Vou. XXXLX “This do... BROOKLYN, N. ¥., MARCH 1, 1918 IN MEMORY OF OUR KING in remembrance of me. For as oft as ye eat this bread, and drink this cwp, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.”—1 Corinthians 11:25, 26. The truly consecrated Christian, walking in the light of present truth, looks forward with the keenest interest to the approaching Memorial celebration. This Passover season holds a peculiar interest, because it may mark the last for the church on earth and may mark the drinking of the wine anew with the Lord in glory. Since Pentecost the followers of the Lord have been waiting with joyful expectancy for his return as the King of glory. For many years the best-informed of his followers have known that he is present and that he will soon he fully revealed to ali who are his. Soon he will take unto himself his completed bride and reign in glory. It was his expressed desire that the bride class should have him in memory until he call for her. Whether the coming Memorial will be the jJast on earth, we do not. of course, know; but we do know that we are one year nearer the full consummation of our hopes. If it please the Lord to have us celebrate this Memorial other years, then we shall do so gladly. If it please him to take all the members of the church home this year, then our joy will he full and we shall have pleasures for evermore, His will, not ours, be done. Glad we are to assemble together again to remind each other of that wonderful event that transpired so many centuries past, When a man of the world has risen to fame, he desires to leave a monument, so that future generations may know of his greatness. Of course there is selfishness in this desire. Jesus of Nazareth, the greatest man that lived on earth, when he approached the time of his crucifixion, prepared a inonument that will endure forever. Unselfishly he acted in this regard, as he did in all others. He was about to perform the greatest work of the ages—to make himself an offering for sin on behalf of the human race. This Memorial was a means whereby his followers should remember him until they should see him again. He knew that the fully consecrated would appreciate this more than anything ese. He knew that the world would not appreciate it; and therefore his death would be sweetly kept in the memory of those who had received the benefit of his great ransom-sacrifice. None but the truly consecrated have ever appreciated the Lord’s death and its meaning. The time is near at hand, however, when even the world will begin to understand why he suffered and why he died. The Word Jesus knew that the time from Pentecost unti] his kingdom is established would be occupied in the seleetion of his bride and he desired that she should keep fresh in mind the importance of the great sin-offering aud likewise appreciate her privilege of participating in his sufferings. in order that she might reign with him in glory, for the regeneration and reconstruction of the world. Many of the members of the bride class are already with the Lord. him, yet biding his own good time. It is reasonable, then, that as we approach each Memorial season, as we come nearer to the time of secing our great King and Lord, our hearts are thrilled with the prospeet that this is perhaps the last this side the vail and that soon we may see him face to face. ‘LORD, I8 IT I?’’ When Jesus was about to take Jeave of his disciples, his associates for three and a half years, he marked that they were troubled, and said: ‘Let not your heart be troubled. .... IT go to prepare a place for you; and if I go and prepare a place for you, T will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.’ And now the day draws ncar when this sweet promise from the Master’s lips will have complete fulfilment. Is it any wonder, then, that the truly consecrated are looking forward with great desire to the approaching Memorial and to that which may follow after! It was after Jesus and his disciples had eaten the Passover according to the Jewish Law, that he instituted the Memorial Supper as a reminder of his death. Judas was present at that time and was given a sop and went out from the others before the supper was ended, fully bent upon betraying the Master; and this he did. This incident may represent the fact that in the close of this age, and just before the bride is completed, the sop of truth will heeome so strong that it shall drive forth from the company and communion of the faithful all those who do not have a full and proper appreciation of the blood of Jesus, shed by the Lamh of God for the taking away of the sin of the world, Ttis not for anvone this side the vail to judge who may be of that class. It is sufficient that each one carefully examine himself or herself, saying, “Is it I?” Truly this is a time for careful self-examination, for seeing to it that we are pure in heart toward all. (67-68) Those remaining this side are eager to be with. That we may more fully appreciate the importance of that great event which transpired at Calvary, we do well to remind ourselves again of the events that took place just preceding that time. THE ORIGINAL PASSOVER The Hebrew year begins on the day of the first new moon nearest the Spring equinox. The Hebrew Passover marked a wonderful event in Jewish history and foreshadowed the death of the great Ransomer of humankind. St. Paul tells us that the things pertaining to the Law were shadows of greater things to come. (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 10:1) Looking, then, from the type to the antitype, we find much food for thought. The Israelites had been held in bondage to the Egyptians for years. From time to time their tasks were inercased and their burdens made grievous to be borne. God sent Moses to deliver them and sent Aaron with him as his mouthpiece. They appeared before Pharaoh and requested him to permit the children of Israel to leave Egypt. This Pharaoh denied. God sent punishment upon him for refusing to let them go. Time and time again he promised to let them depart from Egypt; time and time again he broke his promise. Nine times had the Lord sent plagues upon the Egyptians and as many times, at the instance of Moses, had relieved Pharaoh and his people therefrom. Then the tenth plague was sent—the death of the first-born. Pharaoh was devoted to his son, his first-born; and the smiting of him would touch Pharaoh’s heart as nothing else could do. God informed Moses that at midnight of the fourteenth of Nisan the death messenger of the Lord would pass through Egypt and every firstborn of every family should die. He then directed Moses to make provision for the saving of the first-born of Israel. The arrangement was that each family or household should, on the tenth day of Nisan, take a lamb into the house; that the lamb should be a male of the first year and without blemish; that is should be kept in the house until the fourteenth day of the same month, when it should be killed and the biood sprinkled upon the door-posts and upon the lintel; that the lamb should then be roasted with fire; that no bones of it should be broken; that it should be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, and that those eating it should do so with their loins girded, their shoes on their feet and their staves in hand, and that they should eat with haste; that when the messenger of the Lord should pass through Egypt the first-born of each household would be spared where the blood of the lamb appeared on the door. Moses carried out these instructions and the faithful Jews acted upon his advice. They killed the lamb, sprinkled its blood as directed and, in due season, ste it. At midnight of the fourteenth of Nisan, all the first-born of Egypt died, including Pharach’s beloved son. Great consternation followed and Pharaoh immediately summoned Moses and Aaron. He now not only promised that they should go, but thrust them out, and Moses led the children of Israel to the Red Sea, across it and on to Mount Sinai. TYPE AND ANTITYPE In this picture the first-born represent the church of the first born whose names are written in heaven. These are the heirs of the exceeding great and precious promises of Jehovah. Like the first-born in Egypt, they are subject to the second death, but escape from it by complying with the Lord’s fixed rules. All who during the Gospel age come under the protection of the blodd of Jesus, and there remain, are safe from this great penalty. In this picture the lamb represented Jcsus, slain for the cancellation of the sin of mankind. (John 1:29) A door is a place of entrance. Hence the blood sprinkled upon the doorposts of the Israelitish homes signifies the fact that the way to safety and life is through faith in the blood of Jesus, who declared: “I am the door.” The Passover night pietured the Gospel age when sin and darkness prevail, and during which time the bride of Christ is gathered out from mankind. And now we see this time of suffering drawing to an end and amidst a time of great confusion. both political and eeclesiastical: and soon the sufferings of the Christ will end. No animal could more fitly represent the lowly Nazarene than could the lamb. It is noted for its defenselessness and its innocence. The antitypical Lamb, the Man Jesus, true to the picture, was “holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners.” (Hebrews 7:26) “A lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the ryorld, but was manifested in the last times.” “He [6218]
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