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(274-291)
THR
WATCH
TOWER
BROOKLYN,
'1'l.
Y.
gestion
to
make
in
such
cases;
for
there
are
two
ways
of
looking
at
the
matter.
One
of
these
is
the
fact
that
the
elder
may
be
unable
to
meet
a.t
the
hour
set
by
the
church.
In
that
case
the
spirit
of
a
sound
mind
would
suggest
the
change
of
the
hour
of
meeting
to
one
which
would
be
convenient
for
the
leader.
On
the
other
hanQ,
if
the
tardiness
be
the
result
of
thoughtlessness,
lack
of
character
development
or
some
similar
ren,son,
the
spirit
of
a
sound
mind
would
prompt
us
to
elect
a
leader
who
had
the
interests
of
the
church
Il()
much
at
heart
that
he
would
keep
his
engagements
with
the
Bame
degree
of
carefulness
that
he
would
exercise
in
the
mak·
tel'
of
any
other
business
o.rrangement.
In
TIlE
WA'fOH
TOWER
of
Dec.
I,
1916,
there
is
an
article
which
deals
wish
this
very
mo.tter
of
punctuaJity-"Decorum
in
the
House
of
God."
It
would
be
well
for
all
who
are
habitually
unpunctual
to
consider
carefull.v
its
contents.
IMPORTANT
NOTICE
The
circulation
of
the
followin~
-books
and
papers
Is
com-
pletely
suspended
during
the
period
of
the
war:
THE
FINISHED
MYSTERY
Special
Edition,
March
!Bt,
WATCH
TOWER
(ZG)
All
BIBLE
STUDENTS'
MO)i'THLIES
All
KINGDOM
NEWS
Any
classcs
or
individuals
holding
any
of
the
above
litera
ture
belonging
to
THE
WATCH
TOWER
BIBLE
AND
TRACT
So
CIETY
are
bereby
instructed
to
hold
the
same,
subject
to
our
orders.
This
is
a.
confirma.tion
of
notice
sent
you
last
March.
VOL.
XXXIX
BROOKLY~,
N.
Y.,
OCTOBER
1,
1918
Ro.
In
REMOVAL
KOTICE
Please
address
of
communications
in
fuiure
W
\VATCH
TOWER
BIBLE
&
TRACT
SOCIEY
FEDERAL
AND
RELIANCI~
STREETS
N.
S.
PITTSBURGH,
PENKSYLV
A-~IA.
TIle
removal
will
u~lay
about
thirty
days
all
orders
rcccived
ciation,
to
move
the
ofliccs
of
our
Sodet;
from
Brooklyn.
".
after
August
26;
hut
we
know
the
friends
will
bear
patiently
Y.,
to
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania,
~orth
f:-llde.
Large
and
com
with
us
for
that
length
of
time
or
even
longer.
modious
quarters
have
been
secured
in
the
Ylartin
Building.
After
prayerful
consideration,
and
coullsel
with
brethren
in
third
floor,
corner
of
Federal
and
Reliance
streets.
A
]}()llUti
otfuer
places,
it
was
decided
by
the
Board
of
Directors
of
the
ful
reception
and
fellowship
room
has
been
provided
for
visit-
WATCH
TOWER
BIHLE
AND
TRACT
SOCII!.'TY,
the
Executive
Com-
iog
friends;
and
all
friends
are
cordially
invited
to
pay
us
a
mittee
and
the
Board
of
Directors
of
the
Peoples
Pulpit
Asso-
visit.
The
Bethel
home
has
been
discontmued
for
the
present.
VIEWS
FROM
THE
WATCH
TOWER
For
nearly
forty
years
this
journal
has
sought
from
time
to
time
to
forewarn
its
readers
against
the
peculiar
trials
and
temptations
of
the
pcriod
marking
the
closing
years
of
ilie
Gospel
age.
Especially
has
it
endeavored
to
warn
the
Lord's
people
against
the
increasing
activities
of
the
dcmons,
evil
spirits,
the
"angels
which
kppt
not
their
first
estate."
During
this
period
we
have
been
much
encouraged
by
the
many
letters
received
from
a
number
of
our
readers,
B<howing
us
that
our
efforts
have
not
bcen
in
vain,
but
that
their
influence
for
good
has
been
widely
felt,
not
only
in
restraining
the
Lord's
people
from
curious
and
dangerous
investigation
of
occultism
and
various
forms
of
spiritism,
but
also
in
opening
the
eyes
of
somC'--including
a
few
mediums-who
had
been
partially
over
come
by
the
wiles
of
the
devil
and
his
associated
fallen.
spirits.-Ephesians
6:
12.
Once
more
we
would
remind
our
readers
that
"the
days
are
at
hand,
and
the
effect
of
every
vision";
iliat
the
restraints
under
which
the
fallen
angels
have
been
held
ever
since
the
days
of
Noaili
were
gradually
to
be
relaxed
during
the
closing
years
of
the
Gospel
age,
the
time
now
present.
The
Biblical
record
is
that
the
evil
spirits,
the
demons,
were
"rcstrained
[in
Tartarus,
thc
atmosphere
of
earth]
in
lasting
chains
of
darkness
unto
the
grpat
day"
of
jU~"IDent
for
the
world.
(.Jude
6;
2
Peter
2:4)
As
that
great
day
drew
near,
the
Watchers
have
noted
many
evidenccs
tha-i
the
chains
have
been
gradually
loosened,
that
evil
spirits
have
greater
liberty
than
ever
be-
fore.
FALLEN
HUMANITY
EASILY
DECEIVED
We
are
well
aware
that
many
intelligent
people
laugh
to
scorn
the
Scripture
tea..Jling
along
these
lines.
But
Go(l's
\Vorcl
forewarns
us
thai
nwse
persons
are
ill
great
danger
who
refusc
to
believe
in
the
existence
and
the
aetivitv
of
the
demons,
anu
who
regard
as
su.pprstitious
thc
Bible
narratives
of
how
our
Lord
and
his
apostles
cast
out.demow>,
and
who
sneer
at
the
Mosaic
laws
whidl
strictly
prohibited
the
Is
me
lites
from
any
,lea
lings
with
witches.
wizards,
necromanc
ers
and
othcrs
who
held
intercourse
with
unseen
intelligences
purporting
to
be
the
spirits
of
the
dead.
As
a
result
of
pres
ent
day
skepticism
along
these
lines
many
of
the
self-confi
dent
have
been
easily
caught
in
the
demon
trap,
which
is
baited
with
curiosity.
A
visit
to
a
medium,
a
seance
with
friends,
a
planchette
or
ouija
board
at
a
neighbor's
home.
de.,
entrap
the
unwary
to
their
destruction.
At
first
tbeir
curiosity
is
aroused.
Then
thcy
are
gradually
given
what
seems
to
them
indubitable
proofs
of
the
existencc
of
their
beloved
dead.
Ex
Jwriment
follows
l'xperiment
udil
finally
tbey
are
fully
con
\-inced
that
thev
actuallv
hold
conversations
with
"thoce
who
have
gone
beforp."
11llls"
little
ly
littlc
they
are
brought
und,-r
the
influence
of
ihe
demons.
'1'he
\Vord
of
God
repcatedly
warns
us
that
mankind
are
no
match
intellectually
for
thc
unseen
intelligences
that
mas-
querade
as
the
spirits
of
dead
human
beings.
It
declares
that
these
are
evil
spirits,
"angels
that
kept
not
their
first
estate,"
and
that
we
need
the
protection
afforded
us
in
the
counsels
of
the
divine
Word.
In
the
end
of
the
Jewish
age
many
Israelites
were
afflicted
with
evil
spirits;
anu
a
considerable
part
"f
tJhe
work
accomplish,'d
by
our
Lord
and
his
apostles
was
t·he
freeing
of
tho
affiicled
from
the
merciless
persecutions
of
these
fallen
angels
or
dpmons.
So
prOll1:incnt
is
this
subjcet
that
the
four
Gospels
contain
no
Jess
than
forty-two
referenecs
tn
the
demons--mistranslatpd
den
is.
SATAN'S
ORIGINAL
LIE
STILL
BELIEVED
A
.imilar
influx
of
evil
intelligences
is
predieted
to
oc<:ur
in
tho
enu
of
the
Gospel
age.
St.
Paul
points
out
that
at
this
time
tile
Lord
will
send,
or
permit,
a.
strong
delu.ion
to
come
upon
professed
Christians,
to
try
them.
He
says:
"For
this
cause
God
shall
send
them
strong
delusion,
that
they
Mould
believe
the
lie
[Greek],
that
they
all
might
be
con
demned
who
believe
not
the'
truth,
but
had
pleasure
in
un
righteousness."
(2
Thessalonians
2:
11,
12.)
Thank
God
that
we
see
that
this
condemnation
is
not
to
be
everlasting
tor
ture!
The
blasphemous
misrepresentation
of
God's
Word
i6
one
of
tlhe
dcvices
with
which
these
wicked
spirits
han
driven
many
honest
men
away
irom
God,
by
",'hich
they
have
blinded
men
to
the
true
eharacter
of
,Jehovah
God.
But
now
in
ihe
closing
hours
of
the
a.ge
these
strong
delusions
are
bp
ing
pennitted
in
oruer
to
diflerentiatc
between
those
who
11H\e
rcally
loved
ami
obeyed
the
divine
counsel
and
those
who
have
failed
thus
to
do
and
are
about
to
be
judgcd
unworthy
of
tihe
high
reward
soon
to
be
given
to
the
faithful
overcomer.
In
the
context
the
Apostle
points
out
that
these
strong
delusions
which
will
dwradprize
the
close
of
the
old
order
of
things
will
onsnare
mankind
beea",'e
"thcy
reccived
not
the
truth
in
the
love
of
it."
The
trutJl
here
referred
to
is
tIll'
statement
whieh
God
made
to
father
Adam
in
Ed~n:
"In
the
day
thou
~atcst
thereof.
dying
thou
shalt
die."
(Genesis
2;
17,
margin)
III
other
words,
it
is
the
fact
that
tt
I'
dead
are
dead,
and
cannot
re-live
exeept
by
ihe
exercise
of
divine
power
for
their
awakening
from
the
death-slcep.
This
plain
truth.
abundantly'
set
forth
in
the
Scriptures.
is
not
relished
by
any
exC€pt
the
truth.fu.ungry.
The
majorit;v
of
mankind
do
110t
like
to
belieye
thus.
On
OJ('
contrary,
th~y
prefer
to
think
thnt
the
dead
are
really
more
alive
than
they
were
bciore
tlH'y
di,'d.
Rejecting
the
plain
statcment
wIdell
God
made
tn
~\ualll
ill
Eden.
they
pref,'r
the
1n0ll,lrou,"'
lie
wIth·h
Ratan
t;h('r~
de
elared
to
mother
Eve:
"Ye
shall
not
surely
die."
(Genesis
:\:·1)
All
who
1.1111"
rejH:t
tll('
fonlldalion
tn11h
a:-(-
ea"v
IIlark,
for
the
d"mons,
who'
h:l\'<:
('ontinueu
to
npeut
fI,e
'(,rig-inal
lie
told
in
EUl'n.
}/llleed.
so
tJlOroug-l1lv
ha\'e
ihev
sltl'eel:deu
that
all
mankind
l~xc~pt
a
few
followers
of
Jesu~,
arc
thor
oughly
indoetrinate<l
with
thi"
fundamenbl
untruth.
All
[6332]
(274-291) gestion to make in such cases; for there are two ways of looking at the matter. One of these is the fact that the elder may be unable to meet at the hour set by the church. In that case the spirit of a sound mind would suggest the change of the hour of meeting to one which would be convenient for the leader. On the other hand, if the tardiness be the result of thoughtlessness, jack of character development or some similar reason, the spirit of a sound mind would prompt THE WATCH TOWER Brooxiyn, N. Y. us to elect a leader who had the interests of the church 80 much at heart that he would keep his engagements with the same degree of carefulness that he would exercise in the matter of any other business arrangement. In Tue WatTcH ToweER of Dec. 1, 1916, there is an article which deals wish this very matter of punctuality—‘Decorum in the House of God.” It would be well for all who are habitually unpunctual to consider carefully its contents. IMPORTANT NOTICE The circulation of the following books and papers is completely suspended during the period of the war: THE FINISHED MYSTERY Special Edition, March Ist, WatcH Towers (ZG) All BrsLe Stupents’ MONTHLIES All Kinepom News Any classes or individuals holding any of the above literature belonging to THe WatcH Tower Biste anp Tract SoCIETY are hereby instructed to hold the same, subject to our orders. This is a confirmation of notice sent you last March. Vou. XXNXIX fa Si BROOKLYN, N. Y., OCTOBER 1, 1918 REMOVAL NOTICE Please address of communications in future to WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIEY FEDERAL AND RELIANCE STREETS N. 8S. PISTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. The removal will delay about thirty days all orders received after August 26; but we know the friends will bear patiently with us for that length of time or even longer. After prayerful consideration, and counsel with brethren in other places, it was decided by the Board of Directors of the WatcH Towes Biste anp TRAcT Sociury, the Executive Com mittee and the Board of Directors of the Peoples Pulpit Asso ciation, to move the oflices of our Society from Brooklyn, N. Y., to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, North Side. Large and commodious quarters have been secured in the Martin Building, third floor, corner of Federal and Reliance streeis, A beautiful reception and fellowship room has been provided for visiting friends; and all friends are cordially invited to pay us a visit. The Bethel home has been discontinued for the present. VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER For nearly forty years this journal has sought from time ta time to forewarn its readers against the peculiar trials and temptations of the period marking the closing yeara of the Gospel age. Especially has it endeavored to warn the lord’s people against the increasing activities of the demons, evil spirits, the “angels which kept not their first estate.’ During this period we have been much encouraged by the many letters received from a number of our readers, showing us that our efforts have not been in vain, but that their influence for good has been widely felt, not only in restraining the Lord’s people from curious and dangerous investigation of occultism and various forms of spiritism, but also in opening the eyes of some—including a few mediums—who had been partially overcome by the wiles of the devil and his associated fallen spirits.—Ephesians 6:12. Once more we would remind our readers that “the days are at hand, and the effect of every vision”; that the restraints under which the fallen angels have been held ever since the days of Noah were gradually to be relaxed during the closing years of the Gospel age, the time now present. ‘The Biblical record is that the evil spirits, the demons, were “restrained {in Tartarus, the atmosphere of earth) in lasting chains of darkness unto the great day” of judgment for the world. (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4) As that great day drew near, the Watchers have noted many evidences that the chains have been gradually loosened, that evil spirits have greater liberty than ever before. FALLEN HUMANITY EASILY DECEIVED We are well aware that many intelligent people laugh to scorn the Scripture teaching along these lines. But God’s Word forewarns us that those persons are in great danger who refuse to believe in the existence and the activity of the demons, and who regard as superstitious the Bible narratives of how our Lord and his apostles cast out-demons, and who sneer at the Mosaic laws which strictly prohibited the Israelites from any dealings with witches. wizards, necromancers and others who held intercourse with unseen intelligences purporting to be the spirits of the dead. As a result of present day skepticism along these lines many of the self-confident have been easily caught in the demon trap, which is baited with curiosity. A visit to a medium, a seance with friends, a planchette or ouija board at a neighbor’s home, etc., entrap the unwary to their destruction. At first their curiosity is aroused. en they are gradually given what seems to them indubitable proofs of the existence of their beloved dead. Experiment follows experiment urlil finally they are fully convineed that they actually hold conversations with “those who have gone before.” Thus little Ly little they are brought under the influence of the demons, The Word of God repeatedly warns us that mankind are no match intellectually for the unseen intelligences that mas querade as the spirits of dead human beings. It declares that these are evil spirits, “angels that kept not their first estate,” and that we need the protection afforded us in the counsels of the divine Word. In the end of the Jewish age many Israelites were afflicted with evil spirits; and a considerable part of the work accomplished by our Lord and his apostles was the freeing of the afflicled from the merciless persecutions of these fallen angels or demons. So prominent is this subject that the four Gospels contain no less than forty-two references to the demons—mistranslated devils. SATAN’S ORIGINAL LIE STILL BELIEVED A similar influx of evil intelligences is predicted to occur in the end of the Gospel age. St. Paul points out that at this time the Lord will send, or permit, a strong delusion to come upon professed Christians, to try them. He says: “For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie [Greek], that they all might be condemned who believe not the‘truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1), 12.) Thank God that we sce that this condemnation is not to be everlasting torture! The blasphemous misrepresentation of God’s Word is one of the devices with which these wicked spirits have driven many honest men away from God, by which they have blinded men to the true character of Jehovah God, But now in the closing hours of the age these strong delusions are being permitted in order to differentiate between those who have really loved and obeyed the divine counsel and those who have failed thus to do and are about to be judged unworthy of the high reward soon to be given to the faithful overcomer. In the context the Apostle points out that these strong delusions which wiil characterize the close of the old order of things will ensnare mankind because ‘“‘they received not the truth in the love of it.’ Vhe truth here referred to is the statement which God made to father Adam in Eden: “In the day thou eatest thereof. dying thou shalt die.” (Genesis 2:17, margin) In other words, it is the fact that tle dead are dead, and cannot re-live except by the exercise of divine power for their awakening from the death-sleep. This plain truth. abundantly set forth in the Scriptures. is not relished by any exeept the truth-hungry. The majority of mankind do not like to believe thus, On the contrary, they prefer to think that the dead are really more alive than they were before they died. Rejecting the plain statement which God made to Adam in Eden, they prefer the isonstrous lie which Satan there de elared to mother Eve: “Ye shall not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4) All who thus reject the fonnuation truth are easy marks for the demens, who have continued to repeat the original lie told in Eden. Indeed, so thoroughly have they succeeded that all mankind except a few followers of Jesus are thoroughly indoctrinated with this fundamental untruth. All [6332]
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