1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

ighteousness to such a degree that the remainder of the racewho still live will have an opportunity to choose Good as readilyas Evil; and the one hundred and forty-two billions of the pastsix thousand years, and as many more of the next, are lost to allR260 : page 48eternity, in spite of God's love for them, because Sataninterfered with his plans as God had not foreseen. Thus Satan, inspite of God, gets thousands into hell to one God gets to glory.R260 : page 49This view must exalt men's ideas of Satan, and lower theirestimation of him who "Spake and it was done; commanded,and it stood fast."But how refreshing it is for us to turn from these fragments oftruth, as separately considered, andSEE HOW HARMONIOUSand beautiful they are when united. How, during the present andpast ages God is electing or gathering, by the preaching of hisword, the Gospel Church. How he wisely permitted evil to comeinto the world, in order that he might develop his church, which,thus "being made perfect through suffering," might be preparedfor her glorious work in the future; and how the masses ofmankind, though not now on probation, are nevertheless gettinga knowledge and experience by contact with sin, which heforesaw they would be the better off; and, furthermore, how hetook occasion, in connection with this, his plan, to show us hisgreat love, by so arranging that the death of Christ wasnecessary to our recovery from sin, and then freely giving him,"to be a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but alsofor the sins of the whole world," and then in the nextdispensation--"THE NEW HEAVENS AND EARTH,"(Rev. 21:1-9-10, and 22:17)--when "the Spirit and the Bride saycome, and whosoever will may come and take of the water oflife freely," he will show his "Free Grace" in fullest measure.This period of his presence and reign is commonly knownamong Christian people as the Millennium, which means onethousand, and which is applied to the time future, "when theearth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waterscover the sea" (Isa. 11:9), and none need to say unto hisneighbor, "Know thou the Lord?" "All shall know him," etc. Thetime when there shall be no more curse (Rev. 22:3), "when thedesert shall blossom as the rose (Isa. 35:1), and "streamsR260 : page 50