Data publicării
01.12.1912
Volumul
33
Numărul
23
Turnul de veghe
The Retributive Character of Divine Law
Revistele originale Turnul de veghe în limba engleză
../literature/watchtower/1912/23/1912-23-2.html
 
 
DIlCIlM!lJtR 
I, 
1912 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(367-372) 
you 
condemn 
the 
ways 
of 
the 
world, 
yet 
you 
delight 
in 
the 
good 
things 
of 
life 
provided 
by 
my 
industry-the 
automobile, 
the 
pleasant 
home, 
etc.' 
And 
I 
must 
acknowledge 
that 
he 
is 
right. 
I 
fear 
that 
I 
could 
not 
be 
happy 
without 
them." 
/:luch 
a 
person 
certa;inly 
loves 
the 
things 
of 
the 
world, 
even 
while 
making 
good 
use 
of 
them. 
It 
seems 
to 
be 
a 
serious 
charge 
to 
say 
that 
anyone 
who 
is 
in 
that 
attitude 
of 
mind 
which 
loves 
the 
world 
and 
the 
things 
belonging 
to 
it, 
has 
not 
the 
love 
of 
the 
Father 
in 
him. 
We 
do 
not 
understand, 
however, 
that 
such 
a 
one 
has 
no 
love 
for 
the 
Father 
or 
that 
the 
Father 
has 
no 
love 
for 
him. 
The 
Apostle 
seems 
to 
be 
addressing 
this 
message 
to 
the 
church. 
Those 
who 
have 
been 
adopted 
into 
God's 
family 
must 
continue 
to 
love 
him 
or 
they 
would 
not 
be 
counted 
as 
members 
of 
that 
class. 
What, 
then, 
is 
the 
full 
impor't 
of 
this 
expression-"The 
love 
of 
the 
Father 
is 
not 
in 
him"? 
To 
us 
it 
would 
mean 
that 
the 
love 
of 
the 
Father 
had 
not 
gotten 
full 
control 
of 
his 
heart, 
and 
this 
would 
mean 
that 
ultimately-unless 
he 
should 
gain 
a 
victory 
over 
his 
selfish 
disposition-he 
would 
not 
be 
acC€pted 
as 
a 
son. 
Everywhere 
about 
Uil 
is 
this 
spirit 
of 
selfishness. 
Every 
('hild 
of 
God 
should 
be 
on 
guard 
against 
it 
and 
against 
will­ 
ingness 
to 
participate 
in 
the 
things 
of 
this 
world. 
We 
should 
shive 
to 
he 
in 
that 
con(lition 
which 
is 
pleasing 
to 
the 
Father. 
We 
are 
to 
try 
to 
rid 
ourselves 
of 
the 
spirit 
of 
the 
world 
and 
to 
be 
filled 
with 
the 
Spirit 
of 
the 
Father. 
This 
would 
not 
mean 
that 
we 
are 
not 
to 
appreci!!Jte 
beautiful 
things, 
or 
that 
we 
are 
not 
to 
like 
to 
see 
others 
striving 
to 
benefit 
the 
world; 
but 
that 
we 
should 
not 
be 
satisfied 
wHh 
any 
of 
these 
things, 
so 
far 
as 
we 
are 
conccrned. 
TWO 
KINDS 
OF 
MOTIVES 
Wha,tever 
talents 
we 
possess 
we 
should 
use 
for 
the 
good 
of 
humanity 
in 
any 
kind 
of 
work 
that 
would 
be 
for 
the 
glory 
of 
God. 
Even 
a 
good 
work 
could 
be 
engaged 
in 
from 
the 
spirit 
of 
the 
world 
rather 
than 
from 
the 
Spirit 
of 
God; 
that 
is, 
it 
might 
be 
done 
for 
what 
we 
could 
get 
from 
others 
in 
the 
way 
of 
money, 
honor 
or 
influence; 
or, 
on 
the 
other 
hand, 
it 
might 
be 
for 
the 
good 
we 
desired 
to 
do 
for 
others. 
The 
highest 
of 
all 
services 
is 
that 
of 
the 
ministry 
of 
the 
Word 
of 
God. 
Even 
this 
noble 
service 
might 
be 
pursued 
from 
either 
of 
two 
motives-the 
love 
of 
the 
Father 
or 
the 
love 
of 
self. 
Apparently 
there 
are 
some 
engaged 
in 
the 
ministry 
purely 
for 
the 
sake 
of 
the 
loaves 
and 
fishes, 
for 
the 
honorable 
position 
it 
give,s 
them 
in 
the 
world, 
or 
because 
they 
do 
not 
know 
of 
anything 
that 
would 
serve 
them 
better. 
Again, 
there 
are 
those, 
no 
doubt, 
who 
have 
entered 
the 
ministry, 
not 
for 
selfish 
reasons, 
but 
because 
they 
desire 
to 
serve 
God, 
to 
serve 
the 
truth, 
to 
serve 
his 
people. 
The 
Lord 
alone 
knows 
what 
has 
induced 
anyone 
to 
enter 
the 
ministry. 
But 
since 
we 
are 
living 
in 
the 
day 
that 
will 
try 
every 
man's 
work, 
God 
will 
prove 
what 
sort 
it 
is-will 
show 
what 
motive 
is 
behind 
the 
deed. 
Those 
who 
are 
serving 
merely 
- 
from 
the 
worldly 
spirit 
will 
be 
vexed 
with 
everything 
that 
is 
making 
for 
truth; 
and 
in 
proportion 
as 
their 
earthly 
interests 
suffer, 
they 
will 
be 
angry. 
Those 
who 
are 
of 
the 
right 
spirit, 
however, 
will 
rejoice 
in 
everything 
that 
will 
be 
helpful 
to 
humanity, 
in 
everything 
that 
is 
to 
the 
glory 
of 
God, 
in 
everything 
that 
will 
make 
the 
Bible 
more 
easily 
understood. 
In 
f!!Jet, 
we 
may 
suppose 
that 
the 
real 
testing, 
so 
far 
as 
the 
church 
is 
concerned, 
is 
the 
making 
manifest 
whether 
we 
love 
the 
world-the 
things 
of 
the 
present 
time-or 
whether 
we 
love 
God 
supremely. 
As 
time 
goes 
on, 
it 
will 
be 
even 
more 
impossible 
to 
harmonize 
the 
spirit 
of 
love 
and 
the 
spirit 
of 
selfishness. 
Those 
who 
love 
God 
will 
be 
fully 
out 
of 
har­ 
mony 
with 
the 
spirit 
of 
the 
present 
evil 
world. 
"Love 
not 
the 
world! 
He 
in 
whose 
heart 
the 
love 
Of 
vanity 
has 
found 
a 
place, 
shuts 
out 
The 
enduring 
world 
above. 
"Love 
not 
the 
world! 
However 
fair 
it 
seem; 
Who 
loveth 
this 
vain 
world-the 
love 
of 
God 
Abideth 
not 
in 
him." 
THE 
RETRIBUTIVE 
CHARACTER 
OF 
DIVINE 
LAW 
[This 
article 
was 
a 
reprint 
of 
that 
published 
in 
issue 
of 
June 
1, 
1894, 
which 
please 
see.] 
THE 
CREATION 
OF 
THINGS 
MUNDANE 
JANUARY 
5-GENESIS 
1: 
1-31; 
2: 
1-3. 
"Itt 
the 
beginning 
God 
created 
the 
hoovens 
and 
the 
ecwth. 
And 
the 
earth 
was 
'U)(UJte 
and 
void, 
and 
darkness 
was 
upon 
the 
face 
Of 
the 
deep."--Gen. 
1: 
1, 
2. 
(R. 
V.) 
In 
the 
past, 
Bible 
students 
have 
not 
been 
sufficiently 
of 
human 
experience. 
God 
has 
promised 
that 
this 
seventh 
critical 
in 
studying 
God's 
Word. 
Today's 
lesson 
illustrates 
day 
of 
a 
thousand 
years 
will 
be 
very 
different 
from 
the 
pre­ 
this. 
The 
Genesis 
account 
does 
not 
begin 
with 
the 
crea;tion 
ceding 
six 
d'ays, 
in 
which 
manwind 
has 
experienced 
a 
reign 
of 
the 
physical 
earth, 
as 
was 
once 
supposed. 
"The 
beginning" 
of 
sin 
and 
death. 
The 
seventh 
day 
of 
'a 
thousand 
years 
is 
refers 
merely 
to 
the 
work 
accomplished 
by 
divine 
power 
in 
Scripturally 
called 
the 
"Day 
of 
Christ," 
and 
by 
many 
it 
is 
bringing 
the 
waste 
,and 
lifeless 
earth 
into 
condition 
for 
styled 
the 
Millennium. 
In 
i,t 
Satan 
and 
sin 
are 
to 
be 
over- 
man's 
use. 
thrown, 
righteousness 
is 
to 
be 
established 
by 
the 
Redeemer, 
The 
earth 
was 
already 
in 
existence, 
and 
had 
been 
creaJted 
and 
mankind, 
purchased 
by 
th.e 
precious. 
?lood 
at 
Calvary 
by 
divine 
power 
before 
the 
time 
mentioned 
in 
the 
Genesis 
are 
all 
to 
have 
full 
oppor,tumty 
for 
ansIng 
from 
prel'lent 
account. 
Read 
our 
text 
several 
times 
until 
this 
is 
elea.rly 
degradllition 
to 
re-attainment 
of 
the 
image 
and 
likeness 
of 
seen. 
Higher 
Critics 
(would 
f{O 
back 
millions 
of 
years 
to) 
God, 
lost 
in 
Eden 
by 
Adam's 
disobedience. 
discuss 
V'arious 
theories 
respeming 
how 
the 
mass 
of 
earth 
was 
The 
seventh 
day 
of 
the 
creative 
week 
began 
with 
Adam's 
formed, 
and 
they 
attribute 
millivns 
of 
years 
to 
this. 
Bible 
creation 
and 
has 
already 
lasted 
six 
thousand 
years, 
and 
is 
students 
may 
well 
content 
themselves 
with 
the 
record 
that 
to 
be 
completed 
with 
the 
thousand 
years 
of 
Christ's 
Reign. 
the 
earth 
already 
was 
at 
"the 
beginning," 
of 
the 
Genesis 
The 
seventh 
creative 
day 
will 
be 
seven 
thousand 
years 
long. 
account. 
Whoever 
sees 
this 
to 
be 
a 
reasonable 
deduction 
can 
easily 
sup- 
The 
Bible 
mentions 
days 
of 
various 
lengths; 
for 
instance, 
pose 
that 
the 
six 
preceding 
days 
of 
the 
Genesis 
account 
were, 
"the 
day 
of 
temptation 
in 
the 
wilderness"-forty 
years 
(Heb. 
likewise, 
seven 
thousand 
years 
each. 
Reckoned 
thus, 
the 
total 
3: 
8, 
9); 
"A 
day 
with 
the 
Lord 
is 
as 
a 
thousand 
years" 
period 
from 
the 
time 
that 
divine 
energy 
beg-an 
to 
operate 
(2 
Pet. 
3: 
R); 
our 
Lord's 
"day," 
etc. 
(John 
8: 
56) 
While 
upon 
the 
waste 
earth 
down 
to 
the 
time 
when 
the 
whole 
work 
God 
c~uld. 
have 
accomplished 
.the 
.grea~ 
work 
of 
ordering 
the 
of 
creation 
and 
resti,tution 
will 
be 
fully 
completed, 
would 
be 
earth 
~n 
SIX 
24-hour 
day~, 
or 
m 
SIX 
mmutes, 
for 
that 
matter, 
7 
times 
7,000 
years, 
or 
49,000 
years. 
ther~ 
IS 
no 
reason 
to 
thmk 
that 
such 
short 
days 
are. 
meant. 
According 
to 
the 
Bible, 
that 
time 
will 
be 
a 
thousand 
years 
G-od 
·ar~an~ed 
a 
great 
week 
?f 
seve~ 
days 
.for 
hIS 
great 
hence, 
when 
The 
Christ 
shall 
have 
accomplished 
his 
work 
for 
work 
of 
brmgmg 
man 
to 
.perfectlOn. 
SI.X 
of 
these 
days 
pre- 
mankind 
to 
the 
full 
and 
shall 
deliver 
up 
the 
kingdom 
to 
God, 
p~red 
ou! 
planet 
~ 
receIVe 
Adam 
-as 
ItS 
lord 
an~ 
earthly 
even 
ihe 
Father. 
At 
that 
moment 
the 
fiftieth 
thousand-year 
kmg, 
a~ 
Image 
of 
hIS 
Creator 
.. 
The 
seventh 
day, 
WhICh 
there 
period 
will 
begin, 
with 
every 
creature 
in 
heaven 
and 
on 
earth 
began 
i 
t~S 
notDye~ 
co~t~ted----:ltd 
la::s 
~.:~O~S~~d 
years 
o~ 
asr-ribing 
praise 
to 
him 
that 
sitteth 
upon 
the 
throne, 
and 
to 
co.mp 
e 
Ion. 
unng 
a, 
pe:lO, 
'~. 
1 
e 
e 
sus, 
.eart 
the 
Lamb, 
forever. 
How 
appropriate 
this 
will 
be, 
especially 
WIll 
be 
brou~ht 
to 
a 
ParadIse 
,cOl~dltlOn 
and 
man 
WIll 
be 
when 
we 
recall 
that 
,in 
God's 
arrangement 
fifty 
is 
the 
greatest 
resto;ed 
by 
hIS 
Redeemer 
to 
G;>d 
s 
Image. 
. 
climax 
of 
numbers! 
In 
Bible 
usage 
the 
number 
seven 
is 
SIX 
great 
thousand-yea.r. 
penods 
?r 
days 
have 
passed 
smce 
symbolical 
of 
perfection, 
and 
7 
times 
7 
represents 
a 
complete- 
Adam 
was 
created, 
accordmg 
to 
BIble 
chronology. 
We 
are 
ness 
of 
perfection; 
and 
the 
fiftieth 
or 
Jubilee 
following 
is 
now 
in 
the 
dl1JWlling 
of 
the 
great 
seventh 
day 
or 
Sabbath 
day 
climacteric. 
[5139] 
December 1, 1912 you condemn the ways of the world, yet you delight in the good things of life provided by my industry—the automobile, the pleasant home, ete.’ And I must acknowledge that he is right, I fear that I could not be happy without them,” Such a person certainly loves the things of the world, even while making good use of them. It seems to be a serious charge to say that any one who is in that attitude of mind which loves the world and the things belonging to it, has not the love of the Father in him. We do not understand, however, that such a one has no love for the Father or that the Father has no love for him. ‘he Apostle seems to be addressing this message to the church. Those who have been adopted into God’s family must continue to love him or they would not be counted as members of that class. What, then, is the full import of this expression—‘'The love of the Father is not in him”? To us it would mean that the love of the Father had not gotten full control of his heart, and this would mean that ultimately—unless he should gain a victory over his selfish disposition—he would not be accepted as a son. Everywhere about us is this spirit of selfishness. Every child of God should be on guard against it and against willingness to participate in the things of this world. We should strive to be in that condition which is pleasing to the Father. We are to try to rid ourselves of the spirit of the world and to be filled with the Spirit of the Father. This would not mean that we are not to appreciate beautiful things, or that we are not to like to see others striving to benefit the world; but that we should not be satisfied with any of these things, so far as we are concerned. TWO KINDS OF MOTIVES Whatever talents we possess we should use for the good of humanity in any kind of work that would be for the glory of God. Hven a good work could be engaged in from the spirit of the world rather than from the Spirit of God; that is, it might be done for what we could get from others in the way of money, honor or influence; or, on the other hand, THE WATCH TOWER (367-372) it might be for the good we desired to do for others. The highest of all services is that of the ministry of the Word of God. Even this noble service might be pursued from either of two motives—the love of the Father or the love of self. Apparently there are some engaged in the ministry purely for the sake of the loaves and fishes, for the honorable position it gives them in the world, or because they do not know of anything that would serve them better. Again, there are those, no doubt, who have entered the ministry, not for selfish reasons, but because they desire to serve God, to serve the truth, to serve his people. ‘The Lord alone knows what has induced any one to enter the ministry. But since we are living in the day that will try every man’s work, God will prove what sort it is—will show what motive is behind the deed. Those who are serving merely -from the worldly spirit will be vexed with everything that is making for truth; and in proportion as their earthly interests suffer, they will be angry. Those who are of the right spirit, however, will rejoice in everything that will be helpful to humanity, in everything that is to the glory of God, in everything that will make the Bible more easily understood. In fact, we may suppose that the real testing, so far as the church is concerned, is the making manifest whether we love the world—the things of the present time—or whether we love God supremely. As time goes on, it will be even more impossible to harmonize the spirit of love and the spirit of selfishness. Those who love God will be fully out of harmony with the spirit of the present evil world. “Love not the world! He in whose heart the love Of vanity has found a place, shuts out The enduring world above. ‘Love not the world! However fair it seem; Who loveth this vain world—the love of God Abideth not in him.” THE RETRIBUTIVE CHARACTER OF DIVINE LAW {This article was a reprint of that published in issue of June 1, 1894, which please see.] THE CREATION OF THINGS MUNDANE JANUARY 5—GENESIS 1:1-31; 2:1-3. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was waste and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.”—Gen. 1:1, 2. (R. V.) In the past, Bible students have not been sufficiently critical in studying God’s Word. Today’s lesson illustrates this. The Genesis account does not begin with the creation of the physical earth, as was once supposed. “The beginning” refers merely to the work accomplished by divine power in bringing the waste and lifeless earth into condition for man’s use. The earth was already in existence, and had been created by divine power before the time mentioned in the Genesis account. Read our text several times until this is clearly seen. Higher Critics (would go back millions of years to) discuss various theories respecting how the mass of earth was formed, and they attribute millions of years to this. Bible students may well content themselves with the record that the earth already was at “the beginning,” of the Genesis account. The Bible mentions days of various lengths; for instance, “the day of temptation in the wilderness”-—forty years (Heb. 3:8, 9); “A day with the Lord is as a thousand years” (2 Pet. 3:8); our Lord’s “day,” ete. (John 8:56) While God could have accomplished the great work of ordering the earth in six 24-hour days, or in six minutes, for that matter, there is no reason to think that such short days are meant. God arranged a great week of seven days for his great work of bringing man to perfection. Six of these days prepared our planet to receive Adam as its lord and earthly king, an image of his Creator. The seventh day, which there began, is not yet completed—it lacks a thousand years of completion. During that period, the Bible tells us, earth will ke brought to a Paradise condition and man will be restored by his Redeemer to God’s image. Six great thousand-year periods or days have passed since Adam was created, according to Bible chronology. We are now in the dawning of the great seventh day or Sabbath day of human experience. God has promised that this seventh day of a thousand years will be very different from the preceding six days, in which mankind has experienced a reign of sin and death. The seventh day of a thousand years is Scripturally called the “Day of Christ,” and by many it is styled the Millennium. In it Satan and sin are to be overthrown, righteousness is to be established by the Redeemer, and mankind, purchased by the precious blood at Calvary are all to have full opportunity for arising from present degradation to re-attainment of the image and likeness of God, lost in Eden by Adam’s disobedience. The seventh day of the creative week began with Adam’s creation and hag already lasted six thousand years, and is to be completed with the thousand years of Christ’s Reign. The seventh creative day will be seven thousand years long. Whoever sees this to be a reasonable deduction can easily suppose that the six preceding days of the Genesis account were, likewise, seven thousand years each. Reckoned thus, the total period from the time that divine energy began to operate upon the waste earth down to the time when the whole work of creation and restitution will be fully completed, would be 7 times 7,000 years, or 49,000 years. According to the Bible, that time will be a thousand years hence, when The Christ shall have accomplished his work for mankind to the full and shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father. At that moment the fiftieth thousand-year period will begin, with every creature in heaven and on earth ascribing praise to him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb, forever. How appropriate this will be, especially when we recall that in God’s arrangement fifty is the greatest climax of numbers! In Bible usage the number seven is symbolical of perfection, and 7 times 7 represents a completeness of perfection; and the fiftieth or Jubilee following is climacteric. [5139]

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