1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

These gems must all be found by God, who is makingup these jewels. But having been found of Him, theyare placed in the hands of the great Lapidarist, our LordJesus, that He may cut, polish and fit them for the gloriouswork of shining with Him in the Kingdom. OurHeavenly Father has appointed our Lord to be the greatMaster Workman in the preparation of the jewels.In our text, the Lord Jehovah says that in that day ofpreparation of the jewels He will spare this class as a manspares his only son that serves him. He has not sparedthis class in the sense of relieving them from all suffering,for if they were thus spared they could not share theglory to follow this trial time. He did not spare Jesus,the Head over the Church, which is His Body. But Hewill not permit them to be tempted above what they areable to bear. (I Cor. 10:13.) He has an interest in themand a sympathy for them, and delivers them from thosethings which would prove too weighty for them.THE MOUNTING OF THE JEWELS GOING ONIn a certain sense, then, God has been making up Hisjewels for more than eighteen hundred years--in thesense of preparing them. But there is still a final gathering,or assembling, of this class, which has not yet beencompleted. The gathering of these jewels must includethe resurrection, not merely of those who have beensleeping as members of the Body of Christ, but also ofthose who are alive and remain to the end of the Age.These all experience a change from animal to spirit conditions--"changed in a moment, in the twinkling of aneye." (I Cor. 15:51,52.) In the assembling of this class--the mounting of the jewels, as it were--the Lord willshow His own workmanship, what He has selected outof the filth and mire of the sinful race of mankind, andwhat He has made of them.This gathering of the jewels is that to which theProphet Malachi refers in the following quotation: "Behold,I will send My Messenger, and he shall prepare theway before Me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenlycome to His temple, even the Messenger of theCovenant, whom ye delight in; behold, He shall come,R5119 : page 327saith the Lord of Hosts. But who may abide the day ofHis coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth?for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap; andHe shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and He shallpurify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver,that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."--Mal. 3:1-3.The Messenger of the Covenant is, primarily, ourLord Jesus, who came more than eighteen hundred yearsago and presented Himself to those who were heirs of theNew Covenant--the Jews. The Apostle points out that