1889 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

consider it carefully. The first thought is of the old nature--anoutcropping of its pride and high-mindedness. Resist it,remembering the Master's words:--"Except ye be converted andbecome as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom ofheaven. Whosoever shall humble himself as a little child, thesame is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whosoevershall receive one such little child (a humble teachable believer,or one likely to receive the truth) receiveth me."-- Matt. 18:3-5.Thus, in very many humble ways, the watchful faithful stewardswill find opportunities to invest their talents with a good hope ofconsiderable interest. He that is faithful in that which is least,will be faithful also in much. (Matt. 25:21,23.) Study to showyourself a workwoman approved unto God.MRS. C. T. R.====================R1105 : page 5THE REST OF THE DEAD.But the rest of the dead lived not again, until the thousand yearswere finished.The reader is reminded that these words, though given as part ofRev. 20:5 in our common version Bibles, are not found in theoldest and most reliable Greek manuscripts;--in none writtenprior to the fifth century, nor even in Vatican MS. 1160, of theeleventh century; neither does the Syriac MS. contain thesewords: but many MSS., not so old nor so exact generally, docontain the words. Whether they were originally a memorandumby some copyist, who thus commented for his own subsequentremembrance and jotted down his thought of the meaning of thetext, afterward copied by others as part of the text, or whetherthe words really belong to the text and were accidentally omittedfrom the best, oldest and most reliable manuscripts, we willknow, when we know all things. To us, these facts are ofsufficient weight to warrant the conclusion that they arespurious.However, for the sake of those not so fully convinced, let ushere consider the words as though they were part of John'sinspired revelation. And it will be seen that even if they are notspurious, but properly of the text, yet they are in perfectharmony with the plan of the ages. The difficulty in the minds ofthose troubled by this expression, arises mainly from theirfailure to fully appreciate the terms "lived" and "resurrection."The passage when rightly understood is not at all in conflict withthe Bible teaching, that all that are in their graves shall comeforth, and that all shall be brought to a knowledge of the truth,and to a full opportunity for accepting or rejecting it, during the