Data publicării
01.04.1911
Volumul
32
Numărul
7
Turnul de veghe
Do You Believe in the Resurrection of the Dead?
Revistele originale Turnul de veghe în limba engleză
../literature/watchtower/1911/7/1911-7-1.html
 
 
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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