1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

ecome joint-heirs with Him. Like Jesus, these will be goneforever as human beings, but instead, they shall have the greatprize held out during this Gospel age; for not only shall they bemade conformable unto His death, but they shall have share alsoin His resurrection [a resurrection to spiritual being]. Phil.3:10,11.Jesus addressed this class (believers) and explains the conditionson which the high calling may be obtained, when after telling ofhimself as the grain (vs. 24,25) he adds: "If any man will serveme, let him follow me;" [let him sacrifice the human nature towhich he is justified by my sacrifice] "and" [I promise suchfollowers a share of all that the Father shall give me.] "where Iam there shall also my servant be [who follows my example]: Ifany man serve me [share with me in this service] him will myFather honor" (John 12:26).These grains, (reckonedly perfect) following the example of thefirst grain are consecrated, and their death is reckoned as aPART of His death, and not of the Adamic death, (they havingbeen justified out of and reckoned out of that.) And "if we bedead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him" bya resurrection like his, to spiritual existence as "members of hisbody."What will the harvest be--what the result of this planting in deathof the man Christ Jesus and then of those justified through him?Great will be the harvest, all springing from the one grain-- theone perfect man who gave himself; for "since by man camedeath by man came also the resurrection of the dead." And "as[through] Adam [and Eve indirectly--God "called their nameAdam] all die, even so, in [the] Christ shall all be made alive. 1Cor. 15:21-22.The same thought is expressed by Paul when he speaks of fillingup that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. (Col. 1:24).And as seen in the "TABERNACLE TYPES, "the sacrifices ofthe "Day of Atonement" teach the same lesson--the bullock forthe Priests and Levites (typical of believers now) andR730 : page 8the goats representing the justified priests sacrificed for all "thepeople." Soon the day of Atonement (the Gospel Age) will beentirely past; the planting and dying will soon be at an end, andthe glorious day of Millennial blessing, perfecting, ripening andharvesting of its fruits, will commence.To us the grandest feature of our Father's plan is this election orselection of the "Body of Christ" through obedience to sacrifice,now in progress. The grand benevolence which thus offers tosome of the fallen race not only redemption from sin anddeliverance from its curse--death, but in addition holds outdivine nature and honor as a reward for obedience, stamps the