1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

R247 : page 7WHAT WE EXPECT.The hope of our change from the human, earthly nature, to aspiritual, heavenly nature, is of course the grand climax of ourhopes. As begotten ones, we long for birth into the full andexpress image of our Father's person, into the glory of Christ'sglorious body. This being the case, it is not to be wondered atthat this most coveted thing is ever supposed to be the thingexpected, when any date is referred to as being the fulfillment ofa prophetic period.We continually meet with this difficulty in referring to thepresent year, 1881. Since all know that we expect the Saints tobe changed from human to spiritual being, and since wefrequently refer to October of the present year as the terminus ofa prophetic parallel, some readers have supposed that we expectthe change at that time. This is not the case; we look to Octoberof this year, as the limit of favor--the end of "the acceptable year(time or age) of the Lord"--the closing of the "strait gate" to the"narrow way" of opportunity to become a member of the Brideof Christ and partaker of his Divine Nature.The Gospel age has been a period of selecting from the worldthose that have made a covenant with the Lord by sacrifice (Psa.50:5, and Mal. 3:17.) They shall be his Bride. It has been aperiod of "sealing" of the saints--a marking of them off asseparate; and our understanding of the matter is, that thischoosing and sealing will cease in October and whoever wouldbe of the "Bride, the Lamb's wife" must consecrate and sacrificebefore that time, or it will be too late. Now some one willdoubtless suppose from this expression, "too late," that weexpect that the Bride will be withdrawn from the earth, andtherefore it will be--"too late." Not so, however; we expect thatwhile they will all be counted sealed and selected they may notbe changed for some time after: We do not pretend to know howlong, but believe that there is a work of instructing the "greatcompany," to be done before their translation--change.Do you then believe that all those who are not thus consecratedand sealed before October are lost?--is asked by some one notfamiliar with our views. We do not believe that they will be"lost" in the sense generally understood by that word, viz.: to beput into everlasting torments: But we do believe that all suchwill have lost the great "prize of our high calling"--lost foreverthe opportunity of becoming members of the Bride of Christ--joint heirs with Him and partakers of the Divine nature. Theystill will have the old or human nature and it, Jesus hasredeemed, and promises that it (when the Bride is complete--inthe Millennial age) shall be restored to its original (human)perfection.