1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org 1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

12.07.2015 Views

sign of summer nigh, so likewise, whenthese things begin to come to pass, atthe very first we should be in such awatching attitude that we would notethe first indications of the new rulershipand the overturning of the institutionsand systems condemned by our King.What, then, is the sign of Jesus' presence?To some, sign was unnecessary;they being instructed by the sure wordof prophecy were awake and looking,and when they saw the mystery ofiniquity, Babylon, in the holy place, andheard from the Scriptures that she wascast off from favor, they said, This aswell as prophecy tells me that the Kingis here, for this is his first work, to separatein the Church the wheat from thetares, and to "cast away" or "spewout" the unfit. Hence the words, "Babylonis fallen, is fallen; come out of hermy people," became corroborative ofthe Lord's presence, who shall destroyher by the bright shining of his presence(2 Thes. 2:8). The evidence ofthe King's presence is increasing, andsoon all will be able to recognize that anew ruler has the control.OTHER SIGNS.One of the signs which Jesus gaveJohn when he asked, "Art thou hethat should come?"--a sign that he, thetrue Messiah, was then present, was, "Go,tell John what things ye have seen andheard; how that the blind see, the lamewalk, the lepers are cleansed, the deafhear, the dead are raised, to the poorthe gospel is preached. And blessed ishe whosoever shall not be offended inme." Luke 7:20,23.And when we remember that the firstadvent was but a foretaste of the blessingswhich the second advent was tobring in fullest, grandest measure, wecannot but suppose that similar manifestations

will accompany Jesus' secondpresence in this world. Since now heis a spiritual being, and no longer human,we might reasonably expect thathuman agencies would be the channelsby and through which the lame wouldbe made to walk, the blind to see, thedeaf to hear, and the poor to have thereal gospel, "good tidings," preachedto them.And is not this the case? Are noteyes and ears long closed by prejudice,superstition and human tradition beingopened? Are not those who have longbeen lame, and who have halted betweenthe service of God and the devil,been healed by the truth? Is not thegospel, "good tidings," being preachedto the poor and to them that have nomoney? Truly yes; the work now isthe same as at the first advent, but inharmony with every other part, it is ona higher plane.Undoubtedly those prophecies whichrefer to the blessings of the Millennialage, which tell of the blind eyes beingopened and the deaf ears unstopped,refer primarily and chiefly to the openingof the eyes of the understanding,and the removal of the impediments ofignorance and prejudice from the hearingof faith, yet we know that restitutionwill bring with it also physical healing,and the two, mental and physical healingswill go hand in hand throughoutthe world blessing the sin-crippled ofearth in the name of him who boughtthem with his own precious blood.This being the case, it should not,and does not, surprise us that now bothphases of healing are in progress, andbeing blessed each to its class. Norshould it surprise us that different messengersor agencies are used in the differentbranches of the work. The onecarrying a natural blessing to naturalmen, and the other bearing spiritual

sign of summer nigh, so likewise, whenthese things begin to come to pass, atthe very first we should be in such awatching attitude that we would notethe first indications of the new rulershipand the overturning of the institutionsand systems condemned by our King.What, then, is the sign of Jesus' presence?To some, sign was unnecessary;they being instructed by the sure wordof prophecy were awake and looking,and when they saw the mystery ofiniquity, Babylon, in the holy place, andheard from the Scriptures that she wascast off from favor, they said, This aswell as prophecy tells me that the Kingis here, for this is his first work, to separatein the Church the wheat from thetares, and to "cast away" or "spewout" the unfit. Hence the words, "Babylonis fallen, is fallen; come out of hermy people," became corroborative ofthe Lord's presence, who shall destroyher by the bright shining of his presence(2 Thes. 2:8). The evidence ofthe King's presence is increasing, andsoon all will be able to recognize that anew ruler has the control.OTHER SIGNS.One of the signs which Jesus gaveJohn when he asked, "Art thou hethat should come?"--a sign that he, thetrue Messiah, was then present, was, "Go,tell John what things ye have seen andheard; how that the blind see, the lamewalk, the lepers are cleansed, the deafhear, the dead are raised, to the poorthe gospel is preached. And blessed ishe whosoever shall not be offended inme." Luke 7:20,23.And when we remember that the firstadvent was but a foretaste of the blessingswhich the second advent was tobring in fullest, grandest measure, wecannot but suppose that similar manifestations

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