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THE
WATCH
TOWER
BROOKLYN,
N.
Y.
Thursday,
August
28,
fOLlnd
us
at
Kilmarnock,
with
twelve
hundred
in
attendance
and
one
hundred
and
eighty-two
re
quests
for
literature.
Southport
was
reache(l
on
Friday,
August
29.
The
small
hall
available
was
cro\I'ded,
somc
standing,
about
six
hundred
in
all.
W
c
Idt
on
the
night
train
for
Paris,
failing
to
learn
thc
numlJer
of
requests
for
literature.
Sunday,
August
in,
found
us
in
Paris,
France.
Here
we
mct
the
littlc
COIl\'cntiou
of
about
scventy
earnest,
zealous
1,rethl'l'n
and
sisters,
sonle
of
\I"hom
had
come
as
much
as
a
thousaJl(l
kilometers-from
Bclgium,
Switzerland,
Gcrmany,
and
v:lriolls
parts
of
FI':lllce.
'J'1J('y
represented
little
classes
of
Bible
Students,
and
were
full
of
the
same
loving
zeal
mani
J'esV,d
alllollgst
other
nationalitil·s.
The
intelligent
interest
of
these
dear
friends
was
manifest
in
their
faces
and
manner
and
in
their
testimonies,
although
we
were
not
able
to
understand
the
latter,
except
with
our
pyes.
We
addressed
the
little
convention
through
one
of
the
brethren,
who
acted
as
interpreter.
Altogether
we
greatly
enjoyeJ.
the
Paris
convention.
No
public
service
was
arranged
for.
We
arrived
back
in
London
September
2,
attended
to
some
affairs
connected
with
the
work
thl're,
and
left
for
Liverpool
on
the
3d,
embarking
the
same
day
on
the
steamship
,
,
Tunisian.
'
,
We
had
a
pleasant
homeward
voyage,
with
good
oppor
tunities
for
literary
work,
reaching
Brooklyn
on
]'riday
morn
ing,
September
12.
VOL.
XXXIV
BHOOKL
YN,
N.
Y,
OC'rOBER
15,
1913
No.
20
RESUME
OF
THE
ENDING
OF
THE
TIMES
OF
THE
GENTILES
We
thiuk
of
Octoher,
1914,
as,
in
rouna
numbers,
the
ending
of
the
Gentile
times.
As
a
matter
of
fact,
however,
the
first
dlly
of
Or,tober
is
not
the
end
of
the
Jewish
year,
which
varies
at
its
dosing,
just
as
at
its
]leginning.
It
is
regulate
a
by
the
moon,
instead
of
the
sun.
'fhe
Jewish
calendar
can
never
de
part
from
this
fixed
al'l'angement
of
regulation
by
the
moon.
The
date
1914
is
not
an
arbitrary
date;
it
is
merely
what
the
chronology
of
the
S('riptures
sepms
to
teach.
We
have
never
said
positively
that
the
Scriptures
do
so
teach-that
the
Jewish
favor
\1
ill
begin
exactly
at
that
time,
or
that
the
Gentile
times
will
end
exaely
at
that
time.
We
say
that
according
to
the
hest
chronological
reckoning
of
whieh
we
are
capahle,
it
is
approximately
that
time-wheth
er
it
he
Oetoher,
1914,
or
later.
'Without
dogmatizing,
we
are
looking
for
('('rtain
events:
(1)
The
termination
of
the
Gentile
times-Gentile
supremaey
in
the
world-and
(2)
For
the
in
allgllr:ltion
of
Mcssiah's
killp:r1om
in
the
world.
'rhe
kingdoms
of
carth
will
r,omc
to
an
end,
and"
the
God
of
heaven
will
set
lip
a
kingdom."
(Daniel
~
:4,1)
The
Sniptul'es
do
not
say
that
the
trouhle
will
('OlllC
in
lm
Ilonl',
or
in
one
day,
or
in
one
year.
']'he
intimation
is
that
the
catastrophe
('oming
upon
our
eivilization
will
he
a
very
sml(len
one.
(Revelation
18:8,
10,
17,
21;
1
Thessalonians
G:
il)
But
it
will
be
very
sudden
if
it
eomes
within
twelve
months.
The
flood
I'l'{juired
many
days
to
('ome,
alHl
m:lTIY
(lays
to
assuage.
NOAH'S
DAY
SIMILAR
TO
THE
PRESENT
TIME
Om
t
honght
ill
conncetioll
with
the
inauguration
of
Mes
siah's
kingdom
is
that
there
is
a
similarity
between
the
ending
of
"The
\\"Orltl
that
then
was,"
and
the
ending
of
this
Gospel
age.
Jt
is
not
0111'
tho1lg,lIt
that
the
events
associated
with
the
illauguration
of
11essiah's
killg(lom
will
all
be
momentary,
in
stantmH'ous-in
a
litl'ra]
hour,
or
day;
rather,
we
are
to
expect
that
it
is
to
1)('
a
gTadu:tlly
ill(',reasing
trouble.
It
is
to
be
a
culmination
of
tJ'ouble-"
sl!ell
as
never
was
since
there
was
a
nation.
'
,
Then
it
will
take
a
eertain
time
for
the
bringing
in
of
God's
favor-the
peace,
the
hlessing.
It
will
he
sOllie
little
time
be
fore
this
peace
\yill
h(~
developed,
as
represented
hy
the
dove's
retnrning
to
the
ark,
unahle
to
find
rest
for
its
foot.
The
dove
was
ng'ain
sent
forth,
and
tlIis
tinw
it
returned
with
an
olive
twig,
indir,ating
that
the
lilessing
of
the
Lord
was
bringing
ahout
wgetatioll
agaiu.
Thlls
Noah
knew
that
the
waters
wpre
eonsidcrahly
ahated.
"\Ve
(10
not
undertake
to
say
that
the
trouhlc
1vill
all
1)('
on'r
in
a
year;
hut,
with
the
kind
of
trouble
that
the
Bihll'
sel'IJIS
to
pidure
to
our
minds,
we
cannot
see
how
it
r,oulrl
!:1st
mol'(,
than
a
ycar,
nnd
yet
any
of
mankind
be
left
alivr.
'l'hcl'('
would
be
no
flesh
sllwd-all
would
be
destroyed.
TIll'
Lora
intiul:ltes
that
unless
these
days
be
shortened
such
\voul(l
IJC
the
fa
d.-Matthew
24:
22.
LIGHT
FROM
THE
PROPHECY
The
eled
will
cOllstitute
the
kingilom
before
that
time.
On
the
ili
vine
planl'
they
will
then
lwgin
the
work
of
blessing
and
]"('stitution;
allll
this
\Iill
have
the
effert
of
bringing
the
strife
and
trouhl(,
in
the
worl,l
to
an
end.
Thus
the
difficulties
will
1I0t
he
so
proloni~'rd.
'('he
olive
branch
will
sprout,
the
dove
Idll
find
a
rcsting
place,
and
the
new
dispensation
will
be
fully
i
naugnrate,1.
'When
we
look
through
the
prophedes
relating
to
the
times
of
the
(il'ntiles,
we
fin,l
that
there
arr
two
promises-one
ap
pertaining
to
the
,Jews
aud
the
otlH'r
to
the
world.
During
this
period
of
2,520
years,
known
as
the
times
of
the
Gentiles,
the
.1
l'W
\\as
to
havc
more
or
less
tribulation
from
the
Gentiles.
He
was
not
to
])('
fl'('e-he
would
he
more
or
less
llllller
subjec
tion
to
the"
pow('rs
that
he."
At
the
close
of
this
period
the
ehurch
will
be
glorified.
The
kingdom
\yill
not
be
established
until
that
time.
At
the
end
of
the.
Gentile
times
Messiah
will
appear
and
set
up
his
kingdom.
Referring
to
the
last
king
of
Israel,
Zedekiah,
we
read,
"Thou
profane,
and
wicked
prince
of
Israel,
whose
day
is
come,
when
iniquity
shall
have
an
end;
thus
saith
the
Lord
God,
Re
move
the
diadem
and
take
off
the
crown;
...
I
will
overturn,
overturn,
overturn
it;
and
it
shall
be
no
more,
until
he
eome
whose
right
it
is;
and
I
will
give
it
to
him."
(Ezekiel
21:25
27)
If
this
period
of
overturning
be
rightly
understood
to
be
2,520
years,
it
would
seem
to
end
with
the
second
coming
of
Christ
and
the
setting
up
of
his
kingdom.
The
Gentile
suprem
acy
was
to
pass
from
nation
to
nation
until
the
time
of
the
establishment
of
Messiah's
kingdom.
That
would
prove
that
the
treading
down
of
Jerusalem
would
then
cease-it
would
not
r,ontinue
after
the
end
of
these
Gentile
times.
The
lease,
or
permit,
to
govern
the
world
was
given
to
the
Gentiles
at
the
time
it
was
taken
away
from
the
.Jews
in
the
days
of
Zedekiah-606
B.
C.
And
during
the
2,520
years
in
which
the
J
e\vs
were
to
have
no
government
of
their
own,
the
Gentiles
were
to
have
the
privilege
of
maintaining
such
govern
ments
as
they
could.
One
nation
after
another
has
tried
to
gov
ern
the
world-first
the
Babylonian,
then
the
Medo-Persian,
then
the
Grecian,
then
the
Roman-including
Papal
Rorne
whieh
was
the
fourth
to
attempt
universal
empire.
We
are
waiting
for
the
time
to
come
when
the
government
of
the
world
1yill
be
turned
over
to
Messiah.
We
cannot
say
that
it
may
not
be
either
October,
1914,
or
Odober
1915.
It
is
pos
sible
that
1ve
might
be
out
of
the
correct
rer,koning
on
the
sub
ject
a
numher
of
years.
We
cannot
say
with
certainty.
We
do
not
know.
It
is
a
matter
of
faith,
and
not
of
knowledge.
"We
walk
by
faith,
not
by
sight."
"STRONG
MAN"
MUST
BE
PUT
OUT
But
when
these
Gentile
times
expire,
we
are
not
to
expect
that
the
transfer
will
come
as
a
flash
of
lightning.
For
in
stance,
ahout
May
1,
when
it
is
moving
day
here
in
New
York,
the
one
whose
lease
has
expired
is
to
move
out.
Then
the
new
tenant
will
move
in.
This
requires
a
little
time.
So
it
will
be
with
the
great
change
now
imminent.
He
who
bought
the
world
is
going
to
take
possession.
The
kingdoms
of
this
world
are
going
to
move
out.
In
the
world,
when
moving
day
has
arrived,
some
may
say,
It
is
time
now
to
move.
And
they
may
move
out
in
the
morning
of
May
1.
Some
may
have
moved
on
the
day
previous.
And
there
are
some
who
may
stay
in
until
noon
of
the
day
of
the
expiration
of
the
lease.
Others,
brazen
in
the
matter,
will
say,
This
moving
makes
us
a
lot
of
trouble;
and
they
make
a
great
deal
of
fuss
about
moving;
and
when
they
go,
they
leave
the
house
in
bad
order.
We
rather
think
it
will
be
so
at
the
close
of
the
Gentile
lease
of
power.
The
putting
out
will
not
be
done
before
the
expira
tion
of
the
lease.
Suppose
you
were
a
landlord
and
your
tenant
were
upstairs,
and
should
refuse
to
get
out.
What
would
be
done
g
You
would
have
to
get
an
officer
to
put
him
out.
So
the
offircr
comes
and
puts
him
out,
and
sets
all
his
things
in
the
street.
We
think
such
a
procedure
is
a
picture
of
how
the
"prinr,e
of
the
world,"
being
slow
to
move
out,
will
be
put
ont-that
he
will
have
to
be
bound
hand
and
foot.
(Matthew
12:29)
We
think
there
is
going
to
be
a
great
deal
of
trouble.
But
we
shall
know
fully
a
little
later.
"I
will
overturn,
overturn,
overturn
it,
...
until
he
comes
\yhose
right
it
is,
and
I
will
give
it
him."
(Ezekiel
21
:27)
The
new
King
will
not
set
up
his
kingdom
in
a
minute
or
an
hour
or
a
day.
He
has
already
come,
and
will
take
possession
in
due
time.
He
is
getting
rC'ady
to
take
the
house,
and
its
present
occupant
is
not
quite
sure
as
to
whether
he
has
to
go
[5328]
(303-307) Thursday, August 28, found us at Kilmarnock, with twelve hundred in attendance and one hundred and eighty-two requests for literature. Southport was reached on Friday, August 29. The small hall available was crowded, some standing, about six hundred in all. We left on the night train for Paris, failing to learn the number of requests for literature. Sunday, August 81, found us in Paris, France. Here we met the little Convention of about seventy earnest, zealous brethren and sisters, some of whom had come as much as a thousand kilometers—from Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, and various parts of Franec. ‘They represented little classes of Bible Students, and were full of the same loving zeal manifested amongst other nationalities. Vou. XX XLV RESUME OF THE ENDING OF We think of October, 1914, as, in round numbers, the ending of the Gentile times. As a matter of fact, however, the first day of October is not the end of the Jewish year, which varies at its closing, just as at its beginning. It is regulated by the moon, instead of the sun. The Jewish calendar can never depart from this fixed arrangement of regulation by the moon. The date 1914 is not an arbitrary date; it is merely what the chronology of the Scriptures seems to teach. We have never said positively that the Seriptures do so teach—that the Jewish favor will begin exactly at that time, or that the Gentile times will end exacly at that time. We say that according to the best chronological reckoning of which we are capable, it is approximately that time—whether it be Octoher, 1914, or later. Without dogmatizing, we are looking for ecrtain events: (1) The termination of the Gentile times—Centile supremacy in the world—and (2) For the inauguration of Messiah’s kingdom in the world. The kingdoms of earth will come to an end, and ‘‘the God of heaven will set up a kingdom.’? (Daniel 2:44) The Scriptures do not say that the trouble will eome in an hour, or in one day, or in one year. The intimation is that the catastrophe coming upon our civilization will he a very sudden one. (Revelation 18:8, 10, 17, 21; 1 Thessalonians 5:3) But it will be very sudden if it comes within twelve months. The flood required many days to come, and many days to assuage. NOAH’S DAY SIMILAR TO THE PRESENT TIME Our thought in connection with the inauguration of Messiah’s kingdom is that there is a similarity between the ending of ‘‘The world that then was,’’ and the ending of this Gospel age. It js not our thought that the events associated with the inauguration of Messiah’s kingdom will all be momentary, instantancous—in a Hteral hour, or day; rather, we are to expect that it is to be a gradually increasing trouble. It is to be a culmination of trouble—‘‘such as never was since there was a nation.’’ Then it will take a certain time for the bringing in of God’s favor—the peace, the blessing. It will be some little time before this peace will be developed, as represented by the dove’s returning to the ark, unable to find rest for its foot. The dove was again sent forth, and this time it returned with an olive twig, indicating that the blessing of the Lord was bringing about vegetation again. Thus Noah knew that the waters were considerably abated. We do not undertake to say that the trouble will all be over in a year; but, with the kind of trouble that the Bible seenis to picture to our minds, we cannot see how it could last more than a year, and yet any of mankind be left alive. There would be no flesh saved—all would be destroyed. The Lord intimates that unless these days be shortened such would be the faet.—Matthew 24:22. LIGHT FROM THE PROPHECY The elect will constitute the kingdom before that time. On the divine plane they will then begin the work of blessing and restitution; and this will have the effect of bringing the strife and trouble in the world to an end. Thus the difficulties will not be so prolonged. The olive branch will sprout, the dove will find a resting place, and the new dispensation will be fully inaugurated. When we look through the prophecies relating to the times of the Gentiles, we find that there are two promises—one appertaining to the Jews and the other to the world. During this period of 2,520 years, known as the times of the Gentiles, the Jew was to have more or less tribulation from the Gentiles. He was not to be free—he would be more or less under subjection to the ‘‘powers that be.’’ At the close of this period the chureh will be glorified. The kingdom will not be established THE WATCH TOWER BROOKLYN, N. Y. Brooxtyn, N. Y. The intelligent interest of these dear friends was manifest in their faces and manner and in their testimonies, although we were not able to understand the latter, except with our eyes. We addressed the little convention through one of the brethren, who acted as interpreter. Altogether we greatly enjoyed the Paris convention. No publie service was arranged for. We arrived back in London September 2, attended to some affairs connected with the work there, and left for Liverpool on the 38d, embarking the same day on the steamship ‘<Tunisian.’’ We had a pleasant homeward voyage, with good opportunities for literary work, reaching Brooklyn on Friday morning, September 12. OCTOBER 15, 1913 THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES until that time. At the end of the Gentile times Messiah will appear and set up his kingdom. Referring to the last king of Israel, Zedekiah, we read, ‘*Thou profane, and wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end; thus saith the Lord God, Remove the diadem and take off the crown; ... I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it to him.’’ (Ezekiel 21:2527) If this period of overturning be rightly understood to be 2,520 years, it would seem to end with the second coming of Christ and the setting up of his kingdom. The Gentile supremacy was to pass from nation to nation until the time of the establishment of Messiah’s kingdom. That would prove that the treading down of Jerusalem would then cease—it would not continue after the end of these Gentile times. The lease, or permit, to govern the world was given to the Gentiles at the time it was taken away from the Jews in the days of Zedckiah—606 B. C. And during the 2,520 years in which the Jews were to have no government of their own, the Gentiles were to have the privilege of maintaining such governments as they could. One nation after another has tried to govern the world—first the Babylonian, then the Medo-Persian, then the Grecian, then the Roman—including Papal Rome— which was the fourth to attempt universal empire. We are waiting for the time to come when the government of the world will be turned over to Messiah. We cannot say that it may not be either October, 1914, or October 1915. It is possible that we might be out of the correct reckoning on the subject a number of years. We cannot say with certainty. We do not know. It is a matter of faith, and not of knowledge. ‘‘We walk by faith, not by sight.’’ ‘STRONG MAN’’ MUST BE PUT OUT But when these Gentile times expire, we are not to expect that the transfer will come as a flash of lightning. For instance, about May 1, when it is moving day here in New York, the one whose lease has expired is to move out. Then the new tenant will move in. This requires a little time. So it will be with the great change now imminent. He who bought the world is going to take possession. The kingdoms of this world are going to move out. In the world, when moving day has arrived, some may say, It is time now to move. And they may move out in the morning of May 1. Some may have moved on the day previous. And there are some who may stay in until noon of the day of the expiration of the lease. Others, brazen in the matter, will say, This moving makes us a lot of trouble; and they make a great deal of fuss about moving; and when they go, they leave the house in bad order. We rather think it will be so at the close of the Gentile lease of power. The putting out will not be done before the expiration of the lease. Suppose you were a landlord and your tenant were upstairs, and should refuse to get out. What would be done? You would have to get an officer to put him out. So the officer comes and puts him out, and sets all his things in the street. We think such a procedure is a picture of how the ‘‘nrinee of the world,’’ being slow to move out, will be put out—that he will have to be bound hand and foot. (Matthew 12:29) We think there is going to be a great deal of trouble. But we shall know fully a little later. “¢T will overturn, overturn, overturn it, . .. until he comes whose right it is, and I will give it him.’’ (Ezekiel 21:27) The new King will not set up his kingdom in a minute or an hour or a day. He has already come, and will take possession in due time. He is getting ready to take the house, and its present occupant is not quite sure as to whether he has to go No. 20 [5328]
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