The Watchtower Society and John and Morton Edgar - A2Z.org

SECTION XXIXTHE GENERAL RESURRECTIONMILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIEN Sections XVII and XVIII we noticed the Scriptural teachingrespecting those who rose from the dead in /878 A.D.-thatthey entered into the Spiritual condition (I Cor. 15 : 44); whilethe rcmnant of the consecrated who are "alive and remain"during Christ's pal-ousia, or presence-period since that date, are"changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" to theirheavenly state, when they lay aside their "earthly tabernacle" indeath (I Cor. 15 : 5 1-53; 2 Cor. 5 : 1-4 ; I Thess. 4 : 15-1 7).366 The Spirit-begotten class cannot be raised to the humancondition, for this they covenanted to sacrifice that they mightbecome partakers first in Christ's sufferings, and afterw:trds in hisglory. 'Though they are in the world, they are not oj it, even astheir Master was not of the world. Christ did not pray to theFather that his disciples should be taken out of the world, but thatthey should be kept from the evil thereof (John 17: 14-18). Whileio the Descending-Passage condition of the world, where they havebeen "judged according to men in the flesh," they have, as ~cw~~~eatu~-es in Christ Jesus, been walltin:: by faith in the Grand-Gallery condition, and have "lived according to God in the spirit"(1 Pet. 4 : 6).367 We know that flesh and blood cannot inhcrit the kingdomof God (I Cor. 15 :50), and therefore all those who, during theGospel Age, have trusted in the efficacy of the ransoni-sacrifice oftheir Redeemer, and have hoped for joint-heirship with him in tlieheavenly Kingdom, must be "born of the spirit9' (John 3 : 5-8).This is the First Resurrection; consequently it i~ impossible forthe world to receive their resurrection-blessings till later.368 Even the faithful Ancient Worthies of the tilue previous tothe p:yment of the ransom-sacrifice OF Christ, who died in hopeof a better resurrection" than the residur- of mankind, cannotreceive the fulfilment of their hope till after the last member of the"Church of the firstborn" is joined to his Lord and fellowmembers;for the Scriptures say that "they, without us [tlie Churchclass], shall not be made perfect" (Heb. I1 : 35-40)369 Abrahsrn, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the holy prophets willbe awakened from death to the perfect human nature. They will15'3be made "princes in all the earth" (Psa. 45: 16)' the earthly andvisible representatives of the invisible Spiritual Kingdom. TheseAncient Worthies will directly gain human restitution, which wassecured for the world by the ransom-sacrifice of Jesus Christ.370 The Scriptures do not appear to give direct information asto the date when the Ancient Worthies shall obtain their reward,but our thought is that their "better resurrection" will take placetoward the end of the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30 : 7- \I),when the Lord will use them to manifest the full return of hisfavour to his ancient covenant people (See Vol. IV of Studies in tlzeScri$tures, pages 624-629).371 That perfect human life to which all r~iankind willultimately attain, every man in his own order, is represented in theGreat Pyramid by the Queen's Chamber, and by the level of thefloor of that chamber. The only open way of access to this level isthrough the Well-shaft, the First Ascending Passage being madeineffective by the obstructing Granite Plug. This arrangement ofthe passage-ways of the Lord's "Witness" in Egypt symbolicallycorroborates the Scriptural teaching, made clear to the Spil-itbegottenchildren of God, and which they therefore preach,namely, that not by the works of the Law, but through theeuectiveness of the Ransom-sacrifice of Jesus Christ, tlie humanrace may escape the condemnation of death and reach the perfectcoildition of life on the earthly plane372 This offer to the world of everlasting life on the perfecthuman plane was, we understand, legally due after /914-/915~.~.;lor then, according to all the Scriptural indications, corroboratedI)y appropriate symbols and measures in the Great Pyramid, thereturned Lord took to himself his great power and began his1Cingdorn reign of blessing. Hence the Spirit-begotten membersof the Body of Christ, who are still in the flesh awaiting their" changc " to the spirit condition, pioclaim not only that the reignof Christ is now bequn, but that millions now living will never die!"'The human life which the Man Christ Jesus laid down on behalf ofthe world at Calvary in Spring of the year 3.3 A.D., as He Hin-ist:lfdeclared: "My flesh, which I give for the life of the world," istherefore offeretl to the world about 1882 years later.373 We observed is Section JIXVIII that the lower opening ofthe Well-shaft, which symbolises the ransom-sacrifice of JesusChrist, marks the date when the Church, the firstfruits unto God,were loosed from the prison-house of death, 1878 A.D. (Jas. 2 : 18)."ee the booklet by Judge Rutherford, published by the "Watch Tower Bibleand Tract Society," Brooklyn, N.Y, U.S.A., and London, England, entitled:Afilliof~s Now Lvi,~g Will Newer Die. This booklet, with its wonderful message oflife, has been printed in many languages, and has been circulated over the world.151