1881 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

The blessing which comes to the world is never called abegetting to newness of life--or a new kind of life, but arestitution (restoring) of the old life, which is forfeited by reasonof disobedience and sin. For there shall be a restitution of allthings which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holyprophets since the world began. (Acts 3:21.) The church, on thecontrary, are begotten to a new nature, which implies newpowers, and a new form, for "as we have borne the image of theearthly (natural) we shall also bear the image heavenly"(spiritual.)The grandeur of our high calling, is but imperfectly seen untilwe realize that it shall be our pleasurable work during theMillennial age when joined with our head to restore the humanfamily to all the perfections of mind and body, lost throughAdam, brought back by Christ's death. Beloved, let us morehighly appreciate "our high calling, which is of God, in ChristJesus."====================R184 : page 7Rachel a Type of Zion.Many types are furnished us illustrative of the two houses ofIsrael (natural and spiritual), and their relationship to each other;yet no two of these illustrate exactly the same features. Amongthe more prominent we might mention Ishmael and Isaac, whorepresented the natural and spiritual seeds of Abraham, both ofwhom were blessed, but not to the same degree. Their mothers,Hagar and Sarah, we have seen to be types of the Law andGospel covenants, under which the two seeds are developed.Isaac and Rebecca, another beautiful type, shows us therelationship to which the "little flock" shall come as the Bride ofChrist, when she becomes joint heir with Him. Jacob and Esautypically show how the natural seed, though first developed,failed to receive the choicest blessing. As "Esau sold hisbirthright for a mess of pottage," so natural Israel, when theymight have inherited the (spiritual) promises, chose insteadnatural things. The Gospel church, represented by Jacob--though developed later, gets the choicest blessing--the spiritual."What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed notafter righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even therighteousness which is of faith; but Israel, which followed afterthe law of righteous, hath not attained." [Rom. 9:11,30.]But now another type not before noticed by us, presents itself,and is fully as clear, when seen, as the others, and illustratesparticular features of truth not pictured in the others. Rachel,seems to be a type of the Gospel church in many particulars; andher sister Leah would correspondingly represent the fleshlyIsrael. Jacob served seven years for each of these, which might