Data publicării
15.09.1912
Volumul
33
Numărul
18
Turnul de veghe
Brother Russell's Itinerary
Revistele originale Turnul de veghe în limba engleză
../literature/watchtower/1912/18/1912-18-1.html
 
 
SI\PTI\MBI\R 
I, 
1912 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(283-287) 
Elders, 
and 
the 
Pharisees 
neglected 
the 
Word 
of 
God 
and 
held 
to 
the 
traditions. 
What 
are 
we 
as 
Christians 
doing 
to­ 
day? 
"Let 
us 
hold 
fast 
the 
faithful 
Word," 
"The 
Word 
of 
God, 
which 
is 
able 
to 
make 
us 
wise." 
Let 
us 
search 
the 
Scriptures 
daily 
and 
critically, 
and 
let 
us 
abandon 
every­ 
thing 
which 
conflicts 
therewith. 
WHAT 
IS 
GOD'S 
KINGDOM? 
Our 
text 
is 
frequently 
misunderstood 
to 
mean 
that 
God's 
kingdom 
consists 
in 
righteousness 
and 
peace 
and 
joy 
in 
the 
holy 
Spirit. 
The 
context 
shows 
that 
this 
is 
entirely 
a 
wrong 
thought. 
Let 
us 
follow 
the 
context 
and 
see. 
Let 
us 
bea.r 
in 
mind 
what 
we 
have 
already 
seen 
respect­ 
ing 
the 
kingdom 
mentioned 
in 
the 
Bible-that 
it 
is 
the 
glori­ 
ous 
reign 
of 
Messiah 
for 
a 
thousand 
years, 
for 
the 
uplift 
of 
the 
human 
family, 
and 
that 
during 
that 
reign 
the 
church 
will 
be 
associated 
with 
Jesus 
in 
his 
kingdom 
glory, 
power 
and 
honor. 
The 
call 
of 
this 
Gospel 
age 
is 
to 
select 
this 
bride 
class 
and 
to 
develop 
them 
and 
make 
them 
"meet 
for 
the 
in­ 
heritance 
of 
the 
saints 
in 
light." 
We 
have 
seen 
that 
in 
the 
present 
time 
these 
called 
out 
ones-called 
to 
be 
the 
"bride, 
the 
Lamb's 
wife"-a.re 
the 
kingdom 
in 
embryo 
or 
in 
an 
undeveloped 
state. 
These 
probationary 
members 
of 
the 
kingdom, 
the 
Scriptures 
tell 
us, 
are 
not 
under 
the 
Law 
of 
Moses, 
expressed 
in 
the 
Ten 
Commandments; 
they 
are 
not 
hoping 
for 
eternal 
life 
through 
them, 
but 
they 
are 
under 
Grace-under 
a 
gracious 
arrange­ 
ment 
which 
God 
has 
made 
for 
them 
through 
the 
merit 
of 
Christ's 
death. 
St. 
Paul 
points 
out 
that 
while 
these 
are 
free 
from 
the 
various 
commands 
of 
the 
Jewish 
law 
they 
are 
not 
without 
law, 
but 
under 
the 
great 
divine 
law, 
as 
mem­ 
bers 
of 
the 
body 
of 
Christ. 
He 
says 
that 
thus 
we, 
as 
new 
creatures, 
do 
fulfil 
the 
real 
meaning 
of 
the 
divine 
law 
when 
we 
"walk, 
not 
after 
the 
flesh, 
but 
after 
the 
spirit," 
even 
thou~h 
we 
be 
not 
able 
to 
walk 
fully 
up 
to 
the 
spirit 
of 
the 
law 
because 
of 
weaknesses 
of 
our 
flesh. 
It 
is 
the 
new 
crea­ 
ture, 
the 
desire, 
that 
is 
being 
judged 
and 
not 
the 
tlesh. 
Accordingly 
the 
Gentiles 
who 
came 
into 
membership 
in 
the 
body 
of 
Christ 
were 
not 
required 
to 
conform 
themselves 
to 
the 
demands 
of 
the 
Jewish 
law. 
For 
instance, 
a 
Jew, 
according 
to 
the 
law, 
might 
not 
eat 
fish 
that 
had 
no 
scales, 
mackerel, 
etc., 
neither 
might 
he 
eat 
rahbit 
meat, 
nor 
pork, 
etc., 
and 
in 
a 
variety 
of 
other 
ways 
he 
was 
restrained 
and 
limited 
in 
his 
eating 
and 
drinking. 
But 
none 
of 
these 
re­ 
straints 
apply 
to 
Christians 
who 
had 
come 
from 
amongst 
the 
Gentiles 
and 
who 
never 
had 
been 
under 
the 
Law 
Covenant. 
In 
our 
text 
St. 
Paul 
urges 
that 
these 
liberties 
respect­ 
ing 
what 
they 
might 
eat 
and 
drink 
were 
not 
to 
be 
esteemed 
as 
the 
real 
blessings 
of 
this 
embryo 
kingdom 
class 
in 
the 
present 
life. 
Far 
from 
it; 
the 
real 
blessings 
of 
this 
class 
consisted 
in 
their 
enjoyment 
of 
righteousness 
and 
peace 
and 
joy 
in 
the 
holy 
Spirit. 
Transformed 
by 
the 
renewing 
of 
their 
minds, 
they 
had 
come 
to 
appreciate 
and 
love 
righteous­ 
ness 
and 
truth; 
good 
things 
rather 
than 
evil 
things; 
pure 
things 
rather 
than 
impure 
things; 
spiritual 
things 
rather 
than 
earthly 
things; 
their 
citizenship 
BOW 
was 
in 
heaven 
in­ 
stead 
of 
being 
an 
earthly 
one. 
They 
had 
come 
to 
appreciate 
"the 
peace 
of 
God 
which 
passeth 
all 
understanding," 
and 
its 
rule 
in 
their 
hearts 
was 
one 
of 
the 
grand 
blessings 
whieh 
they 
enjoyed 
as 
members 
of 
the 
embryo 
kingdom 
class. 
"There 
is 
no 
peace, 
saith 
my 
God, 
to 
the 
wicked." 
"The 
wicked 
are 
like 
a 
troubled 
sea 
which 
cannot 
rest." 
Our 
heavenly 
peace 
and 
confidence 
in 
God 
are 
the 
result 
of 
our 
union 
with 
Christ 
as 
members 
of 
his 
kingdom 
class. 
This 
we 
prize 
and 
not 
specially 
the 
privilege 
of 
eating 
pork 
or 
Bome 
other 
thing 
fOTibidden 
to 
the 
Jews. 
Joy 
in 
the 
holy 
Spirit-fellowship 
with 
the 
Father 
and 
with 
the 
Son 
and 
with 
all 
who 
possess 
the 
spirit 
of 
righteousness-is 
the 
blessed 
privilege 
of 
every 
member 
of 
the 
embryo 
kingdom 
class, 
every 
member 
of 
"the 
church 
which 
is 
the 
body 
of 
Christ." 
Thus 
the 
Apostle 
would 
have 
his 
hearers 
place 
a 
proper 
valuation 
upon 
the 
various 
favors 
which 
they 
had 
received, 
80 
that 
if 
the 
interests 
of 
the 
Lord's 
cause 
or 
the 
interests 
of 
the 
brethren 
in 
Christ 
should 
ever 
require 
them 
to 
forego 
their 
liberties 
in 
respect 
to 
food 
and 
drink, 
they 
would 
count 
such 
self-denials 
for 
Christ's 
sake 
and 
for 
the 
brethren's 
sake 
as 
nothing-as 
sacrifices 
they 
could 
make 
with 
joy, 
be­ 
cause 
they 
would 
not 
interfere 
with 
or 
disturb 
in 
the 
least 
the 
Teal 
value 
of 
the 
blessings 
and 
privileges 
which 
are 
ours 
\n 
Ohrist. 
VOL. 
XXXIII 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
SEPTEMBER 
15, 
1912 
RESPONSIBILITIES 
OF 
CHRISTIAN 
CITIZENSHIP 
No. 
18 
"The 
night 
is 
far 
spent, 
the 
day 
is 
at 
1wJnd}' 
let 
us 
therefore 
cast 
off 
the 
works 
of 
darkness, 
and 
let 
11S 
put 
on 
the 
armor 
of 
light. 
Let 
us 
walk 
honestly, 
as 
in 
the 
day; 
not 
m 
rioting 
and 
drunkenness, 
not 
in 
chambering 
and 
WlPntonne8s, 
not 
in 
strife 
and 
envying."-Romans 
13: 
12, 
13. 
The 
Scriptures 
call 
attention 
to 
the 
fact 
thak 
there 
is 
a 
great 
time 
of 
trouble, 
"become 
the 
kingdom 
of 
our 
Lord 
and 
night 
of 
weeping 
in 
contrast 
with 
a 
day 
of 
joy. 
(Psa. 
30: 
5) 
of 
his 
Christ."'-Rev. 
11: 
15. 
The 
"night" 
is 
that 
period 
of 
darkness 
which 
set 
in 
after 
The 
Scriptures 
inform 
us 
that 
the 
period 
of 
time 
dur- 
Adam 
fell. 
By 
one 
man's 
disobedience 
sin 
entered 
into 
the 
ing 
which 
the 
present 
dominion 
of 
Satan 
shall 
become 
the 
world. 
and 
death 
as 
the 
result 
of 
sin. 
(Romans 
5:12, 
19) 
kingdom 
of 
God's 
dear 
Son, 
will 
be 
a 
specially 
evil 
day. 
It 
Evil 
has 
brought 
sorrow 
and 
the 
darkness 
of 
ignorance 
and 
will 
be 
a 
season 
in 
which 
all 
the 
children 
of 
light 
shall 
be 
superstition 
among 
mankind 
until 
human 
affairs 
have 
be- 
crucially 
tested; 
a 
day 
that 
will 
try 
every 
man's 
faith 
and 
come 
demoralized. 
As 
the 
Prophet 
Isaiah 
says, 
"Darkness 
work; 
a 
day 
of 
fiery 
trial 
through 
which 
only 
"the 
gold, 
shall 
cover 
the 
earth, 
and 
gross 
darkness 
the 
people.- 
the 
silver 
and 
the 
precious 
stones" 
will 
pass 
unharmed 
and 
Isa. 
60:2. 
in 
which 
all 
the 
"wood, 
hay 
and 
stubble" 
of 
error, 
sin 
and 
There 
is 
however 
a 
morning 
promised. 
That 
morning 
human 
tradition 
will 
be 
entirely 
consumed.-l 
Cor. 
3: 
12, 
13; 
iq 
to 
be 
usherl'd 
in 
by 
the 
Sun 
of 
Righteousness. 
rising 
with 
1 
Pet. 
4: 
12. 
healing 
in 
his 
beams. 
(Mal. 
4:2) 
That 
Sun 
of 
Righteous- 
"AND 
ALSO 
THE 
NIGHT" 
ness 
is 
Christ 
and 
the 
church 
with 
him. 
"Then 
shall 
the 
While 
we 
observe 
the 
glorious 
dawn 
of 
the 
new 
dis- 
righteous 
shim> 
forth 
as 
the 
sun 
in 
the 
kingdom 
of 
their 
pensation, 
we 
notice 
clouds 
also. 
The 
Bible 
forewarns 
us 
Father" 
(Matt. 
13:43)-Christ 
as 
the 
head 
of 
the 
church, 
that 
before 
the 
kingdom 
of 
heaven 
shall 
have 
been 
set 
up 
which 
is 
his 
body. 
fully 
there 
will 
be 
a 
very 
dark 
hour 
for 
the 
world-a 
period 
Another 
Scripture 
speaks 
of 
the 
present 
as 
daytime: 
"I 
in 
which 
sin 
will 
have 
great 
liberty 
in 
its 
operation, 
and 
must 
work 
the 
works 
of 
him 
that 
sent 
me, 
while 
it 
is 
day; 
during 
which 
the 
saints 
of 
God 
will 
suffer 
persecution. 
At 
the 
night 
cometh 
when 
no 
man 
can 
work." 
(John 
9:4) 
the 
same 
time 
we 
can 
see 
the 
reflection 
from 
the 
"Sun," 
al· 
While 
for 
many 
centuries 
there 
has 
been 
a 
period 
of 
dark- 
though 
it 
has 
not 
yet 
arisen; 
we 
are 
now 
in 
the 
early 
ness, 
nevertheless 
sinpe 
the 
first 
advent 
of 
our 
Lord 
the 
dawn. 
But 
the 
coming 
darknesq 
will 
make 
matters 
appear 
as 
glorious 
light 
of 
truth 
has 
had 
more 
effect 
upon 
the 
world 
though 
the 
morning 
will 
not 
come, 
as 
though 
the 
night 
had 
than 
at 
any 
previous 
time; 
for 
with 
the 
coming 
of 
our 
Lord 
again 
set 
in, 
as 
though 
the 
divine 
recognition 
of 
all 
things 
Jesus 
a 
blessing 
came 
upon 
the 
world. 
At 
th'lt 
time 
so 
much 
had 
ceased. 
light 
carne 
in, 
that 
the 
Gospel 
age 
may 
be 
called 
day 
in 
con- 
There 
is, 
however, 
a 
silver 
lining 
to 
the 
clouds. 
Soon 
trast 
with 
previous 
experiences. 
This 
day, 
in 
turn, 
gave 
the 
Sun 
of 
Righteousness 
will 
arise 
with 
healing 
in 
his 
place 
to 
a 
long 
period 
known 
as 
the 
dark 
ages. 
Then. 
since 
beams. 
The 
church 
in 
glory 
with 
her 
lord 
will 
put 
down 
sin, 
the 
Reformation, 
a 
measure 
of 
light 
came 
in 
again, 
through 
will 
dispel 
the 
superstition 
and 
evil 
whiph 
now 
becloud 
the 
pertain 
influences 
which 
have 
brought 
blessings 
to 
the 
Lord's 
minds 
of 
men 
and 
will 
give 
clear 
light 
to 
the 
people 
respect- 
people. 
Now 
it 
is 
time 
for 
the 
- 
:-lun 
of 
Righteousness 
to 
ing 
God 
and 
His 
·Word. 
- 
"I 
will 
turn 
a 
purl' 
language 
[mes- 
rise 
with 
healing 
in 
his 
beams. 
sagel 
to 
thEl 
people, 
that 
they 
may 
all 
call 
upon 
the 
name 
We 
believe 
that 
the 
day 
is 
aptually 
at 
hand; 
that 
we 
of 
the 
Lord, 
to 
serve 
him 
with 
one 
consent." 
(Zeph. 
3:9) 
pre 
living 
in 
the 
early 
dawn 
of 
a 
new 
disppnsation. 
and 
The 
mesqage 
was 
originally 
given 
in 
its 
purity. 
but 
this 
free- 
that 
as 
soon 
as 
the 
harvest 
of 
the 
Gospel 
age 
shall 
have 
dom 
from 
adultE'ration 
it 
did 
not 
retain. 
It 
has 
been 
more 
been 
garnered, 
"the 
kingdoms 
of 
this 
world" 
shall, 
during 
a 
or 
less 
obscured 
by 
ignorance 
and 
superstition. 
When 
through 
[5097] 
SEPTEMBER 1, 1912 Elders, and the Pharisees neglected the Word of God and held to the traditions, What are we as Christians doing today? “Let us hold fast the faithful Word,” “The Word of God, which is able to make us wise.” Let us search the Scriptures daily and critically, and let us abandon everything which conflicts therewith. WHAT IS GOD’S KINGDOM? Our text is frequently misunderstood to mean that God’s kingdom consists in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Spirit. The context shows that this is entirely a wrong thought. Let us follow the context and see. Let us bear in mind what we have already seen respecting the kingdom mentioned in the Bible—that it is the glorious reign of Messiah for a thousand years, for the uplift of the human family, and that during that reign the church will be associated with Jesus in his kingdom glory, power and honor. The call of this Gospel age is to select this bride class and to develop them and make them “meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.” We have seen that in the present, time these called out ones—called to be the “bride, the Lamb’s wife’—are the kingdom in embryo or in an undeveloped state, ‘lhese probationary members of the kingdom, the Scriptures tell us, are not under the Law of Moses, expressed in the Ten Commandments; they are not hoping for eternal life through them, but they are under Grace—under a gracious arrangement which God has made for them through the merit of Christ’s death. St. Paul points out that while these are free from the various commands of the Jewish law they are not without law, but under the great divine law, as members of the body of Christ. He says that thus we, as new creatures, do fulfil the real meaning of the divine law when we “walk, not after the flesh, but after the spirit,’ even though we be not able to walk fully up to the spirit of the law because of weaknesses of our flesh. It is the new creature, the desire, that is being judged and not the flesh. Accordingly the Gentiles who came into membership in the body of Christ were not required to conform themselves to the demands of the Jewish law. For instance, a Jew, according to the law, might not eat fish that had no scales, THE WATCH TOWER (283-287) mackerel, etc., neither might he eat rabbit meat, nor pork, etc., and in a variety of other ways he was restrained and limited in his eating and drinking. But none of these restraints apply to Christians who had come from amongst the Gentiles and who never had been under the Law Covenant. In our text St. Paul urges that these liberties respecting what they might eat and drink were not to be esteemed as the real blessings of this embryo kingdom class in the present life. Far from it; the real blessings of this class consisted in their enjoyment of righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Spirit. Transformed by the renewing of their minds, they had come to appreciate and love righteousness and truth; good things rather than evil things; pure things rather than impure things; spiritual things rather than earthly things; their citizenship now was in heaven instead of being an earthly one. They had come to appreciate “the peace of God which passeth all understanding,” and its rule in their hearts was one of the grand blessings which they enjoyed as members of the embryo kingdom class. “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” ‘The wicked are like a troubled sea which cannot rest.” Our heavenly peace and confidence in God are the result of our union with Christ as members of his kingdom class, This we prize and not specially the privilege of eating pork or some other thing forbidden to the Jews. Joy in the holy Spirit—fellowship with the Father and with the Son and with all who possess the spirit of righteousness—is the blessed privilege of every member of the embryo kingdom class, every member of “the church which is the body of Christ.” Thus the Apostle would have his hearers place a proper valuation upon the various favors which they had received, so that if the interests of the Lord’s cause or the interests of the brethren in Christ should ever require them to forego their liberties in respect to food and drink, they would count such self-denials for Christ’s sake and for the brethren’s sake as nothing—as sacrifices they could make with joy, because they would not interfere with or disturb in the least the real value of the blessings and privileges which are ours in Christ. Vou. XXXII BROOKLYN, N. Y., SEPTEMBER 15, 1912 No. 18 RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP “The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not m rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.’—Romans 13:12, 13. The Scriptures call attention to the fact that there is a night of weeping in contrast with a day of joy. (Psa. 30:5) The “night” is that period of darkness which set in after Adam fell. By one man’s disobedience sin entered into the world, and death as the result of sin. (Romans 5:12, 19) Evil has brought sorrow and the darkness of ignorance and superstition among mankind until human affairs have become demoralized. As the Prophet Isaiah says, “Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.— Isa. 60:2. There is however a morning promised. That morning is to be ushered in by the Sun of Righteousness, rising with healing in his beams. (Mal. 4:2) That Sun of Righteousness is Christ and the church with him. “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43)—Christ as the head of the church, which is his body. Another Scripture speaks of the present as daytime: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work.” (John 9:4) While for many centuries there has been a period of darkness, nevertheless since the first advent of our Lord the glorious light of truth has had more effect upon the world than at any previous time; for with the coming of our Lord Jesus a blessing came upon the world. At that time so much light came in, that the Gospel age may be called day in contrast with previous experiences. This day, in turn, gave place to a long period known as the dark ages, ‘Then, since the Reformation, a measure of light came in again, through certain influences which have brought blessings to the Lord’s people. Now it is time for the Sun of Righteousness to rise with healing in his beams. We believe that the day is actually at hand; that we ere living in the early dawn of a new dispensation, and that as soon as the harvest of the Gospel age shall have been garnered, “the kingdoms of this world” shall, during a great time of trouble, “become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.’”’—Rev. 11:15. The Scriptures inform us that the period of time during which the present dominion of Satan shall become the kingdom of God’s dear Son, will be a specially evil day, It will be a season in which all the children of light shall be crucially tested; a day that will try every man’s faith and work; a day of fiery trial through which only ‘‘the gold, the silver and the precious stones” will pass unharmed and in which all the “wood, hay and stubble” of error, sin and human tradition will be entirely consumed.—1 Cor. 3:12, 13; 1 Pet. 4:12. ‘“‘AND ALSO THE NIGHT’’ While we observe the glorious dawn of the new dispensation, we notice clouds also. The Bible forewarns us that before the kingdom of heaven shall have been set up fully there will be a very dark hour for the world—a period in which sin will have great liberty in its operation, and during which the saints of God will suffer persecution. At the same time we can see the reflection from the “Sun,” although it has not yet arisen; we are now in the early dawn. But the coming darkness will make matters appear as though the morning will not come, as though the night bad again set in, as though the divine recognition of all things had ceased. There is, however, a silver lining to the clouds. Soon the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in his beams. The church in glory with her lord will put down sin, will dispel the superstition and evil which now becloud the minds of men and will give clear light to the people respecting God and His Word. “I will turn a pure language [message] to the people, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.” (Zeph. 3:9) The message was originally given in its purity, but this freedom from adulteration it did not retain. It has been more or less obscured by ignorance and superstition. When through [5097]

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