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VOL. XIII. JANUARY 1, 1892. NO. 1

ZION’S WATCH TOWER

AND

HERALD OF CHRIST’S PRESENCE.

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PUBLISHED TWICE A MONTH.

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TOWER PUBLISHING COMPANY,
“BIBLE HOUSE”
ARCH STREET, ALLEGHENY, PA., U.S.A.

C. T. RUSSELL, EDITOR.

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SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $1.00 A YEAR, IN ADVANCE, (INCLUDES ALSO A SUBSCRIPTION TO TWO COPIES OF OLD THEOLOGY TRACTS QUARTERLY)

By Express Order, Postal Money Order, Bank Draft, or Registered Letter. Foreign only by Foreign Money Order.

FREE TO THE LORD’S POOR

N.B.—Those of the interested, who by reason of old age or accidents, or other adversity, are unable to pay, will be supplied FREE, if they will send a Postal Card each December, stating their case and requesting the paper.

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SPECIAL ITEMS FOR REGULAR READERS

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THIS JOURNAL TWICE A MONTH DURING 1892

Some of our readers, forgetting or failing to notice the change of the TOWER to a semi-monthly and the increase of the price to $1.00, have sent 60 cents, as last year. Such will please correct the matter at their earliest convenience. We prefer to have all subscriptions end with the year.

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NEW SUBSCRIBERS—TRIAL ORDERS, ETC.

To those who feel an interest in the Truth and in the WATCH TOWER as an exponent of it, we offer the suggestion that now is a convenient season to invite their friends to become subscribers for it. We will accept of three or six months’ subscriptions, so as to facilitate such new trial orders and also for the convenience of any whose circumstances hinder them from paying for the entire year in advance.

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DAWN, VOL. II., IN GERMAN, NOW READY

Our German readers will be glad to see this announcement, as some of them have long been wanting it for themselves and their friends who cannot read the English fluently. The price will be 35 cents per copy in paper covers, and 50 cents in leatherette binding. (Colporteurs will be supplied at half price.)

The credit for this work belongs to our dear Brother von Zech, who also translated the first volume and who is now the owner of the plates and the publisher of both volumes in German. Address all German orders, therefore, to Otto von Zech, Euclid Ave., Allegheny, Pa. However, should it ever be more convenient for you to enclose an order for German books with your letter or orders to the TOWER PUB. CO., do so, on a separate sheet, and we will take pleasure in handing it over to Brother Zech.

By the way, we notice that the German paper published by Brother von Zech, The Harvest Sickle, will hereafter be a semi-monthly—price one dollar a year.

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OLD THEOLOGY TRACT NO. 11

THE “TABERNACLE SHADOWS OF THE BETTER

SACRIFICES” has been delayed considerably by a printers’ strike; nor can we yet promise it definitely. It, like “The Wonderful Story,” will be a special issue, and will be sent only to those who subscribe for it—price 10 cts.

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DAWN, VOL. I., IN LONDON

Colporteurs in Great Britain and Ireland will be pleased to learn that they can now be supplied with MILLENNIAL DAWN, VOL. I., in packages of 5, 10, 20 or multiples of these, at colporteurs’ rates, 7d. per copy—including carriage. Address ELLIOT STOCK, No. 62 Paternoster Row, London, England.

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Do not forget the Missionary Envelopes. We have a new lot and supply them now at the reduced price of 25 cents per hundred, and 2.00 per thousand. This includes delivery to you at your Postoffice.

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ALLEGHENY CHURCH MEETINGS

Our meetings are held in Bible House Chapel, Arch Street, Allegheny, Pa. Readers and friends will be warmly welcomed. Preaching every Lord’s-day afternoon at 3:30 o’clock. A Question Meeting at 7 p.m., at which all reverent Bible subjects are entertained, is followed by a Social Meeting at 7:45.

Preaching in German by Bro. Zech, 10:30 a.m.

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VIEW FROM THE TOWER

HOME AND FOREIGN MISSIONS

In traveling abroad during the past Summer, one important object was to learn by actual observation something of the present condition and progress of Foreign Mission work, and to this end, had time been at our command, we would have liked to extend our tour a little further across the seas to India. However, we had opportunities in Turkey, Syria, Palestine and Egypt, which may be justly regarded as fair samples of foreign missionary effort and success. And those observations have led to a careful reconsideration of the entire subject of gospel missionary work both from the standpoint of Scripture testimony and from the standpoint of human theory and practice. Our findings upon the subject we submit to our readers.

Foreign Missions, i.e., efforts to reform and proselyte barbarous peoples, have been popular among Christian people since the third century; but, strange as the statement may at first appear to many, we have no record of such efforts being made by the Apostles or under their direction during the first century. This, however, was not because the gospel is not free to all—barbarian or Scythian, bond or free—but because the apostles found plenty and more than they could do to spread a knowledge of the gospel among the civilized Jews and Gentiles, and found no time, therefore, for going among the barbarous and uncivilized, though they never passed by the poor, the slaves, or any class manifesting “an ear to hear” the truth. They evidently expected to find and did find more with “ears to hear” among those civilized peoples who had “their senses exercised by reason of use.” Having right ideas concerning the work of the Gospel age, their efforts were always expended upon the most hopeful material. No doubt, had the time ever come when all the civilized peoples had been thoroughly evangelized and indoctrinated, they would have extended their efforts as far as possible—even to the barbarians. But that condition of things was not reached in their day, and some of us believe that it is not reached even yet.

True, the Apostle to the Gentiles went on so-called “missionary journeys” for years, in the cities near the Mediterranean sea, but those were not “Foreign Missions” in the sense that this term is now understood. The peoples whom he visited, so far from being barbarians, were the most civilized and cultured peoples of the world. Nor can it be said that he did this because there were no barbarians; for Africa with its millions was just alongside his home; and some of the islands of the Mediterranean had plenty of uncivilized people or “barbarians,” too. Yet the Apostle went past these to the chief cities of the world—to Athens and to Rome, the centers of civilization and education—when he went to preach the gospel.

On the contrary, however, the book of the Acts of the Apostles—a history of the mission work of the first century—although it tells us of Paul’s shipwreck upon the island of Melita,

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inhabited by “barbarians,” among whom he was obliged to spend the three winter months, and of how he healed the sick among them, tells us not one word about any missionary effort made among those “barbarians,” nor of any converts or church left there when he journeyed onward in the Spring.

It is common at Foreign Missionary meetings in this day to represent the barbarians as stretching out their hands to Christians and saying, “Come over and help us!” as in a dream the Apostle Paul saw a man of Macedonia calling him. And this generally passes for a good parallel illustration, because people forget that Macedonia, instead of being in “darkest Africa,” was that region lying northward of Athens and in every way one of the most civilized states of the world at that time. It was among these intelligent people that the Apostle labored so successfully, establishing the truth among the noble people of Thessalonica to whom he afterward wrote two of his noted epistles. There, too, he founded another congregation among the yet more noble Bereans, and there also another congregation at Philippi, to whom another of his noted epistles was afterward addressed.

The fact that some of the Apostle’s converts were “slaves” counts nothing against their intelligence, for the slaves of the rich were often hostages taken in war, and were frequently as well or better educated than their masters. It is plain, then, that the missionary efforts of the apostles were made among the most intelligent of their day, and not among the barbarians.

It may be urged that our Lord’s command was, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”* But this expression has gradually come to have a very different meaning from what the apostles could have understood it to signify. To them it meant substantially this: I have heretofore confined my own efforts and yours to the Jews, and would not permit you to preach to the Gentiles; but now the Jewish or Law Dispensation is at an end; the middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles is broken down; and now, therefore, I instruct you to preach the good tidings without respect to race—to any and every creature who has an ear to hear it.

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*These words are omitted by oldest Greek MSS.

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That the Apostle Paul so understood our Lord’s teaching is proved by his conduct: he preached the gospel to all who would hear him—to the Jew first and also to the Greek—and was “willing to preach the gospel” to the people of Rome also, although they were less intelligent than the people of Achaia and Macedonia (Greece). But while such fields for usefulness among intelligent peoples were open, he evidently was unwilling to go on a modern foreign missionary tour amongst degraded barbarians totally unprepared for the “high calling,” which alone, Paul knew, was the divine call due to be given during the Gospel age.

Nor would it have been right for the apostles, as wise master-builders, to spend their efforts upon the unfruitful barbaric fields while a more fruitful one lay open. They were bound to remember the other injunctions of the Word—that the gospel is to be preached “to the meek” (those ready to be taught) and to “him that hath an ear to hear”—a desire to know God’s plan. They knew, too, that the present “high calling,” so far from being a call of the world, is a call for the purpose of selecting from the world a choice “little flock” to be the bride of Christ and his joint-heir in a glorious kingdom, to be established for the blessing of the whole world during an age to follow—the Millennium or thousand years reign of Christ for which he taught us to pray “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.” Consequently, when once they had presented the subject clearly, if the hearers scoffed, the apostles did not coax or urge and plead with them, but sought for others having “ears to hear,” concluding that, for the time at least, such as rejected their message were unworthy of the knowledge and the call. See Acts 28:22-31.

In the second and third centuries, when the gospel message became well known in the civilized

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parts of the world (Italy and Greece), zealous Christians began to branch out, carrying the gospel to what is now Germany, the people of which were gradually becoming more civilized and intelligent. But it was not until about the fifth century, when the doctrine of the eternal torment of all not believing in Christ had been

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generally accepted, that foreign missions among the barbaric races became popular.

This unscriptural doctrine, that all who do not accept of Christ in this present life will be everlastingly tortured, is still the unholy, inglorious and God-dishonoring basis of activity on behalf of the heathen in the present foreign missionary enterprises.

We are not sorry to see time and money spent upon the poor, ignorant barbarians; but we do sincerely regret that they should be so spent as to add to their superstitious fears. If this money and time were spent in teaching the uncivilized and half-civilized peoples the simple arts of civilized life—how to build, how to sew, how to cook, and how to live comfortably upon their meager incomes, it would be a good work; and if in addition they were taught the truth regarding the Lord’s plan, or even given the Bible unexplained, it would be a still better work. But when little is done except to pervert the gracious promises of the Bible, it would be far better if the heathen were left in their former darkness until the true, pure sunlight of the Millennial Kingdom shall reach and bless them all.

To imagine, however, that all the missionaries or all who give for the support of missions do so because of the belief that the barbarians will all go to eternal torment except such as learn of and accept Christ would be a mistake. Many have clearer heads, and the hearts and hopes of others are better than their heads. A few probably go abroad as missionaries for the glory and novelty of the thing, and because their support there is guaranteed, while here it would be precarious; but the majority, we are glad to believe, go forth with a sincere desire to do good in the name of the Lord. They go because they think it is the best way of serving the Lord. They see the civilized world full of churches and pastors, and hence look beyond for fields of usefulness. They do not consider intelligently enough the doctrines of these churches, and perhaps blindly give assent to the one proposing to send them out, not considering how much of error they go forth to bind upon the heathen, nor that a better work would be to get themselves right with God and his Word, and then to help other members of the body of Christ at home into the true light and life of entire consecration and holiness.

Likewise with the moneys donated for this cause: While much of the missionary funds is collected in a sectarian spirit, each denomination striving not to be outshone by others; and while a few of the contributors probably give to missions to be seen and approved of men, no doubt the great majority give from noble, good motives—unto the Lord, to do good to fellow creatures—not considering, and in some cases not knowing, how much more necessity there is at home for their every talent in feeding, purifying and clothing the multitudes, both spiritually and temporally.

Present Protestant missionary efforts may be said to date from A.D. 1792, although the Moravians and others in a small way did considerable before that. To say that no good is accomplished by these missions, their pastors and teachers would be an untruth. They are doing good, although in a different way and to a much less degree than is generally presumed. Take, for instance, Syria: were it not for these Protestant missions, the Roman, Greek and Italian Catholic Missions and the Mohammedan and Jewish Missions, the natives would be almost destitute of educational and civilizing advantages. As it is, they are compelled to swallow a certain amount of some of the religions offered them, in order to get a little schooling; and very little of any religion or schooling does them. They are naturally cunning and quick to learn first principles, and want no more. But so far as the real work of the Gospel age is concerned—the finding of the saints, the Lord’s jewels—the foreign mission work seems to be a total failure. For that matter, however, there are few such “jewels” found in any field of labor: we merely point out that very few of these jewels are to be found among the “barbarians,” except among the missionaries themselves.

We had the opportunity of visiting the chief and oldest Mission Station of Syria, at Beyrout. It is one of the most prosperous Protestant Missions and will consequently afford a good illustration of general mission work.

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When we were there most of the missionaries had gone up to Mt. Lebanon to spend the summer, but we ascertained the following from those in charge. (1) The printing office has become self-supporting or better, and is now separated from the American Mission. (2) Beyrout represents twelve branches of Protestant work—American, English and German, including several denominations. (3) It has a full force of teachers and Doctors of Divinity. (4) Its schools make the principal showing. (5) During 1890 the total number of children under instruction was 15,473; and of these the various Protestant institutions had 3,090; the remainder, 12,383, being under Catholic, Jewish and Mohammedan instruction.

Our conclusion was that the missionaries so engaged there are investing their time and talents to poor advantage, and where harvest is sure to be meager, if indeed under the Lord’s scrutiny it amounts to anything in the real mission of the present age—the selection of the “little flock” of saints who, as Christ’s Bride, will be his joint-heir in the kingdom to come, whose mission will then be to bless all the families of the earth. But although teachers in the secular schools of the United States are doing a similar mission work with even better prospects of success, because of the better element they labor with, we should and do esteem many of these earnest teachers of the semi-civilized and barbaric children very highly for their works’ sake, for their self-denial and devotion to principle, even though those principles be founded upon human traditions and misinformation concerning the Lord’s plans for the present and for the coming age. They are laboring in a field almost, if not altogether, barren of fruit such as the Lord is now seeking; and are trying to do before God’s time, under great difficulties, a work which the Lord will accomplish thoroughly very soon. While the Lord no doubt accepts every sacrifice and every good deed done in the name of our Savior, and will give some reward to all such servants, we feel like saying, as we look at the fields of Christendom, white already for harvesting, and see that the harvest is great and the laborers few—Oh! dear, consecrated co-laborers and co-sacrificers, would that you could see the more excellent way of God, and engage in the harvest work of the Gospel age instead of laboring fruitlessly before the time to sow and plant for the work of the next age, before the improved machinery for so doing is ready, and while our Master is saying in this harvest which is to the end the Gospel age, as he said in the harvest or close of the Jewish age: “Go ye also into my vineyard,” and “I send you forth to reap.” He that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto everlasting life. So surely as the harvest work is the Lord’s work, that should be the mission and the only mission of all who appreciate the privilege of being co-workers with him. So surely as he is now saying, “Gather together my saints unto me, they that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice,” so surely all who desire to serve and obey should engage heartily in that work. So surely as he declares that this is the time for the sealing of his servants in their foreheads (intellectually) with present truth, so surely all who get sealed themselves will desire thus to bless others and to obey their King. However, we must not imagine that all missionaries are saints, and must remember that the harvest-truth is only for the holy and meek, the few, while many who have done “many wonderful works” in Christ’s name shall be rejected as unworthy a place in the kingdom.—Matt. 7:21-23.

But, while we would discourage saints from going abroad on such missions, we would not advise the return of foreign missionaries, but, rather, calling to mind the Apostle’s words (1 Cor. 7:20), would advise that, after getting sealed in the forehead with an intellectual appreciation of the truth of God’s great plan, they stay abroad and seek the ripe wheat, the humble and fully consecrated saints among the missionaries (or among the native converts, if they find such), and in return seal them and gather them into oneness with the Lord and his plan. But be not discouraged if you find few “jewels.”—Mal. 3:16-18,1-3.

Our opinions concerning Foreign Mission work were by no means altered by our visit to the headquarters of the American Mission for Turkey, in Constantinople; nor yet by our visit

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to the English Church Mission among the Jews in Jerusalem; nor by our visit to the British Syrian Mission in Jerusalem.

We found the Missionaries (such as we met, several having gone to the mountains for the summer) such as are ordinarily met with in the pulpits of the United States and Great Britain. And in Jerusalem we heard a very good discourse in good English from an Episcopal minister. It was delivered in a neat church building, fitted up in good style and with a fine pipe-organ, to an English congregation of about thirty-five persons aside from the choir-boys. For this congregation it required three missionaries to officiate, and the fourth, the bishop, was at Hebron for the summer.

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To us it seemed that those missionaries had missed their calling; for the three seemed to do less than any one of them might have done, had the proper spirit for such work been combined with a proper appreciation of the opportunities at their hand.

To be adapted to work in such a field, or in any field, for that matter, one should first of all have that spirit of the Master which, seeing the multitude in ignorance, is “moved with compassion toward them.” As, on our way back to our hotel, we saw poor Jews misled by the Talmud, and poor Arabs misled by the Koran, and poor Greek and Roman and Armenian Catholics misled by their priests, and then thought of these Protestants, more intelligent, but without either the truth or the spirit of it necessary to bless the others, we felt sad for the moment; but soon we were thanking God that his gracious plan would ere long rectify all these blind mistakes caused by false doctrine.

We would have loved to learn the language and to have spent the remainder of our days among those miserable people, helping to uplift them, but remembered that the “harvest” work is much more important, in order that the already called-out Bride of Christ may make herself ready for the marriage, and then, under more favorable conditions than the present, and backed by kingdom power, she with her Lord and his spirit may say to those and to all the poor distressed ones of earth—Come to the water of life!—Rev. 19:7; 21:17.

Finding that the natives generally had little respect for either Protestant or Catholic missionaries, we inquired of our guide, himself a Christian, why it was so. He replied, Ah! sir, no wonder: these priests and teachers are too far above the people. For instance, fancy, if you can, the Lord Jesus going through the streets of Jerusalem in patriarchal robes, and preceded by two men, one crying, Oh—ah! Oh—ah! (Clear the way!) and the other carrying a whip to enforce prompt obedience. Can you wonder that the people do not respect such religion? And it is the same with bishops of the Church of England as with the others.

Upon inquiring at the hotel the route to the residence of the Rev. Ben. Oliel, whose card, posted in the hotel corridor, indicated that he was the Presbyterian Missionary, we were told the direction to take; but, said our director, he will not be known by that name among the people. Ask for Habish and any of the natives can point you to his residence. Before starting we inquired the meaning of Habish, and were told, That is Arabic for “turkey-cock:” the gentleman has so pompous an air that the natives know him as Habish. Our readers will not wonder that we turned our steps in another direction, and were pleased to find a native pastor preaching to a congregation of natives—mostly young men connected with the printing and other departments of the mission work.

As we returned through England and the United States, where the money is furnished to support these missions, we said to ourselves, Alas! how strange that while thousands of lives and millions of money are given freely to civilize the heathen and to misinform them concerning the divine character and plan, so little is being done for the ignorant and depraved at home in all the large cities (into which the most degraded classes from all nations are being dumped continually); and how few lives and dollars, comparatively, are consecrated to the grand mission of proclaiming the “gospel of the Kingdom”—”good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people.”

Before leaving this subject of mission work we must notice a very emphatic statement by our Lord, as follows—

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“THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM SHALL BE PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD FOR A WITNESS UNTO ALL NATIONS, AND THEN SHALL THE END COME.”—MATT. 24:14

This language is so pointed and so emphatic that it will not do to treat it lightly, as some do who claim that the “gospel of the Kingdom” may be anything else than what its name would indicate. The word gospel, here, is emphatic in the Greek, and so is the word kingdom. It is not any and every good message, but a special one—This good message of the Kingdom—which must first be preached before the end of this age.

We ask whether this has yet been done, and reply, No. That which is generally preached under the name gospel has little in it that is really good tidings, and nothing whatever in it about the Kingdom that our Lord promised should be “set up” in the end of the Gospel age, to bless all the families of the earth during the Millennial age.

Catholics and Protestants, although they use our Lord’s prayer, saying, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven,” do not expect such a kingdom, and hence are not preaching it in all or in any of the nations of the world. Roman Catholics claim that their church system is the Kingdom of God, and that this kingdom came or was set up in authority back in the sixth century. And on the strength of this they have for centuries claimed the right to govern the world politically and religiously. Protestants, while rejecting some of Rome’s errors, held on to this one in part, and claimed that they and the so-called Christian governments of Europe constitute the Kingdom of God set up in power—they know not exactly when or how. Their error, however, is sufficient to keep them from preaching this gospel of the Kingdom.

Thus this work is still open to be done and can be done by no others than those who know something of these good tidings of the Kingdom.

Brethren and Sisters, the fewer there are to do this work the greater is the opportunity and privilege of those who realize the situation, and desire not only to be at work, but at work doing what our great Chief Reaper has instructed us to do in accordance with his plan and his message.

We are not calling for missionaries to go to foreign fields, where they would have comparatively little opportunity for preaching the Kingdom gospel. We believe that the Lord is blessing and will yet more bless the printed page and use it in this service. Thus you can be at work here in the richer fields, reaping the ripened saints and sealing them with the truth, and at the same time co-operating in sending forth in the name of the Lord this gospel of the Kingdom. It is already reaching and blessing some in foreign lands, and they are mostly missionaries who in turn tell the good tidings to others hungry for the soul-satisfying portion of meat in due season.

Let us not be discouraged by the comparative smallness of the number interested or the comparative smallness of the funds at our command, for “Greater is he that is for us than all they that be against us.” Our Redeemer and Lord is at the helm, and the work, as he has planned and declared it, will be done. The only question for us is, How great a share in that work may we each have. Labor in the cause of this gospel of the Kingdom will not bring honor among men, but it will bring honor from above and from all the little flock in full sympathy with the divine arrangement.

Let us take fresh courage for 1892, and, girding up the loins of our minds, run patiently the race, looking unto Jesus.

PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM DURING THE PAST SIX YEARS

The handful of harvest laborers and the money at our disposal seem insignificant in contrast with the hundreds of missionaries and the millions of dollars spent by Catholic and Protestant societies in their support and in publishing abroad the doctrinal errors handed down from

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the dark ages, which tend to pervert and subvert the teachings of the Scriptures. And yet such is the zeal which the “present truth” inspires that “A little one is able to chase a thousand, and two to put ten thousand to flight.” (Deut. 32:30.) Although few, and untitled, and generally without great worldly learning—in these respects resembling those sent out by our Lord with the Kingdom message at the first advent—the faithful band of harvest workers is busily engaged (some giving all their time and others able to give only a portion of it) in seeking out the “wheat” class—the sickle of truth which they bear separating “the wheat” from “the tares.”

Few know these Colporteurs as the Lord’s real representatives, or recognize that dignity which the Lord sees in their humility and self-sacrifice. Missionaries? No, say the world and the nominal Church, ours are the missionaries, who go to foreign lands. Yes, says the Lord, these are my missionaries, charged with a grand mission—to “Gather together my saints unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” “They shall be mine, saith the Lord, in the day when I come to make up my jewels.”

Ministers? No, say the world and the nominal Church, only ours who wear “clerical” garments and preach from our pulpits are God’s ministers. Yes, says the Lord, My servants (ministers) they are because they serve me, dispensing present truth to my household. I have sent forth the message which they bear. He that despiseth them despiseth me, and he that receiveth the sealing in the forehead which I send by them will know the doctrine, that it is of me. “My sheep know my voice.”

During the past six years, annual reports of the work have not been made, for the reason that the reports would not have shown up so well as we would have liked, and might have been discouraging rather than encouraging, some years. But the past year has been so favorable, and the responses already received to the suggestion on last leaf of the November TOWER have been

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so encouraging that we have concluded to report each January hereafter, good or bad. We accordingly report now the Tower Missionary Work in spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom for the six years past.

ZION’S WATCH TOWER TRACT SOCIETY

SECRETARY’S REPORT

FROM JAN. 1, 1886, TO DEC. 1, 1891.

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EXPENDITURES:
Paid balance, debt, owing January 1st, ’86, $ 516.17
Expended in publishing and circulating Tracts and sample copies of Z.W. TOWER and in sending TOWER to the Lord’s poor,….. 8625.03
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9141.20
RECEIPTS:
From Old Theology Tract subscriptions, … $1113.63
From Tract Fund Donations……………… 8017.57
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9141.20

It will thus be seen that we started Dec. 1st, ’91 with an evenly balanced ledger. But since figures are not apt to come out so exactly, it may be proper to remark that we had expended considerably more than our receipts, which would have shown a debt owing, but five friends of the cause subscribed the balance so as to permit us to start the new fiscal year, beginning December 1st, free from debt.

The results of the above expenditures will be of interest and will, we believe, show a very economical use of the means.

Tracts published and distributed,……….. 841,095
Representing—as usually stated—in pages,. 14,874,240
Copies of Zion’s Watch Tower aside from those sent to subscribers,…. 395,000

THE DAWN COLPORTEUR WORK

While this branch of the service is kept separate from the Tract Society’s Work, and is, as far as possible, run upon a self-supporting basis, it is the purpose to give during the present year the extra assistance necessary to enable some to enter this service who manifest an ability for it but who need a start, or whose dependent families make needful some extra provision to enable them to continue in the work.

Of all the means in use for preaching the good tidings of the Kingdom, this work yields the most favorable results; and we praise God that he is sending more laborers into this harvest work, and that those already in it give evidence

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of being so filled with the spirit of the gospel and so consecrated to its service. The circulation of the MILLENNIAL DAWN in its three volumes during the past twelve months has reached nearly 85,000 copies; and these have been circulated almost exclusively by the Colporteurs—including under this name not only those who give their entire time to this work, but also those of you who are doing what you can in a humble, quiet way about your homes—selling, loaning or giving books to such as have an ear to hear the Truth. While congratulating you all and ourselves upon the results of our united efforts under our dear Master’s blessing and guidance, we start upon another year hoping for still greater blessings in his cause and name. The statements on the printed slips in November TOWER of what you hope to be able to do in this cause during the year beginning have been very helpful and encouraging to us; and the kind words accompanying were no less appreciated—assuring us as they did that you are glad to be reminded of the Apostles’ advice on the subject, and to be thus assisted in ordering your affairs to the Lord’s praise.

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“THE VOICE IS NIGH THEE”

“Where art thou, Lord?” we sometimes cry
From hearts with pain and anguish riven,
And wonder in our sorrow why
No answer comes from his far Heaven.
Filled with our grief, we do not know
That softly, gently, through our woe,
His voice is whispering tenderly,
“Lo, I that speak to thee am He.”

“Where art thou, Lord?” we sometimes say,
As clouds of unbelief and doubt
Sweep darkly o’er our onward way
And crowd his loving presence out.
We shrink back as they draw more near,
And, looking at them, do not hear
His voice still saying lovingly,
“Lo, I that speak to thee am He.”

“Where art thou, Lord?” we’ve sometimes said,
As error, all the wide world through,
Stalks onward with triumphant tread
And crushes down the just and true.
We catch the sound of strife and fear,
But, through the discord, do not hear
That sweet voice sounding steadily,
“Lo, I that speak to thee am He.”

“Where art thou, Lord?” we sometimes sigh,
From beds of weariness and pain,
The while his husbandmen go by
To gather in his fields of grain.
And longing with them forth to go,
We miss his gentle accents, low,
That through our pain would constantly
Say, “I that speak to thee am He.”

“Where art thou, Lord?” some glorious day
We’ll ask upon the heavenly shore,
As ‘mid the angel hosts we stray,
Our pilgrim journey safely o’er.
Our hearts will find no resting place
Until before his glorious face
The blessed words to us shall be,
“Lo, I that speak to thee am He.”—Selected.

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THE EVIL WHICH GOD CREATES

“I form the light and create darkness; I make peace and create evil.”—Isa. 45:.

In view of the blasphemous explanation now being given by some, of this passage of Scripture, we are reminded that this is but a fulfilment of the divine forewarnings through the apostles and prophets. In this connection we notice that Paul says, “Perilous times will come” (2 Tim. 3:1); and then he describes at great length the class of men from whom we are to expect the perils. And that we might at once recognize them so as to have nothing whatever to do with them, he adds, those “Having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Tim. 3:5.) The importance of this admonition will be seen when it is understood that Jesus’ death is made the power or source of godliness to them that believe. In harmony with this view Paul says, “I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you … by which also ye are saved … unless ye have

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believed in vain … how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.” (1 Cor. 15:1-3.) For “Ye are bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20), “Redeemed … with the precious blood of Christ.” (1 Pet. 1:18,19.) In this way Jesus, by the sacrifice of his life as a human being, obtained the right to mankind, having bought them from Justice with the price. This he did in order that God could maintain his Justice and at the same time receive all sinners who would come to him through their appointed substitute; for “The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa. 53:6.) Therefore those who come through Jesus are “justified freely by his [God’s] grace [favor] through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, … through his blood.” (Rom. 3:24-26.) The sinner thus justified is reckoned holy or godly, having secured “the gift of [attributed] righteousness. … For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” (Rom. 5:17,19.) Therefore Jesus’ death is made the power or source of godliness. (1 Cor. 1:23,24.) Then to deny in any manner, either by word or implication, that Jesus gave up his life (died) as the price of our redemption is to deny the power of godliness. This, Paul said some would do, while they would maintain the outward appearance of being godly.

It is Peter, however, who describes more particularly the peculiarly subtle method they would adopt in thus denying the ransom. He says, “There shall be false teachers among you, who shall privately bring in damnable [destructive] heresies, denying the Lord that bought them.” (2 Pet. 2:1.) He thus positively asserts that there would be teachers of falsehood right in the midst of God’s people. Evidently, then, they would be formally godly—”grievous wolves” in sheep’s clothing. These he says would deny that the Lord bought them. Not that they would do so openly, by word of mouth, but that they would do so in a private manner. That is, while they might profess to believe in the ransom, they would quietly introduce some false theories that would be opposed to it, or, in other words, a virtual denial that the Lord bought them.

These inspired forewarnings we now see were not in vain; for the false teachers are now here, and are doing exactly as foretold. This is fully exemplified, in that the words of our text are now being used as authority for charging God with being the author of sin and wickedness. This theory, while blasphemous in itself and opposed to both reason and Scripture, is in addition, as we shall see, a denial of the ransom. Now, if God be responsible for the introduction and continued existence of sin, then the commission of sin is excusable, and then Adam and his posterity would undoubtedly be irresponsible, having had no choice in the matter.

Further, under such circumstances God could not have commanded the man to obey a given law. Not being in any way, then, amenable to law, he could not possibly be a transgressor of law, and therefore he could not have committed an offence against justice. As a sequence, there would be no necessity for Jesus as the Redeemer, and of his death as the price. For unoffended justice could not require satisfaction, i.e., a ransom or corresponding price. In this way, this subtle and God-dishonoring theory denies the Lord that bought us. In addition to this, by getting rid of the penalty (for where there could be no transgression there could be no penalty inflicted), it holds out a false hope that all must eventually be saved.

The whole theory is decidedly unreasonable, and is opposed in every particular by the testimony of God’s Word; and further, there is not a particle of authority for it in our text. That the evil here referred to by the prophet is not sin, but calamity, is shown by the context and the contrast drawn between peace and evil. The chapter opens with the statement that Cyrus is the Lord’s anointed to subdue nations. Then, continuing, God promises him (verse 2) “I will go before thee” (verse 3) “I will give thee the treasures of darkness … that thou mayest know that I the Lord … am the God of Israel.” (Verse 5) “I am the Lord and there is none else; there is no God beside me: I girded thee.” (Verse 6) “That they may know … that there is none beside me.” (Verse 7) “I form the light and create

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darkness; I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” The subject of the prophet is thus evidently continued, inclusive of the seventh verse, and here the word “create” is used twice, and undoubtedly in the same sense. For as darkness may

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be said to be created by the withdrawing of light, so also the evil referred to may be said to be created by the withdrawal of the restraint and protection that afford peace. Now, however, God was about to withdraw these and inflict chastisement. To this end Cyrus was exalted to power, as stated, that he might know that Jehovah was the God of Israel, for the sake of the Jewish captives then in Babylon, and also that the idolatrous nations might know, by the calamities (evils) inflicted on them, and the overthrow of their man-made gods (to whom they would vainly appeal for deliverance), that there was no God beside the God of Israel.

[Rather, we would suggest, Israel had already experienced adversity and captivity to Babylon (evils) as the result of the withdrawal of the Lord’s protecting care, because of their idolatry; and now that God’s time had come for their return to his protection and favor in their own land, he would have Cyrus know that his accession to power was not accidental, but of divine arrangement, for the purpose of returning the Israelites to their own land. God would have Cyrus recognize him as the supervisor of his people’s affairs.—EDITOR.]

That this is the meaning is clear, and in this sense the word evil and its Hebrew equivalent, “ra,” are repeatedly used by Moses and the prophets. For example, it is recorded that Lot said “I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me and I die.” (Gen. 19:19.) Here it is evident that Lot feared that he would receive bodily injury or be killed; and these are called “evil.” Again it is said, “The Lord will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt upon thee.” (Deut. 7:15.) Here bodily affliction or diseases are called “evil.” Again, the Israelites “Forsook the Lord and served Baal.” “And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them … into the hands of their enemies.” “The hand of the Lord was against them for evil … and they were greatly distressed.” (Judges 2:13-15.) In this case Israel sinned against God, and he suffered their enemies to make war on them and spoil them; and this calamity is called “evil.” Further, the Hebrew word ra, rendered evil, is also translated as follows: Adversity: “Ye have this day rejected your God who saved you out of all your [Ra] adversities.” (1 Sam. 10:19.) Afflictions: “Many are the [Ra] afflictions of the righteous.” (Psa. 34:19.) Trouble: “In the time of [Ra] trouble he will hide me.” (Psa. 27:5.) Hurt: “I will deliver them for their [Ra] hurt.” (Jer. 24:9.) Distress: “Ye see the [Ra] distress we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste.” (Neh. 2:17.) Harm: “Look well to him and do him no [Ra] harm.” (Jer. 39:12.) It is also translated “misery,” “calamities,” “ill,” “sorrow,” and many other words.

It will be seen, then, by the use of the word, as well as by the connection in which it is found in our text, and the contrast there drawn between peace and evil, that not sin, but calamity, is meant. There is, therefore, as we have said, not a particle of authority in our text for the blasphemous, God-dishonoring theory of these false teachers. On the contrary, in marked contrast with this vile charge are the repeated and pointed declarations of God through his holy apostles and prophets; for they all bear witness to the holiness of his character, and of all his works and ways. For example: God exhorted the people of Israel through Moses, saying, “Ye shall be holy, for I am holy.” (Lev. 11:44.) And through Peter he exhorts the Gospel church, saying, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” (1 Pet. 1:15,16.) By Isaiah (who wrote our text) God is called “the Holy One” thirty times, and once he emphasises it by adding, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.” But if these theorists be right, the prophet was guilty of inconsistency and falsehood. Again, David records that “The Lord is righteous in all his ways (acts) and holy in all his works.” (Psa. 145:17.) Now, it is clear that he could not be holy in all his works if he were the author of sin and crime. Further, Jeremiah says, “The Lord is

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righteous.” (Lam. 1:18.) And Samuel testifies that, “As for God, his way is perfect.” (2 Sam. 22:31.) And still further, “Thus saith the Lord: … let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exerciseth lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness [not wickedness] in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”—Jer. 9:22,24.

This exhortation and this glorious expression of God’s character should inspire unbounded confidence, and bring lasting comfort to those who honor and love him. It should likewise, by making the folly of those who dishonor him apparent, bring them shame and confusion of face. Not only is he thus over and over declared righteous and holy, but he is also proclaimed “A God of truth and without iniquity.” (Deut. 32:4,5.) Also “A just Lord, and will not do iniquity.”—Zeph. 3:5.

Habakkuk testifies that “Thou [God] art of purer eyes than to behold [i.e., with approval] evil, and cannot look [denoting his abhorrence] upon iniquity.” (Hab. 1:13.) James says, “God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” (James 1:13.) And the Psalmist says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Psa. 66:18.) Again he says, “Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.” (Psa. 5:4,5.) Then with David we would say, “Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” (Psa. 97:12.) “Give thanks, … make known his deeds, … talk of his wondrous works, glory ye in his holy name.”—1 Chron. 16:8-10.

But the advocates of this God-dishonoring theory prefer to reverse all this; for they rejoice and give thanks at the remembrance of his unholiness (?): they make known his evil (?) deeds, talk of his evil (?) works, and glory in giving him an unholy name. But their folly should be manifest to all; for the evidences are overwhelmingly conclusive that God has not corrupted mankind, but that “They have deeply corrupted themselves.”—Hosea 9:9.

S. O. BLUNDEN.

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INTERNATIONAL S.S. LESSONS

SUGGESTIVE THOUGHTS DESIGNED TO ASSIST THOSE OF OUR READERS WHO ATTEND BIBLE CLASSES, WHERE THESE LESSONS ARE USED; THAT THEY MAY BE ENABLED TO LEAD OTHERS INTO THE FULNESS OF THE GOSPEL.

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LESSON I., JANUARY 3, ISA. 11:1-10

THE KING AND THE KINGDOM

Golden Text:—”He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.”—Psa. 72:8

The inspiring themes of this lesson are the glorious Millennial Kingdom and the rightful King whom God hath appointed to reign in righteousness over all the earth. This is that kingdom to which our Lord referred when to his disciples he said, “I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29,30); that kingdom for which he taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven;” that kingdom which he commissioned his disciples to preach, saying, “Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:1,2,60); and that to which some of the poor of this world, rich in faith, have been chosen heirs. (James 2:5.) It is that kingdom of which the Prophet Isaiah frequently discourses in glowing language, and which, indeed, has been the theme of all the holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3:19-21), as well as of the Lord and the apostles.

But observe that every reference to it looks to its future establishment, and makes clearly manifest the fact that it is not yet set up in the earth; for the will of God is not yet done on earth as it is done in heaven, and the heirs of the kingdom are not yet reigning with Christ. The only way in which the kingdom of God yet exists is in its embryo condition, in its incipient stage of humiliation, in which it often

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“suffers violence,” and “the violent take it by force.” (Matt. 11:12.) But in due time these prospective heirs of the kingdom who now faithfully endure hardness as good soldiers, will be counted worthy to be exalted and to reign with Christ when his kingdom shall be established in power and great glory. (Matt. 24:30.) Hear the promise of our glorified Lord: “To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne.” (Rev. 3:21.) And again, “They shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years”—”on the earth.”—Rev. 20:6; 5:10.

It seems strange indeed, in view of the clear testimony of the Scriptures on the subject of the establishment of the kingdom of God in the earth, and of its glorious character and work, that Christians generally, both Catholic and Protestant, entertain the idea that that kingdom has already come, and that it has been established in the earth for many centuries. This error is not one which originated with Protestants, but rather, one which they have never outgrown. The claim was first made by the Papacy when she became popular with the world and was exalted to power, and the “Great

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Reformation” movement, while it touched many other doctrines, left this one unmolested; and the thoughtless indifference of Christians since those days has never discovered to them the absurdity of praying, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven,” while at the same time they claim that his kingdom did come long ago, though they freely admit that his will is not, and never has been, done on earth as it is done in heaven.

But let us observe what the Prophet here has to say of the glorious character and the extent of this dominion and of the power and glory of its appointed King, and then see if there is, or ever yet has been, such a king or such a kingdom in the earth. Hear him! (Isa. 11:1.) “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the reverence of Jehovah; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither give sentence after the hearing of his ears. [He will not need to call up the testimony of human witnesses in any case, since his own knowledge and understanding of each man’s case will be perfect.] But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and give sentence with equity for the meek of the earth. … And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.”—Verses 1-5.

This glorious Branch out of the stock of Jesse we recognize as our blessed Lord Jesus, who, after his resurrection, said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18), and who at the time appointed will take unto him his great power and reign. (Rev. 11:17.) This is “the Messenger of the [new] covenant whom ye delight in. Behold he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Mal. 3:1; Jer. 31:31-34.) Oh, let our hearts truly rejoice in the blessed and multiplied assurances that he who so loved us as to give his life for our ransom is coming again to reign. “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; … for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth.”—Psa. 96:11-13.

Now in observing the character of his reign, notice First, that it will be a terror to evil doers, and that because iniquity so abounds in the world, the first work of his reign will be the smiting of the earth with the rod of his mouth and the slaying of the wicked with the breath of his lips (verse 4); for somehow the truth, “the rod of his mouth and the breath of his lips,” is either directly or indirectly to bring about the smiting of the earth—the great “time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation.”—Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21; Jas. 5:1-6; Mal. 3:2-5; 4:1.

Secondly, observe that while his reign is to be a terror to evil doers, exposing and uprooting every system and every principle of evil, both in society at large and in every individual, it will on the other hand be the consolation and joy of all the meek who love righteousness; for such shall no longer be oppressed, but shall be exalted and blessed.—Verse 4.

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Thirdly, notice that the blessings of Christ’s Millennial reign will extend, not only to the establishment of righteousness in the earth and peace and harmony among men, but to the lower creatures as well, so that they will be docile and obedient to mankind, as they were originally.—Verses 6-9; Psa. 8:6-8.

And fourthly, do not overlook the blessed assurances of verses 9,10—”The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea”—full, broad, ample and deep. Ah, no conflicting creeds then; for all will be made plain and all the vain traditions of men will have perished. And in that day the Root of Jesse shall stand for an ensign of the people; to him shall the nations come to inquire, and his resting-place shall be glorious. (Verse 10.) Here, he who in verse one is called the Branch out of the root of Jesse—the Son of Jesse—is now called the Root (or father) of Jesse. And this seeming contradiction is not an accidental misstatement but a veritable truth; for though Christ was the Son of Jesse according to the flesh, he is now to be “the Everlasting Father” or life-giver to the whole human race; so that Jesse, in the “Times of Restitution of all things,” will be the son of Christ.—Isa. 9:6.

When Christ is thus exalted in the earth and men begin to realize his power and goodness, he will indeed be for an “ensign of the people,” and there will indeed be a great turning to him. Men will say, “Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain [kingdom] of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. … And all nations shall flow into it.” (Isa. 2:3,2.) And truly “his resting-place shall be glorious”—so different from the miserable resting-places now afforded by human creeds, so aptly described by the Prophet (Isa. 28:20), saying, “For the bed is shorter than that a man [a developed Christian] can stretch himself [or grow more] on it, and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.” [He knows so little of the divine plan that he is constantly subject to doubts and fears.] But the blessed resting-place which the new King will discover to all men, in making “the knowledge of the Lord fill the earth as the waters cover the sea,” will indeed be a glorious resting-place. God’s plan and each man’s place in that plan will be clearly manifest and blessedly satisfying.

In the blessed assurance of our Golden Text, that “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth,” and all the accompanying assurances of that precious psalm, let our hearts rejoice, remembering also that when he shall appear in his kingdom, then shall we also (if faithful unto death) appear with him in glory.—Col. 3:4.

Let us not fall into that miserable delusion, which should be so apparent to every student of the Scriptures, that the kingdoms of this world, misnamed Christendom (Christ’s kingdom) are in any sense the kingdom of Christ, or that they are in any sense accomplishing the work which the Scriptures under consideration point out as the work of that kingdom. Let the true saints of God, the embryo kingdom, the “heirs” of the kingdom soon to come in power and great glory, be content to be unrecognized of men and to suffer reproach and violence if need be, knowing that when it does come, it will far surpass the vain glory of these earthly kingdoms which must pass away. Such was Paul’s faith; for when about to die, and looking forward to the time appointed for the setting up of the kingdom of God, he said, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but to all them also who love his appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:8.) While, then, we wait for his appearing, let us confidently and joyfully hope for the glory to be revealed in us and through us.

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A SONG OF TRIUMPH

LESSON II., JANUARY 10, ISA. 26:1-15

Golden Text.—”Trust ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”

In this lesson we have two great cities brought to view; and the burden of the song is that the one has been “laid low, even to the dust”—i.e., utterly destroyed—while the other is established in peace and security. Jehovah is shown to be the destroyer of one, and the founder and strength of the other. (Verses 5,1.) In the symbolic language of the Scriptures a city always represents a government or kingdom. The city here represented as securely established, and as a place of safety for all who love righteousness and truth (verse 2), symbolizes the Millennial Kingdom of God; while the city which is destroyed is the opposing kingdom of the prince of this world. In Revelation 21:2 the former is called “the holy city, the New Jerusalem,” whose excellent glory is described as like that of “a bride adorned for her husband;” while the latter, in Chapters 14:8 and 18:21, is called Babylon, whose unrighteous character is described, and its sudden and violent overthrow predicted and likened to a great

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millstone cast into the sea to be found no more at all.

The time when this song will be sung is also definitely pointed out. “In that day shall this song be sung.” What day? Evidently the day when the singers begin to recognize the fact that the New Jerusalem or Kingdom of God is established in the earth, and that the great city, Babylon, has been completely overthrown—the dawn of the Millennial day. Those two events will occur simultaneously, and will be recognized together, as indicated in this song of triumph.

This calls to mind the theme of our last lesson (Isa. 11:1-10), and, glancing along the intervening chapters, we see that the Prophet applies this same name, Babylon, to the great city whose destruction he predicts, and that he has much to say of its ignoble character, as well as of its doom. See chapters 13:1,19; 14:4,22; 21:9; 47:1.

The destruction of Babylon and the establishment of the New Jerusalem or Kingdom of God are ascribed to Jehovah in verses 1,4 and 5; and this is in harmony with Psa. 2:6. “I [Jehovah] have set my King [Christ] upon my holy hill of Zion.” And the great day of wrath which will accomplish the destruction of Babylon is called “the day of Jehovah.” “Lo, the day of Jehovah doth come, fierce with wrath and heat of anger.”—Isa. 13:9.

We next notice (verse 1) that this song is sung “in the land of Judah,” thus indicating what is elsewhere clearly shown, that Israel will be the first to recognize the Kingdom established.

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And they will say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”—Isa. 25:9.

Having thus distinguished the cities and located the time and the singers, let us now observe the burden of this song. Concerning the great city, Babylon, they sing (verses 5,6), “The lofty city [the city formerly exalted and powerful in the earth], he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust; for he bringeth down them that dwell on high. The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy”—referring to the great social troubles which will culminate in the utter destruction of all the present civil and ecclesiastical power of “Christendom:” a culmination even now greatly feared by long-headed statesmen and ecclesiastics everywhere.

But concerning the then established city, the New Jerusalem or Kingdom of God, they sing (verse 1), “We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.” It will be a strong city of refuge within whose protecting walls all may enter who desire the great salvation which it assures.

Verse 2. “Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth [observeth or regardeth] the truth may enter in.” From Rev. 21:12 we learn that the gates or entrances of the city, which are twelve in number, are inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is in harmony with what we have learned of the earthly phase of the Kingdom of God (see MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vol. I., Chapter XIV.), that the ancient worthies from the various tribes of Israel, selected during the Jewish age, will be the visible representatives of the heavenly Kingdom in the earth, through whose instrumentality the nations may enter into the blessings of the Kingdom.

Verses 3,4 tell of the peace and general advantages of trusting in God. Verse 7 tells how plain he has made the path of the just—”The way of the just is plain: thou makest exactly plain the path of the just.”—Leeser.

In verses 8,9 they tell how, through the long night of their chastisement, when the judgments of the Lord were upon them, they still remembered the Lord and desired his favor and blessing; and they justify God in sending his chastisements upon them for their correction, because they were necessary.

Verses 10,11 note the fact that the remainder of the world have not yet recognized and submitted themselves to the new Kingdom, but that they shall yet see and be ashamed of their past course, and that God will surely destroy any who persistently remain enemies.

Verse 12 expresses their confidence in God, who has cared for them in the past and ordained peace for them now, since they have come to trust in him.

Verses 13,14 refer to the contrast of their condition under the Kingdom of God with that under other rulers or lords of the past—the evil governments and systems under which they have suffered privation and bitter persecution. Henceforth they desire to make mention only of the Lord as their King and to forget the bitterness and woe of the past while cast off from his favor and subject to other rulers; for they remember that those evil governments and systems have perished, never again to be reorganized to oppress and misrule the world.

Verse 15 again refers to the blessedness of Israel regathered under divine protection and favor—Israel, which for their sins had been scattered to the ends of the earth.

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