Publication date
3/15/35
Volume
56
Number
6
Publication page
93
The WatchTower
Prophecy of the Trees (Part 1)
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1935/6/1935-6-13.html
 
:MARCH 
15, 
1935 
fJ"fie 
WATCHT0WER 
93 
According 
to 
the 
divine 
prophecies 
all 
this 
consti. 
tuted 
unmistakable 
and 
tangible 
proof 
that 
Zion, 
God's 
universal 
organization, 
had 
given 
birth 
to 
or 
brought 
forth 
the 
New 
Nation, 
The 
Kingdom. 
A 
PEOPLE 
FOR 
HIS 
NAME 
D 
URING 
the 
period 
of 
time 
from 
the 
year 
eight­ 
een 
hundred 
and 
seventy-eight 
forward 
to 
the 
year 
nineteen 
hundred 
and 
eighteen 
the 
work 
of 
restoring 
the 
truths 
of 
God's 
Word 
to 
the 
seekers 
therefor 
was 
carried 
on 
by 
those 
who 
truly 
devoted 
themselves 
to 
the 
Lord 
God 
and 
his 
service. 
This 
work 
was 
long 
ago 
prophetically 
foreshadowed 
by 
the 
course 
of 
action 
that 
God's 
prophet 
Elijah 
took 
to­ 
ward 
the 
ancient 
nation 
of 
Israel. 
In 
that 
period 
of 
time 
many 
people 
in 
"Christendom" 
withdrew 
from 
the 
Catholic 
and 
Protestant 
church 
organiza­ 
tions 
and 
joyfully 
embraced 
the 
truth; 
but 
some 
of 
the 
former 
errors 
clung 
to 
them. 
These 
errors 
are 
represented 
by 
the 
prophet 
of 
the 
Lord 
as 
being 
II 
the 
filthy 
garments" 
that 
were 
brought 
away 
with 
those 
who 
separated 
themselves 
from 
Satan's 
organization 
or 
"Babylon", 
as 
the 
Bible 
calls 
that 
organization. 
(Zech. 
3: 
1-4) 
l\Iany 
of 
those 
who 
thus 
came 
to 
a 
knowledge 
of 
the 
truth 
and 
withdrew 
from 
the 
Cath­ 
olic 
and 
Protestant 
organizations 
believed 
and 
pro­ 
ceeded 
upon 
the 
theory 
that 
their 
chief 
duty 
was 
to 
prepare 
themselves 
for 
heaven. 
To 
this 
end 
they 
set 
about 
to 
develop 
a 
sweet 
and 
beautiful 
"character" 
and 
to 
call 
the 
attention 
of 
others 
to 
the 
necessity 
of 
so 
doing. 
That 
they 
were 
honest 
in 
this, 
no 
one 
will 
question. 
Of 
course, 
it 
was 
right 
for 
them 
to 
believe 
that 
the 
Lord 
would 
give 
the 
faithful 
overcomers 
a 
part 
with 
him 
in 
his 
kingdom; 
and 
it 
was 
right 
for 
them 
to 
be­ 
lieve 
that 
they 
must 
be 
pure 
in 
thought, 
in 
word, 
and 
in 
action 
so 
far 
as 
possible; 
but 
they 
overlooked 
a 
work 
that 
must 
first 
be 
done 
by 
the 
followers 
of 
Christ 
w4ile 
on 
the 
earth. 
Every 
Christian 
should 
lead 
a 
blameless 
life 
and 
put 
forth 
his 
best 
endeavors 
to 
al. 
ways 
do 
that 
which 
is 
right; 
but 
that 
is 
not 
all 
that 
he 
must 
do. 
No 
man 
can 
by 
his 
own 
efforts 
become 
so 
good 
and 
perfect 
that 
by 
reason 
thereof 
he 
would 
be 
fit 
to 
reign 
with 
Christ 
in 
his 
kingdom. 
The 
condi­ 
tion 
precedent 
to 
entering 
into 
that 
kingdom 
is 
love 
for 
and 
faithfulness 
unto 
Jehovah 
God 
and 
Christ 
Jesus. 
Such 
love 
is 
proved 
by 
joyfully 
keeping 
the 
commandments 
of 
God. 
(John 
14: 
15, 
21; 
1 
John 
4: 
17, 
18; 
5: 
3) 
That 
means 
that 
the 
overcomers 
are 
unselfishly 
devoted 
to 
the 
Lord 
and 
his 
cause 
and 
re­ 
fuse 
to 
compromise, 
either 
directly 
or 
indirectly, 
with 
any 
part 
of 
the 
Devil's 
orgoanization. 
Those 
who 
are 
thus 
faithful 
to 
the 
end 
will 
be 
granted 
the 
crown 
of 
life 
and 
a 
place 
with 
Christ 
Jesus 
in 
his 
kingdom 
of 
heaven. 
The 
Christian 
cannot 
be 
faithful 
and 
true 
and 
at 
the 
same 
time 
neglect 
or 
igonore 
the 
command­ 
ments 
of 
Jehovah 
God. 
His 
delight 
will 
be 
to 
keep 
those 
commandments. 
Jehovah 
God 
reveals 
to 
man 
the 
meaning 
of 
his 
Word 
progressively. 
" 
The 
path 
of 
the 
just 
is 
as 
the 
shining 
light, 
that 
shineth 
more 
and 
more 
unto 
the 
perfect 
day." 
(Prov. 
4: 
18) 
The 
apostles 
of 
Jesus 
Christ 
began 
to 
see 
and 
understand 
God's 
purpose 
at 
the 
time 
they 
were 
anointed 
with 
the 
holy 
spirit 
at 
Pentecost, 
but 
thereafter 
they 
saw 
more 
clearly. 
Likewise 
the 
Lord's 
people 
gradually 
saw 
the 
truth 
as 
it 
was 
restored, 
and 
after 
the 
Lord 
came 
to 
his 
spiritual 
temple, 
in 
fulfilment 
of 
Malachi's 
prophecy, 
they 
began 
to 
see 
the 
truth 
more 
clearly, 
and 
the 
light 
still 
continues 
to 
increase 
upon 
God's 
'Vord. 
When 
Jesus 
was 
on 
earth 
he 
restricted 
his 
preaching 
to 
the 
Jews 
alone. 
For 
three 
and 
one-half 
years 
thereafter 
his 
disciples 
tau~ht 
the 
Jews 
exclusively. 
The 
religion 
of 
the 
Jews 
had 
become 
a 
formalism, 
as 
a 
result 
of 
the 
unfaithfulness 
of 
the 
clergy 
and 
leaders 
therein. 
For 
some 
time 
after 
Pentecost 
much 
of 
that 
formal· 
ism 
was 
held 
on 
to 
by 
the 
disciples 
of 
Jesus 
Christ. 
Some 
of 
those 
honest 
Christians 
thought 
that 
I 
ex­ 
cept 
a 
man 
be 
circumcised 
he 
could 
not 
be 
saved'. 
Circumcision 
applied 
to 
the 
Jews 
only, 
by 
reason 
of 
the 
law 
covenant 
which 
God 
had 
made 
with 
them. 
It 
required 
time 
for 
those 
who 
had 
come 
away 
from 
the 
darkness 
of 
Jewry 
to 
see 
this 
fact. 
In 
God's 
due 
time 
he 
sent 
the 
apostle 
Peter 
with 
the 
gospel 
message 
to 
Cornelius, 
a 
Gentile. 
(Acts 
10) 
The 
Gentiles 
or 
non-Jewish 
people 
had 
nothing 
to 
do 
with 
circum· 
cision. 
The 
fact 
that 
the 
gospel 
had 
been 
taken 
to 
the 
Gentiles, 
and 
that 
they 
were 
not 
circumcised, 
raised 
a 
controversy 
amongst 
many 
of 
the 
Christians 
of 
that 
time. 
A 
convention 
of 
the 
disciples 
of 
Jesus 
was 
held 
in 
Jerusalem 
to 
consider 
these 
questions. 
James, 
one 
of 
the 
disciples 
of 
the 
Lord, 
was 
the 
chairman 
of 
that 
convention. 
In 
the 
course 
of 
the 
discussion 
Peter 
re­ 
lated 
how 
God 
had 
sent 
the 
gospel 
by 
him 
to 
the 
Gen· 
tiles, 
and 
that 
now 
there 
is 
no 
distinction 
between 
Jew 
and 
Gentile 
so 
far 
as 
God's 
Word 
and 
purpose 
are 
concerned. 
Then 
Paul 
and 
Barnabas 
addressed 
the 
convention 
and 
told 
what 
miracles 
and 
wonders 
God 
had 
wrought 
amongst 
the 
Gentiles 
by 
them. 
In 
summing 
up 
the 
matter 
James 
gave 
utterance 
to 
prophetic 
words. 
Harmonizing 
his 
own 
words 
with 
those 
of 
God's 
prophet 
Amos, 
James 
said: 
"Simeon 
[Peter] 
hath 
declared 
how 
God 
at 
the 
first 
did 
visit 
the 
Gentiles, 
to 
take 
out 
of 
them 
a 
peo­ 
ple 
for 
his 
name. 
And 
to 
this 
agree 
the 
words 
of 
the 
prophets; 
as 
it 
is 
written, 
After 
this 
I 
will 
return, 
and 
will 
build 
again 
the 
tabernacle 
of 
Marcu 15, 1935 According to the divine prophecies all this constituted unmistakable and tangible proof that Zion, Fhe WATCHTOWER. 98 God’s universal organization, had given birth to or brought forth the New Nation, The Kingdom. A PEOPLE FOR HIS NAME URING the period of time from the year eighteen hundred and seventy-eight forward to the year nineteen hundred and eighteen the work of restoring the truths of God’s Word to the scekers therefor was carried on by those who truly devoted themselves to the Lord God and his service. This work was long ago prophetically foreshadowed by the course of action that God’s prophet Elijah took toward the ancient nation of Israel. In that period of time many people in ‘‘Christendnm’’ withdrew from the Catholic and Protestant church organizations and joyfully embraced the truth; but some of the former errors clung to them. These errors are represented by the prophet of the Lord as being ‘‘the filthy garments’’ that were brought away with those who separated themselves from Satan’s organization or ‘‘Babylon’’, as the Bible calls that organization. (Zech. 3:1-4) Many of those who thus eame to a knowledge of the truth and withdrew from the Catholic and Protestant organizations believed and proceeded upon the theory that their chief duty was to prepare themselves for heaven. To this end they set about to develop a sweet and beautiful ‘‘character’’ and to call the attention of others to the necessity of so doing. That they were honest in this, no one will question. Of course, it was right for them to believe that the Lord would give the faithful overcomers a part with him in his kingdom; and it was right for them to believe that they must be pure in thought, in word, and in action so far as possible; but they overlooked a work that must first be done by the followers of Christ while on the earth. Every Christian should lead a blameless life and put forth his best endeavors to always do that which is right; but that is not all that he must do. No man can by his own efforts become so good and perfect that by reason thereof he would be fit to reign with Christ in his kingdom. The condition precedent to entering into that kingdom is love for and faithfulness unto Jehovah God and Christ Jesus. Such love is proved by joyfully keeping the commandments of God. (John 14:15,21; 1 John 4:17,18; 5:3) That means that the overcomers are unselfishly devoted to the Lord and his cause and refuse to compromise, either directly or indirectly, with any part of the Devil’s organization. Those who are thus faithful to the end will be granted the crown of life and a place with Christ Jesus in his kingdom of heaven. The Christian cannot be faithful and true and at the same time neglect or ignore the commandments of Jehovah God. His delight will be to keep those commandments. Jehovah God reveals to man the meaning of his Word progressively. ‘‘The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.’”? (Prov. 4:18) The apostles of Jesus Christ began to see and understand God’s purpose at the time they were anointed with the holy spirit at Pentecost, but thereafter they saw more clearly. Likewise the Lord’s people gradually saw the truth as it was restored, and after the Lord came to his spiritual temple, in fulfilment of Malachi’s prophecy, they began to see the truth more clearly, and the light still continues to increase upon God’s Word. When Jesus was on earth he restricted his preaching to the Jews alone. For three and one-half years thereafter his disciples taught the Jews exclusively. The religion of the Jews had become a formalism, as a result of the unfaithfulness of the clergy and leaders therein. For some time after Pentecost much of that formalism was held on to by the disciples of Jesus Christ. Some of those honest Christians thought that ‘except a man be circumcised he could not be saved’. Circumcision applied to the Jews only, by reason of the law covenant which God had made with them. It required time for those who had come away from the darkness of Jewry to see this fact. In God’s due time he sent the apostle Peter with the gospel message to Cornelius, a Gentile. (Acts 10) The Gentiles or non-Jewish people had nothing to do with cirecumcision. The fact that the gospel had been taken to the Gentiles, and that they were not circumcised, raised a controversy amongst many of the Christians of that time. A convention of the disciples of Jesus was held in Jerusalem to consider these questions. James, one of the disciples of the Lord, was the chairman of that convention. In the course of the discussion Peter related how God had sent the gospel by him to the Gentiles, and that now there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile so far as God’s Word and purpose are concerned. Then Paul and Barnabas addressed the convention and told what miracles and wonders God had wrought amongst the Gentiles by them. In summing up the matter James gave utterance to prophetic words. Harmonizing his own words with those of God’s prophet Amos, James said: “Simeon [Peter] hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of

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