1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org 1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

11.07.2015 Views

come upon you"; "Woe unto you that are full now."--Jas. 5:1; Luke 6:25.Babylon the Great is to fall; and the wonderful institutionsof civilization, which are partly good and partlybad, will be found only partly satisfactory to the new Kingand the rulers of His Government. This will mean thatmany who are now stewards of wealth, influence, position,honor of men, etc., will be called to account and dispossessedof their stewardship. Their realization of theirlosses is figuratively represented in the Scriptures as wailingand howling and misery, as that class will suffer theloss of practically all upon which they are now settingtheir affections.We are not saying that the poor are more righteousthan the rich, but this class are more numerous; andthose who have little of this world's goods and who areused to trials and scarcity will probably feel less the greattime of trouble impending than will some who have longrested in the lap of luxury.Under various symbolic figures the Bible graphicallypictures this day of trouble which is approaching--as awhirlwind, as a fire, as a tempest, as a flood, as a "time oftrouble such as never was since there was a nation." Thatthis great day is near, and "hasteth greatly," has been distinctlyshown recently and is shown again today in the labordisturbances of Great Britain. There a startled worldhas been given a glimpse of the fires of passion and angerand resentment which are smouldering beneath the surfaceand which will shortly envelop the world in a fierytrial, the like of which the past has never known.--Dan. 12:1."HE SHALL JUDGE THE WORLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS"From this standpoint the apprehensions of mankindare well based in respect to the Great King's disapprovalof much that is carried on in the world in the name ofcivilization, yea, in the Master's own name! But let usnot dwell too much upon this side of the question. "Sufficientunto the day is the evil thereof." Let us ratherpoint men to the glorious silver lining to that dark cloudwhich draws daily nearer and nearer. Let us point mento the glorious blessings of Messiah's Kingdom, and teachthem to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done,"and to strive to understand and appreciate the principlesgoverning that Kingdom; peradventure they may passthrough the time of trouble with the less injury.Hearken to the words of the Prophet (referring not atall to the Church, which is accounted worthy to escapethose things coming upon the world, but speaking tomankind in general and exhorting the better element ofthe world), "Seek righteousness, seek meekness; itmay be that ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord'sanger." (Zeph. 2:3.) It surely will be true that themore meek and more righteous men may be the betterthey will be prepared for the awful shock and terrible distress

of that day of trouble, which as a plowshare willprepare the hearts of mankind to receive the good seed--the Message of Divine Truth and Grace, which thenwill be made known to every creature.====================R4997 : page 102QUESTIONS RE ATONEMENTA DEAR BROTHER asks some questions, theanswers to which, we believe, will be helpful,both to himself and to others--eitherby confirming their understanding of theTruth or by correcting misunderstanding.We trust that the answers will be helpfulto many of our readers:--Question.--Would it be right to say thatall the merit of our Lord's sacrifice isimputed to each and every individual whenScripturally he becomes a believer?Answer.--No; the entire merit of our Lord's deathwas already in the hands of Justice when Jesus ascendedup on high, but it was not applied in any degree nor toany person. According to the Divine intention that meritis to be applied for Adam's original sin and for all thesins of his children, which are the result directly or indirectlyof original sin. Thus we might say that everymember of Adam's race has a personal, individual interestor share in that redemptive merit, coming to him byDivine arrangement.Our Lord left the early Church with the instructionthat they should tarry at Jerusalem for the anointing ofthe Holy Spirit, the evidence of their forgiveness of sinsand of their adoption as children of God. He ascendedon high and appeared in the presence of the Father--forthe entire Church of the First-borns. The imputation ofHis merit was for them all, as well as for the representativefew of the Lord's followers who waited for theblessing in the "upper room."R4997 : page 103Question.--You have pointed out that no less thanthe full merit of Christ would be sufficient for the sinsof any individual of the human family. How, then, shallwe think of sub-dividing this merit amongst these variousindividuals composing the Church of the First-borns andamongst the individuals who will compose the restitutionclass of the future?Answer.--The placing of the entire merit of Christin the hands of Justice guarantees to Justice a full satisfactionfor all the Adamic weaknesses of all mankind--even before that merit is specifically appropriated. Andsince the Church was a part of the world, for whom the

of that day of trouble, which as a plowshare willprepare the hearts of mankind to receive the good seed--the Message of Divine Truth and Grace, which thenwill be made known to every creature.====================R4997 : page 102QUESTIONS RE ATONEMENTA DEAR BROTHER asks some questions, theanswers to which, we believe, will be helpful,both to himself and to others--eitherby confirming their understanding of theTruth or by correcting misunderstanding.We trust that the answers will be helpfulto many of our readers:--Question.--Would it be right to say thatall the merit of our Lord's sacrifice isimputed to each and every individual whenScripturally he becomes a believer?Answer.--No; the entire merit of our Lord's deathwas already in the hands of Justice when Jesus ascendedup on high, but it was not applied in any degree nor toany person. According to the Divine intention that meritis to be applied for Adam's original sin and for all thesins of his children, which are the result directly or indirectlyof original sin. Thus we might say that everymember of Adam's race has a personal, individual interestor share in that redemptive merit, coming to him byDivine arrangement.Our Lord left the early Church with the instructionthat they should tarry at Jerusalem for the anointing ofthe Holy Spirit, the evidence of their f<strong>org</strong>iveness of sinsand of their adoption as children of God. He ascendedon high and appeared in the presence of the Father--forthe entire Church of the First-borns. The imputation ofHis merit was for them all, as well as for the representativefew of the Lord's followers who waited for theblessing in the "upper room."R4997 : page 103Question.--You have pointed out that no less thanthe full merit of Christ would be sufficient for the sinsof any individual of the human family. How, then, shallwe think of sub-dividing this merit amongst these variousindividuals composing the Church of the First-borns andamongst the individuals who will compose the restitutionclass of the future?Answer.--The placing of the entire merit of Christin the hands of Justice guarantees to Justice a full satisfactionfor all the Adamic weaknesses of all mankind--even before that merit is specifically appropriated. Andsince the Church was a part of the world, for whom the

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