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Pas ary Gish Page Re, God ; < Py BI Mdm Pj g™ , ae -™ : eee ‘ SEP 47 1953 Se ie ‘’s Lf “ies #2 j ; % 4° oe mo Me, a TY : = - ,, ae ® oat tag bee no hat Deliverance - A vivid description of the Divine Purpose particularly outlining God’s progressive steps against wickedness and showlng the final overthrow of the Devil and all of his wicked Institutions; the deliverance of the peo- ple; and the establishment of the righteous government on earth. BY J. F. RUTHERFORD Author of The Harp of God Creation Life Reconciliation Government Prophecy Light and other books 3,380,500 Edition Publishers INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY Brooklyn, New York, U, 8. A. Also; London, Toronto, Strathfield, Cape Town, Berne, Magdeburg. MADE IN U. 8. A. AS A TESTIMONY TO THE NAME OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD THE CREATOR OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED “Ve are my witnesses... that I am God,’’—Isa, 43: 12. Copyrighted 1926 by J. KF, RUTHERFORD PREFACE A yea book contains a message of good news. It enables the people to have before them the positive evidence from which they may de- termine who is their worst enemy and who is their greatest friend. It shows why the people have been subjected to so much affliction and suffering and how they may and will he de- livered from all their foes. The names of the three great persons herein made conspicuous are: Jehovah the Father, and the Logos and Lucifer his sons. The son Lucifer organizes and carries on a wicked re- bellion which Jehovah does not hinder until his own due time, when he intervenes and puts down the rebellion and the rebels. By and through his loyal Son, the Logos, he completely delivers the people and then showers upon them his gracious blessings. This book contains a statement of the out- working of the divine purpose. It establishes faith, creates hope, and makes glad the soul. In due time all the peoples of earth must have an opportunity to know the message this book contains. The time is now due when they must begin to hear it. Let every one who reads tell it to his neighbor. The day of deliverance is at hand! THE PUBLISHERS INTRODUCTION | ELIVERANCE! It is a welcome word. Its need D for man has become erucial. Peoples of earth find themselves weary and burdened of soul. The disabilities of body and mind are galling. Every man has his burden, and he would gladly welcome de- liverance from that burden. With some the burden is financial, with others mental, with others physical; and nearly ail suffer from discontent and disappoint- ment, The vanity of the schemes of men is apparent to all. Many such have been tried, and all have proven failures. Is there no way out of the difficulties and burdens that hang over the peoples of earth? There is! He who created the heavens and the earth, made also the man from whom sprang all the race. The name of that great Creator is Jehovah God. He knew the end from the beginning and made ample provision for every contingency. Concerning him this great truth long ago was written: ‘‘Known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world.’’ (Acts 15:18) That he willed man should some day know about his purposes is also certain. It is written in his Word that in due time every man shall know the Lord, and that the knowledge of him and his way for man’s deliverance shall fill the whole earth as the waters fill the deep. The physical facts all about, which are now daily observed by men, prove that the time is at hand when the obtaining of that great knowledge is begin- ning. Millions of people are beginning to see the way of deliverance and are taking courage. You should 6 Introduction | fA walk with that great army, learn and grow happy. This bock shows you how to learn. No; this is not another scheme of man. This book is devoted exclusively to pointing out God’s way of de- liveranee. It entirely excludes all human creeds and all theories of church systems. Its message is taken from the Word of God, now due to be understood. You will be able to prove to yourself whether or not the divine arrangement herein disclosed is true. It is worth your time and effort. Deliverance from the burdens of sickness, suffering, sorrow, disappointment and death is man’s great de- sire. The plain way that leads to endless life in happi- ness he would gladly welcome. It is the will of God, the great Creator, that all men should come to a knowledge of the truth; and in due time that oppor- tunity shall be granted to all. The way is now open- ing. ‘‘And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.’? (John 17:3) It is therefore fitting and essential for you to read that which explains the great divine way that leads to endless life and happi- ness. This book was written for that very purpose. Good news brings peace of mind and gladness of heart. To know that humankind will be relieved of all burdens is not only good news, but is thrilling. The good news of man’s deliverance by Jehovah will bring light into your life and fill your very being with peace and joy. a . ie Lg ae ; Pi Br We Deliverance Chapter I Creator and Creatures HY is there so much distress and perplexity in the world? Why are the nations so des- perately preparing for war? Why is there so much selfishness among men? Why do men manip- ulate the prices of the food and raiment of the people and profiteer therein? Why do the politicians and the clergy deceive and mislead the people and lend their support to the selfish interests? Why are the people so much oppressed? Why are the people afflicted with famine, pestilence and disease? Why are they the victims of sickness, sorrow, suffering and death? Why is man in bondage to so many evil things? Who is responsible for all this unhappy condition? May we hope that the people will ever be delivered from this sad state and enter into the joys of peace, prosperity, health, life, liberty and happiness? Why am I? Whence did I come, and what can I do to help my fellow man? These and many like questions crowded into the mind of the young man who desired to better the con- ditions for himself and his fellow man. He set out to find, if possible, the satisfactory answers to his ques- tions. He visited and made inquiry of philosephers, doctors, clergymen, savants and other professedly wise men. The answer of each one, based upon human opinion, was entirely unsatisfactory. 9 10 Delwerance What value is to be found in the unsupported opin- ion of imperfect men? Are not all of these men a part of the great multitude that travel the same unpleasant road? There must be some evidence that will speak with authority upon which a reasonable mind can rely. Thus soliloquized the youthful inquirer. Then he came upon a man of mature years. His head was clothed with silver locks. He had a kind face, and pleasant speech. When the questions were propounded to him this man did not venture his own opinion. In sub- stance he replied: ‘You are right in concluding that the unsupported opinion of man is of little or no value. There is one Eternal God, from whom proceeds everything that is good. There is a great wicked one who is the enemy of God and the oppressor of man. That enemy has long had the power of death. The righteous God has not interfered with this wicked one in earrying on his wicked work, but has used what has transpired for the testing of his creatures. Wickedness will not always prevail. In due time the wicked one and his wicked influence will be destroyed. Deliverance of the people is certain. ‘‘These great truths of which I speak are set forth in that wonderful book we call the Bible. It does not contain the opinions of imperfect men; it is the Word of Almighty God, the Maker of heaven and earth. It was written by holy men of old as their minds were directed by the power of the great Jehovah. I mean that it was written under divine inspiration. It dis- closes the origin of man, why man has suffered, and how and when mankind will be delivered from all enemies and from all oppression. These great truths Creator and Creatures 11 are so stated in the Bible that for many centuries they have been a secret and could not be understood until God’s due time. It is now due time to understand them. ‘We are now well on in the twentieth century. There is a great increase in knowledge and much run- ning to and fro in this day; and God said that these things would mark the time when his Book, contain- ing his seeret, could be understood. Of course the all-wise One would have a purpose from the beginning which must work out according to his own will. The time is come for man to understand how this divine purpose has been operating. I bid you to carefully examine God’s great treasure-house of knowledge. Therein you will find the full and satisfactory answer to all the questions you have propounded.’’ Thus advised the searcher for truth sought and ob- tained the book, the Bible, and read therein: ‘‘The [reverence] of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”’ (Ps. 111:10); and, ‘The secret of the Lord is with them that reverence him; and to them will he show his purpose.’ (Ps. 25:14) With reverential mind and honest purpose the answers to the foregoing questions were sought in that great treasure-house of knowledge, and what follows in these pages is what was therein disclosed. THE CREATOR Jehovah is the name of the great Creator. That name signifies his purpose concerning his creatures. ‘*Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah.’’ (Ps. 83:18) ‘‘Immortal’’ means not subject to death but possess- ing life inherent. It is written concerning the great 12 Deliverance Jehovah God: ‘‘Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting.’’ (1 Tim. 6:16) He first re- vealed his name to Moses. (Ex. 6:2) He is the great Creator of heaven and earth. (Isa. 40:28; 42:5) Every good and perfect gift proceedeth from him. (Jas. 1:17) He is the rewarder of them that diligent- ly seek him. (Heb. 11:6) He is from everlasting to everlasting. (Ps. 90:2; 98:2) ‘‘In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. **_Tsa, 26: 4, THE LOGOS Of necessity there must have been a time when Je- hovah God was alone. That time was before the be- ginning of the creation. His Word discloses the be- ginning of creation. The mind of John was moved upon by the invisible power of God, and under in- spiration he wrote: ‘Originally was the Logos, and the Logos was with God; and the Logos was a god. The same was originally with God. All things through him came into existence; in him was life, and the life was the light of men.’—John 1: 1-4. The term Logos is one of the titles applied to the first or beginning of God’s ereation. (Rev. 3:14) Concerning him it is written: ‘‘Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things con- sist.’’—Col. 1: 15-17. Creator and Creatures 13 By these scriptures we are advised that the Logos was the only direct creation of Jehovah God, and that thereafter the Logos was Jehovah’s active agent in the creation of everything that came into existence. Solomon makes record concerning the Logos and represents him speaking of himself in these words: ‘‘The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth ; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the moun- tains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth; when he estab- lished the clouds above; when he strengthened the fountains of the deep; when he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his command- ment; when he appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by him, as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.’’—Prov. 8: 22-30. It seems to be clearly settled by the Scriptures that the Logos (which means one who speaks for another) was the honored messenger of Jehovah God from time to time. He was sent on missions as the special am- bassador of Jehovah. (Ex. 3:2,15; Gen. 18:1; Ex. 23:20; Josh. 5:14) Being the beginning of God’s creation and his special messenger, as his name im- plies, the Logos would of necessity occupy a confiden- tial relationship to Jehovah. It would therefore be 14 Deliverance reasonable that Jehovah would speak with him and consult with him about creation. The Scriptures do not indicate the order of the ereation of those angels that belong to the invisible realm of God; but it is disclosed that such include cherubim, seraphim, angels and others, all of whom are designated ‘‘sons of God’’. Cherubim are spirit creatures who evidently oceupy a position of importance in the execution of the pur- poses of God.—Gen. 3: 24; Ezek. 10: 14-16. _ Seraphim, the Scriptures indicate, also are heaven- ly creatures serving in positions of importance rela- tive to the execution of the divine purpose.—Isa. 6: 2-6. Angels are messengers or ambassadors who are en- trusted with the transmission of messages and execu- tion of orders from the courts of heaven.—Gen. £9 15.2'28 212. Ps 9117. All the creatures of God, who therefore receive their life from him, are properly designated his sons. In the course of events concerning his realm these sons, at stated times, present themselves before Je- hovah.—Job 1:6; 2:1. LUCIFER Amongst the mighty creatures of Jehovah God is the one first called Lucifer. His name means light- bearer or ‘‘morning star’’. God’s prophet speaks of him as the ‘‘son of the morning’’. It would be difficult to find words more descriptive of beauty. He belonged to the heavenly realm and was therefore in the holy kingdom of God, and the description of him shows that he was shining forth amongst the others of that glorious place. This description indicates that he was Creator and Creatures 15 more showy than the other creatures of heaven. Of him it is written that ‘‘every precious stone was thy eovering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbunele, and gold: the workman- ship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so; thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee’’.—Ezek. 28: 18-15. The Logos, the active agent of Jehovah God in the creation of all things, of course, created Lucifer, These two, Lucifer and the Logos, are designated in the Seriptures as ‘‘the morning stars’’. The Logos was always the delight of the great Eternal One be- eause of his faithfulness. Since the Scriptures de- clare that all the creation of God is perfect (Deut. 32:4), the presumption must be indulged that all these creatures in heaven were beautiful and glorious, dwelling together in peace and in harmony, and all giving glory and praise to Jehovah God. In the course of time it pleased the Almighty Eter- nal One to prepare a place for the habitation of man, whom he then purposed to create. The record is: ‘‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,’’ and he ‘‘made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it’’. In heaven these creatures no doubt were informed that the planet earth was being prepared as a place for the - habitation of the creature man whom God would 16 Delwwerance create in his own image, and this knowledge must have greatly delighted God’s heavenly creatures. It is recorded that when God laid the foundation of the earth for man’s habitation ‘‘the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy’’. —Job 38: 4-9. The Scriptures clearly teach that there were two mighty creatures designated ‘‘morning stars’’, to wit, The Logos and Lucifer. There must have been a great convocation of the glorious creatures of heaven at the beginning of the creation of earth, and it was at this convocation that the creatures were advised by the Creator of his purpose to prepare a habitation for man.and to create man; and there these two mighty ones, ‘‘the morning stars,’’ sang together a song of praise to the Eternal One, and every one of the sons of God was so thrilled by the song that they shouted together for joy. So far as men know there is no other planet that is inhabited. The creation of the earth for man would be of most profound interest to the crea- tures of the heavenly realm. CREATION OF MAN The earth was created ; and upon it were placed the plants and the herbs, the beast and the fowl, the fruits and the flowers. But there was no man to till the ground nor to enjoy the produce thereof. Ged must have spoken to some one of his purpose to create man, and it is reasonable that the Logos would have been the one to whom he spoke. It is recorded: ‘‘And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our like- ness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the Creator and Creatures 17 eattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of Ged created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.’’—Gen. 1: 26-28. It seems quite clear that the ‘‘image’’ and ‘‘like- ness’’ here do not mean form or organism. The four divine primary attributes possessed by Jehovah for- ever are wisdom, justice, love and power. The perfect man, the intelligent creature, must have been endowed with these attributes; and as God has dominion over the universe, so man was given dominion over the creatures of the earth and was clothed with power to produce his species, fill the earth and subdue the planet. God did not create man and then give him an im- mortal soul, as many have been induced to believe. The words ‘‘soul’’, ‘‘ereature’’ and ‘‘man’’ mean the same thing. Every man is a soul, but no man can possess a soul. The statement or method of creation is plainly set forth in the Scriptures: ‘‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’’—Gen. 2:7, Then God eaused all the beasts and the fowl to pass before Adam, and he gave each one its name. Each beast and each fowl found its mate or kind. ‘‘But for Adam there was not found an help mect for him.’’ ‘‘And the Lord God said, It is not good 18 Dehwerance that the man should be alone, I will make him an help meet for him.’’. (Gen. 2: 18-20) Then the wom- an was made and brought unto the man. That part of the earth where man first saw the light must have been surpassingly beautiful. ‘‘Eden’’ means a paradise. It was on the eastern side of Eden that God planted a garden, and there he put man, whom he had formed, to dress and to keep it. This was the home of Adam and his wife. Taking as a basis this brief record, which we know is true because made under divine supervision, we may draw upon the imagination for a moment. In heaven there was a great and happy multitude of angels, strong, vigorous, and beautiful. There were the cherubim and seraphim, holding responsible posi- tions of trust and confidence. There was Lucifer, the bright shining one, who surpassed the others in show and beauty. And there was the Logos, the great and mighty right arm of Jehovah God, by whom all things were created that were made, All these creatures were the delight of the Mighty Creator, and especially was that true of the Logos. Up to that time all were loyal and true to God. On the earth now was the perfect man, strong, vigorous and handsome; with eyes so keen that they knew no dimness, and with the agility and swiftness of the hind. And with him was his wife, possessing grace and surpassing beauty such as no man now on this earth has ever beheld, for she was perfect. With- out doubt there was some means of communication established between those of heaven and the perfect ereatures of earth. Creator and Creatures 19 The man and the woman were endowed with power and authority to bring forth children and to fill the earth with their descendants, and the heavenly crea- tures must have observed this with the keenest in- terest and joy. There is no evidence that any of the heavenly creatures were endowed with power to pro- duce any offspring. The propagation of the race on earth was then new and novel, and all the heavenly hosts must have waited and watched with deepest con- cern for the time to come when man would fill the earth with a joyful race of people, all of whom would worship and praise the great Jehovah God. Happi- ness reigned in heaven and happiness reigned on earth. The environment was beautiful, pleasing to the eye, a joy to the heart, and all to the praise of the Eternal God, the Creator, Chapter IT The Rebellion VERY perfect creature must be a free moral EB agent. The creature must have the liberty to exercise his power for good or evil as he may choose. In no other way could he be tested and proven. God could have made all of his creatures so that they could not do evil, but had he done so that would have prevented them from exercising freely their attri- butes and God would thereby preclude himself from testing and proving his creatures. The heart is the seat of affection or motive. It is that faculty of the creature which induces action. If impurity enters the heart, impurity of action is al- most certain to follow. Hence it is written: ‘‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.’’—Proy. 4: 28. Love is one of the divine attributes. Love is the perfect expression of unselfishness. Selfishness, the very antithesis of love, begins in the secret intent of the heart. Selfishness expels love. With love gone the heart becomes malicious. The creature possessing a malicious heart is one who is extremely selfish, having no regard for duty or obligation to others and fatally bent on accomplishing his purposes regardless of great wrong that may result to others. The glory and beauty of the heavenly creatures, the perfection of the human pair in their Eden home, and the power and authority of man to fill the earth with his kind, furnished the opportunity for exercising 20 The Rebellion 21 either selfishness or love. The test came, and some of the mighty creatures of heaven fell under the test. The joy of heaven and earth was turned into great woe, The tragedy of Eden has never known a parallel. In fact all other crimes and tragedies may be traced to the one there committed. Its enormity is enhanced by reason of the intelligence and greatness of the per- petrator of the crime and of his confidential relation- ship to the Eternal Creator. That terrible crime blighted the hopes of men and angels, filled the earth with woe and caused the very heavens to weep. It started the wheels of wickedness and has caused them to roll on down through the corridors of the ages, spreading war, murder, disease, pestilence and fam- ine, thus erushing out the life-blood of countless millions. -So powerful, deceptive and cunning has been that arch criminal that the sensibilities of mankind have been stunned and benumbed, and the people for cen- turies have been kept in ignorance of the cause and its far-reaching effects. But now it seems certain that the time has come for God to pull back the curtain and let man have a better view and understanding of the terrible criminal and of his crime, that men may flee from the influence of the wicked one and find refuge in the arms of the Savior of the world. Jehovah was man’s benefactor and friend. He had created Adam, given him a wife, provided him with a beautiful home, made him prince of all he surveyed, clothed him with power to fill the earth with a perfect race of people, to subdue the earth, and rule it. Naturally Adam would love God. In addition to that 22 Delwerance he was so ereated that he would instinctively worship the One who was his friend and provider. The will of God is his law. When that will is ex- pressed toward man it is the law of God by which man is to be governed. A refusal to obey God’s law makes the ereature a disloyal subject. Without law there could be no way of testing man’s loyalty. There must be a rule of action commanding that which is right and prohibiting that which is wrong. God pro- vided a law for man. It was in connection with the food of Adam that God expressed his will or com- mandment. No evil effects would of course result merely from the food, because all the food was per- fect; but the evil result would be from the act of disobedience of God’s law. The loss of life to man meant the loss of everything. God could not permit an unlawful creature to possess eternal life. He pro- vided man’s food, and in connection therewith said: ‘‘And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’’—Gen. 2: 16, 17. it was in keeping with God’s loving provision for man to appoint an overseer or helper or protector who would aid man in avoiding the doing of that which was wrong and would bring upon him the penalty for the violation of God’s law. It was the bright shin- ing one, Lucifer, whom God selected and placed in Eden as overlord or protector of man. Concerning him and his appointment to this responsible office God said: ‘‘Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so.’’ (Ezek, 28:14) “‘ Anointed’’ The Rebellion 23 means that Lucifer, the cherub, was clothed with power and authority in the name of God to do certain things; and in this instance he was clothed with pow- er and authority as overlord in the ‘‘garden of God’’ to look after the interests of man and to keep him in the right way. ‘‘Cherub’’ means an officer or deputy to whom are delegated certain heavenly powers and duties. The word ‘‘covereth’’ means to sereen, to shield, to protect. It therefore follows that Lucifer was clothed with power and authority to act as an overseer for man; to sereen, to shield and protect him from taking a wrongful course by violating God’s: law. It was his solemn duty, both to man and to God, to direct and influence humanity to go in the right way, that man might thereby honor God and prolong his life on the earth. God had also clothed Lucifer with the power of death. (Heb. 2:14) It was therefore a part of the official duty of Lucifer to put the man to death if he did violate God’s law. For this reason Lucifer oc- cupied a confidential or fiduciary relationship toward God and man. There was committed into his hands a sacred trust of keeping God’s newly-begun govern- ment on earth in a pure and proper condition. To betray that trust in order that he might- overturn God’s appointed means of government in Eden would be an act of treason. The perpetration of the crime of treason under such conditions would cover the perpetrator with perfidy and make him a nefarious, despicable creature and the blackest of all criminals. He being clothed with the most honorable position in the universe aside from that of the Logos, even dif- ferent from the Logos because placed as overlord and 24 Deliverance protector of a domain, the betrayal of that trust is so terrible that it could not be properly stated in human phrase. The beauty, the purity and innocence of the perfect man and perfect woman, in an en- vironment far more beautiful than any human eye has ever seen since, makes more pronounced the de- pravity of the heart that could commit the terrible erime hereinafter described. Being one of the ‘‘morning stars’? who witnessed the creation of man and of his perfect home, and being appointed to the position of trust and confidence as man’s overlord, Lucifer of course knew that God had empowered man to produce his own species and that in due time the earth would be filled with a per- fect race of people. He knew that man was so created that he must worship his benefactor. He knew that he must destroy in the mind of man the thought that God is his benefactor. Lucifer became ambitious to control the human race and to receive the worship to which God was justly entitled. Lucifer was impressed with his own beauty and im- portance and power, and forgot that he owed an obli- gation to his Creator. Selfishness entered his heart. His motive was wrong and his heart became malig- nant. He was moved to take action concerning Adam, and his motive was wicked. Concerning this purpose ~ the prophet records of Lucifer: ‘‘For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.’’ (Isa. 14:18,14) The The Rebellion 25 Scriptures clearly show that Lucifer’s process of reasoning was like this: ‘I am overlord of man in Eden. I have the power to put man to death, but even though man violates God’s law I will not exercise that power. I will induce man to believe that God is not his friend and bene- factor but in truth and in fact is deceiving man, Besides this, God will not be able to put man to death and at the same time maintain his own consistency ; because he has declared that that tree in the midst of Eden is the tree of life, and to eat of that tree means that one will live forever. I will therefore take man to that tree and direct him to eat, and then he will not die, but will live forever. -.*But before I do that I will first induce Adam to believe that God is keeping him in ignorance and withholding from him the things that he is justly entitled to receive. Adam loves his wife. I will first induce Eve to do my bidding, and then through her I shall be able to control Adam. I will so throw the circumstances around Adam that he too will be in- duced to eat of the forbidden tree of knowledge, and then I will refuse to put either of them to death. Then I will immediately take them to the tree of life and have them eat of that fruit. Then they will live forever, and not die. By this means I will win them over to me and I will keep them alive forever. I will defy God; and while he has a realm of angels and other creatures of heaven that worship him, I shall be like the Most High and shall be worshiped even as God is worshiped.’ The Seriptures show that thus did Lucifer plan a rebellion. It was a cunning scheme that Lucifer thus 26 Delwerance devised ; he thought it was a wise scheme. Evidently God knew about it from its inception, but he did not interfere until Lucifer had gone to the point of com- mitting the overt act by overreaching man and induc- ing him to sin. Concerning this, God said: ‘‘Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness.’’ (Ezek. 28:17) This selfish meditation in the heart of Lucifer was the beginning of iniquity in him. Up to that time he had been perfect. Of him God says: ‘‘Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.’’ (Ezek. 28:15) The imperfection of Lucifer dates from that moment. That was the beginning of rebel- lion. That selfish meditation in his heart led to the terrible crime of treason and all the baneful effects that have followed since. THE CRIME Lucifer, having carefully planned his crime, now proceeds to carry it out. To do so he resorts to fraud, deception and lying. When the Logos was on the earth he stated that Lucifer ‘‘is a liar, and the father of it’’ (John 8:44), thereby showing that Lucifer gave ut-. terance to the first lie that was ever told. That lie was, ‘There is no death’’; and the emissaries of the wicked one have been telling that lie to the people ever since. Lucifer employed the serpent to carry out his scheme, because the serpent was more subtle than any other beast of the field which the Lord God had made. Lucifer therefore spoke through the serpent and said: ‘*Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree ~ of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, Suen ane ae : : - LUCIFER EMPLOYS THE SERPEN Page 26 The Rebellion 29 We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened; and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleas- ant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.’’ —Gen, 3: 1-6. God had given his word that this tree produced a fruit that would increase the knowledge of those that ate it. The result was that when Adam and Eve did eat this forbidden fruit their knowledge was increased in harmony with God’s announced law. They were now conscious of the fact that they had done wrong, because they hid themselves amongst the trees in the garden from the presence of the Lord. He brought them before him. They entered a plea of guilty, con- fessing that they had done wrong, and thereupon God entered against them the following judgment, to wit: ‘‘Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow, and thy conception: in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life: thorns also and 30 Deliverance thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field: in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.’’—Gen. 3: 16-19. The Seriptures mention three classes of fruit-bear- ing trees in the garden of Eden, to wit: (a) every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food; (b) the tree of life in the midst of the garden; and (e) the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:9) God told Adam that he might eat of all the trees that were good for him. ‘‘And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’’—Gen. 2: 15-17. There is no evidence that Adam knew anything about the tree of life that was in the midst of Eden. On the contrary, he must have been ignorant of it, because there was no specific command given to him concerning it. Lucifer, as the officer in charge, being _¢lothed with the power of death and entrusted with the high office of overlord of man, would, of course, know all about the tree of life. The fact that God gave Adam command about other trees in the garden and said nothing about the tree of life is evidence that man knew nothing about this tree. The eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil doubtless would open the way so that Adam would shortly know about the tree of life. But now comes the proof showing The Rebellion 31 conclusively that Adam had had no opportunity to eat of the tree of life and that therefore he must have been in ignorance of it until immediately before his expulsion from Eden. God summoned the guilty parties before him and, upon a full hearing of the facts, pronounced judg- ment against the woman and against the man and against the serpent which Satan had employed to deceive Eve. The final judgment against Lucifer or Satan is set forth in the prophecy of Ezekiel, and it provides that in due time he is to be destroyed and never shall be again. Immediately following the pro- nouncement of the judgment against man God ad- dressed some one, then and there present, and it seems almost certain that he was speaking to the Logos, his true and trusted Son. We read: ‘‘And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.’’ (Gen. 322) Mark the words of Jehovah here recorded: ‘‘Man is become as one of us, to know good and evil.’’ Knowing the situation was critical God seemingly acted immediately, before man had an opportunity to get to the tree of life and eat of it, and even before Lucifer had time to inform man of the location of the tree. The words addressed to the Logos were cut short; the sentence seemingly stops in the middle, without being finished, to wit: ‘‘ And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:—’’ Note the record. God did not speak another word, but acted immediately; and his action is recorded in the next verse, which reads: 82 Deliverance ‘‘Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden, cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.’’—Gen. 3: 23, 24. It was doubtless God’s purpose at some time to per- mit man to partake of the tree of life and live forever, and, had he proven faithful under the test, that would have been his reward. Lucifer therefore caused him to fail in the test, caused him to fail to retain life, and caused him to bring upon himself and all his progeny the great sorrow and distress that have afflicted humankind down through the centuries. Lucifer had manifested his unfaithfulness and treachery and doubtless intended to act as quickly as possible and lead man to the tree of life and let him eat of that fruit. He knew that God had given his word that the fruit of that tree was a fruit of life, and that if man should eat of it he would live and not die. Lucifer therefore reasoned that he would be able to prove to Adam and Eve that God was pur- posely deceiving them and keeping them in ignorance and keeping them away from the opportunity for life; and that he, Lucifer, was telling them the truth and was bringing them a great blessing, and that hence he was entitled to be worshiped by them and by all their offspring. Had Adam eaten of that fruit of the tree of life immediately he could not have been put to death by Jehovah himself, because God cannot be inconsistent. God had given his word that this was a tree of life; and for him to permit man to eat of it and then put The Rebellion 33 him to death would make void his word, which is im- possible for God to do. (Ps. 138:2; Isa. 46:11; 55:11) Therefore, in order that God might keep his word inviolate and enforce his judgment against Adam he immediately expelled him from Eden and set a power- ful officer on guard with a flaming sword turning in every direction, to keep man out of Eden and away from the tree of life. In due time every intelligent creature of God will have an opportunity under full and fair conditions to follow the course of Lucifer and take the conse- quences, or to follow the righteous commands of God and receive the reward of being permitted to partake of the tree of life and live forever. Why did not God kill man forthwith? Other serip- tures show that at that time man had not exercised his powers to beget children. No children were born. Hence God permitted Adam to continue on earth 980 years, during which time he begat and brought forth his children. Now he has permitted a sufficient length of time to elapse for the birth of a sufficient number of Adam’s posterity to populate the earth. All of these have suffered from the baneful effects of sin, eventuating in death; but in due time they shall come forth and be brought to a knowledge of the truth, that they may know the reason why they have suffered. Then they shall have an opportunity to abide in sin and suffer eternal destruction or to fol- low the righteous commands of God and live for ever. Adam was sentenced to death. This sentence was enforced against him by compelling him to eat of the fruits of the unfinished part of the earth, which grad- ually resulted in his death. Within that period of 930 34 Deliverance years his children were brought forth. While these “were not formally sentenced to death, they were all born sinners. The imperfect Adam, undergoing the death sentence, could not beget perfect children. Hence it is written by the psalmist: ‘‘Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother con- eeive me.’’ (Ps. 51:5) To the same effect is the apostle’s statement in Romans 5:12: ‘‘ Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.’’ Thus is seen the terrible and far-reach- ing effects of this rebellion. It has brought all the suffering and sorrow, sickness and death, wars, fam- ines and pestilences to which humankind have been heir during the past six thousand years. The very first son that Adam had was a murderer, and Lucifer the Devil induced him to commit the murder; there- fore Lucifer was a party to the crime. Lucifer ‘is guilty of every murder that has ever been committed on this earth. No longer did God permit his creature Lucifer to go by the name which signified ‘a bright shining one’. His name was changed from Lucifer, and he was thereafter known by the four names, to wit: Sa- tan, which means adversary or opponent; Devil, which means slanderer; Serpent, which means de- eeiver; and Dragon, which means devourer. He has been defiant and arrogant, and has opposed God ever since the time of Eden. He has slandered God’s holy name and brought reproach upon him and upon every- one who has sought to do the Lord’s will. He has used every possible means to deceive the people and turn their minds away from God. He has sought to The Rebellion 35 devour or destroy everyone that has faithfully tried to obey God’s holy will. This archenemy has had many emissaries on earth who have paraded themselves in the name and as the representatives of the Lord. Amongst these were the clergy of Jesus’ time, and to them and of them he said: ‘‘Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”’—John 8: 44. The rebellion did not stop with that of Lucifer and man. In heaven there was a host of angels, many of whom afterwards rebelled. The children of Adam in- creased. The women were beautiful in form and fair to look upon. The angels saw that men and women co- habited and children resulted. It was the will of God that the angels should remain on the spirit plane and that they should not leave their estate or life on the spirit plane and mingle with human ereatures and eohabit with women. But many of these angels, misled and seduced by Satan the Devil, joined in the rebellion against God, as it is written: ‘‘ And it came to pass ... that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, 36 Deliverance and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.’’—Gen. 6:1, 2, 4, 5. In due time these rebellious ones who kept not their first estate were imprisoned. (Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4) Many other angels of heaven joined Satan in his rebellion, and for centuries these have been serving with him and following his wicked course of reproach- ing God and oppressing men. (Dan. 10:13; Eph. 6:12; 1 Ki. 22:22) The Scriptures declare that in God’s due time all these wicked angels who joined the rebellion with Satan shall be destroyed. What terrible havoe this rebellion wrought! The great, beautiful and wonderful Lucifer, now degraded and covered with perfidy, becomes the very embodi- ment of wickedness. Many of the pure and holy angels of heaven, once enjoying the smile of the great Je- hovah God and the fellowship of the faithful Logos, turned to wickedness, and in due time are to be de- stroyed. Adam, once pure, holy, perfect, strong and vigorous, was driven from the perfect Eden into the unfinished earth. His offspring have ever since been compelled to earn their bread in the sweat of their face and to suffer disease and sickness ; and eventually in sorrow they go down to the grave. Above all, man was deprived of sweet communion with the mighty eternal God. All these centuries man has been in bondage to sin and death, groaning and travailing under his burdens, desiring, begging and praying that Sometime and in some way he might be delivered. God early began the operation of his marvelous arrangement for the deliverance of man and for his restoration. Exercising his power in exact harmony with justice, wisdom and love, God has been working The Rebellion 37 out his great purpose to this end. Now the time has come for the peoples of the earth to begin to get a clearer vision of God’s great purpose of salvation and to learn how and when he will bring about man’s complete deliverance. Chapter ITT Elypocrisy and Faithfulness /{ UCH of the Bible is written in symbolic lan- 7 guage and could not be understood until God’s purpose had progressed in course of fulfilment, and then not until God’s ‘‘due time’’. The serpent is used as a symbol of Satan the enemy, and those who yield willingly to the influence of the Devil and support his cause are called ‘the seed of the serpent’. Woman is used as a symbol of the right- eous organization of Jehovah God; and those who love righteousness and hate iniquity and who strive to follow in the righteous way are spoken of as ‘the seed of the woman’. When God pronounced judg- ment at the time of the rebellion he said to the Ser- pent, the Devil: ‘‘I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”’ (Gen. 3:15) From that very day forward Satan the Devil has opposed God and fought against every one who has diligently tried to serve Jehovah. By resort- ing to ridicule and mockery Satan has delighted to reproach God in every possible way. Of course God could have imprisoned or destroyed the Devil; but his Word discloses that it has been the purpose of Jehovah to let this wicked one come to the full in wrongdoing, before he executes his final judgment against the Devil. About 250 years after the expulsion of Adam from Kden, Enos the grandson of Adam was born. By that 38 Hypocrisy and Faithfulness 39 time, so far as the Bible discloses, every one of the hu- man race followed the course of wickedness. The Bible record does not indicate that between Abel and Enoch there was even one good man who loved God and righteousness. This warrants the conclusion that all were under the control of Satan the wicked one. That being true, Satan must have thought that he had succeeded in having all men to worship him, in turn- ine away all men from God; and that therefore by mockery and hypocrisy he would reproach God for- ever. It was in the days of Enos that hypocrisy began to be manifest for the first time, and that was in con- nection with religious worship. It is written: ‘‘Then began men to call themselves by the name of the Lord.’’ (See margin, Genesis 4:26.) It seems quite clear that this was a scheme of Satan to have men eall themselves by the name of the Lord and yet pursue a course in opposition to God, thereby to ridi- eule God and hold his name up to scorn. These men were tools of Satan the Devil and were therefore hypocrites. This discloses a scheme of Satan which he has ever followed since; namely, to have in his system of gov- ernment an organized religion by which means he could deceive the people and ridicule Jehovah God. This is mentioned here because it discloses the fixed policy on the part of the Devil to use religion as a part of his deceptive and fraudulent schemes. Evi- dently he does this because he knows men are so con- stituted that they will worship something; and if he is unable to induce them to worship himself directly he will cause them to worship something else or to ridicule God at any cost. It is observed that he has 40 Deliverance many such schemes in vogue now on the earth, caus- ing the people to worship anything except the true and living God. A few generations later Enoch was born. He was the seventh generation from Adam. Of course Adam was wicked, because he had violated God’s law and continued in the evil course. Aside from Abel every one from Adam to Enoch was evidently unrighteous. The human race was going the road of corruption and wickedness. Enoch was the exception. He believed in Jehovah God. He believed that some day God would reward all those who would obey him. Satan the Devil had been so active that the peoples of earth by that time even doubted the existence of Jehovah God. It was necessary for Enoch to exercise faith that God actually exists. This was necessary in order for him to please God. ‘‘ Without faith it is impossible to please him [God]; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’’ (Heb. 11:6) That he pleased God is shown by the following statement: ‘*And Enoch walked with God: and he was not, for God took him.’’ (Gen. 5:24) To the same effect Paul testifies: ‘‘By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death ; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.’’—Heb. 11:5. Enoch, because of his faith in God, was an out- standing figure amongst all the men of earth. He was a witness on the earth for God. Surely he was known amongst the other men and known by the fact that he believed on God and served him while all others were Hypocrisy and Faithfulness 4} against the Lord. Such faith under such adverse con- ditions was pleasing to God, and God rewarded that _ faith by translating Enoch. In those days it was usual for men to live upwards of eight hundred years. Enoch lived 365 years and then God took him away. No one saw him go, no one buried him, and no one knew where he went. Satan the Devil had the power of death, and without doubt would have killed Enoch had not God prevented him from so doing. God has the power of death, of course; but he did not put Enoch to death for any wrongful act on Enoch’s part. Nor did Enoch die because of sickness, the result of the inheritance from Adam, his grandfather. The Devil had nothing to do with putting Enoch to death. He was a young man, compared with other men of his day. While in the vigor of youth, and while he walked with God and joyfully conformed himself to God’s righteous law, the Lord manifested his pleasure in the faith of Enoch by taking him suddenly away from earth’s wicked scenes, putting him peacefully to sleep without his having to pass through the bitter waters of a violent or agonizing death. It seems reasonable that Enoch never saw anyone die; because Paul testifies that Enoch did not see death. The apostle, after enumerating a number of faithful ones, including Enoch, says, ‘‘These all died in faith.’’? (Heb. 11:13) It follows, of course, that Enoch was not taken away to live on some other planet, but that God took him quietly and suddenly, putting him to sleep without pain or anguish and without fear of the terrible monster death. Here God began to indicate that at some time he would destroy death and deliver all those who have faith in him 49, Deliverance from all their enemies, including the enemy death. —I1 Cor. 15: 25, 26. It is recorded that Enoch prophesied that In some future time the Lord would come with a mighty host of angels and execute judgment upon the ungodly. (Jude 14,15) Of course he would give utterance to this prophecy in the presence of other men, and they in turn would mock and jeer and taunt him, and the Devil would use every power at his command to de- stroy Enoch. But the Lord Jehovah held his hand over Enoch. From this scripture it seems quite evident that God had told Enoch, or by some means put it into Enoch’s mind, that sometime in the future he was going to send his mighty Representative to exe- cute judgment upon all the enemies of God and to deliver the people from bondage. The spirit of the Lord moved upon the mind of Enoch and eaused him thus to prophesy, because his heart was right toward God. This was the first prophecy of a coming Deliverer. Thus by these two men, Enos and Enoch, are made manifest hypocrisy, a detestable thing in the sight of God, and true faith, which is pleasing to God. Hy- pocrisy, the fruit of wickedness, is from the Devil; faith is a gift from God. Thus God early made mani- fest his rule, from which he will never deviate, that those who have faith in him and walk with him in the way of righteousness and in obedience to his command shall be rewarded by deliverance from the enemy and be given the blessings of life. The goodness and merey of the Lord endure forever, His loving-kindness is marked by his every act. EK EARTH GIANTS IN TH Chapter IV World Destroyed W y ITHIN the meaning of the Scriptures the word ‘‘world’’ signifies the peoples of earth organized into tribes or forms of govern- ment, under the supervision of an overlord or super- human power. The superior power is invisible and is spoken of under the term ‘‘heaven’’; while the or- ganization on earth is visible and is spoken of as ‘‘earth’’. Sixteen hundred years after the tragedy of Eden found the human race in a deplorable condition. The peoples of earth dwelt together in families or tribes; and the superior power that controlled them was Sa- tan and a host of his evil angels, operating in con- junction with and under his direction. This was the invisible part of that ‘‘world’’. Having the power to materialize in human form, some of these angels did that very thing and then cohabited with the women of the human race. The result was a race of giants. ‘‘The sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them; ... The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted ire way upon the earth.’’—Gen. 6: 4, 11, 12. The people who walked about the earth in human form constituted the visible part of the world. This part of that world was exceedingly corrupt, and the invisible part of it was the chief cause for the corrup- 45 4G ; Deliverance tion. Satan, the great adversary of God, was the real responsible one. Still impressed with his own great- ness, egotistically believing that he could defeat God in his purposes, he devised various schemes to that end. He saw the human race dying, and doubiless reasoned that if the angels should materialize and cohabit with women they would produce a superior race, and that this would make his kingdom more pow- erful. For this reason Satan was the inducing cause for the debauchery of angels and women. So strong was the enemy’s influence that all the people came under his control except Noah and the members of his household. It is written concerning Noah that he was perfect in his generation. This was not perfection of physical organism but the perfee- tion resulting from complete devotion to Jehovah. *‘But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.’’—Gen. 6: 8, 9. God told Noah of his purpose to bring a great flood of waters upon the earth and thereby destroy both man and beast. ‘‘And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will de- stroy them with the earth.’’—Gen. 6:18. By this we are not to understand that God would destroy the mundane sphere, the planet earth, but that he would destroy the visible part of the world, the organization of the adversary. ‘‘And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from World Destroyed 47 under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant: and thou shalt come into the ark; thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives, with thee.’’— Gen. 6:17, 18. Noah believed God. He was obedient to him, and his faith was pleasing to the Lord. ‘‘By faith Noah, be- ing warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.’’—Heb. A417. The righteous course of Noah testified against the Devil’s organization, both visible and invisible, and marked it with God’s condemnation. Noah was a wit- ness for God, and for this reason Satan the Devil had turned all others against Noah and against God. Of course the Devil would do everything within his power to destroy Noah, but was unable to do so be- cause Noah had the protection of Jehovah. The mixed breed of human and angelic creatures had resulted in a race of giants that were wicked beyond description. Seemingly God was forced to take action to destroy this mongrel race from the face of the earth. At the death of Noah and his family there would be no one on earth as a witness for the Lord. Hence God must clear out this wicked progeny, carry Noah and his family over in the flood, and then start the race anew. And this he did. THE DELUGE Noah warned the people of the impending judg- ment of the Lord against the wickedness prevailing 48 Deliverance in the earth. They gave no heed to his warning. No rain had ever fallen upon the earth (Gen. 2:95, 6), and it was not a difficult matter for Satan to induce the people to believe that none ever would fall. No one gave serious heed to the warning of Noah, but, on the contrary, they scoffed at him and made all manner of sport of his prophesying before them. In obedience to God Noah built the ark, which was com- pleted after a long period of time; and during its construction he continued to preach to the people. At the appointed time Noah and his family, and the beasts of various kinds, went into the ark. Then the Lord opened the windows of the heavens, and a great deluge of water swept from one end of the earth to the other and destroyed every living creature upon the face of the earth. This of course included the progeny of the angels and women; but the wicked angels themselves, who had left their first estate, will be finally disposed of at the great judgment day.— Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4, 5. But why should God bring the flood upon the earth? Was it merely to destroy wicked creatures? Other scriptures indicate that such was not the sole nor even the most important reason. The issue in the minds of the people was then, and is now: Who is the mighty God? Satan, unhindered, had induced almost all men, and a host of angels, to believe that he, Satan, was superior to Jehovah. He became arrogant in the ex- treme, boasting of his greatness and power; and doubtless he exhibited it in a marked degree. God would teach all his creatures that every good and per- fect thing proceeds from himself, and that to follow the enemy Satan would result in disaster. He would World Destroyed 49 teach all intelligent creatures that he is the great eternal One and that from him alone proceed the blessings of life, liberty and eternal happiness. The principle was later stated by the Lord Jesus in these words: ‘‘This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.’’—John 17: 8. The flood was so terrible that its marks are still upon the earth; and all peoples, regardless of whether they believe in God or not, have been taught by tradi- tion that at some time in the past there was a great deluge upon the earth. In due time they will learn the real reason why the flood was sent. The goodness and merey of God were again manifested in this les- son that he gave to men and angels. It is important to notice what oecurred in the days of Noah, and particularly the event which marked the end of that antediluvian ‘‘world’’. The flood was typical of a greater and more terrible trouble coming upon this world, in which Jehovah God will demon- strate to all his creatures that he is the Almighty, the Most High. The spirit of the Lord had moved upon the mind of Noah to teach him of the approaching flcod, but it is manifest from the words of Paul that the deluge foreshadowed something even greater to come at the end of this age.—Heb. 11: 7. Long centuries after the flood Jesus said: ‘‘As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’’ (Matt. 24:87) All the people, aside from his family, mocked Noah because he preached of the coming disaster upon the then evil world. Then all, © aside from Noah and his family, formed a portion of the Devil’s own religious system and worshiped the 50 Delwerance Devil or some of his creatures. Now at this present time the religious systems make sport of the preaching of the gospel concerning the impending fall of Satan’s organization and the establishment of God’s kingdom of righteousness. In Noah’s day only a few were wit- nesses for God. Now only those who love and serve the Lord Jehovah with pure hearts are really on the - side of the Lord. It is to the faithful class that Je- hovah now says: ‘‘ Ye are my witness, that I am God.’’ As the issue in Noah’s day was, ‘‘Who is God?’’ even so now the issue is, ‘‘Who is God?’’ That evil world, of which Satan was the ruler, Jehovah de- stroyed with the fiood as an expression of indignation ~ against wickedness and against the wicked one; and for the purpose of teaching all his intelligent crea- tures that in Jehovah resides all power, which oper- ates in complete harmony with wisdom, justice and love, and that the oppressed ereatures of the human race will find eomplete deliverance only by taking heed to the mighty provision which God has gracious- ly made for the deliverance and eternal blessing of his obedient creatures. Chapter V Enemy Organizes " ™ NLY eight persons survived the flood. These were carried over from the old world which had perished. This foreshadowed that the world then beginning is also to pass away, and that from this world shall many people be carried over to the new world, which shall then be established with the great Deliverer in charge; and these shall learn of him the way to eternal life. Noah and his family were living examples of God’s power to save those who trust in him. Noah loved God and was faithful to him; and by the experience of the flood God was teaching his intelligent creatures that the wicked shall not flourish forever, but that they shall perish in his own due time, and that only the faithful. will be blessed with life everlasting. This rule is stated by the prophet thus: ‘‘The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.’’ —Ps. 145: 20. After the flood God began anew the work of popu- lating the earth which he had created for man. ‘‘ And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply thercin.’’— Gen.-9: 1, 7. For 350 years after the flood Noah lived on the earth, and his children and grandchildren increased. Because Noah loved and served God he would of 51 52 Deliverance course teach his children to love and serve the Lord as the only true and living God. Satan was responsi- ble for the deflection of the sons of God who had left their first estate, violating the law of the Lord, and brought his indignation down upon them. Now he saw and realized what his wicked course had brought forth. - After Satan had seen all the wicked ones of earth destroyed, and all of the angels who had left their first estate placed in prison, this should have been sufficient to teach him that he could not successfully fight against God. But he did not learn his lesson. Figotistical and arrogant, he pursued his wicked course. While Noah was on the earth, teaching his children and grandchildren to love and serve God, Satan made but little progress in seducing mankind. Then Nimrod came upon the scene and became a mighty hunter of wild beasts. And now the Devil in- fluenced the people to worship Nimrod. With Satan it was anything to turn the minds of the people away from the Lord Jehovah. Being a powerful spirit crea- ture Satan exercised his power by influencing the thoughts of men, by injecting into their minds wicked thoughts. And this he did that he might again get complete control of the human race and turn them away from God. It appears from the record that Satan’s next at- tempt was to organize the people into one compact body or government, that he might with greater ease control and direct all the people according to his own selfish ways. The Scriptural record upon this point reads: ‘‘And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the cast, that they found a plain in Enemy Organizes | 53 the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be . seattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’’ —Gen. 11: 1-4. This was the first attempt after the flood on the part of the Devil to organize the people into a gov- ernment or world power. ‘‘A city’’ igs a symbolic ex- pression referring to a government; and on the oc- casion above mentioned Satan induced the people to conclude that now they must build a city and a tower. They proceeded to do so. The Tower of Babel, builded by the people at the instance of Satan, was the Devil’s defiance of Almighty God. Clearly this was his method of planting in the minds of the people the thought that they did not need God but that by their own efforts they could provide for their own kind of wor- ship and their own uplift, and could save themselves when it was necessary, which was another wily scheme to turn them away from the true God. The Devil has not changed his metheds even to the present time. The building of the Tower of Babel by the people finds a parallel in the course pursued by the Evolu- _ tionists and Modernists. They say: ‘We do not need God, nor do we need a Savior. We do not need the Bible. Our wisdom exceeds the wisdom of all men of the past. We worship power and our own ability to accomplish our uplift.’ Thus the Devil, using the sa- vants and self-constituted wise men, turns multitudes of people away from the true and living God. 54 Deliverance From that time until now Satan has pursued a similar policy of organizing the peoples of earth into world powers and through the instrumentality of a few men controlling the masses. He has succeeded in steeping them in ignorance of God’s great provision for salvation and turning them away from the path that leads to life. He has implanted greed and selfish- ness in the minds of the governing factors of the world powers, and by the use of a false religious sys- tem, enforced by the strong arm of the military, has frightened the people into yielding to the wicked in- fluence of the governing factors, God permitted the people of the plains of Shinar to go to the full limit of their folly. They were build- ing this tower that they might make for themselves a name, which the Devil had induced them to believe would safeguard them from being scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. Of course he would expect to hold them in the vicinity of the tower and the city, and to cause it to be a mecca or place of wor- ship to which all the peoples of earth would look for imstruction ; and thus he would control them. He had almost succeeded now in turning the minds of the peo- ple away from God that they would no longer trust him. Satan no doubt thought that again he had won the victory over God and that now he would hold the people in subjection to himself and have their worship. Then the Lord Jehovah took action for the benefit of mankind. Seeing Satan again turning the minds of the people away from him the Lord knew that they would fall completely under the hands of the adver- sary; and now he would give them a lesson to teach them that Satan was not the true God but that the Enemy Organizes 55 Lord alone could help them. Here the record is that Ged came down to see their organization and their power; and then, for the people’s good, he changed their language. It will be noticed in the Hebrew (Gen. 11:1) that the people were all of one lip. Their lip must have been shaped in the same general manner and they all spoke one kind of words. The Lord, by the action which he now took, dem- onstrated his own supremacy. ‘‘And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel ; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.’’—Gen. 11: 5-9. By this experience some of the people might have begun to think that there is a great God who is above all and who is all-powerful. But would the people ever learn that they could not trust the Devil? Would they ever learn that the great Jehovah God alone can give everlasting blessings? Let us follow the his- tory of the race and see. Chapter VI First World Power FTER the fall of the Tower of Babel and the seattering of the people throughout the earth they gathered in tribes in various parts of the earth. Many of these found an abiding place in Kgypt, and there Satan erected his first great world power on earth. According to history Menes was the first ruler. Without hindrance from God, and therefore by his permission, men there built a great world power. It proved to be a mighty military system and a great oppressor of the people. It was an empire of riches, learning and religion; and these three elements com- bined to rule the people and make their burdens grievous to be borne. In the meantime God was dealing with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and working out his great purpose which he had made from the beginning. In due time Joseph, the beloved son of Jacob, was sold by his brethren to a band of wandering tradesmen; and by them he was carried away to the land of Egypt. Both Joseph and his father served Jehovah God, and Je- hovah overruled for good this experience of Joseph’s being carried away. After a time Joseph, on a false charge, was wrongfully confined to prison, where he lingered indefinitely. Then the king of Egypt had a dream which he could not understand and none could interpret for him. He called the magicians, the Devil’s representatives on earth, to interpret his dream; and they could not. He was told of Joseph in prison, and 56 First World Power 57 the king sent and had Joseph brought before him. Here again the Lord Jehovah rewarded his faithful servant. By the grace of the Lord God Joseph inter- preted the dream of the king, foretelling that there were to come upon the land of Egypt seven years of plenty and seven years of famine; and he advised the king to cause to be laid up great quantities of food during the seven years of plenty to be used during the famine. Joseph was here a faithful and true wit- ness to the only true God, and for his faithfulness God rewarded him. God never fails to reward fath- fulness to him. The king then made Joseph the first man of the land under the king, and Joseph thereafter became the active ruler of the land of Egypt: ‘‘And Pharaoh | said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.’’—Gen. 41: 38-40. Joseph was a great and good witness to the people of Egypt. He showed the people an outline of the Lord Jehovah’s great purpose to redeem them and deliver them and to bless them. Of course they did not understand it then, but it was written more par- ticularly for the benefit of the people now who are being permitted to understand the divine purpose. During the seven years of plenty Joseph, with abso- lute power, had caused great stores of grain to be laid up. When the famine was sore upon the land the peco- 58 | Deliverance ple were in need. Joseph bought all their corn for the king. The next year the people came back and said to Joseph: ‘We have no corn for sale.’ Joseph then said to them: ‘Sell me your cattle.’ And he bought all the eattle from the people for the king. The next year the famine continued and the people came to him and said: ‘We have no corn and no eattle’; and then Joseph said: ‘Sell me your land.’ And he bought all the land for the king. The famine continued upon the people, and the next year they eame back and said to Joseph: ‘We have neither corn, nor eattle, nor land, but we will voluntarily sell ourselves and become the servants of Pharaoh the king.’ (Gen. 47: 14-23) Thus the people gave up everything that they might get bread from the hands of Joseph. This pictured how in due time the people will be- come the voluntary servants of the antitypical Joseph, the Lord of righteousness, that they may get the bread of life and live. Joseph readjusted the affairs of Egypt, and the people were content. Thus God showed the people how goodness and faith bring the reward of peace and blessing. Joseph was therefore a mighty witness for the Lord in the land of Egypt. After the death of Joseph there came to the throne a new king in Heypt who fell an easy victim to the wiles of Satan the Devil. ‘‘Now there arose up a hew king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.’”’ (Ex. 1:8) Under the reign of this arrogant tool of Satan the people soon forgot the goodness that they had re- ceived from Jehovah through the hands of his faithful servant Joseph. Egypt then grew to be a great and wealthy world power, the like of which the earth had never known. The Devil now overreached the people; First World Power eae they forgot God and worshiped four-footed beasts and ereeping things instead. They fell easy victims to his scheme of government. The ultrarich were sponsors for the military, the learned became the political schemers, and the priests of the devil religion led the people into a senseless worship of the Devil and things which he ereated for them to worship. These three elements, the commer- cial, political, and ecclesiastical factors which Satan organized, operating together formed the world power by which he controlled the people. Such a world power is properly symbolized by a beast. The government, and by that is meant the ruling factors, became arro- gant and rebellious against God and great oppressors of the people. Images of the Pharaohs are preserved to this day, and upon the face of them will be seen the expression of arrogance, disdain and contempt. Satan established amongst the people various images and false gods which he induced them to worship; thus following his usual practice of placing before mankind anything that would turn them away from the true and living God, that they might not learn about the divine purpose. All this time God was not without some witness in the land. Joseph had brought his father and his breth- ren into Egypt. Their offspring had greatly multi- plied, and now there was a host of Israelites in the land of Egypt. These were the people of God who worshiped the true and living God, and from the death of Jacob they were recognized by Jehovah as his chosen people on the earth. For this reason the Devil saw to it that they were greatly oppressed. He would have caused their complete destruction except 60 Deleverance for the protection of the Lord. Without doubt the Lord permitted his people to abide for a time in Egypt in order that he might teach his intelligent creatures certain lessons which they needed, and which in due time they would begin to understand. - When Jacob was on his deathbed he prophesied that there should come from the tribe of Judah a mighty One who would be the great Deliverer of the people, and that unto him should the gathering of the people be. (Gen. 49:10) The Devil knew about this prophecy, of course. He set about to devise schemes for the destruction of this promised One. The children of Israel continued to reside in Egypt, and their offspring had multiplied at a greater rate than the Egyptians’. Therefore the king gave instrue- tions that the midwives should take notice at the time the Hebrew women gave birth to children and that if a son was born it should be killed, but if the child was a daughter it should be permitted to live. Clearly this was a scheme of the Devil; he would have all the males killed in order that he might be certain to get the One that was promised to come through the tribe of Judah. The Devil was taking no chance of this mighty One’s being born and being permitted to live. But of course he had not the power to thwart God’s purposes, even though he egotistically thought he had. God helped: the Israelitish women, and the birth of Hebrew children continued. Finally Moses was born, and by a miracle of God he was saved from being de- stroyed. He was taken into the home of the royal family, or rather into the royal house, and there re- ceived all its privileges. (Ex. 2: 1-10) The Lord saw to it that Moses was preserved, because of and through First World Power 61 Moses he would now make a type of the mighty De- liverer who was to come; and we shall hereafter see how the Devil employed the same kind of scheme to destroy the Savior of the world that he employed to destroy Moses. Moses had faith in God. (Heb. 11: 24,25) Moses would rather take his chances with his own people and serve the true and living God than to have all the comforts and ease and honor that the Devil and his world power could confer upon him. God con- tinued to overrule and shape the conditions of his chosen people, that in his own due time he could give a testimony to man of his goodness and loving-kind- ness. Conditions arose that made it necessary for Moses to go to live in another land. Oppressive measures employed by Pharaoh the king of Egypt against Israel grew worse and worse. Their cries came up to Almighty God. ‘‘And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their ery by reason of their task- masters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyp- tians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the ery of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyp- tians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth 62 Deliverance my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.’’— Ex. 3: 7-10. : Moses went at the direetion of Jehovah to act for the people of Israel, and Aaron was sent by the Lord to assist Moses. Obedient to the command of the Lord Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh and said: ‘‘Thus saith the Lord Ged of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilder- ness.’’ A mighty world power now was Egypt, and the Devil was its invisible ruler. Egotistical and wicked beyond description of human words Satan eaused his visible representative, the king of Egypt, to manifest the greatest degree of arrogance and de- fiance to the Almighty God. To the request made by Moses to the ruler of Egypt, the Devil’s representa- tive said: ‘‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, nevther will I let Israel go.’’—Ex. 5:2. The oppressive burdens of the Israelites were then greatly increased. God said to Moses in substance: ‘T will show Pharaoh who I am. Now you shall see what. I will do to Pharaoh.’ (Ex. 6:1) The oppression and injustice heaped upon the people of Israel in the land of Egypt furnished God an opportunity to make a demonstration of his power, and to testify again to man that the Lord is the almighty and eternal God and that he is the God of justice, wisdom, love and power. The people had forgotten God, and now the time had come for God to go down into Egypt and through his visible representatives to make for him-. self a name. Afterwards the prophet, referring to this event in Egypt, wrote: ‘‘ And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom First World Power 63 God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, beforethy people, which thou re- deemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?’’ (2 Sam. 7:23) Then God said to Moses: ‘‘And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.’’ —Hix. 7:5. In earrying out his purposes God again sent Moses and Aaron in before the king of Egypt and requested that the people might be permitted to leave Egypt. ‘This was refused. Then God sent plagues upon Heypt. The river was turned into blood. There came a plague of frogs, lice and flies. Pharaoh would repent and promise to let the children of Israel leave Egypt, only again to become arrogant and refuse to let them go. Then God said to Moses: ‘‘Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; after- wards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out henee altogether.’’ (Ex. 11:1) The Lord now began to make preparation for a great demonstration by which he would teach the people and all others of his intelligent creatures that he is the great Jehovah God. He directed Moses to eall together the leaders of Israel and instruct them that eaeh family should on the tenth day of Nisan, the first month, take up from the flock a lamb without blemish, a male of the first year, that they should keep this lamb up until the fourteenth day of that month, and then it should be killed and the blood sprinkled upon the doorposts and over the door. This was arranged as a protection to the Israelites 64 Delwerance who would observe this law. ‘‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judg- ment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.’’—Ex. 12:12, 13. ‘Moses caused the Israelites to carry out the instruc- tions, and everything was made in readiness for the night. Each family that had taken up the lamb and had sprinkled the blood on the doorposts went inside and waited. On that eventful night, when the arro- gant king and the other Egyptian subjects of the Devil who trusted in the wicked gods for protection were sleeping, apparently in security and peace, the creat God of the universe caused his angel to pass over the land and cast down their false gods and smite with death every one of the firstborn of Egypt. None were spared except those of the Israelites who had obeyed the Lord by sprinkling the blood over the doorposts. The smiting included both man-child and beast, even from the son of the king to the humblest in the land. At midnight the king arose and found his firstborn silent in death. The alarm was given and a great cry and wail went up from all the people all over the land, because there was not one house of all the Egyptians where there was not one dead. The king called for Moses and Aaron and com- manded that they and all their children leave the land immediately. ‘‘ Also take your flocks and your herds, First World Power 65 as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.’’ (Ex. 12: 32,33) Thus God, true to his word, gave Pharaoh the king ample reason to know who is God, in answer to his arrogant and disdainful question. (Ex. 5:2) The Lord had smitten and destroyed all the Egyptians’ images and false gods throughout the land, and had filled the land of Eeypt with grief and woe. It is recorded: ‘‘Wor the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the Lord had smitten among them: upon their gods also the Lord executed judements.’’—Num. 38: 4. Seemingly this terrible disaster which befell: all the firstborn of Egypt, and which threw down and destroyed all their false gods, would have been a sufficient lesson to Pharaoh, and even to his superlord the Devil, that it is useless to fight against God. But the egotism and arrogance of the wicked one secm- ingly know no limitation. God knew what would be in the heart of Pharach, and what Satan would in- duce him to do. He purposed now to further teach them a lesson: ‘‘That the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.’’—Iix. 14: 4. A great multitude of Israelites, the men alone total- ing 600,000, camped on the shores of the Red Sea. After the king of Egypt had mourned a time for his dead son, and awakened to the fact that the Israclites had fled, he ordered his army of chariots and men to follow the Israelites and destroy them. The Egyp- tians came upon the Israelites encamped. The Israel- ites were greatly afraid, and cried unto the Lord and repreached Moses for having brought them there to 66 Dehwverance be slain by the Egyptians. ‘‘ And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.’’—Ex. 14:13, 14. And now behold the mighty power of God. He eaused his angel to go before the camp of Israel and to cause the pillar of cloud to stand between the Israelites and the Egyptians, but he gave light to the Israclites. Then Moses, at the command of the Lord, ‘‘stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided’’.—Eix, 14: 21-81. Having been safely delivered on the eastern shores of the Red Sea, saved from the hordes of the Egyp- tians, the children of Israel sang a song of deliver- ance. ‘‘Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I wil sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and he is beeome my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.’’ —Hx. 15: 1-8. Thus ended the Devil’s first world power, Like a mighty millstone it was cast into the sea, Thus God executed his judgment against the false gods and magnified his own name. (Ex, 12:12) The Lord pur- posed that the people should ever remember that day for their good. To this end he caused his prophets to First World Power 67 make record of that great event for his own good purposes: ‘‘And Jethro said, Blessed be*the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.’’—Ex. 18:10, 11. ‘“Phou, even thou, art Lord alone: thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; and heardest their cry by the Red sea; and shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land; for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day.’’—Neh. 9:6, 9, 10. ‘‘Nevertheless, he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.’’ —Ps. 106:8. Jehovah was good to the nation and people of Egypt through the ministration of his faithful serv- ant Joseph. The Egyptians failed to appreciate that goodness and refused to take heed to God, but fol- lowed after the Devil and his representatives. God expressed his indignation against Satan and the world power he had builded, and at the same time made a picture of greater things to come. Egypt was typical of the end of the world, and pictured the present organization of world powers 68 Deliverance — which shall go down in a terrible time of trouble. (Rev. 18: 21-24) God’s goodness has been wonder- fully made manifest to the peoples of this world. His goodness has been spurned, and this has been done at the instance of Satan the enemy. What befell Egypt shall be repeated, only on a far greater scale.—Matt. 24: 21, 22. But why should Ged kill the firstborn of Egypt and then overwhelm the entire army in the sea? Was that done merely to express the vengeance of God, and was it done for a selfish reason? There was no selfish- ness on God’s part whatsoever. Life is a gift from God. (Rom. 6:23) All the human race, because of Adam ’s sin, live only by the grace of God and with- out any right to live. The firstborns of Egypt, of course, came within this rule. God’s purpose provided that in the future he would awaken these out of death and give them individually an opportunity for life under favorable conditions. The heart of each one of the governing factors of Egypt was closely attached to his firstborn. The death of the firstborn, as a punishment for their defiance of God, would show these governing factors of Egypt that their gods were false gods and had no power to give them life, and no power or ability to stand before the great Jehovah God. These scriptures above quoted declare that this great demonstration of power was that God might eet for himself a name. In whose mind did God desire to magnify himself and make for himself a name? Not in the mind of the Devil, because the Devil had gone on in the way of wickedness in utter defiance of God and was then under the sentence of death. It First World Power 69 was in the minds of the people of Israel that God desired to establish a name for himsclf. He had se- lected that people as his own and would now use them for his own purposes. It was therefore for their benefit, and for the benefit of all the peoples of God who should come after, that God performed this marvelous act. Let the people take notice that Jehovah is the Al- mighty God and that the destruction of Egypt was but one of the steps in the cutworking of his great purpose. As the peoples of earth learn that the power of Almighty God operates always in exact harmony with love, and for the benefit of mankind, then they will learn to love and obey and serve him and will receive from the Eternal One the blessings which he has provided for all those that do manifest their love and obedience for him. God had saved the firstborn of each household of the Israelites because of the faith and obedience of their fathers. This should serve as a lesson to them that ever thereafter they should render obedience to the true and loving Ged, Would they do it? Chapter VII The Typical Organization A N ORGANIZATION is a systematic arrange- ment to carry into operation a fixed purpose. ‘‘Known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world.’’ (Acts 15:18) Having a fixed purpose from the beginning God would of course have a systematic arrangement of his creatures for the carrying of that purpose into operation. (1 Cor. 14:40) The very ereation of God testifies that he does everything in order and with proper organization. ‘“The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firma- ment sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,.’’-—Ps, 19: 1-4. Order is one of the hardest lessons for creatures to learn. A deflection from God’s way is displeasing to him, Deflections of the human race are usually caused by weakness and by being overreached by others, A wilful and deliberate going contrary to the Lord’s ap- pointed way is treason. 3 Humility means to be submissive to God and to fol- low his appointed ways. Humility is the very opposite of pride. ‘‘Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.’’ (Prov. 16:18) God pushes the proud away from him, and shows his favor 70 7 The Typical Organization 71 only to the humble-minded. (1 Pet. 5:5) He who joyfully conforms himself to the way of God proves his love for God. (1 John 5:3) We may be absolutely certain that the all-wise God has one way for carrying his purpose into action. It would be inconsistent for him to have divers ways. It has ever been the policy of the Devil to induce men to believe that they have a sufficient amount of initiative and wisdom to make their own arrangement, and to carry it out without reference to the Word of God. Those who follow such a course come to grief, ‘‘Great peace have they which love thy [God’s] law: and nothing shall offend them.’’ (Ps. 119:165) Nor shall they be turned away from God’s organization and purpose. If they love the Lord’s way and joyfully seek to do it they will trust him implicitly, and thus doing will enjoy the peace of God that passeth the understanding of men. The evidence is overwhelming and absolutely conclusive that God has a purpose. Man must learn God’s sys- tematic method of organization for carrying his pur- pose into operation. This is what we are here study- ing. Man should not spend all his time in trying to Jearn if God has a purpose. That should be easily understood. Man should devote himself to ascertaining how God is carrying out his purpose, and then get himself in exact harmony with God’s way and joy- fully follow therein. : From the time of Eden until the overthrow of Egypt the great lesson God was impressing upon the minds of his willing and obedient ones was that the Lord is the Almighty God, in whom are vested wis- dom, justice, love and power, in equal and exact bal- ance, He selected the descendants of Jacob, other- 72 - ° Deliverance wise called Israel, and organized that people into a nation in furtherance of his own fixed purpose. The first lesson that he taught the Israelites was that the Lord is God. For their benefit he got himself a name when he overcame the Egyptians and overthrew their false gods. The lessons given Israel were for their benefit and for those who should follow thereafter. _A shadow is a reflected image, as from a mirror or from the clear surface of still water. It is the repre- sentation of something real. The word ‘‘type’’ is sometimes used in a similar sense. It is a figure or representation of something to come. God’s dealing with the nation of Israel, and particularly in the law which he gave to that people, was to foreshadow better things coming later. As Paul puts it: ‘‘ Which are a shadow of things to come,’’ (Col. 2:17) and, ‘‘For the law, having a shadow of good things to eome.’’ (Heb. 10:1) Referring then to the experiences of Israel the record is: ‘‘Now all these things hap- pened unto them for ensamples: and they are writ- ten for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.’’ (1 Cor. 10:11) Based upon these and corroborative scriptures the conclusion is reached that the nation of Israel, organized by the Lord, was his typical organization and foreshadowed something better to follow in God’s due time. For this reason the Lord’s dealings with Israel hold the greatest interest to all who desire life and who would know God’s way of leading men to life and happiness. The beginning of God’s typical organization was Abraham, who was first called Abram. He was the grandfather of Jacob, afterwards called Israel. He is known as the father of the faithful. He was counted The Typical Organization 73 a righteous man and the friend of God. As a man he was imperfect, of course, being one of the descendants of Adam; but his heart was right and he believed on and served God, and therefore his faith was counted for righteousness.—Rom. 4: 9, 24. Abram resided with his father Terah in Ur of the Chaldees. Only two generations had passed since Adam’s death, and by tradition Abram would learn of Adam’s wrongful course. He would learn about Abel, and also how God rewarded the faith of Enoch. He would learn, too, that it was the faith of Noah that caused Ged to save him from the flood and to use him to again begin to people the earth. The young man Abram chose the way of faith and trust in the Lord God. (Gen. 12: 1-8) In obedience to God’s com- mand Abram left the land of his nativity and jour- neyed to the strange land then occupied by the Ca- naanites and hence known as the land of Canaan. (Gen. 12:5) Then Abram journeyed on to the south part of the country. There was a famine in that land, and Abram went down into Egypt. _To Abram God had made the promise that he should have a seed, and that through him and his seed the blessings of all the families of the earth should come. The Devil hated that seed. (Gen. 3:15) Doubtless he knew of the promise made to Abram. He there- fore Began to devise a scheme to have the wife of Abram debauched by Pharach, one of Satan’s own servants, and thus compel God to either accept this unholy offspring as the seed or else repudiate his own word. Satan so arranged it that the princes of Pha- raoh would see the beautiful wife of Abram, and then go to Pharaoh and commend her to the king who, to 74. ' Deliverance eratify his lust, would be an easy tool to earry out the Devil’s scheme. (Gen. 12:15-17) Accordingly Pharaoh had Sarah, the beautiful wife of Abram, brought into his palace, intending to gratify himself. But the Lord God protected Abram and Sarah by bringing great plagues upon the house of Pharaoh; and the king, becoming alarmed, sent Sarah away undefiled. Thus failed another wicked scheme of Sa- tan. Abram then returned to the land of Canaan, and God again made promise to him that he should have that land for himself and for his seed after him. (Gen. 18:15) When Abram was ninety-nine years old God appeared unto him and said: ‘‘I am the Almighty God: walk before me, and be thou perfect. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my cove- nant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.’’—Gen. 17; 1, 5-8. Ever on the alert to thwart the purposes of the Lord, again Satan made an attempt to have Sarah, the wife of Abraham, debauched that the promised seed might be defiled. Again God thwarted the wicked one’s purpose.—Gen, 20: 1-7, The Typical Organization 75 When Sarah had passed the time aceording to wom: en, and Abraham was one hundred years old, God overruled these seemingly unfavorable conditions and caused Sarah to conceive and bear a son; and he was named Isaac. The Lord made the promise then to Abraham: ‘‘In Isaac shall thy seed be ealled.’’ (Gen, 21:1,12) That Isaac foreshadowed ‘the seed of prom- ise’ through whom the blessings must come to man- kind is clearly stated by the divine record. See Gala- tians 3: 8,16; 4: 22-28. At this point God made a living pitas which foreshadowed the unfolding of a part of his purpose, In this picture Abraham was used to represent God, while Isaac was used to represent the only begotten and beloved Son of God, who was afterwards called by the name Jesus. Abrahams offering of Isaae upon the altar foreshadowed that the Son of Ged would be offered as a great sacrifice to provide a sin-offering for the benefit of the world, to the end that in God’s due time the peoples of the earth might be delivered from the enemy, from his wicked influence and from his wrongful acts which had brought death upon the human race. Abraham did not understand what the picture meant. With him it was purely a matter of faith. God commanded him what to do, and that he did. It was a test of Abraham’s faith, but he bravely met the test and God rewarded his faith, , In making this picture the Lord God directed Abra- ham to take Isaac, his only son, whom he loved dearly and in whom he had all his hopes centered, and to go to Mount Moriah and there offer up his son as a burnt offering. Because God had told Abraham that ‘‘in Isaac shall thy seed be called’’ and that the bless- \ 76 Deliverance ings shall come through him, this was a crucial test to offer up as a sacrifice this only son. In obedience to the Lord’s command Abraham provided wood for the altar, fire, and a knife; and with this provision he and his son journeyed to Mount Moriah. Abraham built the altar, laid the wood in order, bound his son Isaae and laid him on the altar upon the wood, and then stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son. In another instant the knife would fall and his son would be dead. God’s purpose here was to test and prove Abraham’s faith. Abraham having met the test, the Lord God arrested the hand that would have slain the son. The record reads: ‘*And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am J. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not with- held thy son, thine only son, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. And the angel of the Lord called unto Abra- ham out of heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord; for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his ene- The Typical Organization 77 mies: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed: because thou hast obeyed my voeiee.’’ (Gen. 22:11-18) The shadow made by this picture was afterwards carried out in every particular.—John 3:16, 17. Afterwards Rebecca became the wife of Isaac, and Rebecea was barren. Then Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, and Rebecca conceived, Twin sons were born and were named Esau and Jaecb. Ged made it elear that Jacob should succeed to the promise, and that through him should the seed for the blessing of mankind come. Satan, alert to acts of wickedness and following his usual course, devised a scheme to have Esau kill his brother Jacob. (Gen. 27: 42,43) Jacob fled into the land of Haran. On the way he slept on a hill, afterwards called Bethel. For a pillow he used. a stone, for a mattress the bare ground, and for a covering the canopy of heaven above. While he slept the Lord appeared unto him in a dream and said to him: ‘‘I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou lest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth ; and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.’’—Gen. 28: 18-15. It was this same Jacob whose son Joseph was sold into Egypt and later became the ruler of that land, and gave a witness in the name of the Lord God. 78 Delwwerance It was this same Jacob who was the father of the great multitude of Israelites whom God miraculously delivered from Egypt. From that day to this God eaused a chain of events to picture and foreshadow the gradual unfolding of his great purpose, pointing to the Savior of the world who shall deliver from the enemy and from his wicked influence every one of the human race who will show faithfulness unto God. Jacob had twelve sons, and they became the heads of the twelve tribes or divisions of the nation of Israel. Jacob grew old, and the time came for him to die. He ealled before him his sons and, his mind being moved upon by the invisible power of God, he uttered this great prophecy: ‘‘The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh eome; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.’’—Gen. 49: 10. ‘‘Seepter’’. means the right to rule. ‘‘Lawgiver”’ means one who shall guide the people in the way that they shall go, who shall shield and protect them and teach them the way to life. ‘‘Shiloh’’ means the Mes- siah, or great Deliverer. ‘‘Unto him shall the gathering of the people be.’’ Thus the Lord God caused a proph- ecy to be uttered by Jacob, foretelling the coming of him who would undo the wicked work of the Devil and who would do also that which Lucifer should have done when he was perfect, before iniquity was found in him. LAW COVENANT We left the children of Israel standing safe on the eastern shores of the Red Sea, singing a song of deliverance from Egypt. (Ex. 15: 1-21) Three months later they were in the desert land of Sinai. Moses, The Typical Organization 79 whom God had used as their deliverer from Egypt, went up into the mountain; and there the Lord God said unto him: ‘‘Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: Ye have scen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and ealled for the elders of the people, and laid be- fore their faces all these words which the Lord com- manded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.’’—Ex. 19: 3-8. On the third day thereafter God confirmed the law eovenant which he had made with Israel in Egypt at the time of the passover; and now he gave to them specific laws which should be their guide, amongst which is the following: ‘‘And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods be- fore me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth 89 Deliverance generation of them that hate me; and shewing merey unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.’’—Ex. 20: 1-7. Emphasis is here laid upon the point that God pro- vided by this covenant, and the law thereof, that the people should have no other gods besides him; that they should make no graven images, and should not bow down to them nor serve them. What was the mov- ing cause for this law? Was it because Jehovah feared that his adversary, his disloyal son the Devil, would get the worship to which he, the Lord, was entitled? Was it selfishness on the part of Ged that moved bim thus to provide by the law that there should be no other gods? No! None of these reasons is correct. The Devil has made many men believe that it was selfish- ness that induced Jehovah to act, but this is not true. God had already demonstrated his unlimited power and his ability to destroy the ereatures of heaven and earth, including Satan the Devil, whensoever he might desire. It is impossible for God to fear. Then why did he make this provision in the law? The Lord God knew that the insatiable desire of Satan was, and is, that he might have the worship of other creatures. He knew that if the people followed after Satan they would be led into wickedness and must die. Surely the great flood and the destruction of the Egyptians were sufficient to prove this to all reasonable creatures. ‘* As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.’’—Ezek. 33:11. The delight of the Lord was not in the destruction of the wicked ones. He would teach an all-important The Typical Organization 81 lesson to his intelligent creatures. He would have the people believe and understand that the one way that leads to life and happiness is by doing good, and that none can do good who are out of harmony with the ereat Eternal Good One. The love of God for man- kind provided the law covenant, and particularly the command that the Israelites should have no other gods besides him. God has now used the Israelites to make shadows or pictures of his great purpose of salvation. His purpose provides for a mighty Deliverer, and he had given his word that this mighty One would come through the seed of Isracl. Without some protection thrown about the people of Israel, Satan would over- reach them, turn them away from God, and that peo- ple would lose the blessings which God had provided for them; namely, an opportunity of being the line through which the great Deliverer should come. God therefore made his law to shield and protect the Israelites, and to serve as their teacher; to lead them in the right way until the coming of the great and mighty One who should deliver the peoples from the oppressor. The promised blessings could not come through the law covenant, but the law was necessary to hold the Jews in line and keep them in a right attitude of mind and heart to accept the Heir through whom the blessings must come. In discussing this point Paul says: ‘‘Wor if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added be- cause of transgressions, till the seed should come to 82 Deliverance whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.’’—Gal. 3:18, 19. SHADOWS The law that God gave to Israel had its beginning in Egypt at the time of the passover. That law di- rected that a lamb should be taken for the purpose of sacrifice, and that the lamb should be one without blemish. At a specific time it was to be slain, and its blood sprinkled upon the doorpost and over the door, and this blood was to serve as a protection to the first- born of that household during the night of the pass- over, and would also furnish a basis for the deliverance of the people from the Egyptians on the day following, This foreshadowed something better to come, The lamb foreshadowed the One who should become the ereat Redeemer of mankind, to take away the sin of the world. When Jesus came he was the antitypical Lamb. The prophet John the Baptist said of him at the beginning of the Master’s ministry: ‘‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’’ (John 1:29) The law which provided for the passover therefore pointed to Christ. The passover must be observed once each year. When Christ Jesus died upon the cross he was the great antitypical pass- over lamb who died once for all, thereby providing the great redemptive price for all mankind.—Heb. aU) ea ee | The law required the Israelites once each year to perform their atonement day sacrifice service, and this was a shadow of better things to come. For this purpose the law directed Moses to have built in the wilderness a tabernacle. It consisted of a tent lined The Typicel Organization 83 with boards, and built in two compartments designated the ‘‘holy”’ and the ‘‘most holy’’. It was surrounded by a wall of curtains, the enclosure of which was known as the ‘‘court’’. On the atonement day the high priest was required to slay a bullock.in the court and to take the blood of that bullock in a vessel, with in- eense and a censer of fire, and go into the most holy and there sprinkle the incense upon the fire before the merey seat, and then to sprinkle the blood upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat seven times. The account of the atonement day sacrifice is set forth in the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus. The blood of the bulleck thus offered was for a sin-offering, as it is written: ‘“And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.’’ (Lev. 16:6) Then the priest was required to take a goat, known as the Lord’s goat, and kill it and use its blood a8 2 sin-offering, taking it inte the most holy the same as was done with the blood of the bullock; and that constituted the sin-offering for the people. This sacri- ficing ceremony was performed once each year. It foreshadowed the great sin-offermge that would be made in the future on behalf of the people. The taber- nacle was merely a pattern or figure, foreshadowing a better thing —Heb. 9: 1-24. Paul, in his epistle to the Hebrews, particularly in the ninth chapter, tells us that the tabernacle was a pattern of heaven itself; also that the sacrifices of the animals represent the blood of Christ Jesus, who offered himself without spot to God for the great re- demptive price of mankind. It is not the purpose to here discuss in full the meaning and significance of 84 Deliverance the atonement day sacrifices. A discussion of this can be found at length in Creation, a book published by the publishers of this volume. The purpose now and here is to show that the atonement day sacrifices re- quired by the law were merely shadows of better things to come, proving that Israel was a typical peo- ple and that they, being organized by God, constituted God’s typical organization. Moses was the mediatcr of that law covenant, That Moses was a type or shadow of a greater One to come he himself testifies when he states: ‘‘The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.’’—Deut. 18: 15, 18. This law eovenant foreshadowed that God will make a new covenant and that the Lord Jesus Christ will be the Mediator of that covenant, and through him the blessings of the people shall come.—Hebrews, chapters eight and nine. God’s purpose in using the Israelites was that he might through them make types foreshadowing the outworking of his great arrangement for the redemp- tion and deliverance of the human family, All other nations of the earth were under the control of Sa- tan, worshiping the Devil or some of the Devil’s workmanship. Without a shield or protection, and without a teacher to keep them in the right way, Sa- tan would overreach the Israelites; and the whole world would again be turned to wickedness. Unless the Israelites had faith in God and worshiped him The Typical Organization 85 alone they would have no protection, and no teacher to guide them. Hence God gave to that people his law and commanded that they should have no other gods besides him. With them the Lord God established the true religion, and that for their own good. God had made his purpose and given his word that it should be perfermed. He must keep his word inviolate and carry out that purpose as made.—Isa. 55:11; 46:11. God’s dignity would preclude him from command- ing any creature to worship him for his own good. He owed the human race nothing. Strictly adhering to justice God would have wiped the human race com- pletely out of existence, but his love for man led him to make provision for man’s deliverance; and having made it, he will carry it out. The reason for the law covenant with Israel may therefore be summed up as follows: (a) It was made for the good of the people, and as a schoolmaster to lead them in the right way until the coming of the Redeemer; (b) to prove to the people and to all mankind that no one ean get the blessings of life by his own efforts; and (c) to prove the necessity of a great Redeemer, Mediator and Deliverer. For forty years God led the children of Israel through the wilderness before they were permitted to enter into the land of Canaan. During that period they had opportunities to learn many lessons. Their experience in the wilderness, under the leadership of Moses, was typical; foreshadowing the experiences of Christians who follow in the footsteps of Christ Jesus during the wilderness period of the Christian era, during which time the Gentiles have been in power, 86 | - Deliverance ruling under the supervision of the god of this world, to wit, Satan the Devil. (2 Cor. 4:3,4) At the end of that period of forty years the Israelites entered into Canaan, now Palestine, and there the Lord con- tinued to deal with them and use them to make shad- ows of better things to come pertaining to his king- dom and. his manner of bringing deliverance and blessings to the people. In due course God permitted the Israelites to have a king. Saul was anointed as the first king of that people. After a brief reign he was commanded by the Lord to go and destroy the Amalekites, one of the representative tribes of the Devil’s arrangement. The Amalekites had opposed God’s chosen people when _ they were marching to Canaan. The Devil had in- dueed them to do so and used them for that purpose. Their wickedness had new come to the full. Saul failed and refused to carry out the instrue- tions of the Lord, although he pretended to do so. Because of his disobedience he was rejected from be- ing king, Samuel, the prophet, speaking as the mouth- piece of the Lord, said unto Saul: ‘‘Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also re- jected thee from being king.’’—1 Sam. 15: 22, 23. Being rejected of the Lord, Saul thereafter sought solace and comfort at the hands of the Devil by com- muning with the Devil’s colleagues, the wicked spirits. (1 Sam. 28:6-11) Saul’s experience represents and The Typical Organization —«8T foreshadows that of the nominal, or so-called ‘‘Chris- tian’’, churches. As declared by the Prophet Jere- miah, God planted the church a noble vine and today we see it degenerated into a strange vine of the earth. (Jer, 2:21-23) The so-called ‘‘Christian’’ churches, the systems, have forsaken the Lord and have joined hands with the Devil; and now they seek solace at his hand by communing with the wicked spirits. These systems are confusing to the people, as their name Babylon indicates. They have mixed with all the na- tions and rulers of the earth and have made them confused with their false doctrines. Concerning them it is written: “‘I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.’’ —Rev. 17:1, 2. These wicked systems, like ich prototype, parade before the people in the name of the Lord to mislead the people. But God has rejected them even as he re- jected Saul. David succeeded Saul as king. ‘‘David’’ means be- loved, and foreshadows those who love the Lord and who are faithful to him. The Devil sought in every way possible to kill David because he was faithful to God. David was not a perfect man, yet it is written that God called him ‘‘a man after mine own heart’’. (Acts 13:22) This was because of David’s faithful- ness to the Lord. Whenever he, because of weakness, had committed a wrong he was quick to confess it to God and to ask for forgiveness; and under all cir- cumstances he faithfully represented the Lord. He 838 if Deliverance foreshadowed the true Christians, fighting the good fight of faith and refusing to compromise in any man- ner with the Devil or any part of the Devil’s organiza- tion. After David came the peaceable and glorious reign of Solomon, which foreshadowed the peaceful and glorious reign of the great Prince of Peace, the Christ in glory. God’s dealing with Israel over a long period of time was also to use that people as witnesses for him. Many times Israel was unfaithful to the Lord and turned away from him, and many times they cried unto him and he heard the ery and delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, These experiences fore- shadow how the Lord, in the exercise of his loving- kindness, will in due time deliver all the human race that call upon his name and serve him. Zion is the name of God’s universal organization. Any part of that organization is properly called Zion. When Isracl was in harmony with God, and when they were the people of God, that naticn was a part of God’s organization, and therefore ealled Zion. When Israel was carried away captive to Babylon and her people were asked to sing a song of Zion, they wept when they remembered Zion and recalled how blessed were that people when they were a part of God’s organization and obeyed him.—Ps, 137: 1-3. The people of Israel, organized into a nation and entered into a covenant with God, were typical of the true Zion which God has chosen as his dwelling place and out of which he shines. (Ps, 182:18; 50:2) Of course the enemy Satan has always opposed Zion. He corrupted the chosen people of God from time to time by inducing them to worship devils and to tura The Typical Organization 89 away from the true God. Being in a covenant with God and departing therefrom to worship idols was an illicit relationship with the wicked ones. This the Lord denounced as harlotry with other gods, and for this he punished them. But when Israel repented and returned, and asked for forgiveness, the Lord restored that people to his favor. (Jer. 3: 1-12) God knew that ‘Satan induced them to turn away from him, and he showed his loving mercy toward them. Time and time again when the Israelites had been overreached by the Devil and were hard pressed by the enemy, they eried unto the Lord; and he heard and delivered them out of the hands of their enemies. See Judges, chap- ters six and seven. While the greater number of the Israelites were unfaithful to the Lord, there never was a time from the day that Israel was delivered out of Egypt until the coming of Christ Jesus that the Lord God was without some faithful witness in the earth. Some of that typical people remained true to the Lord until the coming of the mighty One of whom Moses was a type. Chapter VIII Arrogance Rebuked 2 YEE manifest purpose of Satan at all times has been to reproach Jehovah. God has permitted him to go so far and then no further. In his own good time the Lord God has rebuked the Devil, not for the benefit of that wicked one, but for the benefit of the people, that they might not all entirely forget that there exists the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth. At stated times Satan has organized world powers, and the predominant features of these disclose his method of organization against God. Egypt exeelled in wealth and military power. Her rulers at times were exceedingly presumptuous. God administered severe rebuke to her presumptuous ruler, as herein- before stated. Assyria, another great nation, wor- shiped the devil gods and reproached Jehovah, and was a mighty political power. Babylon the Great, as the Scriptures seem to clearly point out, particularly magnifies the ecclesiastical element of the Devil’s or- ganization. It will be observed that in all these world powers the ruling factors consisted of three elements ; to wit, commercial, political and ecclesiastical. In each of these world powers the commercial, the political or the ecclesiastical element was made specially prom- inent, and each one opposed Jehovah. With Egypt the commercial power was the greatest ; with Assyria the political power excelled; with Babylon the eccle- siastical element was to the fore. 90 Arrogance Rebuked 91 God’s prophet Daniel likens world powers to wild beasts, and by the same symbol the powers are known or designated in Revelation. There could be no more fitting symbol than ‘‘beast’’ for a world power, be- eause the history of each shows that it has been beast- ly, eruel and oppressive; and each one has been used by the Devil to reproach Jehovah God. Of course all these world powers have had visible rulers, but their real ruler or god has been Satan the Devil. There has been but one nation on earth that could not properly be included in this eategory of beastly powers; to wit, the nation of Israel. It was organized by Jehovah for the benefit of the people to illustrate God’s pur- pose concerning all the peoples of the earth. Israel failed because of unfaithfulness to God, and then Sa- tan became the god of the entire world. All these world powers or governments have been instruments in the hands of the wicked one and in some form have op- posed the development of God’s purpose of salvation. At times it might have seemed that the powers of wickedness had completely overwhelmed and defeated the God of righteousness. But not so. The Almighty has permitted Satan and his angels to pursue a course of wickedness without let or hindrance until such time as he sees it is good, and therefore necessary, to inter- fere and manifest his power, that the people might not entirely forget his name. In all these world powers the three elements mentioned, to wit, commercial, political and ecclesiastical, have appeared prominent- ly. In these latter times the three elements, under the supervision of the Devil, have united in forming the most subtle and wicked world power of all time. They operate under the title of ‘‘Christendom’”’, which is a 92 Deliverance fraudulent and blasphemous assumption that they constitute Christ’s kingdom on earth. Hypocrisy first made its appearance in the time of Enos, when the people first called themselves by the name of the Lord ; but it remained for the latter days, where we now are, to witness the greatest demonstra- tion of hypocrisy that has ever been on earth. This parades under the title of ‘‘Christendom’’, and by it Satan has deceived millions of people to believe that this fraudulent organization is the political expres- sion of God’s kingdom on earth. Egypt, Assyria and Babylon, each in turn, had their rebuke from Jehovah God. The Scriptures clear- ly indicate that Christendom, the most powerful and subtle of the Devil’s organization, is destined to re- ceive the most complete rebuke that has ever been ad- ministered to any power; and with its complete fall Satan shall be bound that he may deceive the nations no more. At different times throughout the ages God has administered rebukes to Satan’s institutions; but these have merely foreshadowed the great, tremendous and overwhelming rebuke that shall shortly end Sa- tan’s rule on earth. In this chapter the purpose is to eall attention to the presumpticn and arrogance of one of Satan’s rep- resentatives and visible rulers, an ancient Assyrian king, and to the terrible rebuke which the Lord ad- ministered to him. This cireumstance marks a pro- gressive step in the unfolding of the divine purpose and enables the student to have a better appreciation of what to expect to take place in the great and ter- rible day of God Almighty which is impending and immediately about to fall. That we may have some Arrogance Rebuked 93 intimation of God’s expressed indignation against arrogance and presumpiuousness, attention is here called to the rebuke that he administered to Sennach- erib, the Assyrian king. Hezekiah was then king of Israel, the chosen people of God. Prior to his reign the king of Assyria had besieged and taken Samaria, and had laid hold on and carried away many Israclites as captives. God permitted this to happen to the Israelites because they had forgotten him and gone a whoring after the Devil and his gods. Hezekiah ‘‘did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn ineense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him; and he prospered whith- ersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. Now, in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them’’.—2 Ki. 18: 38-7, 18. The name Sennacherib means ‘‘moon-god’’, and is a symbol of Satan. This king first directed his efforts to the crushing of the enemies of Assyria; later to Hezekiah king of Judah. Sennacherib attacked the fenced cities of Judah and took them. Then Hezekiah 94. Deliverance removed the silver and gold from the temple and from the king’s house and gave them to Sennacherib, evi- dently for the purpose of appeasing his wrath and stopping his march on Jerusalem. Surely in this he showed lack of faith in Ged; but thereafter the Lord forgave him. Sennacherib determined to take Jeru- salem; but before beginning the assault he sent mes- sengers up to Jerusalem to deliver a message to King Hezekiah, for the evident purpose of destroying Heze- kiah’s confidence in God. He believed that he could break down Hezekiah’s faith and confidence in Je- hovah and that he would cease his rebellion and give his allegiance to the king of Assyria, and then Assyria would control all Palestine. The messengers of Sennacherib appeared before the walls of Jerusalem and boasted of the great power of their king, and reproached the Almighty God. When Hezekiah heard the insolent message from the Assyr- ian king he was greatly troubled. He rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth, and then he went into the house of the Lord. He called a messenger and sent him to Isaiah the prophet of God with a message that ‘‘this day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. It may be the Lord thy Ged will hear all the words of Rab- shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: where- fore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left’’. —2 Ki, 19:3, 4. The Prophet Isaiah had confidence in God. He trusted him implicitly, and the Lord directed him Arrogance Rebuked 95 what to do. And then he sent King Hezekiah this message: ‘Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.’’—2 Ki. 19: 6, 7. King Hezekiah, being strengthened in faith because of the message received from God’s prophet, sent away the messengers of Sennacherib. Then Sennach- erib wrote an insolent letter to King Hezekiah and sent his messengers with it to the king of Judah. In this letter he said: ‘‘Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Be- hold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed: as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar?’’—2 Ki. 19: 10-12. Hezekiah received the letter and read it, and then he went up into the house of the Lord and spread the letter before the Lord. In his extremity he laid the whole burden before the Lord and called upon him for needed help. No one has ever thus called upon the Lord without receiving some reward for his faith. ‘‘And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cher- ubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast-made heaven and earth, Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, $3 Deliverance Lord, thine eyes, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, and have east their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; there- fore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.’’—2 Ki. POSTH119, Only the Devil could prompt such a contemptuous and insolent letter as that sent by the Assyrian king to Hezekiah. Up to that time there had never been such expressed insolence against Jehovah God. The Devil is the author of all such presumptuousness, arrogance and insolenee. The time had come for the Lord Jehovah to rebuke this arrogance, in order that the people might know and keep in mind that he is the great Jehovah. The Lord there directed Isaiah to prophesy against Sennacherib thus: ‘Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed ? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel. By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my cha- riots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel. But I know thy abede, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me. Because thy rage against me and thy Arrogance Rebuked 97 tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord. For I will defend this city to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.’’—2 Ki. 19: 22, 28, 27, 28, 32-84. Now, because of the faith of Hezekiah in Jehovah Ged, and because of his refusal to render obedience to the Devil and his representatives, the Lord God gave him assurance that this cruel and presumptu- ous invader should not prevail; and Hezekiah relied upon the Lord. There must have been much suppressed excitement in the holy city that night. Before its walls was now encamped a mighty army of warriors under the lead- ership of a general who had never before known de- feat. Inside of the walls the old men of Israel would be looking as best they could to the protection of their wives and little ones; while the younger and more vigorous ones would keep watch on the walls, armed and ready for an attack. With trembling and fear the inhabitants of the city would wait for what might come before the dawn of another day. It was a night of great suspense. Some would have faith in Heze- kiah and God’s prophet Isaiah, and would believe that the Lord would hear their prayers and would speak to the people through the prophets, and would protect them; while many others would be without faith. 98 Delwerance The Lord God pulled the curtains of night about the walls of the holy city, and it lay wrapped in darkness. No one would dare go outside of the walls of the city that night. In the morning, with the first grey streaks of light coming over the eastern horizon, the watchmen on the walls and in the towers would be straining their eyes, expecting with the coming of another day to see the enemy in battle array moving against the city. But to their great amazement and surprise, as they looked they saw no one stirring. There seemed to be no life in the camp of the enemy. With the light of day fully come the sentinels discov- ered what had come to pass. While the Israelites had waited breathlessly for the assault of the enemy the Lord had stretched out his right hand against the ene- my, and now there lay prone in the dust the lifeless bodies of 185,000 of Sennacherib’s bravest warriors. The brief reeord of the Lord concerning what hap- pened that night is stated in the Seriptures thus: ‘‘And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred foursecore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worship- ping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adramme- lech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Ksarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.’’—2 Ki. 19.; 35-37, _ Thus the Lord had expressed his indignation against this great presumption and arrogance, and had given ‘ Arrogance Rebuked 99 the people another reason to believe that Jehovah is God and that there is none besides him. For many centuries the Almighty God tenderly led the children of Israel. All the way Satan the enemy tried to interrupt them and turn them away from God. At times Israel would fall away to the Devil and bow to the devil religion and his representatives. The Lord would withdraw his favor from them and permit them to be punished by their enemies. But when they were sorely distressed, and when they re- pented and cried unto the Lord God for help, he manifested his mercy and loving-kindness toward them and brought them back unto himself. Many times the Lord sent his holy prophets to warn the Israelites of the disaster that would follow their going away after the Devil and his representatives. To offset these warnings, and to deceive the people and oppose God, the Devil would send false prophets who would hypo- critically appear before the people in the name of the Lord, claiming to represent Jehovah God and prophesying lies to the people. (Jer. 27:14) Thus is disclosed the policy of Satan, which we can easily trace down to the present time, namely, to have his representatives assume to be the representatives of Jehovah. The Israelites repeatedly refused to obey God. Because of the gross wickedness of that people, God determined to remove his protection from that nation. Before doing so, however, he sent Jeremiah his prophet to warn them against the impending disaster, that they might repent and turn again to him. Satan the enemy at the same time sent amongst the people false prophets, who prophesied contrary to Jeremiah. Then again the Lord God, that his pow- 100 Deliverance er might be demonstrated to the end that the people might remember and continue to know that he is the only true and living God, thus expressed his disap- proval of this wicked prophet: ‘‘Then said the proph- et Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah, The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord. So Hana- niah the prophet died the same year.’’—Jer. 28: 15-17. But Satan continued to send his false prophets in the name of the Lord to mislead the people. Even so it is at this very day. Many preachers who claim to be preaching in the name of the Lord try to keep. the people in ignorance of the true God and the un- folding of his great purpose of salvation. Zedekiah was the last king of Israel. He did much wickedness in the sight of the Lord. Satan used him to reproach Jehovah God. He became disobedient and arrogant and presumptuous before the Lord. Then the Lord God, for the good of the people and that they might remember him as their true friend and benefactor, uttered this decree against Zedekiah: ‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your do- ings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand. And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God, Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; this shall not be the same: exalt him Arrogance Rebuked 101 that is low, and abase him that is high. I will over- turn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is, and I will give it him.’’—Ezek, 21: 24-27. It was in the year 606 B.C. that this decree was enforced and that the people of Israel fell to their enemies and were carried away as captives to Baby- lon, where they were required to serve that nation for seventy years. Even though afterwards a remnant of Israel was brought back into their own land, never again did that people have a king. In the above proph- ecy God again made promise of the coming of him whose right it is to be the ruler of the peoples of earth and who must of necessity, in God’s due time, be the deliverer and the instrument in the hands of Jehovah for the blessing of the peoples of the earth. Satan knew that with many of the Jews their re- ligion was the chief thing with them. He knew there- fore that in order to deceive them he must send men amongst them who claimed to represent God. When it is so clearly shown by the Scriptures that Satan fraudulently did this thing to the Jews, may we not with stronger reasoning expect just such a fraudulent scheme to be practiced upon the peoples of the earth during the Christian era by Satan’s sending amongst them men who claim to represent the Lord and to preach in his name but who, in truth and in fact, are the representatives of the Devil? This is exactly what subsequent facts herein set forth prove. As the Lord promised the Jews at the time of their overthrow that a deliverer shall come, this promise likewise applies to Christians and to all who shall ultimately turn to the Lord. Chapter IX The Delverer AUL was one of the inspired witnesses of God Pp who wrote a portion of the Lord’s Word. At the time Paul wrote, more than four thousand years had passed since the tragedy of Eden. During that period the peoples had suffered, and sinee then continue to suffer, bodily pain and mental anguish, sorrow, sickness and death, being in bondage to the great oppressor. Knowing of this, and having likewise experienced much of it, Paul wrote: ‘‘For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.’’ (Rom. 8:22) At the same time, quoting from the Prophet Isaiah, he said: ‘Phere shall come out of Sion the Deliverer.’’— Rom. 11: 26. Zion is the name applied to God’s organization. It is plainly written that out from God’s organization, Zion, shall come the Deliverer of the human race. Tf a man really believes that Jehovah God exists and that he is the Almighty God, the Most High, the Creator of heaven and earth, that he is all-powerful and is the very expression of love, and that he has promised deliverance to the human race, then why should man look to any other source for deliverance? It is clearly manifest that Satan the enemy, for a selfish purpose, has deceived mankind, and that in selfishness and wickedness he has strenuously opposed every effort looking to man’s relief. It must appeal to every reasonable mind that none other, aside from 102 The Deliverer 103 Almighty God, through his organization, can provide deliverance of man from his enemies. Evolutionists teach that the remedy for man’s up- lift is by his own efforts, and that he needs no Savior or Deliverer. Such teaching not only is unreasonable, but upon the face of it shows that it emanates from the Devil, and that he puts forth such a theory for the very purpose of deceiving the people and turning them away from God and away from his provision for man’s deliverance. Every sane man knows, from experience as well as from observation, that he and all other men are imperfect. Not only that, but every one must know that he is sinful. How can man be relieved from these imperfections? God answers: ‘‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as searlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’’—Isa. 1:18. The faet that God has asked man to reason with him shows that he is not going to arbitrarily deliver man and give to him blessings without man’s con- sent. If the destiny of man were fixed, without regard to whether he accepts or rejects the provision made for him, then there would be no occasion for him to reason with the Lord. This for ever puts to silence the theory of predestination of every creature. Furthermore, the fact that God invites man to reason upon the question of his salvation is conclusive proof that God’s provision for man’s salvation is reasonable, not a foolish one as some would make it appear. Again, the Devil deceives many who say: ‘No matter what a man believes, just so long as he is honest in his belief, that is sufficient. The belief of 104 Deliverance one is as good as that of another.’ One man says: ‘My parents were good Catholics, and their religion is gocd enough for me.’ Another says: ‘My mother was a Methodist, and her religion is good enough for me.’ The parents of both the Catholic and the Meth- odist may have been equally honest; but it is abso- lutely certain that not both could have been right, because their theories of salvation are very different. How then should we determine what to do? The Lord answers: ‘Come, reason with me in the light of my Word, and I will show you the way to life.’ Jesus adds: ‘‘ This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true.God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.’’—John 17: 3. To reason means to arrive at a just conclusion, by starting at a premise or fixed basis and step by step applying the known facts according to fixed prin- ciples or rules of action. A principle is a rule of action. The question at issue is the salvation of man. The premise is: Man is imperfect, in a dying condition, suffering in his present condition and desiring deliver- ance therefrom. That is coneeded by all. The conclu- sion is: God’s purpose provides for complete relief, by arranging for deliverance of man from all these disabilities and for his complete restoration to life and happiness. The facts upon which this conclusion is reached are set forth in the Word of God, the Bible, which is true because it is the Word of the infinite and eternal One. These facts are supplemented by things that each intelligent person sees and experi- ences. - The primary attributes that are inherent in Jeho- The Deliverer 105 vah are wisdom, justice, love and power, working always harmoniously. Man was created in the image and likeness of God, in that God endowed him with these attributes of wisdom, justice, love and power. While it is true that man failed and is greatly degenerated, yet every sane, intelligent man in some degree retains the image of God end possesses in a small degree some justice, some wisdom, some love and some power. These attri- butes he must learn to exercise harmoniously. He cannot exercise them perfectly, but he can exercise them to some extent, nevertheless. That which goes to make up every man is mind, will, heart and organism. The mind is that faculty of the person by which man searches out facts, weighs and considers those facts, and reaches a conclusion. Will is that faculty by which man determines to do or not to do certain things. It is the faculty of deter- mination, a determination after the mind has con- sidered the facts and reached a conclusion. Heart, as used herein, does not mean the organ which propels the blood through the arteries; but the word is used symbolically, and denotes that fac- ulty of the man which induces action. It is the seat of motive. It is the seat of affection and love. Man is said to have a bad heart when it appears that his motive in acting is deliberately wrong. He is said to have a good heart when it appears that his motive in acting is good. No creature can exist without an organism. A hu- man body of flesh is the organism of man, and the breath of life in that organism animates the organism and causes all the faculties to function. Hence we 106 Deliverance read that God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of lives, and man became a living soul. (Gen. 2:7) Every man ts a soul. It has been the fraudulent teachings of Satan and his agencies that have induced men to believe that man possesses a soul, and that the soul is the ‘‘im- mortal’’ part of him. Wisdom, justice, love and power are attributes of the creature, They are faculties of the mind. In these attributes man is like unto God. Every man is a char- acter. No man possesses a character, even as he does not possess a soul. When a man is good or bad it is said of him that he is a good character or that he is a bad character, because he is either a good or a bad man. A perfect character is a person possessing all these four attributes in equal and exact balance. God is the perfect character. The primary attributes are equally balanced in him, and they always work in exact harmony. God created man with the purpose of giving him everlasting life on earth. Wisdom provided that man must first be put to the test before being granted the prize of life everlasting. The test was: Would man be true and faithful to God? Adam was put to the test and failed. Justice demanded that Adam forfeit his life be- eause he had violated the law of God, and justice must see to it that the law is enforced. Man could not be excused for his wilful wrongdoing without violating justice. Justice alone operating would de- stroy man for ever. Love, which is the perfect ex- pression of unselfishness, provided for man’s redemp- tion and deliverance and that all the obedient ones, The Deliverer 107 under the test, would be given the blessings of resti- tution to human perfection and be granted life ever- lasting. Thus it is seen that wisdom, justice and love were acting in exact harmony, Power carries into operation the purpose of God. The four attributes of Jehovah therefore work al- ways in harmony and always in equal and exact balance. It must be conceded that the all-wise Creator had a purpose from the beginning. Satan being the one who for selfish reasons induced man to violate God’s law, it would follow that he would oppose every step in the execution of the Lord’s purpose which looks to the redemption and deliverance of man. Further- more it would follow that every suggested plan for man’s deliverance that is contrary to God’s purpose is from the Devil, and is advanced by him for the very purpose of turning away the minds of men from the provision of God. God’s provision is right and reason- able. None other is reasonable. It is therefore easily seen that all the remedies suggested by men not only are unreasonable but have proceeded from the Devil, and are injected into the minds of men in order to keep men from considering God’s purpose. There would be no necessity for more than one line of action for man’s blessing. It is conceded that there are thousands of man-made plans held before the peo- ple. The reasonable mind must at once conclude that none of these are right, because they are unreasonable and because they are all different; and when he sees the real reason for them he sees they are all suggested by the wicked one. This should cause the intelligent man to more carefully seek to understand the divine 108 Delaverance purpose and its outworkings. Therefore God invites man to come and reason with him. He says: If you do this it matters not how wicked you have been, I will show you the right way; and if you follow my way I will make you as white as the bleached wool and as pure as the snow from heaven. Now let us reason upon God’s purpose as set forth in the Bible. Man finds himself in an unhappy econ- dition, sick, suffering and dying. What is the reason? God answers: ‘Adam sinned and was justly sentenced to death. This took place before any of his children were born. All of his offspring were born imperfect and inherited imperfection from Adam, therefore all came under condemnation.’ Condemnation means dis- approval. ‘‘Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.’’ (Rom. 5: 12) *‘IT was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.’’—Ps. 51:5. Why would God permit all to be born in sin? This is answered by the scripture: ‘‘But the seripture has shut up together all under sin, in order that the prom- ise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to the believers.’’ (Gal. 3:22, Diag.) Of course an imperfect child would spring from an imperfect father. In wis- dom and in love God provided for redemption of man, and the redemption price is valuable for the entire human race. Paul thus puts it: ‘‘Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation ; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.’’—Rom. 5:18, 19. Justification to life is a gift from God. The first The Deliverer 109 thing essential to a gift is knowledge. No man could accept a gift without knowing that the thing was offered to him. God has provided that his intelligent creatures shall have knowledge. He presents this knowledge to man in at least two ways: (1) By pre- cept, which means the commandments or the authori- tative rule of action, or his expressed will as set forth in his Word, the Bible; (2) by example, which means that which corresponds with or resembles something else which is to be followed; a pattern or picture, such as shadows and types as hereinbefore defined, and including the use of men for the purpose of teaching lessons to other men. The Lord has spread this course of learning over a wide range; and now at the end of the age, where we now are, God has shed greater light upon his Word and upon the transpiring incidents, that those who desire to know may have a knowledge of the outwork- ing cf his purpose. (1 Cor. 10:11) For this reason it is now possible to understand much about the Scrip- tures that heretofore was not understandable by men. The student therefore has the keenest interest in watching the majestic steps of the Almighty God, as he unfolds his great purpose leading up to the selec- tion of him who shall deliver the human race. Also, it is of interest to mark Satan’s attempt to interfere with God’s purpose. The first clear proof that God was beginning to work out his purpose for man’s cleansing and deliv- erance is found in the promise made to Abraham, in which the Lord said to Abraham: ‘‘In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.’’ This prom- ise must mean that God purposes to arrange for the 110 Deliverance removal of man’s disabilities; and then to restore him, if obedient, to the conditions enjoyed before the tragedy of Eden. This promised blessing must come through the seed. The seed must be developed and made manifest before the blessing could begin. Who then is the seed? Paul answers the question: ‘‘ Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.’’—Gal. 3: 16. ‘‘Christ’’? means anointed one. ‘‘The anointed one’’ means him who is clothed with authority to do certain things. We must then understand that God would clothe some one with authority to bring to mankind the blessings which he has promised. ‘‘ Messiah’’ means the same as ‘‘Christ’’. The Jews have long looked for their Messiah to come, and through him the bringing to them of the promised blessings. The typical people of God, when in Egyptian bondage, represented all the human family in bondage to the Devil and to his organization. Moses delivered the people from the hands of the wicked Pharaoh, and in thus doing he pictured Christ or the Messiah who shall deliver all mankind from Satan and the evil resulting from his influence. Moses said that he was a type of the great Messiah or Deliverer. He said that such a one, when he should come, would be clothed with authority to speak in the name of God; and that the people must obey him in order to have the promised blessings. Moses told the people that God had said to him: **T will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him, And it shall come to pass, that whoso-. The Deliverer 111 ever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.’’—Deut. 18:18, 19. When Jacob was on his deathbed he uttered a prophecy showing that the Deliverer must come through the house of Judah. (Gen. 49:10) David was a descendant of the tribe of Judah. He was anointed to be king over Israel. His name means beloved. He was a type of the mighty One who would deliver the human race. It is written of David that he was a man after God’s own heart. (Acts 13:22; 1 Sam, 18:14) Why was David a man after God’s own heart, seeing that David was guilty of the crime against Uriah? For that crime God punished him. But the reason he was a man after God’s own heart was that he never for one moment turned away from the true God to serve any other gods. The Devil was never able to seduce David to worship idols. David was always faithful and true to Jehovah. He did not at any time compromise the Lord’s righteous cause with that of the unrighteousness of Satan’s organization. Be it noted here that. David also pictures that class of creatures who will be found approved by the Lord. No one will ever have God’s approval and be accepted as a member of his kingdom who turns away from worshiping, either directly or indirectly, the true God; or who lends aid, counsel, comfort or support to any part of the Devil’s organization. He who has the approval of the Lord God must be absolutely faithful to the Lord. Satan used every means at his command to destroy David, but God prevented him from so doing. ‘‘But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed 112 Delwwerance David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seck David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold. The Philistines also came, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And David in- quired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up; for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand. And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and said, The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waiters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal- perazim.’’—2 Sam. 5: 17-20. God gave David the victory over the nations who were enemies to Israel, and over them who were his personal enemies. ‘‘And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song, in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, ... In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God; and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my ery did enter into his ears. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness: accord- ing to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity. There- The Deliverer 113 fore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye- sight. ‘With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merci- ful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright. With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself un- savoury. And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down. For thou art my lamp, O Lord; and the Lord will lighten my darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop: by my Ged have I leaped over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect ; the word of the Lord is tried; he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. For who is Ged, save the Lord? and who is a reck, save our God? God is my strength and pow- er: and he maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.’’—2 Sam. 22: 1, 7, 18-87. Jehovah limited the promise of the coming Deliy- erer to the house of David, and therefore we must expect to find in the sacred record that he who is to be the Deliverer is of the house of David. ‘‘The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David, he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy: throne. If thy children will keep my covenant, and: my testimony that I shall teach them, their children 114 Deliverance © shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.’’—Ps. 182: 11, 12. The Lord God did not permit David to build the temple, because he was a man of war and had shed blood. But David was always faithful to God, and because of that faithfulness God subsequently favored one of David’s descendants, as it is written: ‘‘Be- eause David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.’’—1 Ki. 15:5. David assembled the people of his realm to tell them about the house of the Lord, or the temple, which he had intended to build. ‘‘Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building: but God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood. Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father ; and among the sons of my father he liked me, to make me king over all Israel: and of all my sons (for the Lord hath given me many sons) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. Moreover, I will establish his The Delwwerer 115. kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my com- mandments and my judgments, as at this day.’’— 1 Chron. 28: 2-7. Then David, as the anointed of the Lord, therefore as the mouthpiece of the Lord, said unto Solomon his son, who had been selected to rule over Israel: ‘‘ And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.’’—1 Chron. 28: 9. The reign of Solomon was marked with peace. His wisdom and riches exceeded those of any other man of his time. Other nations came and paid him homage and tribute. But the wily enemy Satan was not idle. He found a way to overreach the wise ruler. It seems quite evident that woman is an easy instrument in the hands of the Devil. He used Eve to cause trouble in Eden. Ascertaining the peculiar weakness of Solo- mon, the enemy Satan surrounded him with a com- pany of attractive women. The daughter of Pharaoh, one of the Devil’s representatives, became Solomon’s wife. Besides this woman he had other heathen wives, to the number of seven hundred. These women, who’ were devil worshipers, were used by the Devil to turn Solomon’s mind away from the great Jehovah God. Solomon became an idolater and worshiped the Devil and lost the great opportunity that was set before him. Concerning the deflection of King Solomon, and: the withdrawal from him of the right to the promise: of God, it is written; ‘‘But king Solomon loved many 116 Deliverance strange women, (together with the daughter of Pha- raoh,) women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other geods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Mileom the abomination of the Ammonites. ‘*And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem; and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense, and sacri- ficed unto their gods. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy The Deliverer 117 servant. Notwithstanding, in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend avway all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, which I have chosen.’’—1 Ki, 11: 1-13. Probably Satan thought he had won the victory by overreaching this wise ruler of Israel to whom the promise of God had been made. But not so. Jehovah eannot be defeated. He held the tribe of Judah in his hand to use according to his purpose. It is written concerning David and his sons: ‘‘ And these be the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusa- lem; Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon.’’ (2 Sam. 5:14) His son Nathan therefore became the line through which the promised seed came. A barren woman amongst the Jews was a reproach, because the Jews were in expectancy of the birth of a son who would be the king of their nation and who would drive out their enemies and deliver them into full freedom. Prophetically Isaiah had written of such a king and his power: ‘‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be ealled Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’’—Isa. 9: 6. In the city of Nazareth in the land of Galilee there dwelt a virgin named Mary. She was a direct descend- ant of Nathan, one of the sons of David, therefore of the house of David and of the tribe of Judah. At the time she was espoused to Joseph, who was also of the tribe of Judah, of the house of David, and a descend- 118 Deliverance ant of Solomon. Unto this humble Hebrew woman the Lord God sent his angel Gabriel: ‘‘And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women, And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shali be great, and shall be ealled the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, secing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The holy [spirit] shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be ealled the Son of God.’’—Luke 1: 28-35. Satan, having access to heaven, and watching the moyements of the righteous messengers of God, would be on the alert to learn anything concerning the ‘seed of promise’. He must have known of this mighty angel’s coming from the courts of heaven to visit the virgin of Galilee. He must have heard the announce- ment to her that she was to conceive and give birth to a son and that this son would be the ‘seed of prom- ise’ which in due time would destroy the Devil and his works. In keeping with his wickedness Satan be- gan to lay his plans to have the babe destroyed. Mark the subtle and wicked way that he went about it. The Deliverer 119 Under the law a woman guilty of adultery was subject to be stoned to death. (Lev. 20:10) Being espoused to Joseph, Mary was, under the Jewish ar- rangement, then to all intents and purposes his wife and subject to the law. Satan sought to have Joseph make a publie exhibition of her, which would have meant that she would have been publicly executed; and were this done, the unborn child would have been killed. But the Lord God thwarted Satan’s purposes. Joseph, being a just man, had no desire to make a public example of Mary by having her brought before the executioners and stoned to death, but had deter- mined in his own mind to privately rid himself of her. ‘‘Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the holy [spirit]. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public ex- ample, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the holy [spirit]. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.’’—Matt. 1: 18-21. THE BIRTH OF JESUS This j is a day of great inventions; because it is the day the Lord foreteld by his prophet, The radio and airships are amongst the marvels of the age. Imagine the curtains of night having been drawn and silenee brooding like a silent spirit over the earth. In the 120 Deliverance quietness of his bedchamber a man rests, but sleep is gone from his eyes. Stretching out his arm he touches the dial of his receiving set and turns it. There come to him from some unseen place the strains of sweet music, telling of the glory of God and the marvelous provision made by him for the blessing of mankind. His heart responds in gladness. Then sud- denly through the thick darkness there also bursts a flood of light, and he beholds in the canopy above him a great fleet of airships illuminated with myriads of lights and carrying a multitude of sweet singers. The music and the lights thrill his soul and he instinctive- ly eries out: ‘‘How wonderful! How marvelous!’’ But this illustration is inadequate. It pales into in- significance when compared with what took place on the night of the birth of Jesus. Four thousand years had sped by since the eeear in Eden. Two thousand years had gone since God had called to Abraham and said: ‘I will multiply thy seed as the stars in heaven and as the sands upon the sea shore; in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.’ During all that period of time the peoples of earth had groaned in pain and travailed in suffering, waiting for the time of deliverance. Throughout that period the angels of heaven in har- mony with God had been watching for the birth of him who would be the Savior of the world. The time drew on when this great event was to take place. The earthly preparation was simple and is told in a few words. No amount of preparation that man could have made would have added any dignity or honor to that occasion. The Lord God saw to it that not one of the Devil’s earthly representatives was The Deliverer 121 permitted to witness the birth of his beloved Onze. The Pharisees and other ecclesiastics of that day posed before the people as the representatives of God, even as the clergy do now; but not one of these was called to witness the birth of the Redeemer of man. On the contrary, God selected a few plain and honest watchmen of sheep to be the witnesses to this un- paralleled event. In heaven the preparation was on a more elaborate scale. To Gabriel had been assigned the honorable duty of journeying from the courts of Jehovah as_ bearer of the message to the virgin Mary that she should bear a son who would deliver the peoples from their enemies and restore the obedient ones to full fellowship with God. Nine months had elapsed since the delivery of that all-important message. In the meantime Gabriel had returned to heaven and doubt- less communed with many others of the holy angels of heaven, advising them of his mission to earth. There are millions of such glorious creatures before the throne of God. (Dan. 7:10) The great Jehovah would issue the order for the organization of a multi- tude of the heavenly host to act as a guard of honor to accompany the special messenger to earth, there to testify to the birth of his beloved Son. There must have been tremendous rejoicing in heaven and songs of boundless praise to God when this mighty throng began its journey to earth. Probably some few days would be required to make the journey from heaven to the earth; and while the heavenly messengers pro- ceeded on their way the stage on earth was being set. Joseph and Mary, responding to the decree of Cesar to report for the purpose of being taxed, were 122 Deliwerance on their way to Bethlehem. Joseph was a man of small means, but honest; and above all, he served Jehovah God. He would not have a great retinue of servants with him, nor would the populace hail him by the way and bow before him or kiss his toe. How unlike men of the present time who think they are eharged with some exalted duty and privilege! With his virgin wife seated upon an ass, and with staff in hand, he trudged by her side over the hills and through the valleys, unaccompanied by visible attend- ants. Satan knew where this blessed man and woman were going, and the reason why ; and without a doubt he would have slain them by the way had not God prevented him. It is equally certain that some of the holy angels of heaven were delegated to walk by the side of Joseph and his bride, and when they stopped to rest these messengers would encamp about them and guard them from the assaults of the enemy and save them from all harm.—Ps. 34: 7. After a few days of hard journeying they arrived at Bethlehem, late in the evening, and found all the available space in the lodging houses occupied. From place to place they went and applied, and each time being turned away they finally found a place to rest where the cattle were usually housed. What a fit place for the Savior of the world to be born! It was nighttime. The shepherds had gathered their flocks into the corral and were keeping watch lest the wild beasts should carry some away. These were plain, humble but kindly men; otherwise the Lord would not have used them. They were familiar with the promises God had made to their forefathers. It is not unreasonable to think that even at that very iy ‘ Or fd. ae a Le * . y Hy WMV: Yf VIL 4 Wh fal Mogi = Yi MULL? BIRTH OF THE BABE JESUS Page 122 The Deliverer 125. time they were recounting to each other these prom- ises and discussing the future, that some day the Lord would send to them a King who would deliver them from the Roman yoke. They would be familiar with the prophecies concerning the coming of the King and Deliverer ; and with no light by which they might read, and while they must be awake and watching, they would sit and talk about the things dear to their hearts. The hour had now come. The heavenly throng was due. God does everything on time. In the van of this marching heavenly host was one mighty angel of God, to whom had been delegated the authority to announce the birth of the beloved Son. Probably this angel was Gabriel; because he had been sent on the previous mission to Mary. As they came near to Bethlehem, doubtless the multitude halted while the leader of - that heavenly company advanced and made announce- ment to the humble men who were to be the witnesses of the birth of Jesus. The shepherds watched their flocks, waiting for the dawn of day. ‘‘ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’’—Luke 2: 9-11. The glory of the Lord shone round about these shepherds; and that glory must have been a great light in the heavens, because usually the glory of the Lord appeared unto witnesses in this manner. (Acts 9:3) That was a far more wonderful and 126 ‘Deliverance - beautiful light than all the illuminated fleets of air- planes that could fly over cities in modern times. Then there fell upon the ears of that shepherd com- pany sweet strains of music such as no mortal ear had ever heard. It was a song of the mighty host of angels that had accompanied this special one from heaven. This chief messenger who had made the announcement was now joined by a multitude of the heavenly host singing praises to God; and this is what the shepherds heard: ‘‘Glory to God -in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’’ —Luke 2:14. Not only was that a sweet and melodious song, but it was a prophecy that he who was born at that hour in the city of David would in God’s due time vindi- cate the name of his Father, bring peace on earth and establish good will between and toward all men. This song of the multitude of angels must have been waited back to heaven and there joined in by al! the holy ones before the throne. of the Almighty Ged. As the sweet anthem thundered on through space the very stars and planets would dance for joy and join in the song of praise. We are told that they did this very thing when God laid the foundation of the earth as a place for the habitation of perfect man. (Job 38:7) How much more must they have sung the songs of praise when he was born who would save mankind and make earth a fit place in which to live! Who was this One now born in the manger at Beth- lehem, and whence had he come? The record of God is that in the beginning he was the Logos. He was the first and only direct creation of God. Thereafter he was the active agent of Jehovah in creating all things The Deliverer 22T- that were created. In obedience to the will of Almighty God his life was now transferred from the spirit to the human plane. The Logos was ‘made flesh and dwelt amongst men’, that he might take away the sin ef the world.—John 1: 1-29, God had foretold through his prophet that the mighty ruler and deliverer should be born in the city of Bethlehem. (Mic. 5:2) In due time and at the proper place this propheey had been fulfilled, and nothing Satan could do could in any wise interfere with the progression of the divine purpose. Of course Satan would know about the birth and about the announcement of the birth made by the holy angels of heaven. We may even be sure that another com- pany of mighty angels of God would keep Satan and his wicked angels back from interfering with the birth of the Savior. This wonderful event and this marvelous manifestation of the power of God should have served to convince all those angels who had fall- en away with Satan that Jehovah God is all-powerful, that nothing ean prevent him from carrying out his purpose, and that their hope of eternal life and bless. ing would be for ever blasted by their continuing to follow Satan. It should have been sufficient to induce even Satan to cease his wrongful course. But Satan, totally depraved and fatally bent on continuing in wickedness, still pursued his nefarious course and drew along with him a host of wicked ones as his assistants. CONSPIRACY - Satan the enemy began to devise ways and means for the destruction of the babe Jesus. The Romans 128 Delwwerance were in control of Palestine; and Herod acted as a petty ruler and king under the supervision and con- trol of the Romans. He was a very wicked man and a willing instrument in the Devil’s hands. He would not hesitate to destroy anyone who he thought might interfere with his oceupancy of the office of king. He was one of those conscienceless and wicked poli- ticians who would resort to any mean and wrongful act, and stop at nothing to accomplish his purposes. Yielding to the influence of Satan he had put himself in this position. At the same time there dwelt in Persia savants or ‘‘wise men’’, so called. They were sorcerers and magi- cians who worshiped the stars and other objects, which is proof conclusive that they were idolaters and worshiped the Devil. (1 Cor. 10:20) Magicians or men of this kind were employed by the various rulers of the Devil’s organization, as advisers. These ‘‘wise men’’ were mediums, through whom the adver- sary operated. Satan used such as his visible instru- ments at various times. (Ex. 7:11) Many of them may have been sincere men, but they had been over- reached by the Devil and had turned away from the true and living God to worship anything except the Lord Jehovah. Being tools in the hands of the enemy Satan, he could use them to earry out his wicked schemes, the details of which they would not even understand. These so-called ‘wise men of the east’ were astrolo- gers who believed that a star is assigned for each erea- ture when born into the world, according to his rela- tive importance. There are many incidents showing that Satan and his wicked angels have power to pro- The Deliverer 129 duce lights and to cause them to move through space and to make them appear like stars. We know, how- ever, that stars do not move in this way. To these astrologers Satan caused a light to appear which had the appearance of a star; and he induced them to be- lieve that this was the star of the child born to be king of the Jews. The enemy’s scheme was to bring these ‘‘ wise men’’ to Herod and have them inquire of the king, ‘Where is the one born to be king of the Jews?’ That informa- tion would immediately start the thought of murder in the heart of Hered, and he would seareh out the babe and have it murdered lest it should interfere with his kingdom. The Lord God let the enemy Satan carry out his scheme until the danger point, then held him back. Subsequent facts show that it must have been between one and two years after the birth of Jesus that the Devil attempted to carry out this conspiracy. Joseph and Mary were then living in a house at Bethlehem. These astrologers or ‘‘ wise men’’ appeared before Herod and said: ‘‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.’’ (Matt. 2:2) The information which they brought Herod upon this eccasion troubled him and his official family. The first thing he thought of was his clergy allies, the priests and Pharisees. He sent messengers and gathered them in before him. Without a doubt the Devil was invisibly present, directing each move of Herod; in fact, moving all parties to the conspiracy like as a player moves his 130 Deliverance pawns upon a chessboard. When the clergy appeared before the king he demanded of them to tell him where Christ should be born. (Matt. 2:46) Then Herod, directed by his superlord the Devil, next ar- ranged a private audience with the ‘‘wise men’’ and got all the information pessible from them eoncern- ing the ‘‘star’’ that they had seen. Without doubt Satan engineered this in such a way that Herod would think that he was carrying out the scheme. Then Herod gave the order that these men should be sent to Bethlehem. (Matt. 2:8) Here is another elaring case of hypocrisy. We recall how hypocrisy had its first appearance. The Devil sees to it that it crops out always at the proper time for his purposes. Little would Herod worship the Lord God or his be- loved Son when he was found. He had no thought of so doing. His purpose was to locate the babe that he might murder him, The astrologers started on their way to Bethlehem; and the Devil saw to it that the light, supposed to be a star, went before them. Let it here be noted that stars do not move first from east to west and then from south to north, nor in any other direction at the suggestion or whims of men, nor for the purpose of guiding men. This of itself is proof that the light was not a star, even though these men doubtless thought it was a star. It was a light produced by the Devil, as one of the means for carrying out his wicked conspiracy. The several astrologers arrived at Bethlehem. ‘‘ And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and The Deluverer 131 frankincense, and myrrh.’’ (Matt. 2:11) The babe was now located, and Satan thought he was about at the point where he would soon have the ehild de- stroyed. But God interfered: ‘‘And being warned of God in'a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country ancther way. And when they were de- parted, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child, to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.’’—Matt. 2: 12-16. The fact that Herod caused all the children of two years and under to be slain is proof that it was more than a year after the birth of Jesus that this con- spiracy was carried out. To thwart the wicked de- signs of the enemy and to preserve his beloved Son, God moved him into Egypt and there kept him until Herod’s death. (Matt. 2:19-21) Later, Joseph and Mary returned to the city of Nazareth, and there the lad was subiect. to Joseph: and hig mother until he attained the age of his majority. 1382 Deliverance MINISTRY OF JESUS Jesus came into the world that he might bear wit- ness to the truth of God’s kingdom. (John 18:37) When he reached his legal majority at thirty years of age he began his ministry, that the purposes of God might be accomplished. His first act was to report to John at the Jordan, asking to be baptized. He was a perfect man. Why should he be baptized? Baptism or water immersion is a symbol of being buried or put to death. The baptism of Jesus was a symbolie representation of the fact that Jesus, at a great saeri- fice to himself, had yielded unto his Father to do his Father’s will, no matter what that will might be, even unto death. (Matt. 3:15-17) John, in putting Jesus under the water and raising him up out of the water, represented Jehovah; and symbolically this act declared: Jesus is in the hands of his Father to do his Father’s will, to accomplish his Father’s pur- poses, and this will lead to his death; but the Father will raise him up out of death. Here at the Jordan he fulfilled what the prophet had before said for him: *‘Lo, I come: ... to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.’’—Ps. 40: 7, 8. At the time of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, it is written concerning him, ‘‘the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased’’; thus giving an outward demon- stration to John, as a witness that this was God’s beloved Son, born to be the Deliverer of mankind. . Satan the enemy did not miss so important an occasion as this, No doubt he heard these words of The Deliverer 133 approval spoken concerning Jesus. He immediately began to devise ways and means for the destruction of Jesus. He knew that the life of Jesus depended upon his being loyal and faithful unto God his Fa- ther. Satan was egotistical enough to believe that he could induce Jesus to be unfaithful to Jehovah and thereby bring about self-destruction. Jesus had been forty days and nights in the barren mountain with- out food and, of course, would be hungry at the end of that long fast. Satan seized the opportunity to present to him a temptation, appealing to his fleshly wants and needs, which temptation, cn the face of it, seemed innocent; and yet Satan knew that it, if yielded to, would lead to the death of Jesus. He said to Jesus: ‘‘If thou be the Son ef God, eommand that these stones be made bread.’’ (Matt. 4:3) He thought, of course, that Jesus would say: I will make myself some bread and satisfy my hunger. To be loyal means to be obedient to the letter and spirit of the divine law. The law of God is his ex- pressed will, particularly that which is written in the Seriptures. To be faithful means to be uncompromis- ingly devoted to the Lord at all times, and never at any time to render allegiance to another or to even sympathize with a course contrary to that of Jehovah. Doubtless Jesus possessed the power to change the stones into bread and by that means to satisfy his hunger. The argument might be presented: What harm will result to anyone from making bread of these stones? The answer is, God had not commanded him to do so. It was the will of God that Jesus should be governed by God’s expressed will, and to await the Father’s due time to direct him in what course he 184 Delwverance should take. Being faithful to the Father he refused to yield to this temptation, and responded to Satan: ‘‘Tt is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’’ (Matt. 4:4) Otherwise stated, bread may be needed for the natural requirements of the body, but such will not sustain life except temporarily. Life is a gift from God, and he who possesses life must abide by the word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Then the Devil tried another method. He knew that Jesus was born to be king of the Jews. ‘‘If thou be the Son of God, east thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.’’ (Matt. 4:6) Paraphrasing Satan’s words, he said to Jesus something like this: “You have come for the purpose of setting up a kinedom, to be king of the Jews. You are going about it in a poor way. Your conduct is that of one meek and lowly of heart. By pursuing this course you will have great difficulty in convincing the people that you are king. There is a lot of rich men in this coun- try, and there are associated with them scheming politicians; and of course the priests are with them, likewise the seribes and Pharisees. They are men of great influence, to whom the people look for advice. Before you can accomplish anything you will have to do something to overshadow their greatness and thereby convince the people that you are sent from heaven. Why not demonstrate to them that you are sent of God? No man has ever gone upon that temple The Deliverer 135 spire and jumped off. You now go up to the top of the temple and jump down into the valley below. You being the Son of God, your Father will see to it that you are not injured; and then the people will say, Surely you are sent from God and are not a man; and they will make you king immediately. In proot of what I say, that God will not let you be injured, it is written that he shall give his angels charge concerning you and in their hands they shall bear you up lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone.’—Ps. 91:11. This was a subtle and wily temptation, but it did not induce the Lord Jesus to be disloyal to Ged. For the Lord Jesus to yield to this would be to tempt his Father. Even though he might know that his Father would not permit him to be injured under such cir- eumstances, yet it would be wrong for him to put the Father to this test. Therefore Jesus replied to Satan: ‘‘It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’’ (Matt. 4:7) Again the Devil had failed. And now Satan must try one more scheme to sce if he could not accomplish his purposes. God made Lucifer overlord of the world, and when he became Satan this commission was not taken away from him. He was at that time the god of the whole world. Paul so states in 2 Corinthians 4:3,4. Jesus always recog- nized Satan as the ‘‘prinee of this world’’, and did not deny his title. (John 12:31) And now Satan laid before Jesus a subtle temptation. To paraphrase his language, he said; ‘All the kingdoms of this world are mine, and all the glory of them. You recognize that I am the prince and ruler of this world. You have come for the purpose of being king. In order “8S . Delwerance for you to be king of the world you will have to oust me. But I will surrender to you now. I will give you all the kingdoms of this world; and I will ask but one thing of you, and that is, That you fall down and worship me.’—Matt. 4: 8, 9. Satan at that time again manifested his insatiable desire to be worshiped. He knew, also, that if the Lord Jesus should worship him for one minute then Jchovah God would take away from Jesus all his rights and privileges. Yet Satan was egotistical enough and presumptuous enough to believe that he eculd induce Jesus to take that course. He was maliciously bent on Jesus’ destruction. The reply of Jesus showed his utter contempt of the tempter and the temptation. He said: “‘Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him cola shalt thou serve.’’ (Matt. 4:10) Here was positive testimony that every creature in the universe must, at some time, choose between the worship of God an the worship of wickedness, and that in God’s due time sufficient knowledge will be brought to every man that he will have an opportunity thus to choose. Satan had failed in this temptation. The Lord Jesus had won the victory, and it is written: ‘‘Then the devil leaveth him.’’ PERSECUTION Jesus began his ministry by preaching, ‘‘The king- dom of heaven is at hand.’’ (Matt. 4:17) Seeing that nearly 1800 years have passed sinee he uttered those words and that there is wickedness yet on the earth, what could Jesus have meant by those words? ‘‘King- dom’’ primarily means the governing factors author- The Deliverer 137 ized to rule. When God overthrew Zedekiah, the last king of Israel, he said: ‘‘I will . . . overturn it... until he come whose right it is; and I will give: it him,.’’ (Hzek. 21:27) Now with the anointing of Jesus he received the right to rule. Therefore he had come whose right it is. There was delegated to him the authority to be King; hence he could say with authority: ‘‘The kinedom of heaven is at hand.’’ The royal One, the King, who in due time should exercise his legal authority, was present. It was not necessary for him to begin his reign at that time in order to make the statement above quoted true. It was the will of God that he should possess this right for a long period before he should actually begin to exercise his authority as king. This right, as the Scriptures show, he began to exercise nearly 1900 years later. At his first coming Jesus began to instruct the people in the way of righteousness and to teach them to worship Jehovah as the true and living God; to heal the sick and open the eyes of the blind, and to east out demons. Gracious words fell from his lips, and ‘‘the common people heard him gladly’’. (Mark 12:37) The many miracles that Jesus performed drew the attention of the people to him, and great multi- tudes came to hear him. He fed them upon bread and fish for their bodies, and he also provided food for their minds. The common people were anxious. to know about Jehovah God and his ways, and how he would bring about their relief and blessing. At that time the clergy had long had the rule over the people. These were made up of Pharisees, scribes and priests. It was their duty to teach the people the Word of God, but this they failed to do. Like their counter- 138 Deliverance paris of the present time, they fed themselves and let the flock of the Lord seek pastures anywhere they could, or else starve. Being austere and assuming great piety, these had repelled the people and caused them to stand in awe of them. It was so different with Jesus. He came and walked amongst the common people and talked with them. He teok the mothers’ babes from their arms, caressed their cheeks and spoke words of kindness to them, His words cheered everyone with whom he came in contact. The multitudes were so moved by his words of kindness and loving ministration, and by the miracles he did, that they would have taken him by foree and made him king, (John 6:15) But it was > ' not God’s due time for him to begin his reign. The purpose of God must be carried out as it was thought, and Jesus was more than willing to perform his part. The nation of Israel was a typical nation, to whom God had given the law, which performed the function of a schoolmaster to lead that people unto Christ. (Gal. 3:24) The word here rendered ‘‘schoolmasier’’ is from the same word as that from which our English word ‘‘pedagogue’’ comes, and originally meant one who would lead the children to school and care for them. The law performed this function toward Israel. Christ had now come. The Jews as a nation had been shielded by the Lord until Zedekiah’s time, and even since then all those who returned to Jerusalem from captivity and showed faith in Ged had likewise been shielded. Had the nation accepted the Lord as their king they would have been transferred from their covenant with Moses as mediator, to Christ the greater than Moses; and all the royal family of the new king- The Deliverer 139 dom would have been selected from amongst the Jews. The Jews were therefore looking for the time to set up a kingdom, and those who really believed in Je- sus were anxious to take him and make him king, Satan the enemy was ever on the alert to find some means whereby he might put Jesus to death. He soon found some ready tools to be used for his wicked pur- pose. The religious leaders of Israel, made up of the seribes, Pharisees and priests, doctors of the law, ete., were these ready instruments. They were anxious to hold the eommon people subject to them. They were extremely selfish, even as their counterparts today are extremely selfish. Satan knew that it would be an easy matter to array these religious leaders against Jesus. With malicious: hatred deeply rooted in their hearts he knew that he would find a way for them to bring Jesus before the financial and political factors of the government, charge him with disloyalty or treason, and thereby succeed in having him put to death, and that in an apparently legal manner. He set about to earry this scheme into operation. He in- jected into the minds of the Pharisees wicked thoughts against Jesus. Early in the ministry of Jesus the Pharisees and other members of the clergy began to take issue with him. They diligently sought to find some way to ac- euse him and his disciples of a breach of the law. These Pharisees were sticklers for the letter of the law, but the spirit of it they ignored. Even so it is today among the elergymen. For instance, they insist upon having a Prohibition law upon the statute books, yet they avail themselves of the opportunity to take a drink when: the occasion affords; and some of them 140 Deliverance — find a way to stock their cellars with the forbidden stuff. The purpose of calling attention to this here is to show that Satan has ever made inconsistent all those whom he ean control. Deception is one of the Devil’s chief methods of operation. He makes one thing appear to be accomplished, while he is really doing the very opposite. When the Pharisees saw the disciples of Jesus plucking corn on the sabbath day that they might eat, the pious souls who stood for the letter of the law vigorously protested that the acts of the disciples were in violation of the law. Jesus at the time tried to teach them the spirit of the law; that the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath. But they were not willing to hear. When Jesus healed a sick man on the sabbath day the pious Pharisees were greatly angered. They immediately took counsel to- gether as to how they might put Jesus to death. (Matt. 12:14) Malicious murder had been planted in their hearts by the Devil, and now they were willing to carry it into operation. On another occasion Jesus spoke a parable in the presence of the scribes and Pharisees, to this effect: ‘‘There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: and when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat ene, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But, last of all, he sent unto » The Deliverer 141 them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and east him out of the vineyard, and ~ slew him. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they pereeived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, beeause they took him for a prophet.’’—Matt. 21: 33-39, 45, 46. Satan was really the one who desired to kill Jesus. He knew that Jesus was the heir of the promise that God had made to Abraham. He was using his invisible power to cause the Pharisees to bring about Jesus’ death. He was now making some progress. But it was not. yet God’s due time to permit this to happen. Jesus Inew what was in their minds, and that is why he spoke the parable to them. On another oceasion Jesus referred to himself as the Son of God. Satan’s emissaries the clergy, on the pretext that this was blasphemy, again sought Jesus’ life for this ‘offense’. We read: ‘‘For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of Ged: for Ged giveth not the spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Sen hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.’’ “‘But Jesus an- swered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work, Therefore the Jews scught the more to kill him, beeause he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God,.’’—John 3: 84-36; 5:17, 18, : 142 Deliverance There was really no excuse for the Pharisees to permit the Devil to overreach them. They knew that God had by precept and by pictures foreshadowed the coming of the Messiah. They knew that the time was due for him to come. In fact, they knew that Jesus was the One. But because of selfishness in their own hearts, and with a desire to held power over the people, they were ready tools of the Devil; and he took advantage of them. Of course Jesus knew that Satan was back of it all, and knew that these men were seeking his life. They did not deceive him for a moment. On another occasion he said to them: ‘‘I know that ye are Abraham’s seed: but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. ‘ Preparing the Empire 209 ness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’’—2 Pet. 1:3, 4. LIVING STONES The one begotten of the holy spirit is now a new creature in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:17) His hope of life now is on the spirit plane with Christ Jesus. He is counted dead as a human creature, because his right to live as a human creature expired with the accept- ance of his sacrifice. To him the apostle says: ‘‘Set your aifection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.’’—Col. 3: 2, 3. The one now addressed must be builded up as a living stone in the temple of God, if he would be of the royal line and participate in the great empire. Because he is just beginning he is spoken of as a babe newly born; and addressing such the Apostle Peter says: ‘‘As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Je- sus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that beli¢veth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he 210 Delwerance is precious; but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient; whereunto also they were appointed.’’—1 Pet. 2: 2-8. When Peter wrote this the leaders of the Jewish people in particular had rejected Jesus, the chief eorner stone. The apostle adds: ‘‘He that believeth on him shall not be confounded.’’ To believe means to remain steadfast and faithful; we must show our faith by what we do. ‘‘Unto you therefore which be- lieve he is precious.’’ It is a precious thing to ob- serve the chief corner stone and to be conformed ac- cording to his way. Such are called to follow in his steps. (1 Pet. 2:21) The one who is thus designated a living stone to be builded up into the building of God is anointed. To anoint means to designate to some position in the empire. ‘‘Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is Ged.’’ (2 Cor. 1:21) These are anointed to represent Je- hovah and the Lord Jesus Christ. God having made this promise, and as his promises are never broken, he counts his anointed ones as now a part of the new kingdom or empire or nation. Hence the apostle says coneerning them: ‘‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.’’ (1 Pet. 2:9) In order to show forth the praises of Jehovah God they not only must believe Jehovah: is God but must joyfully obey his will, represent his cause, and use the faculties a a in Preparing the Empire 2it with which they are endowed to testify to his great name and his goodness and his purposes. To do this one could not conform himself to the evil world, but must stand aloof from it and serve the Lord God. The Word of God is his guide. The Word informs him that he must not conform himself to the world, because Satan the enemy is the god of this world. Coneerning such the apostle writes: ‘‘Be not con- formed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’’ —Rom. 12: 2. The transformation process now is carried on by the Christian, building up his mind by studying the Word of God; from it ascertaining the will of God and by it proving what is the good and acceptable and per- fect will of God. It can be easily seen that the Lord would not make anyone a member of that empire-un- less he is in full and complete harmony with the Lord Jesus, the chief corner stone, as it is written: ‘‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.’’ (Rom. 8: 29) This means that each one who will ultimately be a member of that empire must grow in the hkeness of the Lord Jesus, being transformed day by day by virtue of the spirit of the Lord working in him to will and to do God’s good pleasure.—2 Cor. 3:18. ‘“This world’’ means the people of this earth or- ganized into forms of government under the super- vision of their overlord, Satan the enemy. (2 Cor, 4:3,4) The Devil is the prince or ruler of this werld. (John 14:30) Heisthe enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ, 212 Deliverance the enemy of God, and the enemy of everyone who at- tempts to do God’s will. The one who will ultimately be of the empire of righteousness must not love the world, as it is stated by the apostle: ‘‘Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’’—1 John 2: 15-17. Early in the experience of the church it was mani- fest that those whom God will approve must be trans- formed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus is Head over the house of sons, and all the other mem- bers of the household must honor Jehovah as Jesus honors Jehovah. They do and must love God with a supreme devotion, and delight to show forth his praises and to testify that he is God. Their very course in the way of righteousness would draw against them the opposition of Satan the enemy. ANTICHRIST After Jesus was put to death Satan the enemy thought that he had succeeded in destroying the heir of promise, who was promised a kingdom. Satan there- fore reasoned that he would continue to rule the world without any successful interruption. He must have been disappointed when Jesus was raised from the dead. He must have observed what took place at Pentecost, and there noted the beginning of the build- ing of the other living stenes in conformity with the chief corner stone, Christ Jesus. It is reasonable to Preparing the Empire 213 - presume that he was familiar with the instructions given by the inspired apostles to those of the church. He would understand that these who were united in Christ were to form part of the seed of promise, even as Paul had testified. (Gal. 3:16, 27-29) Destruction of this seed would bring reproach upon God, and now this became the objective and purpose of Satan the enemy. He saw that the Lord Jesus Christ, ex- alted to the divine nature, was now beyond the in- fluence of his (Satan’s) power. He realized that he must now do something to counteract the influence and power of those who were being brought into Christ, if he would thwart the divine purpose. ‘*Antichrist’’ means that which is offered as a sub- stitute for Christ the Messiah, therefore in opposition to the Messiah. Satan the enemy set about to organize ‘‘the mystery of iniquity’’ or of lawlessness; an ar- rangement which would be contrary to and in opposi- tion to Christ. Evidently he knew that John had said to the church: ‘‘It is the last time.’’ (1 Jchn 2:18) The Devil would therefore reason that if he could corrupt the seed of promise and turn their minds, and the minds of the people, from God he would defeat God’s purposes. He evidently saw that the development of the seed of promise would cover a long period of time; therefore he went about the preparation of the antichrist deliberately. It was in the days of Enos (Gen. 4:26, margin) that Satan had adopted the hypocritical scheme of having the people call themselves by the name of the Lord while at the same time misrepresenting the Lord. He thereby mocked God and brought reproach upon his name, Early in the Christian era Satan the enemy 214. Deliwerance adopted a similar scheme of hypocrisy, but on a far sreater scale. He knew that man is so constituted that he must worship something; and if Satan could not get the people who call themselves Christians to directly worship him, then he would inaugurate a scheme by which he would turn away their minds from Jehovah God, and yet let them eall themselves Christians. Satan saw that it would be profitable to his scheme to have the Christians become more popular; there- fore the Christian religion became ostensibly the re- ligion of his wicked world. The Devil thereafter planted amongst the Christians ambitious men, those who had a desire to shine amongst men and who in the course of time had themselves appointed or elected to the positions of bishops and chief elders; and in due course there was established a clergy class, as distinguished from the laity or the common pecple. The clergy thus organized introduced into the chureh false doctrines taught by heathen philosophers, which of course were the Devil’s own doctrines. These were used to corrupt the message of the Lord God. The clergy and the rulers in the church then established theological schools wherein men were trained for the clergy for the purpose of carrying on the work of their system already organized and in operation. In due course statements of belief, or creeds, were formu- lated and presented to the professed Christians, and anyone who taught contrary to these ereeds was con- sidered a heretic and was dealt with accordingly. False doctrines were freely introduced and sub- stituted for the truth. Amongst these were and are the doctrines of the trinity, immortality of all souls, Preparmg the Hmpure 215 eternal torture of the wicked, the divine right of the clergy, and the divine right of kings to rule. In the course of time Mary, the mother of the child Jesus, was deified; and the people were called upon to wor- ship her as the mother of God. Satan’s purpose in all this, of course, was to turn the minds of the people away from Jehovah. Crucifixes were erected, and the worship of the people was turned to these rather than to let them intelligently worship the Lord Jehovah and the Lord Jesus: Christ. Beads, so-called ‘‘holy water’’, and like things were used, and are still used, to blind the people. Gradually, subtly, seductively and wickedly the Devil, through willing instruments, cor- rupted those who called themselves Christians. Rome was then the:great world power of which Sa- tan was the god. (2 Cor. 4: 3,4) It was in the fourth century that this great world power adopted the Christian religion as the religion of the state or gov- ernment. Thereby the Devil succeeded in having the people eall themselves by the name cf God and of his Christ and at the same time constantly bring reproach upon the name of the Lord, and in fact represent the Devil. To show how stealthily and fraudulently the Devil overreached the people and turned their minds from the true Ged the following is quoted from the history ‘‘Old Roman World’’: ‘In the Seeond Century there are no greater names than Polycarp, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Clement, Melito and Apollonius, quiet bishops or intrepid martyrs, who addressed their flocks in upper chain- bers, and who held no worldly rank, famous only for theix sanctity or simplicity of character, and only mentioned for their sufferings and faith, We read of 216 _ Deliverance martyrs, some of whom wrote valuable treatises and apologies; but among them we find no people of rank. It was a disgrace to be a Christian in the eye of fashion or power. The early Christian literature is chiefly apologetic, and the doctrinal character is simple and practical. There were controversies 7 the Church, and intense religious life, great activities, great virtues, but no outward conflict, no secular his- tory. They had not as yet assailed the government or the great social institutions of the empire. It was a small body of pure and blameless men, who did not aspire to control society. But they had attracted the notice of the government and were of sufficient con- sequence to be persecuted. They were looked upon as fanatics who sought to destroy a reverence for exist- ing institutions. % * * He af ‘‘In this century the polity of the Church was quietly organized. There was an organized fellowship among the members; bishops had become influential, not in society, but among the Christians; dioceses and parishes were established; there was a distinction be- tween city and rural bishops; delegates of churches assembled to discuss points of faith or suppress nas- cent heresies; the diccesan system was developed, and ecclesiastical centralization commenced; deacons be- gan to be reckoned among the higher clergy; the weapons of excommunication were forged ; missionary efforts were carried on; the festivals of the church were created; Gnosticism was embraced by many leading minds; catechetical schools taught the faith systematically ; the formulas of baptism and the sacra- ments became of great importance; and monachism Preparing the Empire 217 became popular. The Church was thus laying the foundation of its future polity and power. _ “The Third Century saw the Church more power- ful as an institution. Regular synods had assembled in the great cities of the empire; the metropolitan system was matured; the canons of the church were definitely enumerated; great schools of theology at- tracted inquiring minds; the doctrines were systema- tized |i. e., defined, limited, and formulated into ereeds and confessions of faith]. Christianity had spread so extensively that it must needs be either persecuted or legalized; great bishops ruled the grow- ing church; great doctors [of divinity] speculated on the questions [philosophy and science falsely so-called] which had agitated the Grecian schools; church edifices were enlarged, and banquets instituted in honour of the martyrs. The Church was rapidly advancing to a position which extorted the attention of mankind. “‘Tt was not till the Fourth Century—when impe- rial persecution had stopped; when [the Roman Eim- peror| Constantine was converted; when the Church was allied with the State; when the early faith was itself ecrrupted; when superstition and vain phileso- phy had entered the ranks of the faithful; when bishops became courtiers; when churches became both rich and splendid; when synods were brought under political influence; when monachists [monks] had established a false principle of virtue; when polities and dogmaties went hand in hand, and emperors en- forced the decrees of [church] councils—that men of rank entered the Church. When Christianity became the religion of the court and of the fashionable classes, it was used to support the very evils against which Z18 Deliverance it originally protested. The Chureh was not only im- pregnated with the errors of Pagan philosophy, but it adopted many of the ceremonies of oriental wor- ship, which were both minute and magnificent. ‘“The churches became, in the fourth century, as imposing as the old temples of idolatry. Festivals be- came frequent and imposing. The people clung to them because they obtained excitement and a cessa- tion from labor. Veneration for martyrs ripened into the introduction of images—a future source of pop- ular idolatry. Christianity was emblazoned in pom- pous ceremonies. The veneration for saints approxi- mated to their deification, and superstition exalted the mother of our Lord into an object of absolute wor- ship. Communion tables became imposing altars typ- ical of Jewish sacrifices, and the relics of martyrs were preserved as saered amulets. Monastic life also ripened into a great system of penance and expiatory rites. Armies of monks retired to gloomy and isolated plaees, and abandoned themselves to rhapsodies and fastings and self-expiation. They were a dismal and fanatical set of men, overlooking the practical aims of life. ‘The clergy, ambitious and worldly, sought rank and distinction. They even thronged the courts of princes and aspired to temporal honors. They were no longer supported by the voluntary contributions of the faithful, but by revenues supplied by the gov- ernment, or property inherited from the old [pagan] temples. Great legacies were made to the church by the rich, and these the clergy controlled. These be- quests became sourees of inexhaustible wealth. As wealth increased and was intrusted to the clergy, they Preparing the Empire 219 became indifferent to the wants of the people—no longer supported by them. They became lazy, arro- gant and independent. The people were shut out of the government of the Church. The bishop became a grand personage who controlled and appointed his clergy. The Church was allied with the State, and religious dogmas were enforeed by the sword of the magistrate. ‘‘An imposing hierarchy was established, of va- rious grades, which culminated in the bishop of Rome. ‘‘The Emperor decided points of faith, and the clergy were exempted from the burdens of the state. There was a great flocking to the priestly offices when the clergy wielded so much power and became so rich; and men were elevated to great sees [bishopries], not because of their piety or talents, but their infiu- ence with the great. The nussion of the Church was lost sight of in a degrading alliance with the State. Christianity was a pageant, a ritualism, an arm of the State, a vain philosophy, a superstition, a for- mula.’’ Satan the enemy was of course at all times in con- trol of Pagan Rome, The religion of that world power was the Devil’s own religion. He now adopted hypo- eritically the Christian religion; his world power took on the name of Papal Rome, having a visible rep- resentative under the name and title of ‘‘pope’’, who claimed to be the representative of the Lord Jesus Christ but who in fact was the representative of the Devil, whether he knew it or not. Millions of good people were deceived by this hypocritical move. Prob- ably many of the clergy were deceived, but surely 220 Deliverance some of them were not deceived. The pope presumptu- ously assumed to rule as the visible representative of Christ. For a thousand years Papal Rome held sway over the nations of the earth; and, though de- prived of her temporal power in 1800 A.D., she yet exercises a tremendous power amongst the govern- ments of earth. During all this period of time the Papal system has cited the words of Peter (1 Pet. 2:9), claiming to be the chosen people there mentioned by the Lord. But we see that this elaim is absolutely false. The nation mentioned by the inspired apostle is a holy nation; and instead of the Roman empire’s being holy and the Roman church’s being holy there have been some of the blackest erimes of history committed in the name of and by that system. Some God-fearing men protested in the name of Christ against the wicked reign of this system. Wye- liff, Huss, Luther and others made an open warfare against the papacy. The result was the Protestant de- nominations, called the Protestant church, organized in the name of Christ. These denominations of course contained many good, God-fearing men; but it was only a matter of time until Satan overreached these. These Protestant systems have organized themselves into real political companies. It has been well said that the Methodist denomination is one of the strong- est political organizations in the world. These various denominations have deemed it their business and commission to convert the world, and therefore think it necessary to bring into their de- nominations the rich and the influential. They have opened the doors to such and have made them the Preparing the Empire 221 principal ones of their flocks. They have organized the clergy, as distinguished from the laity ; and these clergy meet in councils and synods and control the system or denomination, and use it for political pur- poses. They make themselves a part of the world and claim that their denominations constitute God’s king- dom on earth. Speaking to such James says: ‘‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.’’ (Jas. 4:4) The word ‘adulterer’ here used does not refer to a lack of chastity between the sexes, but means an illicit relationship between the professed Christian and Satan’s organization. It means that these eccle- siastical systems have made friendship with the world and have entered into an alliance with the commercial and the political powers of the world; and together they constitute the visible part of Satan’s organiza- tion, which is designated in the Scriptures under the title and symbol of ‘‘beast’’. And now in more modern times these ecclesiastical systems, claiming to represent the Lord, are presided over by a class of clergymen who call themselves Modernists. It is admitted that the Modernists are in the majority in numbers among the clergymen. A Modernist is one who denies the Biblical account of man’s creation, denics man’s deflection and sentence to death, denies the great ransom sacrifice and, of necessity, denies the Lord’s kingdom. God foreknew that the ecclesiastical systems, Cath- olic and Protestant, in the name of Christ would be 222 Deliverance everreached by the Devil and used for his purposes, as a part of his organization. Through his prophet Jeremiah he stated: ‘‘Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed; how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?. For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God. How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim [the Devil]? See thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done; thou. art a swift dromedary traversing her ways; a wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary them- selves; in her month they shall find her. Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for 1 have loved strangers, and after them will I go.’’—Jer. Pia 9 AGS The prophet here shows, in harmony with the facts as we see them, that ecclesiasticism has turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine, that she has become polluted, that she has gone after Baalim, the Devil religion; that she has been in the valley, be- tween the political and financial elements of the Devil’s organization ; and, like the characteristic trait of a dromedary or a wild ass, she illicitly runs after the ultra-rich and the ultra-influential, that she might have the plaudits of men and the honor that the world could bring to her. Heclesiasticism did not get this from the Lord God, but it was the result of falling under the influence of Satan the Devil. Preparing the Empire 223 TEMPTATION The term ‘‘ecelesiasticism’’ applies to all denomina- tions, Catholie and Protestant, which have united with the financial and political elements of the earth toe form the governing or controlling factors to rule the world. To these ecclesiastics the Devil presented the three great temptations. These temptations he also presented to Eve. She yielded and fell. The same three temptations were presented to Jesus by the Devil, as heretofore stated, and he resisted all of them and gained the victory. And now mark how they were presented to the ecclesiastical systems and how these have all fallen to the wiles of the Devil and have be- come a part of his organization. _ The Scriptures declare that God does not tempt any one. ‘‘Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God eannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath coneeived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.’’ (Jas. 1:18-15) It was the desire of these ecclesiastical leaders for honor and power that led them into temptation. Jesus Christ is the great Shepherd of the flock of God. (Heb. 18:20; 1 Pet. 2:25) In the organization of the church the Lord provided for under-shepherds, designating them as elders and teachers. Upon these is enjoined the duty and obligation of feeding the flock of God, to unselfishly look well to the interest of such (1 Pet. 5: 2-4), and not to lord it over the peo- ple of the Lord. Contrary to the Word of God, the elders or shepherds of the denominational churches 224 Deliverance organized councils, synods, presbyteries, and like bod- ics politic, elected their own members to the high offices of popes, cardinals, bishops, doctors of divinity, reverends, ete., and thus formed and created what are properly termed the ecclesiastics of Christendom, the high personages in the denominational churches, Catholic and Protestant. God did not tempt these men so to do. Of their own desire were they led to these steps; and thereby they laid themselves open to the ercat Tempter, who promptly presented to them temp- tations similar to those which were presented to Eve and.Adam and later to Jesus Christ; namely, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. (1) Lust of the flesh (or body): The power gained by the ecclesiastics in the church, by reason of their position, they have used for their own selfish pur- poses. They have fed themselves and let the flock of God go without attention. (Ezek. 84:8) Selfishly they have advanced their own private interests, permitted the people to go without spiritual food, and thereby have caused a famine in the land for the hearing of the Word of God. Yielding to the temptation to use their powers for selfish purposes, they fell—Amos Sen (2) Lust of the eyes (or mind) : Desiring to possess the seductive things of this world, and to be admired by men rather than to be approved of God, the clergy have yielded to the lust of the eyes; they have clothed themselves in searlet and long flowing robes, decked themselves with jewels, and have arrogantly assumed a form of godliness while denying the power thereof. They fell ready victims to this temptation. : Preparing the Empire 225 (8) Pride of life: Jesus instructed his representa- tives to preach the gospel of his kingdom and to await patiently his second coming, when he would establish the kingdom. He admonished them to keep themselves separate from the world. The ecclesiastics, or clergy, have boldly assumed to represent the Lord on the earth. Satan held before them the temptation that, as the Lord’s representatives, they could establish the kingdom of God on earth without waiting for the second coming of Christ; the ecndition being that they should join hands with the commercial and political powers of earth, which were already under the control of Satan. This appealed to their pride of life. To them it was a wonderful thing to bring the capitalists and the politicians into the church. They yielded to this seductive temptation; they set about immediately to obtain control and rulership of the world, without the aid of the Lord and contrary to his Word. ; The clergy met the conditions and they have failed. They have worshiped the Devil, sanctified war, for pay have acted as military recruiting officers, and have resorted to other devilish methods to gain their selfish and ambitious ends. They have ignored God and the Lord Jesus, and have waxed rich and powerful, while associated with their allies and under the direction of the super-mind of the god of this world. They have fallen to the temptation, and have carried out their part of the Devil’s arrangement to blind the people to God’s purposes. They stand self-confessedly guilty before God and man, 226 Delwerance FALSE DOCTRINES The ecclesiastics, to wit, popes, cardinals, bishops, reverends, doctors of divinity, and theological profes- sors, have claimed the exclusive right and authority to interpret the Scriptures, and presumptuously deny the right of anyone to preach the gospel except such as are ordained by them. They have set aside the pure doctrines of God’s Word and have constituted them- selves, through their various organizations, the foun- tains of doctrines; which doctrines they have sent forth as a river, claiming such to be a life-giving stream for the benefit of the people, whereas in truth and in fact theirs has been a message of fraud and deceit and a stream of sickness and death. By these false and deceptive doctrines the people have been blinded to the purposes of God, and his great pro- vision for salvation has been hid from their eyes. Claiming for themselves the exclusive authority to interpret the Scriptures, for a long time the ecclesias- tics kept the people in ignorance of the text of the Bible by discouraging them in studying it; but now in this day of greater education, when the people might read and understand the Scriptures, these ecclesiastical leaders boldly and flippantly deny the inspiration of the Word of God. Foreknowing that they would take this course, God caused his prophet Jeremiah to write concerning them: ‘‘They have for- saken me, the fountain of living waters [source of life and truth], and hewed them out cisterns [man-made systems and doctrines], broken cisterns, that can hold no water [really contain no life-giving truth].’’—Jer. 2:18, Preparing the Empire 227 For the purpose of turning the minds of the people away from the true God and blinding them the ecele- siastics have taught false doctrines, of which the fol- lowing are a few, and which are set out here in con- trast with the truth for the purpose of comparison, to wit: The Bible teaches that man was ereated perfect, and that because of sin he was sentenced to death, thereby losing perfection of organism and the right to life. Modern ecclesiastics teach that man is a creature of evolution; that he never fell, and never lost the right to life by reason of sin. The Bible plainly states that man is mortal, and that because of Adam’s sin all are born sinners sub- ject to death. Ecclesiasties teach that all men have immortal souls, which cannot die, which doctrine is supported only by Satan’s great lie—Gen. 3:4; John 8: 44, The Bible plainly teaches that the wages of sin is death, and that death and destruction is the punish- ment of the wilfully wicked. Ecclesiastics teach that there is no real death, and that the punishment of the selfish and wicked is con- scious torment, eternal in duration ; and that to escape such terrible punishment the people must join their ehureh denominations. The Seriptures plainly teach that Jehovah is God, the great First Cause; and that Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, is the Redeemer of mankind. Heelesiasties teach the unseriptural, God-dishonor- ing doctrine of the trinity. 228 Deliverance The inspired Word of God declares that Jesus Christ is the ransomer of all; and that all members of the human race shall, in due time, have an oppor- tunity to know about the ransom and receive its benefits. Heclesiastical teachings of evolution, human immor- tality, eternal torment and the trinity are denials of the ransom by implication; and now the chiefest among them deny that Jesus was any more than an ordinary man, deny that there is any value in his sacrifice, deny the only Lord God and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ by which mankind is redeemed. The Seriptures teach that Christ Jesus is King, the only One who has the right and authority to rule the earth in God’s due time. Ecclesiasties teach the divine right of earthly kings, who are made by big business, to rule the people; and the ecclesiastics have joined hands with big business and big politicians to enforce this rule and to con- trol the peoples of the earth because, they say, it is the divine arrangement for them to rule. Jesus constituted his apostles as the foundation of the kingdom, and the Scriptures teach that the apos- tles have no successors. Eeclesiastics have fraudulently claimed to be suc- cessors of the apostles, and thereby have arrogated to themselves great authority and have attempted to deceive, and have deceived the people. The Bible teaches and emphasizes the second coming of Christ, the great Prince of Peace, that he will take unto himself his power to reign; it admonishes all the followers of the Lord to faithfully proclaim this Preparing the Empire 229 message of his coming kingdom, and to advocate and follow peace with all men. The ecclesiastics teach and advocate war; they have sanctified war and wrest the Scriptures to justify their conclusion ; they have repeatedly had their por- traits made with, and exhibited with, great warriors of the world; they have turned their church edifices into recruiting stations; they have reeeived and ac- cepted filthy luere in consideration of rendering serv- ice for recruiting young men for the war, and have wilfully preached them into the trenches. And now when the evidence is plain and conclusive that the old world has ended, that the Lord for the second time is present and that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, the ecclesiastics ignore the proof, and scorn, ridicule and persecute those who dare tell the truth to the people. Instead of bidding weleome to the King of glory, and telling the people of his kingdom and the blessings it will bring, they openly unite with the Devil in his schemes to control the peoples of the earth in a compact designated as the League of Na- tions; and piocusly and fraudulently they declare it to be the ‘‘political expression of God’s kingdom on earth’’, AN INDICTMENT On July 26, 1924, a multitude of Christian people who had separated themselves from all the denomina- tions, and taken their stand firmly for the Lord, passed a resolution in the form of an indictment against the ecclesiastical element as constituting a part of the Devil’s organization. This indictment so clearly sets forth the truth of the situation before the minds of the people that it is here inserted in full: / 230. _ Deliverance ‘We, the INTERNATIONAL BrBLE STUDENTS, in con- vention assembled, declare our unqualified allegiance to Christ, who is now present and setting up his king- dom, and to that kingdom. ‘“We believe that every anointed child of God is an ambassador for Christ and is duty-bound to give a faithful and true witness on behalf of his kingdom. As ambassadors for Christ, and without assuming any self-righteousness, we believe and hold that God has commissioned us to ‘proclaim the day of vengeance of our God and to comfort all that mourn’.—Isa. 61: 2. ‘‘We believe and hold that it is God’s due time for his displeasure to be expressed against wicked systems that have blinded the people to the truth and have thereby deprived them of peace and hope; and to the end that the people might know the truth and receive some comfort and hope for future blessings we present this indictment, based upon the Word of God, and point to the divine provision as the remedy for man’s complete relief. ‘“We present and charge that Satan formed a con- spiracy for the purpose of keeping the people in ignorance of God’s provision for blessing them with life, liberty and happiness; and that others, to wit, unfaithful preachers, conscienceless profiteers, and unscrupulous politicians, have entered into said cen- Spiracy, either willingly or unwillingly. ‘That unfaithful preachers have formed them- selves into ecclesiastical systems, consisting of coun- cils, synods, presbyteries, associations, etc., and have designated themselves therein as popes, cardinals, bishops, doctors of divinity, pastors, shepherds, rev- erends, etc., and elected themselves to such offices, Preparing the Empire 231 which aggregation is herein designated as ‘the clergy’; and that these have willingly made commercial giants and professional politicians the principal ones of their flocks. ‘We present and charge that the clergy have yield- ed to the temptations presented to them by Satan and, contrary to God’s Word, have joined in said conspiracy, and in furtherance thereof have commit- ted the overt acts as follows, to wit: ‘‘(1) That they have used their spiritual powers, enjoyed by reason of their position, to gratify their own selfish desires by feeding and exalting themselves and failing and refusing to feed or teach the people God’s Word of Truth; ‘*(2) That loving the glory of this world, and de- siring to shine before men and have the approval of men (Luke 4:8; Jas. 4:4; 1 John 2:15), they have clothed themselves in gaudy apparel, decked them- selves with jewels, and have assumed a form of godli- ness while denying God’s Word and the power there- of ; ‘‘(3) That they have failed and refused to preach to the people the message of Messiah’s kingdom and to point them to the evidences relating to his second coming; and being unwilling to await the Lord’s due time to set up his kingdom, and being ambitious to appear wise and great, they have, together with their coconspirators, claimed the ability to set up God’s kingdom on earth without God, and have endorsed the League of Nations and declared it to be ‘the po- litical expression of God’s kingdom on earth’, thereby breaking their allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ and declaring their allegiance to the Devil, the god 232 . Delwerance of evil; and to this end they have advocated and sane- tified war, turned their church edifices into recruit- ing stations, acted as recruiting officers for pay, and preached men into the trenches, there to suffer and die; and when the Lord presented to them the clear and indisputable proof that the old world has ended and that his kingdom is at hand, they have scoffed at and rejected the testimony, and have persecuted, arrested and caused the imprisonment of witnesses for the Lord. DOCTRINES ‘‘We further present and charge that the clergy as a class have constituted themselves the fountain of doctrines which, in the furtherance of said conspiracy, they have sent forth to the people, claiming such doctrines to be the teachings of God’s Word, well knowing the same to be untrue, in this, to wit: ‘*(1) That they falsely claim to be the divinely ap- pointed suceessors to the inspired apostles of Jesus Christ ; whereas the Scriptures clearly show that there are no successors to the Lord’s apostles; **(2) That they claim the sole right to interpret the Seriptures, and that therefore they alone know what the people should believe, and by this means they have kept the people in ignorance of the Bible; and now in the time of increased knowledge and much reading, when the people might read and understand, these self-constituted ‘successors to the apostles’ dis- courage the people from reading the Bible and Bible literature, deny the inspiration of the Scriptures, teach evolution, and by these means turn the minds of the people away from God and his Word of Truth; Preparing the Empire 233 **(3) That they have taught and teach the divine right of kings to rule the peoples, claiming such rule to be the kingdom of God on earth; they hold that they and the principal of their flocks are commis- sioned of God to direct the policy and course of the nations, and that if the people do not submissively concur in such policies then the people are unpatriotic or disloyal ; **(4) That they are the authors of the unreasonable and false doctrine of the trinity, by which they claim and teach that Jehovah, Jesus and the holy spirit are three persons in one, which fallacy they admit cannot be understood or explained; that this false doctrine has blinded the people to the true meaning of the great ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ, through which men can be saved; ‘*(5) That they teach and have taught the false doctrine of human immortality; that is to say, that all men are created immortal souls, which cannot die; which doctrine they well know to be false, for it is based exclusively upon the statement of Satan, which statement Jesus declares to be a great lie (John 8:44) ; “‘(6) That they preach and teach the doctrine of eternal torment; that is to say, that the penalty for sin is conscious torment in hell, eternal in duration ; whereas they know that the Bible teaches that the wages of sin is death; that hell is the state of death or the tomb; that the dead are unconscious until the resurrection, and that the ransom sacrifice is pro- vided that all in due time may have an opportunity to believe and obey the Lord and live, while the wil- 234 Delwerance fully wicked are to be punished with an everlasting desiruction ; ‘‘(7) That they deny the right of the Lord to estab- lish his kingdom on earth, well knowing that Jesus taught that he would come again at the end of the world, and that the fact of that time would be made known by the nations of Christendom engaging in a world war, quickly followed by famine, pestilence, revolutions, the return of God’s favor to the Jews, distress and perplexity of the nations; and that dur- ing such time the God of heaven would set up his kingdom, which will stand for ever (Dan. 2:44); that ignoring and refusing to consider these plain truths and evidences, they have willingly gone on in darkness, together with their allies, profiteers and politicians, in an attempt to set up a world power for the purpose of ruling and keeping the people in subjection, all of which is contrary to the Word of God and against his dignity and good name. ) ‘‘The doetrines taught by the clergy, and their course of action herein stated, are admitted; and upon the undisputed facts and upon the law of God’s Word they stand confessedly guilty before God and in the eyes of the world upon every charge in this indictment. ‘Upon the authority of the prophecy of God’s Word now being fulfilled, we declare that this is the day of God’s wrath upon Christendom; and that he stands in the midst of the mighty and controlling factors of the world, to wit, the clergy and the prin- eipal of their flocks, to judge and to express his righteous indignation against them and their unright- eous systems and doctrines, Preparing the Empire 235 ‘‘We further declare that the only hope for the peace and happiness of the peoples of earth is Mes- siah’s kingdom, for which Jesus taught his followers to pray. ‘“Therefore we call upon the peoples and nations of earth to witness that the statements here made are true; and in order that the people may, in this time of perplexity and distress, have hope and com- fort, we urge upon them prayerful and diligent study of the Bible, that they may learn therefrom that God through Christ and his kingdom has a eomplete and adequate provision for the blessing of mankind upon earth with peace and prosperity, liberty, happiness and eternal life, and that his kingdom is at hand.’’ These facts are set forth here, not for the purpose of holding men up to ridicule, but for the purpose of informing the people that the ecclesiastical systems, Catholic and Protestant, are under the supervision and eontrol of the Devil and form a part of his visible organization, and therefore constitute an antichrist. This is true for the reason that they parade under the name and title of Christian, while such elaim, in the light of the foregoing faets, is absolutely false. They eall themselves by the name of the Lord, but in truth and in fact they represent the Devil. The hypocrisy that began in the days of Enos has become so flagrant in this present day that all who have an open mind can see it. IN ADVERSITY It has pleased the Lord to prepare members of the empire under adverse conditions. Real Christians have never been popular with the world. During the entire period of the Christian era they have suffered much 236. Deliverance persecution. They have been counted as the offseour- ing amongst men. From what source could we reason- ably expect persecution and adversity upon the Chris- tians? From the Devil and his organization, of course; because God declared in Eden that there would be enmity between the seed of the woman, which is the empire class, and the seed of the serpent, which is the Devil’s organization. We are not left in doubt as to who constitutes the seed or children of the Devil. When Jesus was on earth those who persecuted him were the scribes, Pharisees and priests, together com- posing the clergy of that day and claiming to be rep- resentatives of God. They were hypocrites. Jesus said they were. That class exalted themselves, even as the clergy do today. They posed as men of great right- eousness. To them Jesus said: ‘‘But woe unto you, seribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are enter- ing to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater [condemnation].’’ (Matt. 23:18, 14) These same hypocrites claimed to be the sons of God; but Jesus plainly said to them: ‘‘Ye are of your father the devil.’’—John 8: 42-44, There is a period in the history of the world known as the time of ‘the inquisition’. It was in that period of time that the ecclesiastical courts were organized in certain countries, and men were haled before these tribunals and charged with the crime of heresy. They were put through a mock trial and subjected to all manner of wicked torture to compel them to confess Preparing the Empire 237 a senseless creed. Who was responsible for this erucl treatment of Christians? The clergy, who claimed to be the representatives of God and of Christ, but who in truth and in fact represented the Devil. They were hypocrites. Such persecution was not confined to the Papal system. In due course the Protestants resorted to like per- secution. Call to mind the:reformer John Calvin, the father of the Presbyterians, who signed the death warrant of Servetus and had him slowly burned to death at the stake because he did not agree with the so-called ‘‘orthodox’’ doctrines of that ecclesiastical system. All the wicked persecution that has been in- flicted upon Christ Jesus and his followers has becn done by the clergy or at the instigation of the clergy, who hypocritically claim to represent the God of love and his beloved Son. The Dragon, the Devil, the father of these eccle- siastical systems, was the real inducing cause for such persecution, These ecclesiastical systems, particularly the clergy and the principal of their flocks, are and ever have been a part of the world which is under the control of Satan the enemy. These have taught conflicting doctrines and have fought amongst them- selves, until someone would come forward with the truth of God’s Word; then they combine under the direction of their father the Devil to fight against the representative of the Lord. Persecution and sufferings are not to be desired by anyone. Everyone would rather dwell in peace and in happiness. Jesus and his true followers have been persecuted because of their loyalty and faithfulness to God. This being true, and God being all powerful 238 Deliverance and the very expression of love, why would he per- mit his beloved Son and his. faithful followers to suffer persecution at the hands of the Devil and his representatives ? The answer is that God has not interfered with Satan’s pursuing his course of wilful wickedness; he has permitted him to demonstrate his malignant dis- position, and to reproach God and reproach everyone who has been faithful to God, because these persecu- tions would furnish the opportunities for the Lord Jesus and his faithful followers to prove their loyalty and faithfulness unto Jehovah and to prove the same under the most adverse circumstances. Concerning Jesus it is written; ‘‘Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and sup- plications, with strong erying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.’’—Heb. 5; 7; 8. If a man prefers bodily ease and comfort and peace rather than the approval of God, then he will put himself in a condition to not be persecuted; and this he may do by proving disloyal and unfaithful to God. But he who would willingly suffer the most ignominious death in order to maintain his loyalty and faithfulness to God ean be forever trusted. Concerning Jesus it is written: ‘‘And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and beeame obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above very name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things Preparing the Empire 239 in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’’ —Phil, 2: 8-11. Thus did the foundation stone, the chief corner stone, become a tried and proven stone, as the prophet had foretold. Before God granted unto the Lord Je- sus the exalted reward of being the head of the em- pire he put him to the most crucial test. Those who will be approved of God and become a part of the empire must follow in the footsteps of Jesus, which includes their suffering for doing right. ‘‘For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.’’—1 Pet. 2:21. Why do true Christians suffer? Because God has chosen them out of the world and because they refuse to show allegiance unto the Devil’s organization. Jesus said concerning his followers: ‘‘If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.’’—-John 15: 19, 20. During the World War from 1914 to 1918 humble Christians residing in Germany were subjected to all manner of wicked persecutions and punishment be- cause they declined to disobey God’s command, ‘‘Thou shalt not kill.’”? In England, Canada and America like followers of Jesus Christ were beaten, thrown into prison, tarred and feathered, and some of them were 240 Deliverance killed, because they refused to take up arms against their fellow man and shed innocent blood. The war furnished an opportunity and an excuse. for the clergy who, as the representatives of Satan, hated these humble Christians and who induced the com- mercial and political powers to unjustly punish Chris- tians. Not all were persecuted because of refusal to kill; some were persecuted merely because they were witnesses for the Lord. Men too old for war service, and women who were not at all subject to military duty, because they were Christians were hated by the Devil; and his offspring the clergy induced the persecution and imprisonment of such. For a full account of these wicked and uncalled-for persecutions see The Golden Age magazine, number twenty-seven. The Christian, however, can bear persecutions for righteousness’ sake without developing a fecling of bitterness against his persecutors. He realizes that God permits it even as he permitted such upon the Lord Jesus, that the loyalty and faithfulness of the Christian may be tested. He relies upon the promises of God and rejoices. PROMISES Suffering is a part of the training of a Christian to prepare him for the kingdom of God. When he dees right and suffers therefor at the hands of the Devil’s representatives, then he may have reason to rejoice. ‘‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’’ (Matt. 5:10) The Christian is aware of the fact that the Devil has reproached God ever since the time of Eden. It is written concerning the Lord Preparing the Empire 241 Jesus: ‘The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.’’ (Ps. 69:9) The Devil reproached the Lord Jesus when he was on earth. The follower of Christ expects the same thing, and the apostle plainly states that these same reproaches that fell upon the Master fall upon his body members.—Rom. 15:3. The apostle then goes further and points out that it is a privilege for the Christian thus to suffer with Christ, saying: ‘‘For unto you it is given in the be- half of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.’’ (Phil. 1:29) It is a privilege for the reason that it is a condition precedent to entering into the kingdom. ‘‘We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.’’ (Acts 14:22) Paul emphasizes this when he writes: ‘‘ Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.’’ (2 Tim. 3:12) Such is the manner in which the Lord has been pleased to select and give the Christians an opportunity to prove their loving devotion to him. One who is willing to endure all manner of perse- cution, and even death, for righteousness’ sake can be trusted with power and authority. The apostle points out that persecution for righteousness is one of the signs by which we may know that the Lord is dealing with us as followers of Christ Jesus, when he says: ‘‘The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.’’—Rom. 8:16, 17. This may be followed as a safe rule: When one 242 Deliverance claims to be a Christian, and then indulges in the per- secution of another in the name of Christ, that one is a hypocrite, and not a Christian. The Lord Jesus did not revile, even when he was reviled. The course of persecution and reviling, pursued by the eécle- siastical systems, is therefore proof that they are of their father the Devil and his will they will do. The true Christian does not think it strange con- cerning the fiery trials that come to him because of his faithful devotion to the Lord and his cause of righteousness. He relies upon the inspired testimony concerning persecutions, as given by Peter, to wit: ‘‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.’’—1 Pet. 4: 12-14. When Jesus was finishing his earthly ministry he addressed those faithful disciples who had been with him through his trials, and said: ‘‘Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations [trials]. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me.’’ (Luke 22: 28, 29) Thus the Master showed that the empire class would be made up of those who are faithful to God and faithful to him. It is not expected that there would be a great multitude of these. On the contrary the Master said: ‘Wear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’’—Luke 12: 82. Preparing the Empire 243 The ecclesiastical hypocrites have made the people believe that billions will be of the kingdom of God. It is safer to follow the words of the Lord and Master, Christ Jesus. In corroboration of what the Master said, the apostle states: ‘‘It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.’’ (2 Tim, 2:11,12) The Lord Jesus admonished his followers to fear none of these things, and then gave them this assurance: ‘‘Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.’’—Reyv. 2:10. The Devil’s organization is designated in the proph- ecies and also in Revelation under the symbol of a ““beast’’ and also as ‘‘an image of the beast’’. Those who are promised membership in the royal family of heaven are the ones who refuse to give any allegiance whatsoever to the ‘‘beast’’, the Devil’s organization. Kt is written: ‘‘ And I saw thrones, and they sat upen them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.’’—Rev. 20: 4. The apostle shows that all the members of the royal line are subjected to the same temptation. (Heb. 2:18) The same temptation which was presented to Eve, and to which she yielded and fell, was also pre- sented to ecclesiastics; and to it these systems lke- wise yielded and fell. A like temptation was presented to the Lord Jesus, but he resisted it and won. All the 244. Deliverance members of the body of the royal family are sub- jected to the same temptation. Only the overcomers are granted membership in the kingdom. ‘Overeom- ing’ means gaining the victory over Satan’s organiza- tion by an absolute refusal to render allegiance to any part of it, and on the contrary to manifest loyalty and faithfulness unto God unto the end. To such over- comers these promises are made: ‘‘Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God; and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my Ged: and I will write upon him my new name.’’ (Rev. 3:12) “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.’’ (Rev. 3: 21) ‘* And he that overeometh, and keepth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.’’—Rev. 2: 26, 27. IN BONDAGE The term Zion is applied to the people of Ged on earth because they are of Zion, which is God’s or- ganization. ‘‘Babylon’’ means Satan’s organization, and is a term applied to ecclesiasticism. For a long period of time the true sons of God were in bondage to the Babylonish systems, patiently waiting for the time of their deliverance. These have sincerely prayed as Jesus taught them to pray: ‘‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.’’ They Preparing the Empire 245° have waited and hoped for the second coming of the Lord and the setting up of his kingdom, having in mind at all times his promise to the disciples just before his departure: ‘‘I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’’—John 14: 2, 3. - In the parable of the wheat and tares, given by our Lord, he shows that this kingdom class would be in bondage to the tares until the time of the harvest at the end of the age. (Matt. 18: 24-30) Then Jesus plainly said that these hypocritical tares were sown by the Devil, that the harvest is the end of the age, that the tares are the seed of the Devil and that the good seed are the children of the kingdom.—Matt. 18 : 38, 39. | The Prophet Daniel prophesied concerning ‘‘the time of the end’’; that is, the time or period in which the evil world will be ending or reaching a climax. Prophecy ean be understood only when it is fulfilled or in course of fulfilment. It is recorded in this proph- ecy: ‘‘And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried ; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall un- derstand.’’ (Dan. 12:9,10) The wise here mentioned are those who receive a knowledge of the truth and who joyfully obey it. Fulfilled prophecy shows that about 1874 and there- after the Lord began to shed gradual light upon his Word and to bring the true Christians out of Baby- ~ lonish bondage and restore to them an understanding 246 Deliverance of the great fundamental truths which had been taught by the apostles but which had been hidden by the blinding influence of the Devil. The psalmist, speaking for the faithful ones thus waiting for the consummation of their hopes, says: ‘‘ When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen [nations], The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us.’’—Ps,. 126: 1-8. } The typical kingdom of God, namely, the nation of Israel, was overturned in the year 606 B. C. That date marks the beginning of the Gentile times. God having here overturned the right of Israel to rule, Satan be- eame the god of all the world, including Israel. The statement by the Prophet Ezekiel is to the effect that the Gentiles should continue under their superlord without interruption until ‘‘he come whose right it is’’. (Ezek. 21:24-27) Other scriptures show that the period of the Gentiles is, to wit, twenty-five hundred and twenty years. When the true followers of Christ Jesus began to emerge from the Babylonish systems after 1874, and began to search the Seriptures, and saw some of these wonderful prophecies and evidences of their fulfil- ment, they soon reached the conclusion that the twenty-five-hundred-twenty-year period of the Gen- tiles must of necessity end in 1914, Therefore they looked forward with great expectancy to the year 1914, The Lord has rewarded them for watching for the fulfilment of his prophetic utterances. Chapter XI The Nation Born S HEREIN used, ‘‘The Nation born’’ means that the constituted authority possessing the right to rule has begun to function; that is to say, has begun to reign. In the history of men kingdoms are commonly spo- ken of as ‘‘nations’’, The duly constituted authority that rules an organized people is ealled a ‘‘kingdom”’, a ‘‘nation’’, or a ‘‘government’’. These terms may be used interchangeably. ‘‘Government’’ and ‘‘empire’’ mean the same thing. If there is a shade of difference it is that ‘‘empire’’ is more comprehensive. It would be proper to say that a kingdom or nation may begin on a small seale; but that when it is extended so as to embrace many peoples, and exercises absolute and supreme power and sway, it may then be properly termed an ‘‘empire’’. The Seriptures refer to THE Christ as ‘‘an holy nation’’, (1 Pet. 2:9) To be ‘‘born’’ means to be brought forth or to begin to function. It is here used in a figurative or descriptive sense, and as applied to a nation it means that that nation has begun to exer- cise authority. It is a woman that gives birth. ‘‘She was delivered of a man child.’’ (Isa. 66:7) Zion, God’s organization which gives birth to the man child, is symbolically called a woman. In a government or power the right to govern ‘rests upon some duly constituted authority. It is written of the Messiah: ‘‘The government shall be upon his shoulder,’’ (Isa. 9:6) a kingdom [government] 248 Delwerance is the Lord’s; and he is the governor among the na- tions.’’ (Ps. 22:28) When Jesus was on earth he spoke of himself as ‘‘the kingdom’’, because he was appointed to rulership. (Matt. 10:7) The prophet, referring to the kingdom and showing that it is sep- arate and distinct from the individuals composing it, said: ‘‘ And the kingdom and dominion, and the great- ness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kinedom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’’ (Dan. 7: 27) The ones exercising the kingdom, as the Scriptures show, are Jesus and those whom he associates with himself as members of his body. At the time of the overturning of his typical king- dom, the nation of Israel, God indicated that a def- inite time was fixed when he whose right it is should come and should rule, and at which time he would take his power and begin his reign. (Ezek. 21:27) The one who comes with right to rule, and who in God’s due time begins his reign, is the Messiah. (Gen. 49: 10) It follows then that when he who has the right to rule takes his power and begins his reign, the world, under the supervision of Satan the enemy, would end. Basing their conclusions upon numerous prophe- cies God had given them, the devout Jews under- stood and believed that with the coming of the Mes- siah the world would end, and that Messiah’s king- dom would function and would bless them with the blessings which they desired. The eleven disciples of Jesus who were faithful to the end believed him to be the Messiah. Peter had expressly so stated and had received the commendation of Jesus for the statement, The Nation Born 249 and doubtless the other disciples heard and believed the same thing.—Matt. 16:16. These disciples believing and expecting that the world under Prince Satan would end and that then the Messiah’s kingdom would succeed to authority, they approached the Master privately and propounded to him this question: ‘‘Tell us, ... what shall be the sign [proof] of thy coming, and of the end of the world?’’—Matt. 24:3. What world was meant in this question propound- ed? ‘‘World’’ means mankind, organized into forms of government, under the supervision of an invisible overlord. Symbolically it is spoken of in the Scrip- tures as ‘heaven and earth’. (2 Pet. 3:7) ‘‘Heaven”’ means the invisible part of the world, functioning and directing both the invisible and the visible. ‘‘Harth’’ symbolically represents that part of the organization that is visible to human eyes. At the time the disciples propounded this question Satan was god, prince and ruler of the world.—2 Cor. 4:3,4; John 14: 30. Jesus plainly stated: ‘‘My kingdom is not of this world.’’ (John 18:36) Of necessity his kingdom or nation or government could not be of the world there mentioned, for the reason that Satan was in control; and it was not God’s due time for Jesus to take con-. trol. The disciples understood that Satan’s world must end and that at some future time the Messiah’s world must begin; and for this reason they propounded to Jesus the question. The answer given to the question propounded by the disciples was put in prophetic phrase. The answer could not be fully understood or appreciated until 259 . Deliverance the time for its fulfilment, and then the physical facts would enable those who saw and discerned them to understand the prophecy. Having come to the time for the fulfilment of the answer prophetically given by Jesus, those who are watching and comparing the physical facts with the prophecy see and understand the same. Jesus, in answering the question, first cautioned the disciples not to permit anyone to deceive them. He said to them, in substance: ‘There will be wars and rumors of wars before the end comes. Do not be dis- turbed about these, because the end is not yet.’ Then he stated to them what would be the first evidences or proof that the end of the evil world had been reached. He said: ‘‘For nation shall rise against na- tion, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.’’— Matt. 24: 7, 8. And now let us examine the physical facts and see how well they fit the prophetic words of Jesus. He said that the beginning of sorrows, that is to say, the death pains of the old world, would be marked by nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. He meant a great war, of course, for the reason that he was just speaking of wars. Prior to 1914 all the wars that had ever been fought were army against army and clan against clan. Never be- fore in the history of man was there a war like the one from 1914 to 1918. Every part of the combatant nations was called into action. Men were sent to the front, and women also; while the men and women who remained at home were obligated, under com- The. Nation Born 251 mand oftheir: government, to supply the sinews of war. Everything of the nation was commandeered for war purposes. Even the babes had to perform their part in the conflict, because their food was officially curtailed in order that there might be a conservation of food for the armies at the front. The quantities of flour, meal, sugar and other necessities were ra- tioned to the people at home, to the end that the war might be won. It was nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, involving practically all the nations of Christendom ; and there was never another war like it. Then followed great famines in Russia, in Austria, in Germany and in various parts of the Orient. More people by far died from famine than were killed in the war. Quickly came a pestilence known as the ‘‘Spanish flu’’; and as this moved from the frozen to the torrid zones it swept the people before it in great multitudes. More people died from this pestilence in one year than were killed in battle during. the four years of the war, Call to mind also that since 1914 there have been more disastrous earthquakes than in any other time of the world’s history. These are physical facts which any man except a clergyman can understand. The clergy have literally closed their eyes to all this array | of evidence. The Lord made it so plain that ‘‘way- faring men, though fools’’, can understand. But some of them will not understand.—Ps. 82:5; Dan. 12: 10. Then said Jesus: ‘‘Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake,.’’ (Matt. 24:9) During this World War there was a small om Lae", Deltwerance company of Christians who were putting forth their best efforts to tell the people that the World War was a proof of the end of the world and of the coming of Messiah’s kingdom. These of course must be classed in as disciples of Christ because they testified to what he said; and for this reason this little company of ‘ Christians was hated and persecuted in every nation where its members happened to reside. Hereinbefore reference was made to The Golden Age magazine, number twenty-seven, as containing an extensive ac- count of this persecution, which reached a climax in 1918, just before the World War ended. ‘*And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.’’ (Matt. 24:10) This scripture was literally fulfilled from 1914 to 1918 by the fact that some who professed to be followers of Christ Jesus betrayed into the hands of the governing factors those who were trying to faith- fully represent the Lord. On November 11, 1918, with the signing of the armistice, the war suddenly came to an end. No one could give a good reason why it there ended, because no side had won a victory. The real reason why the fighting there ceased is clearly indicated by the Serip- tures. The Lord desired that the World War, the famine, the pestilence, the earthquakes, persecution of Christians, ete., should serve as a testimony to those who should come to know that Christ is present, that his kingdom is at hand, and that the old world had reached its end. But this testimony could not be freely declared unto the nations and peoples while the war was in progress and while many of the Lord’s witnesses were languishing in prison. The Nation Born 253 The Lord caused the war to come suddenly to an end in order that his declaration contained in Mat- thew 24:14 might be fulfilled, to wit: ‘‘And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come.’’ Beginning in 1919, and up to the present time, this lhttle company of Christians have proclaimed the good news of the presence of the Lord, of the end of the world, and of the beginning of Messiah’s kingdom, in all the nations where the name of Christ is named; and without doubt this witness has been given in fulfilment of the prophetie words of the Master, as another proof of the time in which man is now on the earth. Other further testimony was given by Jesus, corrob- orating what he had previously said and further show- ing that the world has ended and that his kingdom has come. ‘‘ And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be ful- filled.’’ (Luke 21: 24) ‘‘Jerusalem’’ here undoubtedly refers to the Jewish people, because the text distin- guishes them from the Gentiles. For nearly two thou- sand years the desire of the Jews has been that they might return to Palestine. It was about the time of the end of the war that the British Empire, having then assumed a protectorate over the land of Pales- tine, spoke through her representative Mr. Balfour and declared it to be the purpose and policy of the British Empire that the Jews should return to their homeland and there establish themselves. It is true that there had been previous preparations toward this end, but this was the first time that any authoritative 254 Deliverance action had been taken to reestablish the Jews in their homeland. Accordingly in the spring of 1918 Dr. Chaim Weizmann, at the head of a Jewish organization, opened offices at Jerusalem and began the formation of a Jewish polity. Since then there has been a grad- ual and healthy increase of the population of Jews in Palestine; and clearly in fulfilment of prophecy they have acquired title to lands; have builded houses, colonies, factories; installed irrigation plants; dedi- cated their great university in the city of Jerusalem; and have done many other things looking to a re- building of Palestine for the Jews and by the Jews. This is so clear that no one ean doubt that it is in fulfilment of the prophecies of Jesus and of the other holy prophets. Furthermore, Jesus said concerning the end of the world: ‘‘And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth dis- tress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for locking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shak- en.’’? (Luke 21:25,26) The sun is a symbol of the light of the divine purpose. ‘‘The moon’’ is a sym- bolie expression used to represent the divine law; whereas stars symbolically represent ecclesiastical leaders. Since 1918 the clergy in the various denom- inations have practically repudiated God’s arrange- ment for the establishment of his kingdom. They have repudiated the divine law, and refused to walk accord- ing to it; therefore these, symbolically represented as stars, have fallen. The Nation Born 255 Although several years have elapsed since the World War ceased, yet it is fully appreciated by all the peo- ple that ‘‘upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity’’, continues. ‘‘Nations,’’ in this seripture, clearly refers to the organized governments of the earth ; and all these governments are now in perplex- ity and distress, not knowing what to do. They are in fear and trepidation of losing their power. Continu- ing, the Lord said: ‘‘'The sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.’’ (Luke 21: 25,26) The ‘‘sea’’ represents the ungodly peoples of earth. All these things further testify that the world reached its end and began to pass away in 1914; and that there, in the time of the Lord’s presence; the birth of The Nation occurred. ZION THE MOTHER Jehovah God is the Father or Life-giver of the em- pire or kingdom, because he begets and gives life to each one of those who are to make up the reigning house. Zion ‘‘the city of God’’ is his organization, which is also described under the name ‘‘Jerusalem’’, and is the mother of the new government as well as of the individuals who make up the government. It. is written: ‘‘But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.’’—Gal. 4: 26. The prophet of God, in figurative phrase, describes the Messianic government, nation or kingdom as a man child born from Zion, figuratively represented. by a woman; and says that this birth takes place be- fore her labor-pains; or, otherwise stated, without labor-pains she brought forth. ‘‘Before she travailed, 256 Deliverance she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.’’—Isa. 66: 7, 8. The kingdom or nation was not born with a great blare of trumpets and the rolling of drums and the firing of cannon. Jesus had said: ‘‘The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.’’ (Luke 17:20) ‘‘The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.’’ (2 Pet. 3:10) Zion gave birth to the kingdom or na- tion quietly, unostentatiously, and without pain. The government in America, the United States, was born in tribulation or great pain, because those who com- posed the governing factors were put to much trouble and distress in the bringing forth of this nation. But the government of Messiah, the kingdom, the new Nation, was born without pain. When the due time came God set his beloved Son upon his holy throne. —Ps. 2:6. . Then the prophet propounded the question: ‘‘ Who hath heard such a thing? . . . Shall a nation be born at onee?’’ The man child represents the nation or government that is born. At the time of the birth of the government who was Governor? The Lord Jesus Christ, in whom resides all power and authority in heaven and in earth. Those saints who had died prior to the birth of The Nation had not participated in the chief resurrection and were not then a part of the kingdom; and surely the faithful followers of Christ then on the earth in the flesh could not be classed as a part of the man child or kingdom until the Lord The Nation Born 257 came to his temple and examined them and approved them. Therefore, ‘‘as soon as Zion travailed she brought forth her children.’’ She brought forth her other children, those who were granted the privilege of becoming a part of the kingdom or nation or gov- ernment. Zion gave birth both to the government and to those creatures who form that government. Christ Jesus is the Head of the new creation, and he is the Head over the church, which is his body.—Col. 1: 18. Christ Jesus the divine was born three days after his crucifixion. The other members of his body are born when they participate in the first resurrection. (Rey. 20:6) The natural order of birth of a child is first the head and afterwards the body. Even so with those who make up the body of Christ and who are the ones participating in the holy government or nation. The government or nation was born when the Lord Jesus took his power and began his reign; and since that time other children of Zion are being born into the kingdom. We must make a distinction between the geovern- ment and those individual members who go to make up the government or nation. The year 1914 A.D. is definitely fixed by the Scriptures as the time for the birth of The Nation. In that year the nations forming the Devil’s empire became angry and engaged in a World War. The Revelation fixes that date as the time when God Almighty, through his beloved Son, would take his power and reign; or otherwise stated, the time for the birth of The Nation or gov- ernment.—Rey. 11:17, 18. A symbolic description of the birth of The Nation is given in Revelation, twelfth chapter. The woman 258 Deliverance there mentioned clearly is Zion, the same woman men- tioned in Isaiah 66:7. The sun is a symbol of the light of the divine purpose, while the moon represents God’s law. Around Zion, God’s organization as sym- bolized by the woman, shines the light of the divine purpose; and thus she is enveloped with the sun. ‘‘The moon under her feet’’ symbolically represents that the course of action of the woman, Zion, is al- ways in harmony with the divine will as represented by God’s law. The Head, the Chief Corner Stone of Zion, is Christ Jesus; and upon that Head is the crown, representing complete and absolute authority. The twelve stars in the crown symbolize the light of God that shines upon them that love and serve him. —Rev. 21:14. On the earth are some of the faithful followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. These have had a mental vision of his kingdom; they were anticipating that it would be born in 1914 and were in great expectation and anxiety until the birth. Therefore they are represented by Zion in pain, desiring the delivery of the man child, which is the kingdom. The man child, to wit, the new government or Nation, was ordained by the Lord from the foundation of the world; but now it was about to begin to function, and those who were waiting and praying for its birth were in anxious expectaney for the birth. Thus the matter appeared to them. | ‘‘And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne,’’ (Rev. 12: 5) The man child here is the same man child mentioned _by the Prophet Isaiah; to wit, the nation or govern- The Nation Born 259 ment which is to rule all the nations of the earth. It is the same kingdom described by Daniel, in chapter two, verse forty- four, This man child or new govern- ment is symbolically represented as being caught up to God and to his throne, because it constitutes God’s kingdom, now beginning to function by virtue of his will and authority. WAR WITH THE ENEMY Watching the preparation of the empire and off serving that the day was approaching for the birth of The Nation, symbolically represented by the man child, Satan the enemy was on the alert, with the avowed purpose of destroying this new nation or gov- ernment if possible. In the Revelation picture he appears under the name and title of Dragon. He is there represented as a ‘‘red dragon’’. The word ‘‘red”’ here used means fiery red, and particularly pictures Satan’s devilish, wicked and gory organization, mur- derously bent upon the destruction of the new govern- ment. In this the Dragon was thwarted, because God prevented him. The new government or nation there began to fune- tion; and the first work thereof necessarily was the expelling of Satan from heaven. ‘‘And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.’’—Rev. 12: 7-9, 260 Deliverance In this great fight Michael, who is Christ Jesus, together with his angels, fought against the Devil and his angels; and the result was that Satan the enemy was expelled from heaven and was cast down to the earth. This is in harmony with Peter’s words: ‘‘The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, ... the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved.’’ (2 Pet. 3:10,12) The heavens here mentioned clearly mean the Devil and his angels, the invisible rulers.—HEph. 6:12. Satan the Devil now finds himself, together with his wicked associates, expelled from heaven and east out into the earth. ‘‘ Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.’’ (Rev. 12:12) The inhabiters here mentioned clearly are the ruling factors of the na- tions of the earth. They are in for much trouble. The sea represents all of the people alienated from God, and they are in for much trouble. The Devil has great wrath against Zion and against her children, and will gather together the inhabiters and the masses of man- kind in a great and final trouble. Now let the reader turn to the first paragraph of this book and there again read the questions that are propounded, and now let him understand the answer to those questions. The Devil and all his wicked assistants are concentrating their powers and forces in the earth, implanting in the minds of the rulers, as well as in the minds of the people, devilish, wicked thoughts. The profiteers selfishly reach out for them- selves, against the common interests of mankind. The politicians selfishly seek their own purposes; the The Nation Born 261 preachers look after their own selfish interests; and the people are oppressed on every side and afflicted. The cause of all this distress and suffering is that the Devil’s empire has come to its end; he knows that his time is short and he is therefore desperately seck- ing to rally his forces for a great and final conflict. The peoples of earth are in great fear and trepidation, groaning in pain and desiring to be delivered; they are waiting ‘‘for the manifestation of the sons of God’’, meaning that they are waiting for the mani- festation in their behalf of the powers of the new government. They wait, they know not for what; but they all desire deliverance. Let the people now take courage and have hope, because the time of deliver- ance is at hand. CORROBORATIVE PROOF When Jesus was raised from the dead he declared that all power in heaven and earth was given unto him. (Matt. 28:18) That was more than eighteen hundred years ago. It was not the will of God that he should at that time begin to exercise his supreme power. Jehovah God then said to him: ‘‘Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot- stool.’’ ( Ps. 110:1; Heb. 1:18; Acts 2: 34, 35; Matt. 22:44) After Jesus had appeared in heaven and there presented his sacrifice as a sin-offering, he remained inactive against the Devil’s institution until God’s due time. ‘‘But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.’’—Heb. 10: 12, 13. The time must come when God would subdue the enemy, Satan the Devil, and his institution. We read: 262 Deliverance ‘‘The Lord [Jehovah] shall send the rod [scepter of authority and power rightfully reposed in his beloved Son] of thy strength out of Zion [God’s organization, saying]: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.’’ (Ps. 110:2) This is the same time mentioned by the prophet: ‘‘Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.’’—Ps. 2: 6. The new government is now born. Jesus Christ, the King, now stands up and assumes his power and authority and begins his reign, even while the enemy still exercises power; but the enemy’s right to that power has expired, his world having ended. Neces- sarily this would mark the beginning of the battle in heaven ; the King of glory and his angels on one side, and Satan the old Dragon, the disloyal son of God, and his angels, on the other side. It is really the fight of God Almighty against the Devil. The fight on God’s side is led by his beloved Son, and in this fight he subdues the enemy. The psalmist thus deseribes the Lord Jesus Christ moving into action: ‘‘Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meck- ness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.’’—Ps. 45: 3, 4. This marks the time of the birth of the nation or government. God’s prophet puts it thus; ‘‘In the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning [the woman, Zion]: thou hast the dew of thy youth.’’ (Ps. 110:3) The new Nation, the government, pic- tured by the man child now born, is in the vigor of youth and strength and now goes forth to rule; it is the beginning of God’s kingdom in action, The Nation Born 263 | REJECTED STONE BECOMES THE HEAD Tt seems quite evident that the Prophet Daniel, in speaking of ‘the stone cut out without hands’, refers to the birth of The Nation or government. By the time of the end of the World War, in 1918, the church denominations, particularly the clergy and the leaders and principal of their flock who pretended to believe and follow Christ Jesus, were provided with abundant proof from the Bible and from fulfilled prophecy that the Lord was present, that the world had ended, that the time for the beginning of God’s kinedom had come. In fact, shortly after the capture of Jerusalem by the allied armies, eight distinguished clergymen met in the city of London and issued the following manifesto, declaring: First.—That the present crisis points toward the close of the times of the Gentiles, Second.—That the revelation of the Lord may be expected at any moment, when he will be manifested as evidently as to his disciples on the evening of his resurrection. Third.—That the completed church will be translated, to be ‘‘forever with the Lord’’. Fourth.—That Israel will be restored to its own land in unbelief, and be afterward converted by the appearance of Christ on its behalf. Fifth—That all human schemes of reconstruction must be subsidiary to the second coming of our Lord, because all na- tions will be subject to his rule, Sixth—That under the reign of Christ there will be a further great effusion of the Holy Spirit on all flesh. Seventh.—That the truths embodied in this statement are ef the utmost practical value in determining Christian char- 264 ~ Deliverance. acter and action with reference to the pressing problems of the hour. This remarkable statement was signed by A. ©. Dixon and F. B. Meyer, Baptists; George Campbell Morgan and Alfred Byrd, Congregationalists ; William Fuller Gouch, Presbyterian; H. Webb Peploe, J. Stuart Holden, Episcopalians; Dinsdale T. Young, Methodist. These are well-known names, and are among the world’s greatest preachers. That these eminent men, of different denominations, should feel ealled upon to issue such a statement is of itself exceedingly signif- icant. This manifesto was sent to the clergy through- out the world and was by them rejected. But the most remarkable part of the affair is that the very men who signed the manifesto subsequently repudiated it and rejected the evidence which proves that we are at the end of the world and in the day of the Lord’s second presence. The psalmist, the prophet of God, cane to this same time and event, to wit, the birth of The Nation and the rejection of the chief corner stone by the pretended builders, when he wrote: ‘‘The stone which. the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’’—Ps. 118: 22-24, The clergy, instead of heeding the truth and pro- claiming it to the people, and advising them that the time had come for the reign of Christ, repudiated Christ and his kingdom, rejected him who is the chief corner stone of Zion, and openly and boldly supported and advocated the Devil’s substitute for Christ’s king- The Nation Born 265 — dom, to wit, the League of Nations, and proclaimed that League of Nations as the political manifestation of God’s kingdom on earth. Otherwise stated, they ignore God’s method and manner of establishing his kingdom and willingly ally themselves with the Devil, supporting his ‘‘image of the beast’’. The Jewish clergy in their time rejected Chrigt the chief corner stone. Now the clergy of moder times do the same thing. They, together with the principal of their flock, being disobedient to the Word of God, stumble and fall upon the stone or new gov- ernment now born. Mark how well the prophetic words of Peter fit the present situation: ‘‘Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the eccorner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient ; whereunto also they were Omtedae (1 Pet. 2:7, 8. Ps. 118:22; Isa, 8:14) Thus the kingdom of God was taken away from those who pretended to rep- resent the Lord, and the words of Jesus were fulfilled. (Matt. 21: 48,44) Those who rejected it ‘fell upon the stone and were broken’, The nation of righteousness is born, God’s kingdom has begun to function. The Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the nations and peoples of earth take note! (Ps. 11:4-7; Hab. 2:20) ‘‘The Lord hath a con- troversy with the nations’’ who have given themselves over to the Devil. (Jer. 25:31) ‘‘The great and the terrible day of the Lord’’ approaches,—Joel 2: 31. Chapter XII The Final Battle P [ anointed servants of God, seeing that Satan the enemy has been expelled from heaven and has come down to earth, having great wrath against the Lord and his anointed; seeing that the enemy has now come in with a flood of error to turn the minds of the people away from God (Isa. 59:19) ; and seeing that the greatest crisis of the ages is just about to break upon the earth, are breathing the prayer long ago recorded by their prototype David, to wit: ‘“Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; and thy glory above all the earth.”’ (Ps. 108:5) Back from the courts of heaven comes the response of God through his holy prophet: ‘‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the [nations], I will be exalted in the earth.’’—Ps. 46: 10. In the light of the present-day fulfilment of divine prophecy these words of the Lord thrill the hearts of Christians, because they see that the time for the de- liverance of the human race from the bondage of Sa- tan the enemy is at hand. With keen expectation they almost breathlessly watch the development of the events preparing for the great battle. Jesus taught his followers to pray: ‘‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.’’ This of itself is conclusive proof that with the birth of the kingdom or nation of righteousness, God’s will would begin to be done on the earth. It follows, then, that Satan’s organization must be destroyed, because the righteous 266 The Final Batile 267 Messiah eannot rule and bless the peoples of earth so long as Satan holds sway. We may know that Sa- tan the enemy, arrogant, presumptuous, defiant and wicked beyond the deseription of words, will make a desperate fight to hold his power. This will mean a battle on earth such as men have never known, This is the reasonable conclusion. Is it Scriptural ? The scripture says: ‘‘Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.’’ (Rev. 12:12) Since the World War the burdens and trials of the people continue to increase. They are now experiencing some of the woes foretold in this scripture, but not all of them yet. The expenses of governments increase. Some of the people’s money must be taken to prepare for an- other great war. The wicked are set up, and the proud appear to be happy, even though they are not. While this is going on the faithful witnesses for God are earrying out the command given them by the Lord, who said: ‘‘This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all na- tions: and then shall the end come.’’ (Matt. 24: 14) The word ‘‘end’’ used in this text is from the Greek telos, which means the conclusion of an act. or state, the limit, the final end. By this it is understood that when the witness has been given as. here commanded by the Lord, then a final conclusion of Satan’s empire shall be reached. | What shall mark the end or conclusion thereof? Jesus answers that this will be marked by tribulation upon earth such as man has never before known, (Matt. 24: 21,22) The Prophet Daniel corroborates 268 - Deliverance this and says that the time mentioned is shortly to follow the birth of The Nation, at which time Messiah, © the great Prince who stands for the people, stands up. That is the time spoken of by the prophet, when Je- hovah sends forth his anointed One as King to destroy the enemy and his power. That will mark the time of the deliverance of the people from the bondage of the enemy. ‘‘ And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be de- livered, every one that shall be found written in the book.’’—Dan. 12:1. JEHOVAH IS GOD But why should there come a great trouble on earth more terrible than man has ever before known? Brief- ly call to mind what has transpired during the past six thousand years. Satan the enemy was created perfect, beautiful and glorious; and God highly honored him by clothing him with power and author- ity, appointing him as overlord of man and making him a light-bearer. He betrayed that trust and con- fidence, became guilty of treason, the most heinous of all crimes, and since then has been leading the way in all wickedness. During all the ages Satan has re- proached God and mocked him, that he might turn the minds of men away from their only Benefactor and true Friend. (Prov. 17: 17) He introduced hypoc- risy among the people that. they might mock God. | (Gen. 4:26, margin) Teaching the people to ignore and repudiate God, Satan caused them to build a The Final Batile 269 tower of Babel and induced them to believe that they could save themselves. There God gave the people a lesson, and a very severe one; but they did not heed ~ it.— Gen. 11: 1-4. Call to mind again that when God’s people were domiciled in Egypt, Pharaoh, as the Devil’s repre- sentative, oppressed them; and when God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh of God’s command he defiantly said: ‘Who is the Lord God that I should obey him?’ Then God went down to them to make for himself a name. (2 Sam. 7:23) To this end the Lord slew the Egyptians and miraculously delivered his own people, carrying them safely through the sea, ‘‘Never- theless. he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. He re- buked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilder- ness.’’—Ps,. 106: 8, 9. Call to mind further that when the Assyrian ruler, Sennacherib, reproached God, blasphemed his holy name, presumptuously assumed to be greater than Jehovah God and defied the Lord and his people, God sent his angel and slew the Assyrian army in one night.—2 Ki, 19: 35-37. But the nations of earth have failed to take heed to these things and to learn a lesson therefrom. Their religious teachers not only have failed to teach them the meaning of such lessons, but have actually spurned the Bible. Arrogance, hauteur, contemptuousness, pre- sumptuousness and blasphemy against God have in this present day reached the superlative degree. Hypocrisy has matured and gone to seed. Of all the reproaches that have been brought upon God’s holy. 270 Deliverance name} of all the insolence and vainglory on the part of men and religious systems, of all the presumptuous sins committed against God by men or organizations, those in times past pale into insignificance when com- pared with those of the present time. Modern wickedness is made worse because evildoers perform their wicked deeds in the name of the Lord. A great religious system, steeped in wickedness and erime, is headed by one man; and it is claimed for his office that he is the vieegerent of Christ on earth and that he possesses power equal to that of Jehovah God. The clergy of this system fraudulently represent to the people that their loved ones who have died are now consciously suffering in purgatory because of the wrath of God, and these clergy claim to be able by their prayers and upon a sufiicient consideration to relieve the suffering ones from purgatorial fires. Thus under false pretenses they receive money from the people and turn the minds of the people away from the true and loving God. The Protestant organizations likewise claim to rep- resent God, and yet defame his holy name by teaching that he is tormenting millions of unfortunate souls in a lake of eternal fire. The clergy of these religious Systems hypocritically call themselves by the name of the Lord and pose before the people as God’s rep- resentatives, while at the same time they deny the Word of God and repudiate the blood of Jesus Christ given for man’s redemptive price. These religious systems have illicit relationship with the commercial and political powers of the world; and the Lord himself gives to them the name of ‘‘harlot’’, which is Satan’s organization. TheiinaleBottle O71 The shepherds and leaders, speaking for these hypo- critical religious systems, presumptuously and. inso- lently say: ‘‘I sit a queen, ...I am rich, and in- creased with goods, and have need of nothing.’’ (Rev. 18:7; 3:17) And now when the wicked world which has oppressed the people has come to an. end, and when the nation of righteousness is born; when. the Lord is present and beginning his reign, for which he taught his disciples to pray and which prayer these clergy have hypocritically repeated; and when the evidence clearly proving these facts is brought to their attention, these self-satisfied ecclesiastics not only turn deaf ears thereto, but persecute the humble fol- lowers of Jesus who dare call attention to the mes- sage of truth. Instead of heeding the words of the Lord and telling the people that his kingdom is their hope, these ecclesiastics blatantly, irreverenily and presumptuously unite with the profiteers and profes- sional politicians in setting up a League of Nations to keep the people under the control of Satan the enemy, and then blasphemously declare that such a League of Nations is ‘‘the political expression of God’s kingdom on earth’’. They not only have de- famed the name of God, but have pushed the Lord aside and have set themselves up in his place, and elaim that their wisdom is superior to his and a safe and ample guide for the people to follow. If it was necessary in times past for God to ex- hibit his power against the Devil’s organization, in order to preserve his name in the minds of the people and to save them from going into complete infidelity, the reason for so doing now has increased a thousand- fold. Hence he says to these babbling, discourteous, 272 Deliverance - swaggering ecclesiastics and to the principal of their — flocks, their allies, ‘‘Be still, and know that I am God.’’ The time has. come for the arrogance of men before God to cease. ‘‘ And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.’’—Isa. 2:17. God will now make for himself a name in the earth that the people shall never forget. He warns the na- tions of earth, and particularly the clergy and the principal of their flock; but they refuse to heed the warning. ‘‘They know not, neither will they under- stand: they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.’’—Ps. 82: 5. GATHERING FOR BATTLE John, because of his faithfulness as a witness of God, was banished to the Isle of Patmos. There the Lord rewarded him by giving him visions pertaining to his great purpose. Amongst other things John had a vision of the great and terrible day of God Almighty. He saw the throngs hurrying on for the great battle of that day, and he wrote: ‘‘And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.’ ’—Rev. 16: 18, 14, 16. ‘‘Dragon’’ here mentioned is one of the names of the enemy, the Devil; and it particularly applies to The Final Battle 273 him and his organization, visible and invisible, when bent upon the destruction of the seed of promise, the true followers of Jesus Christ. (Rev. 12:17) Satan’s organization, visible and invisible, is the real foe of the faithful; as it is written: ‘‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’’—Eph. 6:12. ‘‘Beast’’ in the above text is used symbolically. Wherever thus used in the Seriptures this symbol refers to Satan’s visible or earthly organization. Since the days of Nimrod all world powers have been under the dominion and control of Satan the enemy. (2 Cor. ° 4:3,4) These world powers have governed the people by military rule, and their rule has been beastly, un- righteous and ungodly. The Devil has made it so. This symbolical beast therefore fitly describes the world powers under the dominion of the wicked one. There are three elements that go to make up these world powers or ‘‘beast’’, to wit, the commercial, the political and the ecclesiastical. Satan has always had the money powers as the great bulwark of his or- ganization; and he uses the religious element as a camouflage, to keep the people in ignorance of his wicked course. When the Lord designates anything under a symbol, that designation, name or symbol implies much. The Lord designates these world pow- ers as ‘‘beasts’’, and such they are. ‘‘PMalse prophet’? means nations claiming to speak with divine authority. A true prophet is one who speaks by divine authority and in the name of the Lord. Those who speak in the name of the Lord with- 274. + Deliverance out authority, and who speak lies, are false prophets. “‘™hen the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name; I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.’’ (Jer. 14:14) ‘‘How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart ; which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams, which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.’’ (Jer. 23: 26,27) The same false prophet class forms a part of the ‘‘beast’’, because allied with the world powers under the supervision of Satan the Devil_—Reyv. 16:18. The term ‘‘false prophet’’, therefore, within the meaning of this text, may be properly defined as the Anglo-American Empire. (See Light Book II, pp. 44-51.) Spirits are invisible and intangible; hence the ‘‘un- elean spirits like frogs’? symbolize messages, declara- tions or proclamations, rather than tangible things. A frog is a kind of animal that has a big mouth, assumes much wisdom, looks wise, bluffs a great deal, swells up and makes much noise. It is noticed that the rev- elator here saw three unclean spirits like frogs. This therefore would signify a trio of declarations, princi- ples, rules or proclamations which are boastful, arro- gant and claim much. These messages. come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. They assume to be messages.of wisdom. They are boastful and are proclaimed with: much braggadocio and great. noise, The Final Battle 275 The ‘‘dragon’’, the Devil and his organization, by its efforts to destroy the seed of promise, boastfully says: ‘God is a Har and his Word unreliable. Ignore him, and away with those who advocate his cause!’ The ‘‘beast’’; the Devil’s organization visible, made up of the commercial, political and ecclesiastical fac- tors, is saying, ‘The earth is for man, and man for the earth. We have the only established forms of government that are proper, and we make the earth a fit place in which to live. Who is Jehovah, that we should heed him? Our wealth and our power is our god.’ Ail of these declarations are false, hence unclean. It is Satan the enemy and his organization that pro- claim these false messages. Satan is responsible for them all. These false teachings are the real reasons why the nations of the world are being gathered to the great battle of Armageddon-And why is this so? The answer is that each one of these messages and their messengers defame God’s holy name, and their purpose is to turn the minds of the people away from God. They are driving the people and their rulers into infidelity. And now Jehovah, according to his Word, will make a demonstration of his power so clearly and unequivocally that the people may be con- vineed of their ungodly course and may understand that Jehovah is God. That is the reason why God brought the great flood, threw down the Tower of Babel, destroyed the army of Sennacherib the As- syrian king, and swallowed up the Egyptians; and it is also the reason why he is now going to bring another great trouble upon the world. The former calamities were but shadows of the one now impend- “276 ’ Deliverance ing. The gathering is to the great day of God Al- mighty. It is “the great and the terrible day of the Lord’’ (Joel 2:31), when God will make for himself a name. In this great and final conflict the peoples of every nation, kindred and tongue will learn that Jehovah is the all-powerful, all-wise and just God, BATTLE ARRAY There are divers opinions among men as to the Devil’s organization. Many deny the existence of the Devil; hence deny that there is such a thing as the Devil’s organization. These are blinded by the enemy and know not the Word of God. Others claim to be- lieve that there is a Devil; but they look upon him as an invisible imp who goes about to amuse himself with petty wickednesses, and think that he can do nothing of any particular consequence to men and nations. Still others believe there is a Devil, but claim that he is now bound and think that he can do noth- ing more. These are likewise blinded by his influence, Others believe that there is a Devil, but consider his organization of such little moment that it will easily be overturned by the socialists, laborites or anarchists. To have some conception of what the terrible and final trouble will be, what will constitute the battle of Armageddon, we must have some conception of the extent and power of Satan’s organization. Satan the enemy is in possession of practically all the material wealth of the earth, which he controls through the commercial wing of his organization. He controls and operates every world power or government on earth, through the political wing of his organization. He manages and controls practically all the religious sys- ee a The Final Battle 277 tems of the earth, through the ecclesiastical wing of his organization. These three combined forces make up what is known. amongst men as ‘world powers’, and what the Lord describes as ‘‘the beast’’. The League of Nations, which is an attempt to unite all the nations of Chris- tendom (so called) in one compact, is designated in the Scriptures as the ‘‘image of the beast’’. It is the last and final attempt of Satan to perfect an organiza- tion that will blind the people, turn their minds away from God and his kingdom, and keep them in sub- jection to the wicked one. Few stop to think about the enormity of Satan’s organization and the power that it wields. Practically every newspaper and source of publicity stands ready to mold public sentiment at his will. Take a stroll through the financial district of New York city and you will get some faint idea of the magnitude of the commercial power of this world. Walk leisurely around its Federal Reserve Bank Building ; look at its great walls with windows barred with steel, the whole structure seemingly as invulner- able as the reck of Gibraltar. Step inside for a mo- ment. Observe that every corridor is guarded by soldiers armed to the teeth who, as silent sentinels, are watching the movements of every person who enters or passes out. Look at the great bales of money, piled inside of the steel cages within which men must work as though they were behind prison bars. Peep through into the great vaults stocked with millions of gold. Come also and view one of its safe deposit vaults. Here are other millions kept in reserve. Mark that it is safeguarded by great steel doors weighing 278 Delwerance twenty tons, but so evenly balanced that with two fingers a man can move them with ease. This is but a sample of many like places. The wealth of the world is staggering to the mind of the ordinary man. We ean only estimate this by figures. The following figures are taken from govern- ment reports (1925) and show approximately the wealth of some of the nations, measured in dollars, to wit: United States $320,803,862,000 British Empire 130,000,000,000 France 99,000,000,000 Germany 40,000,000,000 Italy 35,000,000,000 Japan 22,500,000,000 Denmark 2,000,000,000 Austria-Hungary 55,000,000,000 Belgium 12,000,000,000 In 1914 the total railway mileage of the world was 696,274. This is sufficient to make twenty-seven trunk lines around the globe and then have some left. Have in mind then that Satan’s organization owns and con- trols all the railways, transportation systems and steamship lines, all the factories, all the mines, all the manufacturing industries, ete., and that these are all controlled by a few men. The political wing of the enemy’s organization (1926) consists of three empires, twenty-one king- doms, forty republics, five Mohammedan nations, five dominions, and four protectorates; a total of seventy- eight. Sixty of these nations claim to be Christian; and all of them, except five, are members of the League of Nations. The Final Battle 279 In 1923 one hundred and twenty-five thousand clergymen, pastors of church denominations residing in the United States, arranged for what they ealled a ‘drive week’, the object and purpose of which was to create a sentiment that would induce the United States to enter the World Court, which is but a back door to the League of Nations. They have succeeded, and now the United States also, though not admitting so, has in effect joined the League. The pviitical wing of Satan’s organization directs all the official work of the armies, and navies, with their guns, airplanes and poison gas; and manipulates the various government offices in all lands, from the chief executive down to the humblest official. The following census figures are taken from the 1925 World Almanac: Population of the earth by continents: Africa 142,000,000 North America 136,000,000 South America 64,000,000 Asia 921,000,000 Europe 476,000,000 Australasia 9,000,000 Total 1,748,000,000 Population of the earth by races: White 821,000,000 Yellow 645,000,000 Semitic 75,000,000 Negro 132,000,000 Brown 40,000,000 Red 28,000,000 —_-_—_—— Total 1,748,000,000 280 Deliverance The ecclesiastical wing of Satan’s visible organiza- tion has a world membership made up as follows: Roman Catholics 273,500,000 Orthodox Catholics 121,801,000 Protestants 170,909,000 The Protestant denominations claim a membership of 32,502,199 in the United States alone, divided among one hundred and six different sects. These figures comprise the so-called ‘‘Christian’’ religion of Satan’s organization. In addition to them there are 1,017,983,000 heathen, controlled by priests who wor- ship what the apostle plainly says is the Devil. The clergy of these various ecclesiastical systems bless the armies which are sent out by the commercial and political wings, and their blessing is extended regardless of which side these armies are fighting on. The clergy all pretend to pray to the same God for a blessing upon the warring armies of both sides. Their course during the World War proves this beyond a question, and is admitted by all. Of course they will all join in asking a blessing upon the Devil’s armies as they assemble for Armageddon. All these elements that go to make up the visible part of Satan’s organization are being gathered to- gether and assembled for the great battle of Arma- geddon. The formation of the army is in progress and is nearing completion, Looking at the armies of the na- tions, assembled preparatory for ‘‘the great day of God Almighty’’, which are mobilizing as the Devil’s organization, we see in the forefront the so-called ‘‘Christian’’ nations, under the leadership of the clergy, the shepherds of the flocks, and supported by The Final Battle 281 the principal of their flock. They all call themselves by the name Christian ; but, as the prophet truly says, each one eats his own bread and wears his own ap- parel (meaning that he follows his own doctrines and clothes himself with his own salvation garments). Truly this is the time referred to by the prophet when he said: ‘‘And in that day seven women [symbolic of all ecclesiasticism, the so-called ‘‘Christian’’ sys- tems, always pictured by a woman] shall take hold of one man [the name of Christ Jesus], saying [hypo- critically], We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.’’—Isa, 4:1. Like certain ostriches that hide their heads in the sand when pursued by a foe and make themselves be- lieve that they are safe, so these ecclesiastical leaders confess to themselves that they are safe, that they need only to be called by the name of Christ, while they continue to play with the Devil’s fire. They blind themselves to the real situation by putting sand into their own eyes as well as into the eyes of their fellow men. One division of the enemy’s army, approximate- ly three hundred and ninety-five millions, call them- selves Christian Catholics; and one hundred and sev- enty millions call themselves Christian Protestants. The principal ones of these flocks are profiteers, financiers, rulers and politicians, men of influence. In the assembly of the nations for Armageddon these take their place to the strains of martial music, with banners flying and the clanging of accoutrements of war. The Scriptures indicate that the so-called ‘‘ Chris- tian’’ nations compose chiefly the army of the Devil; but probably the heathen nations, with their own 939. Dehwerance cormmercial, political and ecclesiastical elements, also play a part i the coming conflict. The prophet of the Lord declares that all nations shall be assembled against Jerusalem to battle—dZech. 14: 2. The total population of the nations of the earth (1926) is approximately 1,748,000,000. Almost all of these are on the enemy’s side; or, rather, are under the control of the enemy, even though many of them are there by reason of eoercion or fear, or because they are blind. No wonder the leading factors stand afar off and say: What is like unto this great city (organization) !—Rev. 18: 18. Jerusalem is a name applied to the people of God who are consecrated to him. A great number of these are held in bondage to the various ecclesiastical sys- tems or are otherwise blinded by the enemy, and are fearful to take their stand boldly on the side of the Lord. The name Zion applies more particularly to that smaller number of the Jerusalem elass who are not merely consecrated but who are fully devoted to the Lord and his cause because of love for him and an ap- preciation of their privileges. These are designated the overcoming class. Of the overcoming class, who have the promise of being for ever with the Lord, there will be only one hundred and forty-four thousand ; and doubtless the major portion of these have already passed into glory, while the minority remain on the earth waiting for the consummation of their hopes. Of these it is probable that there are no more than fifty thousand, maybe less, who are faithfully and joyfully bearing witness to God’s holy name. These are ‘‘the remnant’’ against which Satan the enemy makes war, and he attempts to destroy them because The Final Battle ; 283 they keep the commandments of God and have the witness of Jesus Christ.—Rev. 12:17. As the enemy and his hosts view the little company who are faithfully bearing witness to the name of God, and hear what these witnesses say, they laugh them to scorn, The clergy, the false prophets, together with the principal of their flocks, make extravagant claims for their organizations and point the finger of disgust toward those who now proclaim the name of God and his incoming kingdom. So small are the numbers who appear to be on the Lord’s side, so great and powerful are the numbers on the enemy’s side, and so extravagant are the claims made by the false prophets of the enemy’s camp, that all except the very elect of God will be deceived to some extent. (Matt. 24:24) The false prophets will tell the people that the present institutions will stand eternally, and that they and their allies have been commissioned to establish God’s kingdom on earth; and that this they are now doing. But the elect, ‘‘the remnant of her seed,’’ will not be at all deceived by the extravagant claims, the threats, the persecutions, the brandishing of arms or any exhibition of Satan’s power. They will remember that Goliath, the representative of Satan the enemy, defied the army of the Lord and fell at the hands of the lad David, who was there a type of the Lord Jesus Christ—1 Sam. 17: 48, 49. : This ‘‘little flock”? will call to mind how the Assyrian king Sennacherib stood before the walls of. Jerusalem, arrogantly claiming to be greater than Jehovah God, defying Jehovah and blaspheming his 284 Deliverance - holy name, and how the angel of the Lord swept away his army in one night.—2 IG. 19: 35. This little company of faithful Christians will re- member how Pharaoh, the visible representative of Satan the enemy, pursued the people of God with his army and would have erushed them, but that the Lord utterly destroyed Pharach and his army in the sea.— Ex. 14: 27-29. This little company of faithful ete will also eall to mind how Jehoshaphat, a representative of the Lord, was beset by the armies of Ammon, Moab and Mcunt Seir, corresponding to the three elements com- posing Satan’s organization at the present time; and how the Lord put his hand over his own people and shielded them, while he drove the enemy’s army into destruction. Why did God cause these things to be recorded in his Word? The evident purpose was and is to show how he can make himself a name when he so desires, and to encourage and strengthen the faith of his peo- pie and cause them to trust him implicitly in the time of great peril. To such he has said: ‘‘O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.’’—Ps. 31: 23. On one side of the valley of decision, and in the valley, stands the tremendous army of Satan the enemy, defying God, uttering eries of derision, and threatening to feed the fowls of the air upon the flesh of those who have come out against them to declare the name of the Lord. On the other side of the val- ley, and high up the mountainside facing to the east, stands the little company of faithful servants of the Lord, small in number and weak in individual power; The Final Battle 985 yet they never for one moment quail before the enemy. They are smiling; they are happy; yea, they are even joyful ; and together they lift up their voices in song, saying: Jehovah is God; Christ Jesus is King; the kingdom of heaven is at hand; the day of deliverance has come! Jehovah God is saying to them: ‘‘Ye are my witnesses ... that I am God. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.’’—Isa. 43:12, 11. THE CONTRAST The contrast between the numbers in the enemy’s visible army and the apparent numbers in the army of the Lord is so great that only a very few are able to see that the enemy’s organization will be destroyed. It seems quite apparent that for the special encourage- ment of the faithful Christians now on earth God long ago caused to be recorded the following picture relating to the present time. Jehoshaphat was a faithful king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat represented the Lord. Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir entered into a conspiracy against Je- hoshaphat and the people of Jerusalem. They came up to assault Jerusalem. Jehoshaphat prayed to God. His prayer is a pathetic one, and fitly pictures the utter helplessness of men and the complete dependence of the Christian upon Jehovah. While Jehoshaphat prayed the Lord sent him a message, to wit: ‘‘ Heark- en ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat ; Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this ereat multitude ; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they 2.36 Deliverance come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand ye still, and sce the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them; for the Lord will be with you. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holi- ness, as they went out before the army, and to say, *Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Ju- dah; and they were smitten.’’—2 Chron. 20: 15-17, B22. . THE FIGHT The history of sixty centuries is behind us. Upon every page of it appear the marks of Satan, the enemy. In all that time he has reproached God, defied him and turned the people away from him. God has permitted it that he may from time to time thereby teach the people a lesson. He has promised that the time will come when he will put an end to this fraud- ulent deception of the people, and that he will open the eyes of the people and deliver them. The hour has arrived when God will send forth his beloved Son as Field Marshal, to lead the fight against the nations of earth composing the Devil’s organiza- tion. It is God’s fight ; but he acts through his beloved Son, whom he has placed upon the throne and who is the priest of the Most High God. (Ps. 110: 2,4) In this great conflict Jehovah is the right hand support The Final Battle 287 of his beloved Son. He delights in him because he is his faithful servant. (Isa. 42:1) To him he gays: ‘“Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meek- ness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things,’’—Ps. 45: 2-4. In times past the prophets of God were granted visions of the preparation for the great battle and the going into action. Habakkuk saw the Devil’s organiza- tion assembled and, to the nations composing that organization who practice the devil religion through worship of images, he says: ‘‘What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.’’—Hab. 2:18, 19. Then the prophet calls the attention of the people to the purpose of the great war. He says: ‘‘But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.’’—Hab. 2: 20. Jeremiah was given a vision of the day of God’s wrath, and he wrote: ‘‘But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.’’ (Jer. 10:10) ‘“‘Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from 288 Deliverance on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation ; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the iiabetints of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth: for the Lord hath a contro- versy with the nations; he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord.’’—Jer. 25:30, 31. - Joel saw the army assembled in the valley of judg- ment, and he expressed this prophecy: ‘‘Put ye in-the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wick- edness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the ees and the earth shall shake: but the ‘Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the ehildren of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dweil- ing in Zion.’’—Joel 3:13-17. Micah had a vision of the great and terrible day of God, and he prophesied for the benefit of the people now living on earth as follows: ‘‘The word of the Lord that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw eoneerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.’’—Mic. 1:1, 2. , _ The Prophet Isaiah had a vision of this day ; and he speaks of the Lord Jesus, the active agent of The Final Battle 289 Jehovah, the priest of the Most High, the Field Marshal, coming forth to make war upon the Devil’s organization, and says: ‘‘Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the great- ness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine ap- parel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?’’ And the response to the prophet is: ‘‘For the day of vengeance is in mine heart. and the year of my redeemed is come.’’—Isa. 68: 1, 2, 4. Suddenly there bursts forth a great fide of light and fire from the right hand of the little company who are singing praises to God. The trumpets are pealing out their terrible strains; the thunders are rolling, the mountains are quaking and trembling, and a voice is calling from the habitation of Zion. It is the Ged of heaven moving into battle. The great and terrible day of the Lord has come! So terrible was the vision and so great was the effect upon the ancient prophet, that he eried out: ‘‘O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.’’—Hab. 3: 2. The mighty Warrior halts; and with feet planted upon the clouds of fire, ‘‘He stood, and measured the earth.’’ He made a survey of the army of the enemy, the nations of the earth assembled against God. The prophet then says: ‘‘I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.’? (Hab. 3:6,7) ‘‘Cushan’’ ~means black face; while ‘‘Midian’’ means brawling, contentious, strife-breeding, fighting ones. The latter term well 290 Deliverance describes the leaders in the ecclesiastical systems, the false prophets who have blasphemed God’s holy name and stirred up strife against God’s faithful witnesses and persecuted those who tell the truth. Now they tremble at the sight of the Lord, and, as the Prophet Joel says, ‘all faces gather blackness.’ The assem- bled nations see the approaching majesty and great- ness of the Lord, and their faces turn colorless as they tremble for fear. Then the mighty Leader of the army of the Lord unsheathes his sword and brings into action his instru- ments of destruction. ‘‘ Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.’’ (Hab. 3:5) At the approach of these ‘the shepherds and the principal of their flocks’ smite their knees together for fear; and, being unable to give battle against any other, in blind fear they turn to battle against each other, On comes the conquering Hero, the Word of God, who for centuries has waited for this very blessed hour. (Heb. 10: 12,18) ‘‘His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; . . . he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood.’’ (Rev. 19: 12,13) But behold his apparel; it is glorious, even though eovered with blood. He is treading out the winepress; he is crushing the wicked vine of the earth. At his approach the mountains tremble, and the great deep utters its terrible voice and lifts up its hands to the heaven. The sun and the moon stand still in their orbits, and all the stars of the high heav- en are shouting VICTORY! With righteous indigna- tion and anger the mighty Conqueror marches through the earth to thresh the nations that have defamed Je- The Final Battle 291 hovah’s holy name. He drives asunder the nations, and their kingdoms are seattered and their high places. brought low. The saints do not engage in the actual combat. This is the fight of God Almighty; and the fight is led by his beloved Son, the Priest of whom Melchizedek was a type. Long ago Jehovah’s prophet recorded conecrn- ing this hour: ‘‘The Lord [Jehovah] at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the [nations], he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.’’ (Ps. 110:5,6) He is also fighting for the salvation of the people, that they might be delivered from the oppressor; and he is fighting for the anointed of God, that they may be vindieated for their faithful witness to the name of Jehovah. That wicked ruling system, designated by the title ‘‘beast’’? and made up of profiteers, politicians and elerey, is taken. That wicked system known as the ‘‘false prophet’’ is also taken ; and these are east into the burning flames of everlasting destruction. (Rev. 19:20) These wicked systems fall, never to rise again. Then the Lord seizes the enemy himself, the Dragon, that old Serpent, the Devil and Satan, and binds him and casts him into the bottomless pit that he may de- ceive the nations no more.—Rev. 20: 2, 3. Thus is Satan’s empire swept from the earth to oblivion. The name of Jehovah God is vindicated. But all human words attempting to deseribe this great and terrible day of the Lord are beggarly. Let us read the words which God caused his holy prophet long ago to record, deseribing his majestic and victo- 292 Deliverance rious march against the stronghold of Satan and his organization : ‘‘A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigio- noth. O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remem- ber mercy. God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heav- ens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power. Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations: and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpet- ual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting. ‘*T saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy char- lots of salvation? Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the over- flowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear. Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the [nations] in anger. ‘Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy peo- ple, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou The Final Battle 993 woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah. Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages; they came out as a whirlwind to seat- ter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly. Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters. When I heard, my :belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trem- bled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.’’—Hab. 3: 1-16. In this great battle no Christian will strike a blow. The reason they do not is that Jehovah has said: ‘*For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’’ To them the Lord said further: ‘‘ And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.’’ (Isa. 51:16) The hand of the Lord is over his little ones; and they that trust him im- plicitly and will prove faithful to him are free from harm and will continue to sing his praises until the end. A description of this final battle is referred to again, in Revelation, as a ‘war between the beast and the Lamb’, in which the Lamb, Christ Jesus, is victorious, because he fights the battle on the side of Jehovah. ‘