1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

While pointing out these things from the Word ofGod our journal has done all in its power to counsel peace,contentment, faithfulness of heart, appreciation of ourmultiplied mercies and blessings, the like of whichhumanity never before enjoyed. More than this, THEWATCH TOWER has striven faithfully in all these thirty-fiveyears past to establish the foundation for true peaceamongst the Lord's people--an exact knowledge of God,a correct understanding of the Divine Word and an appreciationof the Divine attributes.To some extent the Divine blessing has attended ourlabors. Thousands of Christian people have beenawakened, enlightened and brought back to the firmfoundation of faith in God and in the Bible. Tens ofthousands who have not come to a full consecration oftheir hearts to the Lord have, nevertheless (according totheir letters), taken their stand for righteousness andtruth, against sin and error. In these and through theseto their families, friends and neighbors a testimony hasgone out respecting "Love Divine, all love excelling,"which has brought many into closer relationship with God,to a greater reverence of His Word and to a considerablefaith in respect to the Divine Plan of the Ages. Hundredsof thousands no longer believe that God used His wisdomand power in human creation to bring into being thousandsof millions doomed to eternal torture.The glorious character of God is shining more resplendentlyin the world than ever before. The light isgoing forth in about twenty different languages and topractically every nation. We have not succeeded in effectinggreat things for the world. We did not so convincethe nations that they turned from selfishness andsin to righteousness and love. We have not gotten themto "beat their swords into plowshares, nor their spearsinto pruning-hooks" (Isa. 2:4), nor have we reason toexpect that kind of success to follow our labors. Fromthe very beginning we announced the Scriptural Programto be that only the wise should understand and that "noneof the wicked should understand" (Dan. 12:10) and thatduring this Age only the Elect class will be brought intofull harmony with God.We pointed out from the beginning that the world,full of selfishness, would wreck the present civilizationand that God, according to the Bible, will use that greatTime of Trouble--anarchy, confusion--as a means to anend, and upon the ruins of the highest civilization theworld has yet known, wrecked by human selfishness, Godwill in His own due time erect the Messianic Kingdom,which for centuries He has promised and which eventuallywill bring the foretold blessing to Israel and to all thenations of the earth. If we were obliged thus to prophesyevil things, we were glad that we could also prophesyglorious things, everlasting blessing, the silver lining tothe cloud.A little more than two years remain before theclimax of trouble we anticipate--if we are exactly right