1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

In the past we may have read too carelessly the accountof how the eleven faithful Apostles exceeded their authorityin the selection of Matthias to take the place of Judas.It was proper enough that they should scan the prophecies,and that they should note, as they did, God's declarationof the unfaithfulness of Judas, and that another was totake his special place in the Church; but they should haveremembered that they had not as yet qualified as Apostlesthemselves. They should have remembered that whateverApostolic or special power they exercised during Jesus'ministry came to them from Him and not from theHeavenly Father--that Jesus endued them as His representatives.They should have remembered that the Masterspecifically told them to do nothing until after receivingthe Heavenly benediction, saying, "Tarry ye at Jerusalemuntil ye be endued with power from on high."Accrediting them with the very best of heart intentions,it was, nevertheless, effrontery on their part toselect two names and to determine that one or the othermust be the successor of Judas. They had no authorityfor so doing. As for the one upon whom the lot fell,Matthias, we hear nothing further of him. On the contrary,in God's due time, He Himself brought forth Saulof Tarsus, an Israelite indeed, a Pharisee of the Pharisees,who, however perverse in his conduct, was thoroughlyconscientious, and verily thought he did Godservice.St. Paul himself tells us that he was not one whit behindthe very chiefest of the Apostles, and that in respectto visions and revelations he had more than they all. HeR5002 : page 113goes back to the time when Christ appeared to him onthe way to Damascus and when He declared to Ananias,"He is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name untothe Gentiles and to kings, and to the people of Israel."St. Paul tells us that he found evidences that God hadchosen him for a special service, from his mother's womb.And such special preparation and supervision we doubtnot was applicable to all of The Twelve, even as alsowith John the Baptist in his work.--Acts 9:15; Gal. 1:15."A CROWN OF TWELVE STARS"The Lord's specialization of the twelve Apostles isvariously referred to. He said: "Have not I chosen youtwelve?" and again, "Ye shall sit on twelve thrones."In the symbolical book of Revelation He pictures theChurch as a woman, clothed with sunlight, standing overor near to the moon, which symbolizes the Jewish LawCovenant; and upon her head was a crown of twelvestars, representing the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.Again, later on in the same book, we find picturedthe Church in glory beyond the veil, the Bride--the NewJerusalem. Of this City we read that it had twelve foundations,