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MARCH
I,
1911
THE
WATCH
TOWER
,
'Mediator
between
God
and
men,"
between
God
and
the
world
of
mankind.
In
harmony
with
the
divine
plan,
during
this
age,
before
his
work
of
uplifting
mankind
is
due
to
be
gin,
he
is
doing
another
work
that
the
Father
has
ordained;
namely,
the
selection
of
brethren
over
whom
he
is
placed
as
the
"Captain
of
their
salvation."
These
are
counted
in
as
members
of
the
body
of
the
Messiah,
he
being
Head
over
them-"
the
church
which
is
his
body."
So,
theR,
the
Man
Christ
Jesus
is
the
Redeemer
of
the
world.
But
in
the
interim-as
noted
above-before
the
ap
plication
of
his
merit
shall
be
made
for
the
world,
the
testi
mony
is
given
to
a
few-as
many
as
have
ears
to
hear
and
are
joint-sacrificers
with
him.
These
will
be
associated
with
him
as
Prophet,
Priest,
Mediator,
King
and
Judge
between
God
and
men
during
the
Millennial
kingdom.
Question.-After
Adam
sinned,
could
God
have
made
with
him
such
a
Law
Covenant
as
he
made
with
the
Jews-a
Cove
nant
offering
him
life
upon
condition
of
fulfilment
of
the
law'
Answer.-We
think
it
would
not
be
reasonable
to
suppose
that
it
would
be
consistent
with
the
divine
principles,
after
Adam
had
had
a
full
and
complete
trial,
and
after
he
had
failed
in
that
trial,
and
after
he
had
been
sentenced
to
death,
that
God
should
belittle
his
Government
and
his
decision
by
making
another
proposition
to
him,
after
he
had
gotten
into
a
more
or
less
fallen
condition.
It
would
seem
that
even
the
suggestion
of
a
trial
would
have
been
inconsistent
with
divine
principles,
unless
full
satisfaction
had
first
been
made
for
the
transgression
already
committed.
We
see
quite
a
difference
between
Adam
and
the
children
of
Adam,
who
were
born
in
imperfection
and
who
have
never
willingly
and
wilfully
aTIlI
intelligently
sinned
against
God
and
who
have
never
been
given
an
offer
or
opportunity
to
see
whether
they
would
be
able
to
keep
that
divine
law.
God
gave
Israel
certain
surroundings
of
typical
justifica
tion
and
typical
sanctification,
etc.,
for
the
purpose
of
im
parting
general
instruction
foreshadowing
the
great
blessing
which
he
ultimately
will
bestow
upon
all
mankind-giving
them
the
opportunity
of
coming
back
into
divine
favor
and
eternal
life.
VOL.
XXXII
BROOKLYN,
N.
Y.,
MARCH
15,
1911
No.6
A
SNARE-A
TRAP-A
STUMBLING
-
BLOCK
"And
David
saith,
Let
their
table
become
a
snare
and
a
trap,
and
a
stumbling-block,
and
a
recompense
unto
them;
let
their
eyes
be
darkened,
that
they
may
not
see.
"-Rom.
11
:9,
10.
At
one
time
these
words
seemed
irreconcilable
with
really
of
their
father
the
devil
(John
8:44),
becauRe
they
either
justice
or
love.
,suppasing
that
the
poor
Jews
who
were
not
all
Israelites
that
were
of
the
nation
of
Israe1.-
were
blinded,
stumbled
into
eternal
torment,
God's
conduct
Rom.
9
:6.
seemed
inscrutable-no
matter
if,
through
the
Apostle,
he
When
God's
due
time
came
for
the
great
atonement
did
promi.se
(vss.
25,
26)
that,
generations
after,
the
blind-
for
sin
to
be
made
by
our
Redeemer's
sacrifice
of
himself
ness
should
be
turned
away-after
the
fullness
of
the
elect
(Heb.
7:27),
that
al.so
was
his
due
time
for
beginning
the
church,
the
Gentiles,
had
been
brought
into
divine
favor.
selection
of
his
spiritual
Israel,
to
whom
he
extends
heav-
We
reasoned
that
the
recovery
of
a
man's
great-great-
enly
promises
and
for
whom
he
has
reserved
the
very
high
great-grand-children
could
never
compensate
for
his
own
est
place
in
his
great
plan-next
to
himRelf.
loss,
if
he
went
to
eternal
misery.
And
although
trained
EARTHLY
ISRAEL
SET
ASIDE
UNTIL
THE
COMPLETION
OF
in
Presbyterian
thought,
it
.seemed
terrible
t(')
read
the
calm,
.
,
THE
SPIRITUAL
ISRAEL
.
.
,
cold
assertion
"What
then'
Israel
hath
not
obtained
that
Chnst
hImself
became
the
Hp:ltl
anti
ChICf
af
thIS
SpIr-
which
he
se~keth
for'
but
the
elect
hath
obtained
it
itual
or
heavenly
Israel,
of
whi,·
h
fleshly
Israel
with
its
and
the
rest
were
'blinded
"-"
stumbled"
"snared';
precious
but
earthly
promises
had
so
long
bepn
a
type'
or
"trapped."
"
shadow.
And
as
s.oon
as
Ch:i~t
's
sacrifice
wa~
C7~llJl~t'te',(~
KNOWLEDGE
OF
THE
DIVINE
PLAN
ENABLES
US
TO
UN-
the
work
of
.selectIng
the
sJllrItual
Israel
as
IllS
brHle
DERSTAND
THE
SCRIPTURES
PROPERLY
or
"body"
or
"brethren"
ana
"joint-hpil's"
was
tine
to
But,
thank
God,
our
own
blindness
was
remaved
and
begin.
the
breaking
?f
the
.Millennial
dawn,
rev~aling
t~e.
divine
It
was
not
God's
purpose
that
the
two
Israe'ls
shonld
plan,
set
our
,Ideas
nght,
enabled
u.s
to
nghtly
dIVIde
and
continue
side
by
side;
hence,
as
soon
as
the
spiritual
was
apply
the
SCrIptures
and
brought
the
grandest
or~er
out
of
begun
the
earthly
was
set
aside;
not
set
asiae
forever,
our
confusion.
We
found
that
the
he~l
to
whlc~
Israel
but
merely
until
the
spiritual
I
srapl
hall
been
selectea.
went
was
the
grave-hades;
that
there
IS
no
conSCIOusness
But
although
the
fleshly
hOllsP
of
I8ra,(']
was
set
aside
nt
in
hell
(Heb.,
sheol;
Greek,
hades-Ezek.
37
:12;
Psa.
6
:5)
;
the
time
of
Christ's
crucifixian
(Matt.
2~
:38),
yet
the
that
blind~d,
stumble.d
Igrael
is
s,till
there,
~nd
that
n~t
first
opportunity
for
membership
in
spiritual
Israel
was
m~rely
theIr
grand-chIldren;
ce.nturIes
:tfter,
wIll
have
theIr
given
to
that
people.
bl~nd!1es~
.removed
a.nd
theIr
sms
forgIVen,
but
all
of
them
It
is
not
surprising
that
only
n
hanaful,
a
"rpll1nant,"
WIll
malvldually
e~Joy
these.
favors..
.
of
fleshly
Israel
was
able
to
st:lIll1
the
test,;
of
faith
an,l
They
al~
were
mcluded
.m
the
unbelIef
and
blIndness
sacrifice
exacted
of
the
spiritual
I
sr:teliteR.
Those"
hypo-
and
stumblIng,
that
God
mIght
have
m~rcy
upon
all
a;nd
crite.s"
to
whom
it
was
saia,
"Y
('
are
of
your
father
the'
recover
everyone
of
them
from
that
blIndness
an~
bn~g
devil,"
wauld
surely
not
be
in
("()Jl,lition
to
be
attracted
everyone
of
them
to
,that
full,
clear
knowledge
WhICh
~Ill
by
th!l
truth
and
its
spirit
into
f"Ilowship
in
the
new
spir-
renaer
every
man
WIthout
excuse
and
fully
responSIble
itual
Israel.
And
even
of
those
w]'o
were
Israelites
inlleed
for
his
choice
of
life
through
obedience
to
Christ,
or
of
the
who
trusted
in
the
promise'S
of
God,
we
cannot
SUPPOg~
"second
death"
through
disobedience.
See
verses
27·32;
that
many
would
be
without
gui
If',
pure
in
heart,
and
just
John
5:28;
Ezek.
37:12,
13;
John
1:9.
.
ready
for
faith
and
obedience
lInder
the
Gospel
age
call.
.
To
see
the
m~tter
thus
clearly
was
a
great
r.elIef;
but
By
the
divine
arrangement,
therefore,
thl1
preaching
of
stIll
our
heart
cned
out
to
God
for
an
explanatIon
and
a
the
Gospel
af
the
Cross
skimmea
off
as
it
were
into
thl1
just
reason
for
the
blinding,
~tumbling,
and
entrapping
of
Gospel
church
the
cream
c1nsR
of
that
people-'"
and
the
all
but
an
elect
few
~f
a
natIo~
to
whIch,
as
a
whole,
he
rest
were
blinded";
and
Go(l
was
agret'able
to
their
being
had
made
many
gracIOUS
pramlses
and
for
whom
he
had
blinded.
.
already
done
so
much,
for
eighteen
centuries-a
nation
THE
GREAT
GULF
BETWEEN
THE
EARTHLY
AND
THE
which
alone
of
all
the
nations
of
earth
recognized
him
HEAVENLY
ISRAEL
TO
BE
DESTROYED
as
its
Ruler
and
were
under
covenant
relatiol's
to
him
and
God
would
allow
"a
great
gulf"
to
he
fixe,l
by
their
his
law.
prejudices
between
them
and
the
spiritual
Israel;
he
woule!
ISRAEL'S
PROMISES
EARTHLY-NOT
HEAVENLY
make
of
them
a
spectacle
before
the
worl'l,
and
although
The
answer
of
God's
Word
is
that,
while
he
had
called
outcasts
from
his
favor
for
a
time,
they
should,
as
a
de'ad
Israel
by
his
promises
to
a
great
and
noble
part
in
his
nation,
be
witnesses
to
his
Word
throughout
the
worle!;
plan
af
salvation,
he
did
not
call
them
to
the
place
of
and,
finally,
when
he
shall
have
felected
and
polished
ana
chief
favor
and
honor.
His
promises
to
them
were
earthly,
glorified
his
spiritual
Israel,
he
will
de.stroy
the
"great
not
heavenly.
And
although
all
of
the
sons
of
Jacob
were
gulf,"
turn
away
their
blin<1ness
as
a
people,
and
receive
called
or
invited,
it
was
a
canditional
call
which
the
na-
back
to
favor
all
of
them
who
then
will
come-shawing
tion
as
a
whole
never
complied
with.
Only
the
few
ever
mercy
upon
them
thraugh
the
glorified
spiritual
Israel-
kept
his
laws
(or
were
reckoned
to
have
kept
them
by
vss.
31,
32.
TJroper
intention)
and
hence,
all
along,
it
was
true
that
"Oh,
the
depth
of
the
riches,
hoth
of
the
wisdom
and
R~me
children
of
Jacob,
professedly
children
of
God,
were
knowledge
of
Goa!"
How
grandly
systematic
and
rea-
\"1-4
[4781]
MARCH I, Igit ‘‘Mediator between God and men,’’ between God and the world of mankind. In harmony with the divine plan, during this age, before his work of uplifting mankind is due to begin, he is doing another work that the Father has ordained; namely, the selection of brethren over whom he is placed as the ‘‘Captain of their salvation.’’ These are counted in as members of the body of the Messiah, he being Head over them—‘‘the church which is his body.’’ So, then, the Man Christ Jesus is the Redeemer of the world. But in the interim—as noted above—before the application of his merit shall be made for the world, the testimony is given to a few—as many as have ears to hear and are joint-sacrificers with him. ‘These will be associated with him as Prophet, Priest, Mediator, King and Judge between God and men during the Millennial kingdom. Question—After Adam sinned, could God have made with him such a Law Covenant as he made with the Jews—a Covenant offering him life upon condition of fulfilment of the law? Vou. XXXII THE WATCH TOWER BROOKLYN, N. Y., MARCH 15, 1911 (79-83) Answer.—We think it would not be reasonable to suppose that it would be consistent with the divine principles, after Adam had had a full and complete trial, and after he had failed in that trial, and after he had been sentenced to death, that God should belittle his Government and his decision by making another proposition to him, after he had gotten into a more or less fallen condition. It would seem that even the suggestion of a trial would have been inconsistent with divine principles, unless full satisfaction had first been made for the transgression already committed. We see quite a difference between Adam and the children of Adam, who were born in imperfection and who have never willingly and wilfully and intelligently sinned against God and who have never been given an offer or opportunity to see whether they would be able to keep that divine law. God gave Israel certain surroundings of typical justification and typical sanctification, ete., for the purpose of imparting general instruction foreshadowing the great blessing which he ultimately will bestow upon all mankind—giving them the opportunity of coming back into divine favor and eternal life. No. 6 A SNARE—A TRAP—A STUMBLING - BLOCK ‘‘And David saith, Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling-block, and a recompense unto them; let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see.’’—Rom. 11:9, 10. At one time these words seemed irreconcilable with either justice or love. Supposing that the poor Jews who were blinded, stumbled into eternal torment, God’s conduct seemed inserutable—no matter if, through the Apostle, he did promise (vss. 25, 26) that, generations after, the blindness should be turned away—after the fullness of the elect church, the Gentiles, had been brought into divine favor. We reasoned that the recovery of a man’s great-greatgreat-grand-children could never compensate for his own loss, if he went to eternal misery. And although trained in Presbyterian thought, it seemed terrible to read the calm, cold assertion, ‘‘What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the elect hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded’’—‘‘stumbled,’’ ‘‘snared,’’ ‘¢trapped.’’ KNOWLEDGE OF THE DIVINE PLAN ENABLES US TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES PROPERLY But, thank God, our own blindness was removed and the breaking of the Millennial dawn, revealing the divine plan, set our ideas right, enabled us to rightly divide and apply the Scriptures and brought the grandest order out of our confusion. We found that the hell to which Israel went was the grave—hades; that there is no consciousness in hell (Heb., sheol; Greek, hades—Ezek, 37:12; Psa. 6:5); that blinded, stumbled Israel is still there, and that not merely their grand-children, centuries after, will have their blindness removed and their sins forgiven, but all of them will individually enjoy these favors. They all were included in the unbelief and blindness and stumbling, that God might have mercy upon all and recover every one of them from that blindness and bring every one of them to that full, clear knowledge which will render every man without excuse and fully responsible for his choice of life through obedience to Christ, or of the ‘‘second death’’ through disobedience. See verses 27-32; John 5:28; Ezek. 37:12, 13; John 1:9. To see the matter thus clearly was a great relief; but still our heart cried out to God for an explanation and a just reason for the blinding, stumbling and entrapping of all but an elect few of a nation to which, as a whole, he had made many gracious promises and for whom he had already done so much, for eighteen centuries—a nation which alone of all the nations of earth recognized him as its Ruler and were under covenant relatiors to him and his law. ISRAEL’S PROMISES EARTHLY—-NOT HEAVENLY The answer of God’s Word is that, while he had called Israel by his promises to a great and noble part in his plan of salvation, he did not call them to the place of chief favor and honor. His promises to them were earthly, not heavenly. And although all of the sons of Jacob were called or invited, it was a conditional call which the nation as a whole never complied with. Only the few ever kept his laws (or were reckoned to have kept them by proper intention) and hence, all along, it was true that agme children of Jacob, professedly children of God, were VI—4 really of their father the devil (John 8:44), because they were not all Israelites that were of the nation of Israel.— Rom. 9:6. When God’s due time came for the great atonement for sin to be made by our Redeemer’s sacrifice of himself (Heb. 7:27), that also was his due time for beginning the selection of his spiritual Israel, to whom he extends heavenly promises and for whom he has reserved the very high est place in his great plan—next to himsclf. EARTHLY ISRAEL SET ASIDE UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF THE SPIRITUAL ISRAEL Christ himself became the Head and Chief of this spiritual or heavenly Israel, of which fleshly Israel with its precious but earthly promises had so long been a type or shadow. And as soon as Christ’s sacrifice was completed the work of selecting the spiritual Israel as his ‘‘bride’’ or ‘‘body’’ or ‘‘brethren’’ and ‘‘joint-heirs’’? was due to begin. It was not God’s purpose that the two Israels should continue side by side; henee, as soon as the spiritual was begun the earthly was set aside; not set aside forever, but merely until the spiritual Israel had been selected. But although the fleshly house of Israel was set aside at the time of Christ’s crucifixion (Matt. 23:38), yet the first opportunity for membership in spiritual Israel was given to that people. It is not surprising that only a handful, a ‘‘remnant,’’ of fleshly Israel] was able to stand the tests of faith and sacrifice exacted of the spiritual Israelites. Those ‘‘hypocrites’’ to whom it was said, ‘‘Ye are of your father the devil,’’ would surely not be in condition to be attracted by the truth and its spirit into fellowship in the new spiritual Israel. And even of those w)o were Israelites indeed, who trusted in the promises of God, we cannot suppose that many would be without guile, pure in heart, and just ready for faith and obedience under the Gospel age call. By the divine arrangement, therefore, the preaching of the Gospel of the Cross skimmed off, as it were, into the Gospel church the cream class of that people—‘‘and the rest were blinded’’; and God was agreeable to their being blinded. THE GREAT GULF BETWEEN THE EARTHLY AND THE HEAVENLY ISRAEL TO BE DESTROYED God would allow ‘‘a great guif’’ to be fixed by their prejudices between them and the spiritual Israel; he would make of them a spectacle before the world, and although outeasts from his favor for a time, they should, as a dead nation, be witnesses to his Word throughout the world; and, finally, when he shall have selected and polished and glorified his spiritual Israel, he will destroy the ‘‘great gulf,’’ turn away their blindness as a people, and receive back to favor all of them who then will come—showing merey upon them through the ylorified spiritual Israel— vss, 31, 32. “‘Oh, the depth of the riches, hoth of the wisdom and knowledge of God!’’ How grandly systematic and rea [4781]
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