Publication date
1/1/21
Volume
42
Number
1
Publication page
3
The WatchTower
Triumphant Zion
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1921/1/1921-1-3.html
&hMlATCH 
TOWER 
AND 
HERALD 
OF 
CHRISTS 
PRESENCE 
VOL. 
XLII 
JAr\I;ARY 
1, 
1921 
TRIUMPHANT 
ZION 
"1 
lcill 
t7"iumph 
in 
the 
lCOI'];;S 
of 
tlly 
hands."-Psalm 
92: 
4 
No.1 
r 
OKIKG 
back 
oyer 
the 
year 
1920, 
now 
passed, 
the 
church 
can 
truly 
testify 
concerning 
the 
fulfillment 
to 
its 
members 
of 
the 
precious 
promise 
made 
in 
the 
text 
for 
that 
year: 
"The 
Lord 
is 
my 
strength 
and 
song". 
In 
all 
the 
trying 
experiences 
of 
the 
year 
the 
Lord 
sustained 
his 
people, 
giving 
all 
the 
needed 
strength; 
and 
the 
year 
was 
one 
filled 
with 
joy, 
and 
his 
people 
could 
not 
refrain 
from 
singing 
from 
their 
hearts 
the 
praises 
of 
Jehovah 
and 
his 
beloved 
Son. 
Now 
we 
turn 
our 
faces 
to 
another 
year, 
1921, 
just 
opening. 
What 
does 
it 
hold 
for 
us? 
We 
do 
not 
know 
the 
details, 
because 
God 
kindly 
veils 
our 
eyes, 
but 
o'er 
each 
step 
of 
the 
onward 
way 
he 
makes 
new 
scenes 
to 
rise. 
The 
light 
that 
illumines 
the 
pathway 
of 
the 
Christian 
shines 
brighter 
and 
brighter, 
and 
we 
may 
expect, 
according 
to 
the 
precious 
promise, 
that 
this 
light 
will 
continue 
to 
shine 
with 
increasing 
brightness 
lmtil 
we 
have 
reached 
the 
perfect 
day. 
While 
we 
do 
not 
1.."110W 
the 
detailed 
experiences 
before 
us, 
we 
do 
know 
the 
great 
battle 
is 
on 
between 
the 
beast 
and 
the 
Lamb. 
We 
do 
know 
for 
a 
certainty 
that 
triumphant 
victory 
will 
be 
with 
the 
Lamb, 
and 
that 
we 
have 
the 
promise 
that 
if 
faithful 
unto 
death, 
we 
shall 
stand 
victorious 
with 
him. 
"According 
to 
your 
faith 
be 
it 
unto 
you." 
Our 
faith 
is 
rooted 
and 
grounded 
in 
the 
precious 
promises 
of 
God, 
which 
we 
are 
privileged 
to 
claim 
by 
reason 
of 
the 
fact 
that 
we 
are 
his 
children. 
Knowing 
that 
our 
Lord 
will 
triumph, 
our 
faith 
and 
confidence 
are 
expressed 
in 
the 
words 
of 
the 
year 
te:>...i 
for 
1921: 
''1 
will 
triumph 
in 
the 
works 
of 
thy 
hamds". 
The 
hand 
is 
a 
symbol 
of 
power. 
Therefore 
the 
text 
suggests 
the 
thought 
of 
Jehovah's 
power 
actively 
exer­ 
cised 
in 
behalf 
of 
those 
who 
have 
made 
a 
covenant 
with 
him 
by 
sacrifice 
and 
who 
are 
striving 
to 
fulfill 
that 
covenant. 
WHAT 
ARE 
HIS 
WORKS'l 
When 
God 
had 
created 
man 
and 
placed 
him 
in 
a 
perfect 
home 
he 
rested 
from 
his 
works 
as 
pertaining 
to 
things 
earthly. 
Man 
was 
given 
dominion 
over 
things 
of 
the 
earth. 
This 
dominion 
Satan 
usurped 
by 
seducing 
mother 
Eve 
and 
maliciously 
defrauding 
man. 
From 
that 
time 
forward 
Satan 
has 
striven 
not 
only 
to 
have 
dominion 
over 
things 
earthly, 
but 
to 
thwart 
God's 
pur­ 
poses 
relative 
to 
the 
deliverance 
of 
man 
and 
his 
restora­ 
tion 
to 
the 
original 
condition 
of 
perfection 
and 
dominion. 
It 
has 
been 
a 
long 
battle 
of 
darkness 
against 
light 
and 
truth. 
God 
could 
easily 
have 
destroyed 
Satan 
and 
thereby 
long 
ago 
stopped 
his 
nefarious 
dealings; 
but 
J 
ehonlll's 
perfect 
wisdom 
provided 
otherwise. 
He 
has 
permitted 
Satan 
to 
ply 
all 
of 
his 
schemes 
to 
defraud 
and 
to 
oppress 
mankind. 
He 
has 
permitted 
evil 
and 
falsehood 
seemingly 
to 
prevail, 
in 
that 
he 
has 
not 
re­ 
Ftrained 
it. 
The 
evident 
purpose 
of 
permitting 
a 
reign 
of 
evil 
has 
been 
that 
Satan 
might 
give 
demonstration 
of 
a 
totally 
depraved 
character; 
that 
angels 
and 
men 
might 
learn 
the 
lessons 
of 
the 
baneful 
effects 
of 
sin; 
that 
a 
period 
of 
time 
might 
elapse 
to 
allow 
for 
the 
birth 
of 
a 
sufficient 
number 
of 
human 
beings 
to 
fill 
the 
earth; 
and 
that 
during 
this 
period 
of 
time 
the 
works 
of 
God's 
hands 
might 
progress 
in 
the 
development 
of 
a 
new 
creation, 
through 
which 
he 
will 
complete 
the 
work 
of 
full 
restoration 
of 
man 
to 
his 
lost 
dominion 
and 
to 
perfection 
of 
life 
and 
happiness. 
The 
primary 
work 
of 
God's 
hands, 
therefore, 
was 
the 
sending 
of 
his 
beloved 
Son 
into 
the 
earth 
to 
become 
man's 
Redeemer 
.. 
and 
the 
perfecting 
of 
the 
Head 
of 
the 
new 
creation. 
Then 
follow 
the 
works 
of 
calling, 
begetting, 
and 
developing 
the 
members 
of 
the 
body 
of 
Christ; 
then 
the 
establishment 
of 
his 
kingdom 
for 
the 
purpose 
of 
bringing 
peace 
on 
earth, 
good 
will 
to 
men; 
and 
then 
the 
full 
restoration 
of 
the 
obedient 
ones 
of 
the 
earth, 
that 
ultimately 
these 
may 
become 
his 
people 
when 
they 
are 
refined 
and 
restored. 
"They 
shall 
be 
his 
people, 
and 
God 
himself 
shall 
be 
with 
them, 
and 
be 
their 
God." 
(Revelation 
21: 
3) 
"They 
shall 
call 
on 
my 
name, 
and 
I 
will 
hear 
them: 
I 
will 
say, 
It 
is 
my 
people: 
and 
they 
shall 
say, 
The 
Lord 
is 
my 
God."-Zechariah 
13: 
9. 
HIS 
WORKS 
FORESHADOWED 
These 
works 
of 
Jehovah 
were 
foreknown 
to 
him 
and 
predertinated 
by 
him 
(Acts 
15: 
18) 
; 
and 
when 
finished 
they 
must 
and 
will 
he 
absolutely 
perfect.-Deut. 
32: 
4. 
From 
imperfect 
man's 
viewpoint 
God 
has 
been 
a 
long 
time 
working 
out 
his 
plan. 
Not 
so, 
however, 
from 
the 
dhine 
viewpoint. 
"For 
a 
thousand 
years 
in 
thy 
sight 
are 
but 
as 
yesterday 
when 
it 
is 
past, 
and 
as 
a 
watch 
in 
the 
night." 
(Psalm 
90: 
4) 
"One 
day 
is 
with 
the 
Lord 
as 
a 
thousand 
years, 
and 
a 
thousand 
years 
as 
one 
day." 
(2 
Peter 
3: 
8) 
To 
man 
it 
has 
been 
a 
long 
dark 
night; 
but 
the 
Christian 
can 
now 
behold 
the 
day 
at 
hand, 
and 
as 
compared 
with 
eternity 
it 
will 
be 
but 
a 
brief 
spare. 
Jehoyah 
had 
forelmowledge 
of 
man's 
deflection, 
of 
Satan's 
opposition 
and 
of 
what 
would 
be 
the 
ultimate 
3 
oNVATCH TOWER. AND HERALD OF CHRISTS PRESENCE Vou. XLIT JaNvaky 1, 1921 No. 1 TRIUMPHANT ZION “7 acill triumph in the works of thy hands.’—Psalm 92:4 church can truly testify concerning the fulfillment to its members of the precious promise made in the text for that year: “The Lord is my strength and song”. In all the trying experiences of the year the Lord sustained his people, giving all the needed strength ; and the year was one filled with joy, and his people could not refrain from singing from their hearts the praises of Jehovah and his beloved Son. Now we turn our faces to another year, 1921, just opening. What does it hold for us? We do not know the details, because God kindly veils our eyes, but o’er each step of the onward way he makes new scenes to rise. The light that illumines the pathway of the Christian shines brightcr and brighter, and we may expect, according to the precious promise, that this light will continue to shine with increasing brightness until we have reached the perfect day. While we do not know the detailed experiences before us, we do know the great battle is on between the beast and the Lamb. We do know for a certainty that triumphant victory will be with the Lamb, and that we have the promise that if faithful unto death, we shall stand victorious with him. “According to your faith be it unto you.” Our faith is rooted and grounded in the precious promises of God, which we are privileged to claim by reason of the fact that we are his children. Knowing that our Lord will triumph, our faith and confidence are expressed in the words of the vear text for 1921: “I will triumph in the works of thy hands”. The hand is a symbol of power. Therefore the text suggests the thought of Jehovah’s power actively exercised in behalf of those who have made a covenant with him by sacrifice and who are striving to fulfill that covenant. Lo back over the year 1920, now passed, the WHAT ARE HIS WORKS? When God had created man and placed him in a perfect home he rested from his works as pertaining to things earthly. Man was given dominion over things of the earth. This dominion Satan usurped by seducing mother Eve and maliciously defrauding man. From that time forward Satan has striven not only to have dominion over things earthly, but to thwart God’s purposes relative to the deliverance of man and his restoration to the original condition of perfection and dominion. It has been a long battle of darkness against light and truth. God could easily have destroyed Satan and thereby long ago stopped his nefarious dealings; but Jehovah’s perfect wisdom provided otherwise. He has permitted Satan to ply all of his schemes to defraud and to oppress mankind. He has permitted evil and falsehood seemingly to prevail, in that he has not restrained it. The evident purpose of permitting a reign of evil has been that Satan might give demonstration of a totally depraved character; that angels and men might learn the lessons of the baneful effects of sin; that a period of time might elapse to allow for the birth of a sufficient number of human beings to fill the earth; and that during this period of time the works of God’s hands might progress in the development of a new creation, through which he will complete the work of full restoration of man to his lost dominion and to perfection of life and happiness. The primary work of God’s hands, therefore, was the sending of his beloved Son into the earth to become man’s Redeemer, and the perfecting of the Head of the new creation. Then follow the works of calling, begetting, and developing the members of the body of Christ; then the establishment of his kingdom for the purpose of bringing peace on earth, good will to men; and then the full restoration of the obedient ones of the earth, that ultimately these may become his people when they are refined and restored. “They shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3) “They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”—Zechariah 13: 9. HIS WORKS FORESHADOWED These works of Jehovah were foreknown to him and predestinated by him (Acts 15:18) ; and when finished they must and will be absolutely perfect.—Deut. 32: 4. From imperfect man’s viewpoint God has been a long time working out his plan. Not so, however, from the divine viewpoint. “Tfor a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” (Psalm 90:4) “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8) To man it has been a long dark night; but the Christian can now behold the day at hand, and as compared with eternity it will be but a brief space. Jehovah had foreknowledge of man’s deflection, of Satan’s opposition and of what would be the ultimate

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