With 
fear 
and 
sorrow 
they 
cried 
out, 
"What 
shall 
we 
do 
1" 
The 
answer 
was, 
"Re­ 
pent"-God 
is 
gracious; 
He 
will 
forgive 
you. 
In 
further 
ex­ 
planation, 
they 
were 
told 
that 
they 
and 
their 
rulers 
had 
done 
this 
wicked 
deed 
in 
ignorance, 
and 
that 
God 
would 
very 
gra­ 
ciously 
forgive 
those 
who 
would 
acknowledge 
their 
sin 
and 
call 
upon 
him 
for 
forgiveness. 
They 
did 
so; 
they 
made 
a 
conse­ 
cration 
of 
their 
lives 
to 
God, 
and 
became 
followers 
of 
Jesus. 
DIVINE 
FAVOR 
ABOUT 
TO 
RETURN 
TO 
ISRAEL 
The 
Bible 
declares 
that 
the 
Jewish 
people, 
because 
of 
their 
rejection 
of 
Messiah, 
were 
cut 
off 
from 
God's 
favor. 
Never­ 
theless 
the 
time 
is 
at 
hand 
when 
they 
shall 
be 
brought 
back 
again 
to 
the 
favor 
of 
God. 
Their 
eyes 
have 
been 
holden 
for 
more 
than 
eighteen 
centuries 
now, 
as 
are 
the 
eyes 
of 
the 
world 
in 
general. 
Only 
the 
few 
have 
the 
eyes 
of 
their 
understanding 
open 
to 
see 
the 
truth 
respecting 
these 
matters. 
St. 
Paul 
avers 
this, 
saying, 
"The 
god 
of 
this 
world 
hath 
blinded 
the 
minds 
of 
them 
that 
believe 
not."-2 
Corinthians 
4: 
4. 
But 
through 
the 
Prophet, 
God 
has 
assured 
us 
that 
in 
due 
time 
all 
the 
blind 
eyes 
will 
be 
opened 
and 
all 
the 
deaf 
ears 
will 
be 
unstopped. 
(Isaiah 
35:5) 
To 
the 
Jew 
first, 
and 
also 
to 
the 
Gentile, 
will 
eventually 
come 
a 
full 
knowledge 
of 
the 
grace 
of 
God 
through 
Christ. 
It 
will 
then 
be 
for 
them 
to 
ac­ 
cept 
or 
reject 
intelligently. 
The 
rejectors 
will 
be 
wicked 
in 
a 
sense 
that 
none 
of 
the 
world 
are 
wicked 
now, 
because 
their 
wrong-doings 
are 
largely 
based 
upon 
ignorance 
and 
supersti­ 
tion. 
When 
brought 
to 
the 
full 
light, 
their 
crisis, 
or 
judgment, 
will 
be 
to 
everlasting 
life 
if 
they 
accept 
and 
obey 
the 
Lord, 
or 
to 
everlasting 
death 
if 
they 
sin 
against 
and 
wilfully 
re­ 
ject 
the 
light 
and 
opportunities 
of 
that 
blessed 
Millennial 
day. 
Respecting 
the 
Jews 
in 
that 
coming 
time, 
it 
is 
written 
that 
they 
shall 
look 
upon 
him 
whom 
they 
pierced, 
and 
mourn 
be­ 
cause 
of 
him; 
and 
that 
the 
Lord 
at 
that 
time 
will 
pour 
upon 
them 
the 
spirit 
of 
prayer 
and 
of 
supplication. 
(Zechariah 
12 
:8-10) 
But 
that 
return 
of 
God's 
favor 
to 
natural 
Israel 
will 
not 
come 
until 
spiritual 
Israel 
shall 
first 
have 
been 
com­ 
pleted. 
Bible 
students 
believe 
that 
we 
are 
now 
at 
the 
dawning 
of 
the 
new 
dilfpensation, 
that 
the 
church 
class 
will 
soon 
be 
completed 
and 
glorified 
with 
the 
Savior 
in 
his 
kingdom, 
and 
that 
then, 
forthwith, 
God's 
mercy 
will 
begin 
to 
operate 
toward 
the 
Jews 
again. 
This 
seems 
to 
be 
the 
clear 
teaching 
of 
St. 
Paul 
in 
Romans 
11 
:25-32. 
THE 
OURSE 
TO 
BE 
BOLLED 
AWAY 
Another 
item 
of 
special 
importance 
in 
the 
lesson 
is 
that 
the 
Hell 
to 
which 
Jesus 
went 
was 
not 
hell-fire, 
but 
the 
grave, 
the 
state 
of 
death. 
God 
did 
not 
raise 
him 
up 
from 
the 
fire, 
but 
raised 
him 
from 
Lde 
dead. 
We 
are 
to 
remember 
that 
the 
same 
word-hell, 
sheol, 
hades-is 
used 
in 
the 
Bible 
respecting 
all 
mankind. 
All 
the 
good 
and 
the 
bad-old 
and 
young, 
male 
and 
female, 
of 
every 
nation-go 
down 
to 
the 
Bible 
hell; 
and 
according 
to 
the 
Bible 
they 
sleep 
there, 
awaiting 
the 
resurrec­ 
tion 
morning 
and 
the 
awakening 
of 
all 
the 
dead-"every 
man 
in 
his 
own 
order"-not 
all 
at 
once.-l 
Corinthians 
15:23. 
The 
Bible 
represents 
that 
we 
are 
now 
in 
a 
night 
time, 
in 
which 
Satan 
is 
"the 
prince 
of 
this 
world," 
and 
sin 
and 
death 
reign. 
But 
it 
pictures 
the 
new 
dispensation 
of 
Messiah's 
king­ 
dom 
as 
the 
glorious 
dawning 
of 
the 
new 
day 
of 
blessing 
for 
mankind, 
in 
which 
the 
curse 
of 
sin 
and 
death 
will 
be 
rolled 
away 
and 
the 
blessing 
of 
the 
Lord 
through 
Messiah's 
Kingdom 
will 
extend 
to 
every 
member 
of 
the 
race, 
giving 
all 
an 
oppor­ 
tunity 
for 
eternal 
life. 
This 
will 
not 
be 
the 
same 
opportunity 
that 
is 
granted 
to 
the 
church 
at 
the 
present 
time-not 
an 
op­ 
portunity 
for 
glory, 
honor 
and 
immortality 
on 
the 
spirit 
plane, 
as 
the 
church 
nave-but 
an 
opportunity 
of 
returning 
to 
human 
perfection, 
to 
all 
that 
was 
lost 
in 
Eden 
and 
redeemed 
at 
Cal­ 
vary. 
Here 
we 
note 
the 
beauty 
of 
the 
21st 
verse-our 
Golden 
Text. 
The 
death 
of 
Jesus 
guarantees 
that 
all 
who 
will 
call 
upon 
the 
Lord 
in 
sincerity 
of 
heart 
will 
be 
saved 
from 
sin 
and 
death. 
It 
guarantees 
that 
all 
shall 
be 
brought 
to 
the 
condi­ 
tion 
where 
they 
will 
understand 
sufficiently 
to 
desire 
to 
call 
for 
this 
blessing. 
The 
heathen, 
the 
majority 
of 
people 
of 
civilized 
lands, 
and 
the 
Jews, 
have 
no 
such 
hearing 
ears 
now. 
Only 
the 
few 
out 
of 
every 
nation 
have 
yet 
received 
this 
great 
bless­ 
ing. 
Only 
these, 
brought 
back 
into 
relationship 
with 
God, 
have 
yet 
been 
rescued 
from 
their 
alienated 
condition; 
and 
they 
are 
to 
be 
ultimately 
saved 
in 
the 
first 
resurrection, 
to 
glory, 
honor, 
immortality 
and 
a 
share 
in 
the 
kingdom 
of 
Messiah. 
Through 
these, 
ultimately 
the 
blessing 
of 
light 
and 
knowledge 
and 
up­ 
lifting 
influences 
will 
reach 
every 
member 
of 
the 
race, 
to 
af­ 
ford 
all 
an 
opportunity 
for 
life 
everlasting 
in 
a 
world-wide 
Eden. 
OASTLES 
Let 
them 
that 
would 
build 
castles 
in 
the 
aiT, 
Vault 
thither, 
without 
step 
or 
stair; 
Instead 
of 
feet 
to 
climb, 
take 
wings 
to 
fly, 
And 
think 
their 
turrets 
top 
the 
sky. 
But 
let 
me 
lay 
all 
my 
foundatiollB 
deep, 
And 
learn, 
before 
I 
run, 
to 
creep. 
Who 
digs 
through 
rocks 
to 
lay 
his 
ground-works 
low, 
May 
in 
good 
time 
build 
high 
and 
sure, 
though 
slow. 
CHRISTOPHER 
HARVEY. 
VOL. 
XXXVII 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
JANUARY 
15, 
1916 
"LORD. 
TEACH 
US 
TO 
PRAY" 
"Pray 
without 
ceasing; 
i.n 
everything 
give 
thanks."-l 
Thessalonians 
5: 
17, 
18. 
No.2 
In 
the 
beginning, 
when 
Adam 
was 
in 
harmony 
with 
God, 
he 
was 
in 
the 
condition 
represented 
in 
the 
Scriptures 
as 
cove­ 
nant 
relationship 
with 
God. 
The 
Word 
declares 
that 
Adam 
broke 
this 
holy 
covenant. 
(Hosea 
6: 
7, 
margin) 
He 
became 
II. 
sinner; 
and 
his 
children, 
born 
later, 
were 
sinners 
with 
him, 
through 
heredity. 
Instead 
of 
being 
born 
in 
covenant 
relation­ 
ship 
wi,th 
God, 
the 
children 
of 
Adam 
were 
born 
aliens. 
Hut 
God 
has 
had 
dealings 
with 
a 
few 
who 
exeroised 
special 
faith 
and 
a 
desire 
to 
come 
into 
harmony 
with 
him. 
Abel, 
the 
second 
son 
of 
Adam, 
wrus 
one 
of 
these. 
He 
approached 
God 
with 
an 
animal 
sacrifice 
and 
was 
accepted. 
Enoch 
and 
Noah 
also 
came 
into 
a 
condition 
of 
fellowship 
with 
the 
Lord 
by 
faith, 
even 
though 
they 
were 
still 
legally 
under 
the 
con­ 
demnation 
passed 
upon 
Adam, 
the 
ransom-price 
not 
yet 
having 
been 
given. 
Later 
on, 
God 
entered 
into 
covenant 
relatiom,hip 
with 
Abraham, 
because 
of 
his 
great 
faith 
and 
obedience; 
and 
after­ 
wards 
with 
his 
son 
Isaac; 
then 
with 
his 
grandson 
Jacob. 
Still 
later, 
God 
entered 
into 
relationship 
with 
the 
seed 
of 
Jacoh, 
under 
the 
Law 
Covenant 
at 
Sinai. 
The 
Lord 
had 
changed 
the 
name 
of 
Jacob 
to 
Israel-ua 
prince 
with 
God" 
(Genesis 
32: 
24-30); 
and 
the 
whole 
nation 
of 
Israel, 
the 
de­ 
scendants 
of 
Jacob, 
were 
received 
as 
God's 
people, 
and 
were 
treated 
as 
if 
without 
sin. 
They 
had 
the 
privilege 
of 
going 
to 
him 
in 
prayer. 
But 
the 
sins 
of 
the 
Jewish 
nation 
were 
only 
typically 
blotted 
out 
from 
year 
to 
year. 
The 
blood 
of 
bulls 
and 
goats 
could 
never 
really 
take 
away 
sin, 
and 
the 
Jews 
held 
only 
the 
relationship 
of 
servants 
to 
God. 
The 
Gentiles 
were 
altogether 
without 
God. 
They 
had 
no 
privilege 
of 
prayer. 
We 
come 
down 
to 
the 
beginning 
of 
the 
Gospel 
age 
and 
to 
the 
case 
of 
Cornelius. 
We 
read 
that 
he 
was 
a 
just 
man, 
who 
gave 
much 
alms 
to 
the 
people 
and 
prayed 
always. 
But 
his 
prayel"8 
could 
not 
be 
accepted, 
even 
after 
Jesus 
died. 
The 
death 
of 
Jesus 
did 
not 
bring 
Cornelius 
into 
covenant 
relationship 
with 
God. 
But 
when 
the 
seventy 
symbolic 
weeks 
of 
Jewish 
favor 
had 
been 
fulfilled, 
the 
due 
time 
had 
come 
for 
the 
Gospel 
to 
go 
to 
the 
Gentiles. 
God 
was 
then 
ready 
to 
reecive 
him, 
and 
he 
sent 
an 
angel 
to 
him, 
who 
gave 
him 
this 
message 
from 
the 
Lord: 
"Cornelius, 
thy 
prayel"8 
and 
thine 
alms 
have 
come 
up 
for 
a 
memorial 
before 
God." 
The 
prayers 
and 
the 
alms 
of 
Cornelius 
had 
risen 
up 
as 
an 
incense 
before 
the 
Lord. 
[5832] 
(14-19) divine power and made their message the more impressive. The essence of the preaching was that Jesus who had been crucified, had risen from the dead and had now shed forth this miraculous power upon his followers. ‘This led to the mention of the prophecy of David which foretold the resurrection of Messiah, saying, “Thou wilt not leave my soul in Sheol”’—Hades. (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27) The apostles pointed out that this was fulfilled in Jesus, in that God raised him from the dead; but that it was never fulfilled in the Prophet David, who on the contrary was still dead in his sepulchre, awaiting resurrection. David, as a prophet, had merely foretold the resurrection of Jesus. With the various details the preaching went on, explaining the righteousness of Jesus, the beauties of his teaching, the wickedness of those who had crucified him without a cause, and showing how the entire Jewish nation was guilty before God, because as a people they were bound by their Law Covenant and the action of their officials had brought condemnation and guilt upon the whole people. Three thousand believed. ‘he case was so plain that they were pricked to the heart—they realized that Jesus was the Son of God, and that a great crime had been committed in crucifying him. With fear and sorrow they cried out, “What shall we do?” The answer was, ‘Repent”—God is gracious; He will forgive you. In further explanation, they were told that they and their rulers had done this wicked deed in ignorance, and that God would very graciously forgive those who would acknowledge their sin and call upon him for forgiveness, They did so; they made a consecration of their lives to God, and became followers of Jesus. DIVINE FAVOR ABOUT TO RETURN TO ISRAEL The Bible declares that the Jewish people, because of their rejection of Messiah, were cut off from God’s favor. Nevertheless the time is at hand when they shall be brought back again to the favor of God. Their eyes have been holden for more than eighteen centuries now, as are the eyes of the world in general. Only the few have the eyes of their understanding open to see the truth respecting these matters. St. Paul avers this, saying, “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not.”—2 Corinthians 4:4. But through the Prophet, God has assured us that in due time all the blind eyes will be opened and all the deaf ears will be unstopped. (Isaiah 35:5) To the Jew first, and also to the Gentile, will eventually come a full knowledge of the grace of God through Christ. It will then be for them to accept or reject intelligently. The rejectors will be wicked in a sense that none of the world are wicked now, because their wrong-doings are largely based upon ignorance and superstition. When brought to the full light, their crisis, or judgment, will be to everlasting life if they accept and obey the Lord, or to everlasting death if they sin against and wilfully reject the light and opportunities of that blessed Millennial day. TRespecting the Jews in that coming time, it is written that they shall look upon him whom they pierced, and mourn because of him; and that the Lord at that time will pour upon them the spirit of prayer and of supplication. (Zechariah 12:8-10) But that return of God’s favor to natural Israel Vou. XXXVII THE WATCH TOWER BROOKLYN, N. Y., JANUARY 15, 1916 Brooxiyn, N. Y. will not come until spiritual Israel] shall first have been completed. Bible students believe that we are now at the dawning of the new dispensation, that the church class will soon be completed and glorified with the Savior in his kingdom, and that then, forthwith, God’s mercy will begin to operate toward the Jews again. This seems to be the clear teaching of St. Paul in Romans 11:25-32. THE COURSE TO BE ROLLED AWAY Another item of special importance in the lesson is that the Hell to which Jesus went was not hell-fire, but the grave, the state of death. God did not raise him up from the fire, but raised him from ise dead. We are to remember that the same word—hell, sheol, hades—is used in the Bible respecting all mankind. All the good and the bad-—old and young, male and female, of every nation—go down to the Bible hell; and according to the Bible they sleep there, awaiting the resurrection morning and the awakening of all the dead—“every man in his own order’—not all at once.—1 Corinthians 15:23. The Bible represents that we are now in a night time, in which Satan is “the prince of this world,” and sin and death reign. But it pictures the new dispensation of Messiah’s kingdom as the glorious dawning of the new day of blessing for mankind, in which the curse of sin and death will be rolled away and the blessing of the Lord through Messiah’s Kingdom will extend to every member of the race, giving all an opportunity for eternal life. This will not be the same opportunity that is granted to the church at the present time—not an opportunity for glory, honor and immortality on the spirit plane, as the church have—but an opportunity of returning to human perfection, to all that was lost in Eden and redeemed at Calvary. Here we note the beauty of the 2lst verse—-our Golden Text. The death of Jesus guarantees that all who will call upon the Lord in sincerity of heart will be saved from sin and death. It guarantees that all shall be brought to the condition where they will understand sufficiently to desire to call for this blessing. The heathen, the majority of people of civilized lands, and the Jews, have no such hearing ears now. Only the few out of every nation have yet received this great blessing. Only these, brought back into relationship with God, have yet been rescued from their alienated condition; and they are to be ultimately saved in the first resurrection, to glory, honor, immortality and a share in the kingdom of Messiah. Through these, ultimately the blessing of light and knowledge and uplifting influences will reach every member of the race, to afford all an opportunity for life everlasting in a world-wide Eden. CASTLES Let them that would build castles in the air, Vault thither, without step or stair; Instead of feet to climb, take wings to fly, And think their turrets top the sky. But let me lay all my foundations deep, And learn, before I run, to creep. Who digs through rocks to lay his ground-works low, May in good time build high and sure, though slow. CHRISTOPHER HARVEY. No. 2 “LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY” “Pray without ceasing ; in everything give thanks.’—1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18. In the beginning, when Adam was in harmony with God, he was in the condition represented in the Scriptures as covenant relationship with God. The Word declares that Adam broke this holy covenant. (Hosea 6:7, margin) He became a sinner; and his children, born later, were sinners with him, through heredity. Instead of being born in covenant relationship with God, the children of Adam were born aliens, But God has had dealings with a few who exercised special faith and a desire to come into harmony with him. Abel, the second son of Adam, was one of these. He approached God with an animal sacrifice and was accepted. Enoch and Noah also came into a condition of fellowship with the Lord by faith, even though they were still legally under the condemnation passed upon Adam, the ransom-price not yet having been given. Later on, God entered into covenant relationship with Abraham, because of his great faith and obedience; and afterwards with his son Isaac; then with his grandson Jacob. Still later, God entered into relationship with the seed of Jacob, under the Law Covenant at Sinai. ‘The Lord had changed the name of Jacob to Israel—‘a prince with God” (Genesis 32:24-30); and the whole nation of Israel, the descendants of Jacob, were received as God’s people, and were treated as if without sin. They had the privilege of going to him in prayer. But the sins of the Jewish nation were only typically blotted out from year to year. The blood of bulls and goats could never really take away sin, and the Jews held only the relationship of servants to God. The Gentiles were altogether without God. They had no privilege of prayer. We come down to the beginning of the Gospel age and to the case of Cornelius. We read that he was a just man, who gave much alms to the people and prayed always. But his prayers could not be accepted, even after Jesus died. The death of Jesus did not bring Cornelius into covenant relationship with God. But when the seventy symbolic weeks of Jewish favor had been fulfilled, the due time had come for the Gospel to go to the Gentiles. God was then ready to reecive him, and he sent an angel to him, who gave him this message from the Lord: “Cornelius, thy prayers and thine alms have come up for a memorial before God.” The prayers and the alms of Cornelius had risen up as an incense before the Lord. [5832]

This website uses cookies to improve the website and your experience. By continuing to browse this website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. If you require further information or do not wish to accept cookies when using this website, please visit our Global Policy on Use of Cookies and Similar Technologies .