A DESIRABLE GOVERNMENT

Government

Page Three

The Original Man Page Eight

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The First Advent

Page Fifteen

New World Beginning

Page Eighteen

•

The New Government in Operation

Page Twenty-seven

Armageddon First

Page Forty

Could Armageddon Have Been Averted?

Page Fifty-three

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International by ble Students Association

Brooklyn, N.Y.

A DESIRABLE GOVERNMENT written by

J. F. Rutherford authe r of "The Harp of God” "World Distress- Why.'” "Can the, Giving Tull.- ii ilh the Dead?” "Millions Now Living Will Never Die!” etc., etc.

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Copyrighted 1921 by INTERNATIONAL by BLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION Brooklyn, N. Y.

A Desirable Government

TO DESIRE a thing means to wish or long for the possession and enjoyment of that thing. Our wish, or longing desire, is an inducement to put forth much effort to obtain possession and enjoyment of the thing.

Desirable means a wish to possess and enjoy that which is pleasing and beneficial.

A government is a body politic, governed or controlled by duly constituted authe rity,

A desirable government is a body politic elected and controlled by constituted authe rity, which authe rity or power is exercised in a just and righteous manner, bringing the greatest amount of good and blessing to all the people.

The theee fundamental blessings that man has long wished for and diligently sought after are: Life, liberty and happiness. That these fundamentals might be possessed and enjoyed, man has attempted many forms of government. He has made some progress; but now, after many centuries of effort, the wisest men of the world freely say that civilization in its present form is gravely theeatened with complete destruction.

The World's Outlook by Foremost Statesmen

L' former days a man who magnified the evil conditions, or -poke of the impotency of government, was designated as a radical pessimist. Not so at the present time. Surely no one today can justly say that Lloyd George, Woodrow Wilson, Ramsay MacDonald, Doctor Brailsford, and like men arc radical pessimists. These men are considered by the world as their foremost statesmen. Here is what some of them say concerning present conditions:

"A. new chapter opens In the history of Europe and the world, with a climax of horror such as mankind has never yet witnessed,”—Lloyd George.

“There Is no settlement in Europe. There is no peace in Europe, Governments can do nothing. They are afraid to do anything and they stand by and allow things to go from bad to worse."- Ramsay MacDonald, M. P.

“Airplanes, poison gas and hatred mixed together are spelling the doom of civilization. America is preparing for war on a scale so colossal that it has no parallel in the history of the world. Our civilization will perish unless we strive for international peace."- Frederick J. Libby.

“I am afraid ihai unless something intervenes there may be In the world tignlli a c.iUiHlroplm. by ll not like the lust one. The next war may well destroy civilization unless something or somebody does something."-—Lloyd George.

Civilization Called Pagan, Fool’s Paradise

"Before the war people oi l on supposed that ours was a Christian culture. Tlm war lets revealed us to ourselves. Civilization Is pagan." Dr. Bernard I. Bell,

“We have come lo the crossroads and no one knows the way out."—JI. G. Wolls.

“The future is very dark. We have reached the twilight of civilization.' Dr. H. L. Brailsford.

"No man unless Im I drunk wiili optimism can deny that the world is very Hick, and it may be a sickness unto death."—Sir Philip Gibb -.

“1 think H is eoriulu Unit If there be another such war civilization will never recover from it." -Viscount Grey.

“We are living in a kind of fool's paradise. Under the slogan of preparedness the militarists everywhere are again precipitating ii deluge of war."—Fred B. Smith.

“The next wnr will lust but a few days, I mean it literally. And in the se few days, with the air and gas attacks which have been planned by hoadcpiarters’ staffs, London and Paris will be wiped out. In a night."—W. L. Warden, of the London Times.

Discussing the world’s distressed condition, President Wilson said:

“These are days of great perplexity, when a great cloud hangs over the world. It seems as if great blind material forces had been released which had for long been held in leash and restraint."

Government Failure—A Malady

There is not a government on earth today that satisfies any reasonable proportion of the world. Many of the nations are ruled by dictators. The whole world is practically bankrupt. Leading men of the world have advanced various schemes or methe ds for governmental reform. But these all have proven abortive.

The great commercial interests of the world have made their attempt, to staby lize civilization, and admit failure.

The statesmen and politicians have held a number of world conferences at which attempts have been made to reform governments. AH of the se have failed. The League of Nations was hailed as the salvation of the peoples of earth, but now it is not seriously considered by many people that the League can accomplish the desired end.

Collapse of Church Federation

The denominational churches have taken their turn. The Interchurch World Movement, composed of the comby ned denominations of the world, incorporated, formed a splendid organization apparently, then called upon the people to contribute to them $336,547,724.26 with which to convert the world. The only thing that the movement succeeded in doing was collecting a lot. of money from the people. It has now applied to the court for dissolution. It admits absolute failure.

To the se who think does it not appeal that man has reached his extremity in an attempt to build a desirable

government? Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. God’s way is certain to succeed in his own due time. Through his prophet God said: "Fot as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my the ughts than your the ughts.” "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void; but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”—Isaiah 55: 9,11.

r

What Hope for the World ?

For a number of years a few Christian people on earth, withe ut regard In denominational creeds, have been bending every possible effort to instruct the people as to what the by ble has io say concerning the cause of the world’s distress and the remedy. During the most of that time only a few people heard, the masses being hindered by a class of men who call themselves preachers, clergymen, doctors of divinity, priests, etc., claiming to be teachers of the Word of God and yet turning the minds of the people away from it. Now the world is becoming wise concerning them ; and since man has reached his extremity, great numbers of the people are giving heed to the teachings of the by ble, and the by ble Students are furnishing them with much helpful literature to understand the Word of God. Reasonable men and women are now beginning to appreciate the fact that only SUPREME Power can save the world from complete collapse. The very purpose of this little book and of like literature published by the International by ble Students Association is to aid the people in a course, of self-instruction concerning the divine plan for the establishment of a desirable government.

The reader is respectfully invited to consider carefully the points herein made and to prove these by reading them in connection with the Scriptural texts cited, to be found in your own by ble. The Scriptures

were given for man’s instruction. The time is now due for them to be understood. The by ble read now, in the light of prophecy that is daily being fulfilled, proves that it is the Word of God and that Jehovah has a complete and adequate remedy for all the ills of humankind. To prove that he purposed to establish in his own due time a government of righteousness that will bless the people, he said theough his prophet: 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 called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase, of his government and peace there shall be no end.’''—Isaiah 9: 6, 7.

Essentials to Good Government

The primary essentials to a good government are honesty and an unselfish desire on the part of the governing power to do the greatest amount of good to the governed, and then the possession of the aby lity to put that desire into operation justly and withe ut partiality.

It is admitted that selfishness now is the predominant motive that induces men to action. Then you will suggest that the only way to have an ideal government, one which meets man’s desire, is to have a governing power that is perfect. This is conceded. The argument that follows herein will be conclusive to everyone who reads and believes the Scriptures, that God has made provision to establish a perfect government that will meet all the desires and requirements of mankind. Why it has not been done sooner, why we should expect it to be done at all, when and how it is to he accomplished can be understood only by briefly reviewing the history of man and showing the reason why the world has now reached a crisis. This proof is not based upon the wisdom of man, but is based upon the Word of the Great Supremo Being and is therefore conclusive.

The Original Man

Concerning the first man the by ble says: “So God created man in his own image . . . and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth/’ (Genesis 1:27,28) “And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in .Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.” (Genesis 2:8) Being in the image of God, the man was perfect. All the works of God arc perfect. (Deuteronomy 32:4) The first man was given dominion over all the things of the earth, with power to people it with a perfect race and to govern that race in a desirable manner.—Genesis 1: 28.

Why Man Failed

Jehovah justly required of man complete obedience to his law, that he might thereby prove man’s righteousness and loyalty. (Genesis 3:16, 17) Lucifer, an angelic being of great power, was in Eden, the Garden of God. (Ezekiel 28:13) lie learned that man had been granted power and authe rity to (ill the earth and establish a government. Amby tion seized hold upon him, and he said: “I will be like the Most High.” (Tsaiah 14:12-14) He set. about to liavo a dominion of hie own; and to accomplish this he resorted io fraud and deceit that he might alienate man from God and then have rule over him. He used the serpent in Eden theough which to speak, ami by this means deceived Eve. He stated in substance to Eve that. God was trying to withhold from her and Adam knowledge to which they were justly entitled, and that if they would eat of the forby dden fruit they would be as wise as God. Eve violated God’s law. (Genesis 3:1-6) Adam deliberately committed suicide. Seeing that he was to be separated from Eve by her death he preferred to go with her. He was not 8 deceived. He wilfully violated the law. (1 Timothy 3:14) Consistent with his fixed law Jehovah sentenced man to death and expelled him from Eden. This judgment is fully set forth in Genesis 3: 17-34.

By this judgment man lost his perfection, lost his right to life, to peace and happiness. He went forth into an unfinished earth to battle with the elements. God enforced by s judgment by causing Adam to feed upon imperfect food; and the. death process continued for 930 years, at. the end of which time Adam was completely dead. After ho had left Eden, all of his children were born. The parents being under the sentence of death and dying, necessarily their children would be born imperfect. Hence we read the words of the Prophet, which apply to all men: “Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5) Every human being has been born imperfect; therefore all are sinners.—Romans 5:13.

Jehovah’s Promise

Years passed; and the number of Adam’s offspring increased. Some among them had the desire for a just and righteous government, while others went from bad to worse. the n God made a promise to Abraham that he would bless him and his seed: “And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 13:1-3) To reassure man that this promise would be carried out, God bound it with his oath. (Genesis 23:14-18) Jehovah always keeps his promises. He said: “For I am the Lord, I change not.” (Malachi 3:6) “I have spoken it, I will bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.”—Isaiah 46:11.

God does everything in his own due time. When we. consider that a day with him is as a the usand years with us (2 Peter 3:8), and that it has been less than '7,000 years since man was sentenced to death, the time of carrying out God’s promise is not long. In the exercise of his perfect wisdom, as now disclosed to man theough his Word, God has permitted millions of people to be brought into the world, permitted them to learn lessons by experience concerning the baneful effects of sin; and while this has been in progress Jehovah has gradually and majestically developed his plans and purposes to establish a desirable government, theough which to bless all the families of the earth.

A Model Government

Jehovah organized Israel into a nation and gave theough that nation a code of perfect laws. He promised them that if they would obey by s law they should be unto him a peculiar treasure above all other people, and that if they would keep his commandments they should have life everlasting; and with that, of course, would go liberty and happiness.— Exodus 19:5,6; Leviticus 18:5.

The promise to Abraham was that in his seed all the nations should he. blessed. (Genesis 18: 18) This promise later was limited to the tribe of Judah, descendants of Abraham. God made it certain that from this tribe should come a great ruler. “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” (Genesis 49: 10) Only the ruler can hold the sceptre; therefore the sceptre, is a symbol of the right to rule or of legal title to the power.

Shiloh is one of the names applied to Christ, the Messiah; and here was a positive promise that the one who would have the right to rule would come theough the house of Judah. Ilavid was of that tribe; and when he became king of Israel, the people the ught that he was to be the promised ruler. His name means beloved; and he was a type of Christ, the beloved Son of God. He pictured the development of the royal line. David w.t* succeeded by his son Solomon, the wisest of all men.

whose reign was marked by great wealth, peace and wisdom. Solomon pictured the Messiah and his glorious reign. Otherwise stated, Jehovah here was using Solomon to foreshadow the real kingdom theough which the blessings of man should come.

Israel did not keep the Law, hence could not receive the blessings promised. The reason why Israel did not keep the Law was because of the imperfection of man. Of course, God knew that they could not keep it. His purpose in giving the Law was to show the stiffnecked Jews that they could not of themselves establish a perfect government; that they needed a perfect Mediator, who must first be their Redeemer and then their King. For this reason St. Paul states that one of the purposes of the law covenant was to serve as a schoolmaster to lead the Jews to Christ.—Galatians 3: 24,

Jews’ Rule of Earth a Failure

Israel repeatedly violated the covenant with God. Under the reign of Zedekiah God permitted Israel to be overtheown. To that nation he said: "Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him. that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall bn no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” (Ezekiel 21: 26,27) Until the coming of God’s appointed king no one could rule the earth with a rightful title, nor in righteousness.

Gentile Rule Began 606 B.C.

The overtheow of Zedekiah occurred in the year 606 B. C. From that time forward God permitted the Gentiles of the earth to put forth their best efforts to establish a desirable government. The first world, power was organized under Nebuchadnezzar. It fell at the hands of the Medes and Persians; then followed the Greek,

and then the Roman empire. All of these have failed, as is now admitted,, to establish a desirable government.

When Jesus came to the Jews, some accepted him as the great Messiah. When he entered Jerusalem and offered himself as king his followers the ught that he had come then to establish his kingdom that would bless all the families of the earth. When he was crucified, they were greatly disappointed, and were in sorrow and in distress. Even his disciples said: "But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel,” (Luke 24:21) Jesus was resurrected and, forty days thereafter, ascended into heaven. Ten days later, known as Pentecost, God revealed to the apostles, theough his spirit, the purpose of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The manner of establishing peace on earth and good will to men had to this time been kept a secret. Then the apostles learned that before the desired blessings could come Jesus must provide the great ransom sacrifice. To understand in some degree the great ransom sacrifice is essential to - seeing how a desirable government. can be established and bring blessings to the people. Briefly here we consider this pivotal point in the divine plan.

Redemption

Adam, sentenced to death, and all of his offspring being born imperfect, could have no everlasting right to life, because of imperfection. No matter how good the government, the desired blessings could not Cume withe ut redemption.

Adam was justly sentenced to death and must die. His offspring inherited the result of this sentence; and being born imperfect, they could never have the right to live. From Scripture Studies, Volume V, ^f’The At-one-ment between God and Man,” p. 421, we quote:

“Unless the divine sentence or ‘curse’ could be lifted from mankind, it would stand as a perpetual embargo,

to hinder man's recovery or restitution to divine favor, fellowship and everlasting life.”

Since perfect man was sentenced to death, the only ossible way for man to be relieved of that disaby lity would be the voluntary death of another perfect man. All of Adam’s race being imperfect, there was no man that could redeem his brother nor give to God a. ransom for him. (Psalm 49: 7) Ransoiri is defined thus: “A price in offset, or a price to correspond.”—Scripture Studies, Volume V, "The At-onc-mcnt between God and Man.” page 428.

God plainly promised to redeem man from death, and ransom him from the power of the grave, and destroy death and destroy the grave. (Hosea 13:14) In his own due time, to carry out this promise he sent his Son ■Tesus, whose life was transferred from the spirit to the. human plane. He was begotten, not by man, but by the power of Jehovah. (Matthew 1: 20) Hence when Jesus was born he was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. (Hebrews 7:26) He was born a man, horn flesh and blood in order that he might become a ransom for man; and by the grace of God he tasted death for all men. (Hebrews 2: 9-14) The love of God provided this ransom sacrifice in order that man might ' live. The Scriphire states: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoso) ever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever; lasting life.” (John 3:16) Furthermore, Jesus said that he came to give his life a ransom for many.— Matthew 20: 28.

The Atonement

That which man has desired above n/ery thing A is life. He. will sacrifice anything that he may prolong life even for a. short season, withe ut life man would be worth nothing to himself or anyone else. Jesus said that he came that the people might have life and have

it more abundantly. (John 10:10) His death an<E resurrection provided a perfect corresponding price for Adam. Adam, a perfect man, sinned and was sentenced to death. Jesus, a perfect man, voluntarily went into death. God raised him up out of death a divine being. Then Jesus said: “Behold, I am alive for evermore.” —Fevelation 1:18.

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and his ascension on high enabled him to present to divine justice the price of a perfect human life, which divine justice could accept and does accept as a vicarious atonement, for man, who had sinned. The, purpose, of this is to open the way to restore man to that condition which he enjoyed prior to sinning; and this condition of restoration is essential that man may enjoy life, liberty and happiness and a perfect government, Therefore says the Apostle: “God . . . will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (I Timothy 2:4-6) His death and resurrection are a guarantee that all men shall have one opportunity for life- God has appointed a day, or time certain, in which this opportunity shall be granted to everyone.—Acts 17: 31.

It is impossible here to go fully into the philosophy of the great ransom sacrifice. We merely state the general principle and the necessity for it. The subject is discussed in detail and we have great pleasure in referring the reader to Studies in the Scriptures, Volume V, “The At-one-ment between God and Han.”

The First Advent

The first coming of the Lord Jesus was to provide the ransom or redemptive price. Before he ascended to heaven he stated to his disciples that he would come again.—John 14:1-3.

Our Lord’s second coining is for the purpose of receiving his faithful followers unto himself and for the establishment of a universal kingdom, which will constitute a desirable government and bring the blessings which God promised to Abraham.

During, the period of time elapsing between the first and second coming the Lord has been employed in selecting from amongst men the se who shall be associated with Christ Jesus as members of his body and as his bride, the church. The word “church” does not mean a denominational church, but it does mean a selected and separated class who willingly devote their lives to the Lord and who, continuing thus faithfully devoted to him unto death, have the promise of receiving the crown of life, or the divine nature.—Revelation 3:1O.

Who Are Immortal?

This royal or reigning family, together with the Head, Christ Jesus, is designated in the by ble as the “new creation,” which new creation will possess the. same nature as that possessed by Jehovah, namely, the divine nature.

Studies in the Scby ptuees, Volume VI, “The Hew Creation,” contains a full and complete discussion of all the by ble texts dealing with the new creation, showing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of this new creation; that his body members are selected during the Gospel age, not before, and none thereafter; that the manner of their selection is as follows: Faith in the

Lord Jesus Christ as the great Redeemer and a full and complete consecration to do God’s holy will; justification by faith; begetting by the holy spirit; anointing or designation to membership in the royal family, and thereafter faithfulness to their covenant even unto death. Concerning these Si:. John says: “It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2,3) To these faithful ones the Lord said: “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) The promise is that these shall live and reign with Christ.—Revelation 20: 6.

Satan’s Government Falling

From time immemorial Satan, the evil one, has controlled the minds of the rulers of earth and of almost all of the people. Israel was the only nation on earth not always under his control. In the course of time Satan overreached that nation; and with the fall of Zedekiah, Israel’s last king, Satan became the invisible ruler or god of the whole world. (2 Corinthians 4:4) Ue has exercised his power over men for evil and against men’s real interest. He usurped the power of control over the Gentile governments; and God did not interfere because it was, and is, Jehovah’s purpose that man should follow his own devices and thus gain lessons by experience that he could not learn otherwise. Man, naturally depraved, moved largely by selfish desires and influences, overreached and controlled in a large measure by the invisible evil one, the devil, has been unable to establish a desirable government. Every effort on the part of good men to establish a righteous government has failed because of the evil influences of Satan and the imperfection of man.

During all these centuries, while men have desired a perfect government, the peoples have groaned and travailed in anguish, hoping, praying and watching for a better time to come, not knowing how nor when that time would come. God in his own good time performs his sovereign will. God’s due time has now come tor the people to know the truth. If it is God’s due time for men to understand, we are certain that all will understand who diligently seek to know. But how may we know that we have reached God’s due time to make known his purpose to bless the human race? The answer to this question is of great importance, and here we attempt to give it according to the by ble.

Since Satan is the invisible ruler of the old world and holds the title by usurpation of that world or order of things, and since the right to rule is in another, then it follows that, when the due time comes for the rightful ruler to take unto himself his power and reign, Satan’s government must fall and his power come to an end. It follows, furthermore, that this would mark the end of the old world, or the end of the Gentile times and I be beginning of the new world. Hence the fall of Satan’s government, the second coming of our Lord, the end of Gentile times, the end of the old world, and the beginning of the new world are so closely connected that the proof concerning one is also proof concerning the other.

New World Beginning

By the term “world” as used here and in the Scriptures is meant the social and political order existing on the earth. The earth itself will never perish nor end., but being created for man will abide forever. (Isaiah 45:18; Ecclesiastes 1:4) God’s plan, with reference to man, embraces three great epochs of time which are designated in the Scriptures as “the world that was,” “this present evil world,” and “the world to come, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” From Scripture Studies, Volume I, “The Divine Plan of the Ages,” pages 66, 67, we quote:

“These three great epochs represent three distinct manifestations of divine providence. The first, from the creation of man to the flood, was under the ministration of angels, and is called by Peter ‘the world that was.'—2 Peter 3: 6.

“The second great epoch, from the flood to the establishment of the kingdom of God, is under the limited control of Satan, ‘the prince of this world,’ and is therefore called ‘this present evil world.’—Galatians 1:4; 2 Peter 3: 7.

“The third is to be a ‘world without end’ (Isaiah 45:17), under divine administration, the kingdom of God, and is called ‘the world to come, wherein dwelleth righteousness.’—Hebrews 2:5; 2Peter 3:13.

“The first of these periods, or ‘worlds,’ under the ministration of angels, was a failure. The second, under the rule of Satan, the usurper, has been indeed an ‘evil world.’ But the third will be an era of righteousness and of blessing to al! the families of the earth,"

The Scriptures refer to the closing events of the second world as “the time of the end.” This does not mean, the end of time; for time will never end. It means a time or period during which the old world or order of things will begin to pass away and its disinters

gration continue until it is completely gone. The passing out of the old world would mean the incoming of the new order. The prophet Daniel had a vision of the great universal empires and of the passing away finally of the last one and of the incoming of the new government. He asked the meaning thereof; and God said to him: “Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. . . . [Then] the wise shall understand.” (Daniel 12:9,10) The word “wise” here means a man who applies his mind to acquire a knowledge concerning God’s plans and purposes. The Lord then caused Daniel to write concerning certain events that would be apparent to everyone during the time of the end. He said: “But thou, 0 Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”—Daniel 12:4.

The period embracing the “time of the end” begins, according to Bible chronology and prophecy, in the year 1799 A. D. This matter is dealt with in detail in “The Harp of God” and Volumes II and III of Studies in the Scriptures. Brom “The Harp of God,” paragraph 400, we quote:

“There are two important dates here that we must not confuse, but clearly differentiate, namely, the beginning of ‘the time of the end’ and of ‘the presence of the Lord.’ ‘The time of the end’ embraces a period from A. D. 1799, as above indicated, to the time of the complete overthrow of Satan’s empire and the establishment of the kingdom of Messiah. The time of the Lord’s second presence dates from 1374, as above stated. The latter period is within the first named, of course, and at the latter part of the period known as ‘the time of the end’.”

“Daniel traces the world’s history by its most notable characters, from the kingdom of Persia down to the overthrow of the Papal dominion. Though covering the long period of 2,400 years, it accomplishes its purpose of clearly marking the very year of the beginning of the time of the end—1799,”—Studies in the Scriptures, Volume III, "Thy Kingdom Come,” pages 47,48.

We should expect to find shortly after 1799 the beginning of the fulfilment of Daniel’s prophecy by the increase of knowledge and by much running to and fro It is interesting here to refer briefly to the world’s history on these points. From “The Harp of God,” paragraphs 408 to 409, we quote as follows:

“A short time thereafter the first Bible societies that ever existed were organized. The British and Foreign Bible Society was established in 1803; the New York Bible Society in 1804; the Berlin-Prussian Bible Society in 1805; the Philadelphia Bible Society in 1808; and the American Bible Society in 1817. The Bible was translated and published in many different languages and sold at such low prices that the poor could have access to it, and within a short time millions of Bibles were in the hands of the people. The Papal system denounced these Bible societies as ‘pestiferous Bible societies.’ The time had come, however, for an increase of knowledge and the Lord was fulfilling his promise by putting it within the reach of those who were hungry for truth. The people began to learn that God is no respecter of persons; that kings and popes, priests and the common people alike must all render their account to the Lord and not to man.

“From that time forward there has been a great corresponding increase of knowledge in all the sciences; and in fact, in all lines of learning, The common school, always opposed by the Papacy, has afforded a means of general education and increase of knowledge for people in all walks of life. Colleges and universities have sprung up theoughout the world. With the increase of knowledge on various lines have come the numerous inventions that man now has, time and labor-saving machines, etc,

“Before 1709 the means of transportation were such that a man could travel only a short distance in a day.

He must go either by a vehicle draw by horses or oxen, or afoot; and when he would cross the sea he must go on a sailboat that made little progress. In 1831 the first locomotive steam engine was invented. Such wonderful progress has been made in this regard that now one can travel through almost any part of the earth at a rapid rate upon a railway train. Later came the electric engines and electric motor cars and gas engines; and now there is a _ttremendous amount of travel in every part of the earth. It is no uncommon thing for one to travel at the rate of 75 and 100 miles per hour; and particularly is this true by means of a Hying machine, which is a very modern invention.

“God’s prophet designates this same time as ‘the day of God’s preparation.’ In Nahum 2:1-6 the Prophet records his vision of a railway train traveling nt a high rate of speed, as another evidence of the day of preparation for the establishment of Christ’s kingdom.

“In 1844 the telegraph was invented, and later the telephone. These instruments were first used with wires and by electricity messages were conveyed theoughout the earth; but now by later invention wires are dispensed with and messages are flashed through the air by the use of instruments all over the earth,

“This great increase of knowledge and the tremendous running to and fro of the people in various parts of the earth is without question a fulfilment of the prophecy testifying as to ‘the time of the end.’ These physical facts cannot be disputed and are sufficient to convince any reasonable mind that we have been in ‘the time of the end’ since 1799).

“The latter part, of ‘the time of the end' Jesus designated as a time of harvest; for he declared: ‘The harvest is the end of the world [age].' He stated that he would be present at that time. From 1874 forward is the latter part of the period of the ‘time of the end.’ From 1874 is the time of the Lord’s second presence as above stated. The apostle Paul, enumerating many things done concerning Israel, states that ‘they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world [age] are come.’ (1 Corinthians 10:11) It must be presumed, then, Unit these things would be understood at 'the time of the end’.^-'

The disciples of Jesus, the Great Teacher, were familiar with the words of the Prophet; for the Law required all Israelites to study the Scriptures. Jesus had told them much about prophecy and had instructed them that the world would come to an end, that Satan would be overtheown, and that the Lord would return and set up his kingdom. Jesus laid great emphasis upon, the new government which was coming, and which the disciples understood would come when the old world ended. For this reason his disciples propounded to Jesus this pointed question: "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign [proof] of thy presence, and of the end of the world ?”—Matthew 24: 3.

Suppose Jesus had answered them by telling them that they would make a long journey; that when they reached the end of their way, they would know it by a sign board upon which would be written certain things Unit he then repeated to them. Then suppose that, following his instructions, they made the journey and found the sign board as he had pointed ont. The only reasonable conclusion would be that they had reached the time mentioned by him. Jesus did practically this thing. He told them that no man knew the day or the hour; but then he set forth events that would transpire at the end of the world and at the time of his presence:

"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes [symbolical of revolutions] in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

These things began to transpire bn the first of August, 1914, when the first gun of the World War was fired. That war involved practically all of Christendom. The world has never yet recovered from it, but has gradually grown worse. Then quickly followed the worst famine the world has ever known, during which millions of people starved to death in Russia, China, Germany, and other parts of the world. The war was followed by a pestilence known as Spanish influenza, from which more people died in twelve months than died during the wav in four years. Since the beginning of the World War there have been more terrible earthquakes than at any other period of the world’s history. Within the same period has been the great revolution in Russia, Germany, Austria, and other European countries. Jesus said in substance: ‘These things will mark the beginning of sorrows upon the world during “the time of the end,” during the time of my presence, and will particularly mark the end of the world, or the Gentile times, and the beginning of the fall of Satan’s government.’

End of Gentile Rule

Was there reason for students of the Bible to expect these troubles to begin in 1914? There were many reasons. The last king of Israel was overtheown in B. C. 606. There began the Gentile times. There it was that Satan became the god of the whole world. The Lord, through his prophets, clearly indicated that the Gentile dominion would not be interrupted by him for a period of 2,520 years, at the end of which time it would terminate. This period of time necessarily would expire in 1914, August 1, to be exact. The end of the Gentile times and the end of the world would necessarily mark the time for the beginning of the new world. It would mark the time, when he whose right it is to reign should take the power and authority to reign. (Ezekiel 21: 25, 26) Confirming this view, and speaking of the same time, the Revelator says: “We give thee thanks, 0 Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come"—Revelation 11:17,18.

1914 marked the beginning of God’s wrath upon the nations of earth, composing Satan’s government, and marked the beginning of sorrows upon these nations, as stated by Jesus. This must continue until a great climax is reached, resulting in the overthrow of Satan’s power and the complete establishment of the new government. These things are now in progress.

Modernist and Fundamentalist

As a further proof that we are at the end of the old and the beginning of a new world, Jesus said that there would be a great falling away from the faith by those who pretend to be Christians. He stated: ‘‘"When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) Corroborative of this the Apostle says: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despis-ers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Iraving a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such 1 urn away.”—2 Timothy 3:1-5.

How aptly this describes the present, condition in the ecclesiastical world! Clergymen, who pretend to be Christians, having a form of godliness, now deny the inspiration of the Scriptures, deny the creation of man as perfect and substitute evolution instead, deny his fall and therefore deny the blood of Jesus that purchased mankind. They call themselves Modernists. They have turned away from the faith once delivered to the saints, as the Scriptures foretold it would be at this time. (2 Peter 3: 3,4) The necessity becomes greater, therefore, for the people to look well to individual study of the Bible; and the very purpose of this and kindred publications is to aid the people, with little or no expense, in acquiring a knowledge of the divine plans.

As further evidence of what should be expected al the end of the old world and the beginning of the now order Jesus said that there would be '’upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea [symbolical of restless humanityj and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” (Luke 21,: 25, 26) Titis describes the conditions existing amongst the nations.

Furthermore, Jesus states that al this time, "this gospel [good news] of the kingdom [the new and desirable government] shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end vome.” (Matthew 24:14) This is now being done by Bible Students, who are heralding the message from the public platform in every part of Christendom, publishing the message in many languages and at a price within the reach of everybody, proclaiming it by wireless and by every other known means. The Bible Students are not seeking membership, not asking any one to join any organization, not soliciting money from anybody, but are merely trying to inform the people as to the cause of earth’s present distress and of a better time just at hand. We submit that it is within the bounds of propriety and modesty to ask the people now to give heed to what the International Bible Students are saying.

The clergy have scoffed and still scoff, but the people are now acquainted with the insincerity of the clergy. They are. also aware of the fact that, all remedies offered by the clergy, statesmen, politicians, and financiers for the reform of the present forms of government. are failures. Now we call upon the people to give heed to what the Word of God has to say concerning the matter. With modesty we ask them to read the Stldies in the Scriptures and "The Harp of God” in connection with iheir Bible and to prove to themselves that we a r ■ standing at the portals of the golden age. This will' enable those who are in despair to have hope. Jesus purposed that Christians should especially be hopeful now when he said to them: “When these things begin to come to pass, then, look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”'—Luke 21: 28.

The climax in the present order of things is described by our Lord as a terrible trouble such as the world has never known. He says: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: hut for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matthew 24: 21, 22) God’s prophet corroborates this: “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 delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”—Daniel 12:1.

Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. The severest trouble will awaken the nations to the necessity of turning to the Lord to realize their great desire. The Prophet describes it thus: “They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their was’ end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.” (Psalm 107:27-30) Confirming this, God through his prophet says: “And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.” (Haggai 2: 7) Surely no one will attempt, to gainsay the fact that the nations now are being shaken; and this shaking will continue until the complete downfall of the present unrighteous systems, and the establishment of the new and righteous government.

The New Government in Operation

Satan, while exercising his power, has been invisible to man. The promise of the Lord is that the devil shall be bound that he may deceive the nations no more. Then shall follow the reign of Christ. (Revelation 20:1-4) The Revclator then describes the new government in this beautiful symbolical phrase: "And 1 saw a new heaven [invisible ruling power] and a new earth [new order of things on the earth] : for the first heaven and the first earth [the old order] were passed away; and there was no more sea [restless, anarchistic humanity]. And I John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem [the new organized government], coming down [proceeding] from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and ba their God.”—Revelation 21:1-3.

Referring to the closing days of the kingdoms under the rule of Satan, the Prophet says: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”—Daniel 2: 44.

The new government invisible (that is to say, the ruling or governing factors invisible to man) is composed of Ohrist Jesus, the great King of kings and Lord of lords, and those faithful followers of Ids who are overcomes and whom he grants to sit with him on his throne. To such he promised, saying, “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 27.

Father in his throne.” These shall have power over the nations and rule them.—Revelation 2:26,27; 3:21.

Visible Representatives

As Satan at all times has had his visible representatives on the earth acting in the capacity of ruling or governing factors, even so Christ the Messiah will have his visible representatives on the earth acting in the capacity of ruling or governing factors. St. Paul mentions a long list of faithful men, from Abel to .John the Baptist (Hebrews 11:1-39), who were loyal to God and to his cause of righteousness, all of whom died before the ransom sacrifice was given, hence whose position in the kingdom will not be heavenly but earthly. The Apostle says that these faithful men of old died, not having received the promise, and their perfection cannot be accomplished until the Messianic class is complete. (Hebrews 11: 39,40) They are dead, waiting the resurrection. Their awakening out of death will be at the early part of the Messianic reign; and they shall he made the princes ot rulers in all the earth, as the visible representatives of the Christ. (Psalm 45: 16) Referring to them, the writer of Studies in the Scriptures says:

“These ancient worthies will be unlike the remainder of mankind, not alone in the fact that their trial is past while the trial of the world in general will just be beginning; but they will be unlike them also in the fact that they will have attained the reward of their faithfulness—they will be perfect men, having completely restored to them all that was lost in Adam of mental and moral likeness to God, and perfection of physical powers. Thus they will not only be the ‘princes’ or Chiefs of earth (the earthly representatives of the heavenly kingdom—Christ and his church), but they, individually, will be representatives of what all the willingly obedient may attain to under the new covenant.

“When Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the ancient Worthies have been resurrected, and shall appear amongst the regathered Israelites about the close of the time of Jacob's final trouble with 606 and Magog, their superior mental powers will speedily distinguish them from others. Moreover, their perfect minds will quickly grasp present-day knowledge and inventions; and they will be peculiar in many ways, as was the man Christ Jesus, of whom the people said, How knoweth this man literary matters, having never learned? (John 7:15) And as Jesus taught the people positively, definitely. Clearly, and not doubtfully and in a confused way, as did the scribes, so it will be with the perfected ancient worthies when they appear amongst men. Besides, these worthies, ‘princes,’ will have, direct communion with the spiritual kingdom (Christ and the church) as our Lord had with the angels, and as Adam eu,joyed similar personal communion before he came under divine sentence as a transgressor. These ‘princes’ of the new earth (the new order of society) will be fully qualified for the honorable position assigned to them.”—Studies in the Scriptures, Volume IV, pages 625, 626.

“Because Abraham. Isaac. Jacob, and the other faithfid prophets described by the apostle Paul in Hebrews 11 are promised a better resurrection; because of the statement of the Prophet that they shall be princes or rulers in all the earth (Psalm 45:16) it is to be expected that they will be the first, ones raised under the terms of the new covenant. Therefore it. is reasonable to expect them lo Ite back on earth at the beginning of the restoration blessings. He,uce these faithful men may be expected on earth within the next few years. They will constitute the legal representatives of the Christ in the earth. They will be the visible representatives of the kingdom of heaven. These are the ones Who shall administer the affairs of earth under the direction of the Lord. We therefore see that there are two phases of God’s kingdom: The heavenly, which is invisible; and the eartlily, which is risible, the faithful prophets of old, namely, the ancient worthies, representing the Lord in this regard.”—“The Harp of God,” paragraphs 380, 5S1.

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The World Capital

In the light of the Scriptures we may reasonably expect that Jerusalem will be the capital of the world, with perfect and faithful men, namely, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Daniel, and others in charge of earth’s governmental affairs, with some of these faithful men as rulers located in the principal parts of the earth; that then the one in authority at Jerusalem will give theections as to the carrying out of governmental affairs in different parts of the earth. With great improved broadcasting stations we can expect Abraham from Mount Zion to direct the affairs of the whole earth. Then the people shall not learn war, but shall beat their instruments of war into instruments of husbandry, improve the earth, and dwell in peace and be a blessing one to another.—See Micah 4:1-5.

At that time the Lord will not permit any one to work injury to his neighbor. Everyone will be compelled to do right. (Isaiah 11:9) This new government will rest upon Christ, the Messiah, as the great Ruler and will be a government of peace and blessing. (Isaiah 9: 6, 7) “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” (Psalm 72: 8) Unto him shall the gathering of the nations be. (Genesis 49:10) He shall be the king over the whole earth. (Zechariah 14:9) With him the saints shall reign. (Daniel 7:18) "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” (Daniel 7: 27) “For the kingdom is the Lord’s; and he is the governor among the nations.” (Psalm 22: 28) His government will be a righteous one. “With righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth, . . . and righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his

reins.” (Isaiah 11:4, 5) This kingdom, or invisible ruling power, is definitely stated to be the seed of Abraham, according to the promise, through which all the families of the earth shall be blessed.—Galatians 3 f 27-29.

The Blessings

This government will meet all the desires of mankind because it will provide everything that man wants. A blessing is that, which brings benefit to people. The greatest of these benefits is life which, to be enjoyed; must be endowed with peace and happiness. These are the things that man possessed in Eden before he sinned. These things he lost, and these are the things Jesus’ blood purchased for man; and all of God’s prophets foretold that these are the things which the new government will restore to man.

Life

Life is the gift, of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6: 23) This means that all who will lie granted life everlasting must accept the Lord Jesus as the great Redeemer and Ruler. Adam sinned and brought death and trouble upon his offspring. Jesus died to provide the gift of life and its attendant blessings. "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.” (Romans 5:18) Jesus laid down his human life that mankind might live. (John 10:10; 6: 51) The coming of the Lord and the setting up of his kingdom are for the very purpose of granting life everlasting to the millions of people on earth, if they will accept and obey his new order and rule.

Concerning this the Apostle said: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ. 'which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven, must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your bretheen, like unto me; lift., shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.” (Acts 3: 19-22) Then those who refuse to obey him shall not go to eternal torment, but shall be destroyed. (Verse 23) All the prophets foretold this coming restitution of man. (Verse 24) Even those who have been wicked shall have a chance to live if they will turn away from their wickedness and do right. (Ezekiel 18: 27,28) Concerning these Jesus said: “'Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.” (John 8:51) “Whosoever liveth and be-lieveth in me shall never die.” (John 11: 26) Knowing that the old world is passing away, that the new government is coming in, that the time of restoration is here, we can now confidently say that millions now living will never die. For this reason the Bible Students are proclaiming this message of good news theoughout the earth. (See book, “Millions Now Living Will Never Die.”)

Liberty

Man has long had a great desire for liberty. The whole race has been held in bondage by Satan. Satan’s representatives in the earth have oppressed the common people. It has been a favorite scheme of Satan’s representatives to enact and enforce espionage laws denying freedom, of speech, and to persecute, imprison and kill men for attempting to exercise the liberty of preaching the gospel of the Messianic kingdom. This blame cannot be laid to man; for the wrong proceeds primarily from Satan, the great oppressor. When his government is entirely gone, and the Messianic government of righteousness is in operation, the oppressor will be no more.

Happiness

The devil, through his earthly representatives, has taught the people that the masses will spend eternity alive, not in happiness, but in torment. This is a false doctrine. Those that refuse to obey the Lord will be destroyed. “'All the wicked will he destroy.” (Psalm 145:20) The obedient ones shall be restored to perfection of body, of mind and heart, and shall dwell together with their loved ones in happiness.

Many now are blind and deaf and lame and halt. These deficiencies shall pass away under the righteous administration of the desirable government. Concerning this, God’s prophet says: “The wilderness and the solitary place, shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. . . . Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing.” (Isaiah 35:1, 2, 5.6) In order for man to be happy he must be relieved of sickness, given health, and have peace. Under the new government these things will be granted. “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.” (Jeremiah 33:6) We quote a few paragraphs from “The Harp of God,” as follows:

“With the establishment of the new order under the Messiah wars and revolutions shall cease, because he has promised that then ‘they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more’; and thus there shall be no more restless humanity, symbolically called sea. —Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3; Revelation 21:1.

•'The profiteers will no longer be permitted to prey upon the people, because God's promise is that, under that righteous reign none shall be permitted to injure another nor to defraud his neighbor.—Isa. 11:9; 65:25.

"Then shall famines vanish away and no more shall be hungering for food nor vainly striving for sustenance of life, because then the earth shall yield her increase and there shall be plenty for all,—Psalm 67: 6.

"Then shall disease and sickness be destroyed, because God has promised under this new order to bring in health and strength, and to bless the people with all favors incident thereto. ‘The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick.’—Isaiah 33:24; Revelation 21:4.

“Funerals now are the order of the day, and the family and loved ones left behind assemble in sorrow to pay the last: tribute to their beloved dead. But under the new order of things funerals will cease, undertakers will “seek a more pleasing employment, and the hearses will be changed from vehicles of sorrow to equipages of pleasure. ‘There shall be no more death."—Rev. 21:4.

“Families have been torn asunder and each member has borne his or her sorrow until claimed by the grave; but under the new order families will he reunited, parents will be brought back to the children, and children to the parents, and they shall dwell together in happiness.—1 Corinthians 15: 22,23.

“No more will the poor be vainly hunting for a habitation or fleeing from greedy landlords, because then, as God has promised, the people will build houses and live in them ; they shall not. build for another to live in, but then every man shall have his own habitation and everyman shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall make them afraid.—Isaiah 65: 21-23; Micah 4: 4." —Paragraphs 604-610 inclusive..

The people will be so happy under the new order that they will assemble, hot to petition for redress of their wrongs, but to sing the praises of the new and righteous government. (Isaiah 51: 11; Psalm 148) The obedient ones shall be restored to the days of their youth and their flesh shall become fresher than a child’s.—Job 33: 35.

Thus we see that the new government will be a desirable government. It will bring to the obedient ones of earth all that they have desired; namely, life, liberty and endless happiness.

Millions Returning from Hell

False teachers of the Bible, representing Satan, have induced the people to believe that hell is a place of torment. On the contrary the Bible teaches that hell is the grave, the state of the dead. For instance, the Scriptures say concerning Jesus that he was not left in hell but was resurrected. (Acts 2: 22-27, 31) If hell were a place of eternal torment, no one could get out of it.

Hell is a “dark, secret condition, the grave, which in the present time speaks to us of a hope of future life, by God’s resurrection power in Christ.”—Studies in the Scriptures, Volume VII. “The Finished Mystery,” page 313.

“The word ‘hell’ occurs thirty-one times in the Old Testament, and in every instance it is sheol in the Hebrew. It does not mean a lake of fire and brimstone, nor anything at all resembling that thought; not in the slightest degree! Quite the reverse; instead of a place of blazing fire it is described in the context as a state of ‘darkness’ (Job 10:21) ; instead, of a place where Shrieks and groans are heard, it is described in the context as a place of ‘silence’ (Psalm 115:17) : instead of representing in any sense pain and suffering or remorse, the context describes it as one of forgetfulness. (Psalm 8S: 11,12) ‘There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave [sheol], whither thou goest.’—Ecclesiastes 9:10."—“The Bible on Hell,” pages 12, 13.                           '

Millions of people are now in hell, the grave, the staff of death. Jesus promised that the time would come when all these should be awakened out of death and come forth to trial for life. (John 5: 28, 29) St. Paul dedares: “There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” (Acts 24:15) Again, he says that the resurrection of Jesus is a guarantee that, all the peoples of earth shall have a trial for life. (Acts 17: 31) When should we expect this to take place? St. Paul states that the Lord Jesus Christ, at his appearing and his kingdom, will judge the living and the dead.

The Living First

The living will be the first ones to be judged. Aa they are gradually restored they will think about their loved ones in the grave and pray for them, and the Lord will bring them forth. Studies in the Scriptures, Volume VII, “'The Finished Mystery,” page 313, says:

“Since all mankind will not be raised at once, but gradually, during the thousand year’s, each new group will find an army of helpers in those who will have preceded it. The. love and benevolence which men will ihen show to each other (the bretheen of Christ) the King will count as shown to himself.—Romans 13:10." The prophet Isaiah refers to the death condition or bell as a prison house. Oue of the offices of the new Governor and his associates will be to bring the dead out of their tombs. Concerning this God, speaking theough his prophet, said: "I the Lord have called, thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.” (Isaiah 42: 6, 7) "'That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.” (Isaiah 49: 9) The prophet Daniel corroborates this in referring to the time when Michael, the great Prince, the new Governor, shall exercise his power in behalf of the people: “Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.”—Dan. 12: 2.

The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the death condition as the land of the enemy. He pictures a mother weeping for her sons that are dead. We are reminded that many mothers have wept because of the death of their sons in the World War. “Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Thus saith !' Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.”—Jeremiah 31:15-17.

The Dead Next

The Lord does not reveal just when the resurrection will begin; but it is reasonable to expect that the world, under the new King, will be ready to receive them within half a century after the beginning of his righteous reign. As the dead are awakened out of the tomb, with reasonably sound bodies, and are returned to their loved ones, there will be great rejoicing and happiness. St. Paul definitely proves that the resurrection of Christ Jesus is a guarantee that all the dead shall be raised.—1 Corinthians 15:12-26.

It would be expected that those who have died last will he the first to be resurrected. Jesus declared: “Many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” (Matthew 19:30) Discussing this point, the. author of Studies in the Scriptubes says:

"It is not an unreasonable suggestion that it may lie in answer to the prayer of faith for the restoration of departed friends that this great work may begin and progress. We see a reasonableness in such a method which seems to commend It above others we might think of. For instance, it would recall the dead gradually, and in the reverse order from that in which they went down, and would thus provide homes and hearty welcomes, and the necessary comforts of life for the risen ones at once on their return to life; and such would thus be acquainted with, the languages, manners and customs of those about them; while, if the order were reversed, the awakened ones would be finite- unprepared in these, respects for the new conditions, and would be entire strangers and uncongenial to the generation in the midst of which their new lot would be vast. These objections, however, would not hold good with the prophets and other undent worthies, who, having served their probation, will be raised perfect men, and who as perfect men will be the Intellectual, moral and physical superiors of all other men.”— Studies in the Scutptcres, Volume IV, '■The Battle of Armageddon," page 6-11,

Satisfying Results

The proof conclusively shows that. The efforts of man <1 tiring the past six thousand years to form a desirable government have failed. From the Bible and extraneous facts in fulfilment of prophecy, the proof is also conclusive that the new government will rest upon the shoulder of Christ, the Messiah, and that it is at hand; that the laws of that government will be perfect; that they will he executed in righteousness and without, partiality; that under that government wars, famines, pestilences, revolutions and anarchy will forever cease; that the peace of that government, will be everlasting; that fraudulent practice anil profiteering will not be permitted, nor will greedy landlords longer oppress the poor; that, all who desire to do good will have full liberty to do so; that joy and happiness will be the portion of every obedient one; that every man will possess his own home, in which to dwell in quietness and security, and nothing shall make him afraid or offend him; that the evil doers will be put out of the way; that the final destiny of the wicked will be destruction; that the final reward of the righteous will be eternal health, life, and happiness ; and that the earth shall be fThed with a happy and contented people. In beautiful phrase the Eevelator describes the. beneficial results: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor Crying, neither shall there be. any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne [the groat righteous Ruler] said. Behold, I make all things new.”—Revelation 21: 4, 5,

Tims we see that after the world’s great distress, now being experienced, God will make good his promise to bring the. desire of all who love righteousness. The desciuption of the new government given in the Lord’s ' Word far exceeds the imaginations even of mam Will such be a desirable government? Surely every fair-minded person will say, Amen. Even so.

Future Foretold

Then as sensible men and women, why further toko heed to the vain imaginations of the financiers, politicians, and preachers of this old order, who claim that they can establish a desirable government by means of the League of Nations or any other such arrangement? All such human devices and arrangements God has definitely stated shall fail.—Isaiah 8:9,10.

Let all those who believe that the new government, of the Messiah is at hand, and that it will be a desirable government', to restore and bless humanity, take courage and rejoice. Not only that, but let them tell this good news to their neighbors

These great tenths are fully set forth, with Biblical proofs, in the Seven Volumes of Studies tn the Scrtptuijes and “The Harp of God.” These books enable the reader to understand the Bible and to take courage and comfort therefrom. Why not then embrace these blessings the Lord has placed within your reach?

Armageddon First

"And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”—Revelation 16:16.

Before the desirable government- will be appreciated by man there must be a final conflict between the powers of darkness and the powers of light, with the complete victory to the latter. Reason woifid lead to this conclusion. The Scriptures make it certain.

When the perfect man Adam was expelled from the Garden of Eden he was sentenced to death. In Hus same judgment God had something to say concerning the woman and the devil. The record reads: "And 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.” (Genesis 3:15) Subsequent developments of God’s plan show that this scripture not only applies to Eve and to the serpent, but has a far wider scope. The serpent represents Satan, the devil. The seed of the serpent represents his active agencies, or offspring. The woman had reference also to the Sarah-Abrahamic covenant. This covenant produces the seed of promise, theough which seed God promised that all nations shall be blessed.—Galatians 4: 36-31.

Stated in other phrase, Satan and his seed constitute the forces of evil and darkness. Christ Jesus and his faithful followers constitute the seed of promise, the forces of truth and light. The forces of light represent the great Jehovah God, who is light, and in whom there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5) The Scriptures mention Satan and his allies as “rulers of darkness.” (Ephesians 6:12) Those who have loved darkness and walked in it are under the controlling influences of the froat evil one. (John 3:19,20) Satan the devil and •10

his lying instruments love and serve falsehood, and not the truth.—John 8:44.

Concerning himself Jesus said: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,” (John 8:12) “As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5) Concerning his faithful followers Jesua said: “Ye are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14) Christ Jesus and those who continue faithfully with him unto the end constitute the seed according to the promise made to Abraham, from which the blessings must come to all the families of the earth. (Galatians 3:27-29) St, Paul refers to these as children of the light. (1 Thessalonians 5:4,5) Satan is a murderer. (John 8:44) “The bloodthirsty hate the upright,” (Proverbs 29:10) Thus we see that the Scriptures clearly draw the line of demarcation between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, between which God declared there would be enmity to the end.

Record of Enmity

Briefly the record showing the enmity between Satan and the favored of God is here traced from Abel to Christ. Abel offered an acceptable sacrifice unto God, while Cain's sacrifice was displeasing to God. Satan, believing this to be proof that Abel was the seed that would bruise his head, caused Cain to murder his brother.

When God promised Abraham that his seed should bless the families of the earth Satan, believing this seed to be the one that would bruise his head, conspired to have Sarah debauched, so that the seed could not be brought forth.

When the promise of God was limited to the tribe of Judah, and of that tribe David was anointed to be king. Satan, believing David to be his bitter enemy, induced Saul to attempt his destruction.

All the prophets who came in the name of the Lin'd

were cruelly treated at the instigation of Satan and his allies, suffered indescribable tortures and death.—Hebrews 11:1-39.

When the babe Jesus was born, Satan planned a conspiracy to have him destroyed, and induced Herod to cause all the children up to the age of two years to be kThed, hoping thereby to make away with the promised seed. (Matthew’2:12-18) Later, Jesus spoke a parable showing how Satan and his allies had beaten and stoned . and kThed the prophets; and when he, Christ the Son of God, the rightful heir, came, Satan and his cohorts would say, and did say: “Let us kill him, and let US seize on his inheritance.”—Matthew 21: 33-39.

Satan’s Visible Representatives

The visible representatives of Satan, the great rating factors of earth, have always been made up of three elements; namely, commercial, political, and ecclesiastical. When the man Jesus was on earth these three elements were, to wit: The rich Jews, who loved money more than they loved anything else; the politicians) Jews and Romans, who loved power above everything else ; and the scribes and Pharisees, the clergy of that time, the ecclesiastical leaders, who loved the plaudits of men more than they loved God, whom they claimed to represent, and who in order to attain their desire joined hands with the commercial and political powers. While at enmity with each other they united their forces to persecute the Lord. Because they were the visible representatives of the devil, who is the god of this world, Jesus designated them as the “world.” He said to his followers: “'Because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. ... If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”—John 15:19,20.

It was this combined governmental element, the visible representatives of Satan on earth, that caused Jesus

to be crucified. God raised his beloved Son up out of death. (1 Corinthians 15: 3,4) Jesus then said: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death?’ (Revelation 1:18) In other words Jesus Christ, by the power of God, triumphed over Satan.

Sedition Laws

From that time forward until now the Lord has been selecting from amongst men those who will be associated with him in his kingdom. The same governing factors have been in the earth at all times; and as they persecuted and opposed the Lord, even so they have persecuted and opposed his followers, and do it now. This is the reason why all the nations of Christendom have enacted and enforced wicked sedition laws against men who had the courage of their convictions to tell of Christ and his glorious kingdom coming.

It was written of Jesus: “Thou Invest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Psalm 45:7) The same must be true of all of his followers. They must be lovers of righteousness and haters of iniquity; lovers of God and his cause of righteousness. The followers of Jesus must be overcomers in order to be associated with him in Ills work. They must overcome the seductive influences o.t Satan, the worldly spirit of his organization, and the selfish tendencies of their own fallen flesh. Such overcomers have the promise that they shall be associated with Christ Jesus in exercising power over the nations, eccupying positions of authority to rule and bless the world.— Revelation 2:26; 3:21.

One of the primary purposes of our Lord’s second coming is to establish and maintain a desirable government

One of the chief purposes of Satan is a desire to hold his own dominion and to keep the peoples of earth in subjection to himself and thus to thwart the purposes of the Lord to establish a righteous government. Hence he and his cohorts will fight against the Lord to the very end. It must be apparent then to everyone that God’s declaration must be carried out in due time, and the head of the serpent, Satan and his cohorts, be bruised. This must be done during the second presence of our Lord, and while he is inaugurating his kingdom of righteousness. "And then shall that Wicked [one] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”—2 Thessalonians 2:8.

Battle Array

The forces of darkness are made up of these:

(1) Satan, the chief in command; (2) a. host of demons or evil spirits [a full description and explanation of the origin and course of these demons will bo found in the book, "Can the Living Talk with the Dead?”] ; (3) that which is termed the beast, or visible representative, of Satan, namely: Big business, professional politicians, and apostate clergy, who form an unholy alliance and all of whom support this wicked order. The purpose of this combine, under the leadership of Satan, is to maintain the present evil order; and deception is resorted to to accomplish this purpose.

The forces of light are made up of these, namely:

(1) Christ Jesus, the great invisible present Lord and King, and all of his holy angels with him; (2) the faithful followers of Christ Jesus, who love and serve God and the Lord Jesus Christ without fear (Uohn 4:17,18); and (3) all lovers of truth who ally themselves on the side of righteousness and justice.

Armageddon Foreshadowed

God foreshadowed this great and final conflict by his dealing with his chosen people and those who waned against them. From Studies in the Scuiptures, Volume IV, “The Battle of Armageddon,” page i, we quote:

“Armageddon is a Hebrew word signifying Ilie Hill of Megiddo, or The Mount of Destruction. Megiddo occupied a very marked position on the southern edge of the plain of Esdraelon, and commanded tin important pass into the hill country. This Idcnllly was Ilie great battle-ground of Palestine, in which were fought many of the famous battles of Old Testament history. There Gideon and his little band tilarmwl and discomfited the Midianites, who destroyed one another in their Hight, (.fudges 7 : 19-23) There King Saul was defeated by the Philistines. (1 Samuel 31:1-G) There King Josiah was Slain by Pharaoh-Necho in one of the most disastrous conflicts in the history of Israel. (2 Chronicles 35: 22-25) There also King Ahab and his wife Jezebel lived, in the city of Jezrocl, where Jezebel afterwards met a horrible death,—2 Kings 9:30-37,

“These battles were hi it sense typical. The defeat of the Midianites released the people of Israel from bondage to Midlan. Tinis Gideon and his band typified our Lord and the church, who are to release mankind from their bondage to sin and death. ’['lie death of King Saul and the overtheow of his kingdom by the Philistines opened the wny fur Cho reign of Ditvld, who typified Messiah. . . .

“In the Scriptures tlio Lord has evidently seen fit to associate the name of this I'nmous haltlefield, Armageddon, with the great controversy between truth and error, right and Wrong, God mid Mammon, with which the Gospel age will close and the Messianic age be ushered in. Be has purposely used highly symbolic language in the last hook of the Bible, evidently with a view to hiding certain import nut trut hs until the due time for their reveiilment."

Forces Gathering

’The Revelator, looking down to the concluding days of the old order when the final conflict is approaching, wrote: “And I saw theee 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. Behold, J come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest, he walked naked, and they see his shame. And lie gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”—Revelation 16:13-1G.

The Book of Revelation is written in symbolic phrase. The words "unclean spirits” denote doctrines ot teachings, having a demoniacal origin. In other words, the things presented to the people proceed from the devil and not from the Lord. These unclean spirits are said to be “like frogs.” Studies in the Scriptures, Volume IV, “The Battle of Armageddon.” page x, reads:

“The theee most prominent characteristics of a frog, then, are pomposity, an air of superior wisdom and knowledge, and a continual croaking. Applying these characteristics to the picture given in the Divine Word, we learn that from the civil power, from the Catholic Church and from the Federation of Protestant Churches will go forth the same teachings. The spirit of all will be boastful; an air of superior knowledge and wisdom will be assumed; all will foretell thee results to follow any failure to obey their counsels. However conflicting the creeds, the differences will be ignored in the general proposition that nothing ancient must be disturbed, or investigated, or repudiated.”

These false doctrines are represented as coming out from the dragOB, the beast, and the false prophet.

''Dragon” is one of the names applied to the devil and his organization, bent upon destroying the seed of promise. “Beast’'' means the devil'.- organization visible, made up of the three elements above mentioned, commercial, political and ecclesiastical. “False prophet” means the very opposite of true prophet, or a class of men who claim to represent God and the Lord Jesus, but who deny their power and represent the devil ami his system. These three elements wr see prominently manifested today everywhere. Concerning the doctrines that proceed from their mouth wo quote from Studies in the Scriptures, Volume VII, “The Finished Mystery,” page 247:

"The theee fundament til truths of history sire man's Pall. Redemption and Restoration. Slated in oilier language these theee truths are the mortal nature of num, the Christ of God and his MThennial kingdom. Standing opposite to those Satan has placed theee great untruths: Human immortality, the Antichrist and n ceria tn delusion which has been misnamed put riot lam, Inn which Is in reality murder, the spirit of the very devil. Il is this last nnd crowning feature of Siilnn's work Hutt is mentioned first. The other two errors are tlw theect cause of this one. The wars of Um Old TesinmOnl wore all intended to illustrate the hnlilinrs of the new creature against the weaknesses of the flesh, urn! nre not in any sense of the word justtficnilnn for the human butchery which has turned the ctirlh Into a Hlnufflitcr-hoiise. Nowhere in the New Tewtamoni Is pnlrloilsm (a narrow-minded hatred of olhers) oneoiirnicd, lilvory-where and always murder In Ils over?, form li forbidden; and yet, under the guise of piilrloilsm flu- civil governments of earth demand of pciice-lovtiig men the .sacrifice of themselves and their loved ouch mid the butchery of their fellows, mid hull It n a duty demanded by the laws of heaven.’’

Note how these things are being lnlfillml nt the present time. The ^,fbeast” [big business, big politicians, and big preachers combined | are raying, 'We must stand

by the present order and patriotically support it because our power is by divine right. There is no other. Let us have a League of Nations and World Court, and thus hold together and keep the people in subjection to v’

Tile “false prophet" (that is to say, a class of clergymen who, instead of preaching Christ’s kingdom are representing the devil’s organization) is saying, “Let us stand by the old order." “The League of Nations is the political expression of God’s kingdom on earth." -In other words, they say: “The devil’s organization is Christ’s kingdom on earth.” Jesr.. said that Satan is the father of lies and all other liars are his children. These false prophets are his seed—John 8: 44.

These same theee are saying, “War is a necessity. In time of peace prepare for war.” In time of war they say to the young men: “Patriotically support the old order. Go to the battlefield and die, and you will be a part of the vicarious atonement and go straight to heaven." Never was a more blasphemous statement uttered. Furthermore, they say: “All men are inherently immortal. The punishment of the wicked is eternal torture; therefore unless you support the old order patriotically, you will die and go to hell, and roast and stew and bake and fricassee forever and ever.”

The people are heavily laden with taxation because of the unrighteous wars they have been induced to fight by this Satanic element. They cry for relief, but receive none. The strong, vigorous men who marched to the battlefield and returned broken in body and in health, ask for a small pittance in the way of a bonus that they may exist; and they have received no consolation. The three elements continue to cry out: “Prepare war, build more airships and deadly instruments of destruction.” Truly these three “unclean spirits," operating theough the unholy alliance, are gradually rushing the nations on to the great and final conflict described as the battle of Armageddon.

God’s prophet, foreknowing what they would do, said to them: “.Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the. weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all yo nations, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord, Lei the nations be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat [valley of graves j : for there will 1 sit to judge all the nations round about.”-—Joel 3: 10-12.

The Lord also commanded the forces of light Io give forth a message at this time, that those who have a hearing car may hear; and he. says (Joel 2: I. 2):

"Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand: A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, tied her shall he any more after it, even to the years of many general inns.”

Thus the Lord describes the terrible day of conllict.

The Forces in Battle

God makes a picture of the battle of Armageddon by using Gideon and the Midianites. (Hee Judge 1 : I 23) The Midianitcs numbered more than 300,000 armored warriors. Gideon had. a little band of 300 men, divided into three companies of 100 each. The only weapon-they had were lamps inside of pitcher 'They took their stands upon three sides of the Midianilea and at a given signal broke their pitchers, held up their lights and shouted: “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.” Gideon here was a type of Christ Jesus. and hi little company represented the follower of Chrisl. Gideon stnick not a blow. He killed not a single Midiftuite. Btit the Midianitcs, frightened by the light. drew their

iit>               .1 Desirable Goi:crnincnt

swords, fell upon each other and slew one another. Even so Christ, now present, is proclaiming, theough his representatives, the truth amongst the people.

The representatives of Christ on earth will not engage in any part of this great battle physically. They are commanded of the Lord to do injury to no man. Their part is to hold forth the truth, telling the people what these terrible times mean, and what they may expect will follow. As the Midianites were frightened by the lights, so now the light of truth shining out brighter and brighter in the world is frightening the forces of darkness, causing them to rush on to the final conflict and their self-destruction.

Destroying One Another

Satan and his forces have begun to fight amongst themselves. The financiers of France and others are in a combine to destroy the finances of Germany; what is true here is true amongst the other nations. Now we see the politicians of one nation in a desperate attempt to destroy, by political chicanery, one another. Moreover, we see those who compose the false prophet, but who claim to represent Christ, at war amongst themselves. Modernists are fighting against Fundamentalists, and these elements are hastening all the nations into the terrible and mighty conflict. They are goading the common people to desperation.

The prophet Jeremiah describes the conflict thus: "’A noise shall conic even to the ends of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations; ha will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from 'the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shalltbe at that day from one end of the earth even unto me other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented,

neither gathered, nor buried; they .shall bo dung upon the ground. Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel. And the shepherds shall have no way Io Hee, nor the principal of the flock to escape. A voice of I be. cry of the shepherds, and a howling of I he principal of the (lock, shall be heard: for the Lord hath spoiled their pasture.”—Jeremiah 25: 31-36.

In this scripture the Lord describes the clergy by the same name they give themselves. “the phoidu of tho flock,” and describes the prophets and politicians and profiteers, who go into the church for n clli. h purpose and rule it, as the principal of the (look.

St. James, under inspiration of (hr holy npirii. likewise describes the same unholy alliance when lie says:

"Go to now, ye rich mon, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches arc corrupted, and your garmenls arc mollmatcn Your gold and silver is cankered; and the hihI of them ulmil be a witness against you. and . bull oai your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped Iron iiic (dgelhi r I'm- the List days. Behold, the hire of the lahmor.-* who have reaped down your field, which is of you kept hack by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped arc entered into the ears of the Lord of Salamth Ye have lived in pleasure on the enrlh, and been watdon; yo have nourished your hearts, in a day of । laughter. Ye have condemned and killed the jirnl.; and he doth not resist you.”-—James 5:1-6,

A Conspiracy

(Satan and Iris forces of dnrkna • have entered into n conspiracy against the Lord and his kingdom. Two dements of the visible organization of the beaut do not I

even pretend to have faith in the Lord. The leading clergymen of the world have joined hands with them to say that they will set up a kingdom in opposition to God’s, or in other words, to maintain the present evil order; and they induce many people to believe that this can be done. God’s prophet describes them thus: “Why do the nations rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” (Psalm 2:1) The vain thing here imagined is, that, the present, chaotic condition of earth can he. straightened out by imperfect men.

The Prophet continues, saying, "The kings of the eartii set, themselves, and the rulers fake counsel together, against, the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords frdm us.” These take counsel together in saying, ‘We will not have the llessianic kingdom; we will not have the new government; let us break in pieces those who advocate it and cast away their cords from us.’ Then the Psalmist further says: “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord skull have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.”

Could Armageddon Have Been Averted ?

Doubtless many will ask: Could not Ilin laud inaugurate his kingdom without, the iicrei'sii.y of the great battle of Armageddon? 'I’he answer u- Hint this could have been done had the ruling factors of I he earth acted in the right way, prompted by a good motive. But yielding to the seductive influences of Sahin, they have gone too far. Now it cannot be prevrofid. 'I’he Lord, theough his prophet Jeremiah, fororihadowed thin condition and stated this conclusion.

There are hundreds of thousands of proiuthe ra in Christendom who claim to represent Chri I, hence to represent his kingdom. there are many men in their flocks who claim to support, these. pieachci I l;iJ the preachers and the principal of their flock had been students of the Scriptures and heeded Hod’ Word. I.lmy would have known that the World War which began in 1914, the famines, pestilence, and revohdmtn. Hud followed, and the general distress' of nalions, hit all evidence of the presence of Messiah and of lie lime for The inauguration of his kingdom. They should have heeded fhftt testimony and been obedient, to the Lord. Had they done so the Lord theough his prophet Imi shadowed Hint He would have prevented the r,i‘'ul < mbn I r<ipl»<- which will befall the nations in the batt,Ie of Armageddon. They did not do it.

Stated otherwise, had the profiteer been not satisfied to quit profiteering when the war ended, and had they treated the men fairly who horn the bruril of bailie; had the politicians been willing to secure - mi repre ruling the people and had they honestly looked into the the interests of those who bore the burden in I be heal of the

day; had the clergy possessed and manifested the proper faith, and courage and had they separated themselves from the unholy alliance and told the people the truth, namely, that the evidences are clear that the Lord's kingdom is at hand, and had they advised the people to turn to the Lord and seek righteousness, Armageddon might have been prevented. They did not do it. Selfishly and unrighteously they have rushed on from bad to worse, permitting selfishness to rule, utterly disregarding the Word of God.

Jesus describes this concluding conflict as the worst time of trouble the world has ever known; so terrible would it be that unless the Lord intervened no human beings would be saved, but for the elect’s sake the Lord will intervene. (Matthew 34:21,22) The elect here means God’s chosen people who with Christ Jesus constitute the ruling factor of the new government, the desirable government. In order that these can have people with which to begin reconstruction, the Lord, will cut short the time of trouble; and as he stilled the storms upon the sea of Galilee, so ho will still the passions of men, bring order out of chaos, and establish a lasting peace.

Can Any Escape the Trouble?

There are millions of honest people on earth who love righteousness, who believe in the Bible, believe in God, who would love to avoid the great trouble which is theeatening all Christendom, similar to what Russia has already undergone and which is now upon Germany. Many of these will ask: Is it possible for us to escape that terrible condition? The answer is found in the Scriptures. The Prophet, seeming to speak to those who have such a desire in their hearts, says:

“Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce auger of the Lord come upon

you, before the day of the Lord’s anger eomo upon you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righleonsncseek meekness: it may be ye shall he hid in the day of the Lord’s anger,”—Zephaniah 2:2,3.

In this critical hour upon the nat ion of the earth let everyone- who would have God’s favor avoid controversies, keep away from mobs, do not purl a iptile m radical movements, live a peaceable and qiiiel lite, deal righteously with everyone, do injury l<» no one. drive In bn honest and to deal in this imimier villi your neighbor; seek peace; and the Lord may spare v<n from rmne of the terrible conditions now confronting the world and grant to you the. privilege of being among I I ho millions on earth now living who shall never die. Iml who, embracing the opportunities of the Me ionic kingdom now coming in, shall live forever on enrlli, being renlored Io perfect condition of body and mind Io dwell with llrnir loved ones in happiness.

Thus the Lord clearly shown that Ilie enmity lid ween the seed of the serpent and I he .end of I he woman, which has existed since the lime of Eden. ulutll re: nit in complete triumph to the seed of the woman ; namely, the. Christ:

“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he in Lord of lorda and King of kings; and they that arc with him uro called, and chosen, and faithful.”—Revelation It : II.

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' ignorance of God’s plan for the rccnVi ry nf I In* Wild from sin and its consequences. m id undi 1 the hi Im- I .Irn that the nominal church, in .ft nprcncivi curtdlll<n>, itulhr sole agency for its accomplislwnent, the rondhlun n| the world today, after the gospel hut Ik’cn prciuhcd nearly ipoo years, is such as tn nwriken nrrhxw • hniht n in every thoughtful mind $0 ml&infomx >1   Anil #h» h

doubts are not easily surmounted Wllh imyihlttfi nlihif

: of truth In fact, to every Ehcrtifdnfnl nlV’firVrr «mr »•! two things must be apparent - dfhnr the rhliiHi him made a great mistake in supponlrifl (I in I. In the lurv-nt age and in her present condition, her <rflk r hwi hn 11 to ‘ convert the world, or else God'u plnn hnn hreu n inlacr* ■ able failure.

Also in -Arabic,Armenian. Dann-Nfl^WflctriJ^nnfAh^ French, German, Greek, Holldntllth, Ijungur fun. hilhiin, Lithuanian, Polish Roumanian. Ruslan, 8h>^ih_t Spanish. Swedish, Ukrainian; Cloth Dtndiha. 7^f,i

THE TIME IS AT HAND

1,928,500 edition. 384 pages; also 47 pages of questions. Cloth binding, 35 cents.

An examination of Bible chronology and the Bible's history of the world. Its endeavor has been to collate the Bible evidences and to offer suggestions in respect to their significance. This volume written in 1889, predicted that the ’"times of the Gentiles" would end in 1914- Promptly in August. 1914. the Gentile kingdoms referred to in prophecy began a struggle known as the World War, which will culminate in the complete overtheow of all human government and the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. A little later the time will come for the resurrection of the dead Covering this field, the studies are arranged as follows: Special Times and Seasons Divinely Appointed: Why not more Plainly Stated; Bible Chronology: From Creation of Adam to 1873 was 6.000 years—Wherein this Chronology Differs from Bisliop Ussher’s. Noted in our English Bibles; The Fulfillment of Time Prophecy at the First Advent of Christ: The Seventy Weeks of Daniel’s Prophecy—Events Foretold co Transpire within that Time—The Time of Messiah's Advent Indicated—A Key co Other Time Prophecies; The Times of theGentiles: Their End A. D 19T4—Attendant Events—Events to Follow—Literal and Symbolic Time—God’s Kingdom to overtheow Gentile Rule; The Manner of Our Lord's Return and Appearing: Statements Apparently Conflicting Shown to be Harmonious—He Comes "as a Thief', and yet ’’with a Shout’’, with ."Voices’’, and "with the Sound of a Great Trumpet"; Earth's Great Jubilee: A Period of 1,000 Years; The Parallel Dispensations: The Jewish Age a Type of the Gospel Agc—Flcshly and.Spiritual Israel Contrasted—Period of Fleshly Israel's Favor; Elias Shall First Come: How this Important Prophecy Stands Related to the Second Advent—The Vision on the Holy Mount—Elijah's Successor, Elisha; The Man of Sin—Antichrist: Antichrist Must be Developed, Revealed and Smitten before the Day of the Lord—Antichrist's Birth—His Rapid Development; The Time is al Hand: The Establishment of Christ's Kingdom, the Work now in Progress.

Also in Arabic, Dano-Norwegian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Polish, Swedish; Cloth Binding, 75c.

THY KINGDOM COME

l,8J_f2,500 edition. 388 pages; also 44 pages of questions. Cloth binding, 35 cents.

Points to the prophetic testimony ©n<1 the chronology of the Bible regarding the time of t He riniliUMirtimi of Christ's kingdom on earth, Point" to the fiireimd conditions that would exist and the crlnln n» which they lead. 1'he studies cover such rdplcn «•» Ihy I'.imidom Come: Classes of Men Intcicucd In lr <Iaw Opposed to It, and Why Opposed; 77ii* 'liw »f the End or the Day of The Preparation: 'the l lni'* “I the End A. D. i/QQ—Its Closr A. D iui<« />•»*»• <7 Waiting for the Kingdom: Ilie non I )ny;. of I kinh । ■ Prophecy—The l»335 Days of Dimirrn 1 ’n•pliri v, TheCleansing of the Sanctuary: i, hxi D<iV" < l« >lng Will not be Accomplished until □,]<*> Alm tin Vision; The Time of the Harvest: the < In nl Location of the Harvest—The Lord'* I in 7 he Work of the Harvest: Gathering the Win m I hindlhiu. Binding and Burning the Taro- I In* * <; i mu < ’ll. Gradual Fall and Final Destruction of Hnl<vk*n— Judgment or Trial of Both System* nnd Indiv hlunln The Wise Separated from the FooJl'ih Virgin* And the Door was Shut"—Eleventh I tour ;        and

□vercomers; The Deliverance and I iulntinm id the Church: The Deliverance of the Church Near- it will be the Harbingcr of the Delivern»wr of the world nt Mankind; The Restoration of hrart the Hr •’ <timlin|» mentof Israel in Palestine—'Date of II* hndnn’im nnd Evidences of its Actual Progrrv. Sim i- I h« l<« m.i of Jewish Hopes—The Anttit^lfirmi tjin'ilnn; //iv God Reigncih: A Resume of the Piopl'^r”‘ I vkkiH; . which Show the Presence of Immnnucl and ilmi IL Kingdom is in Process of Establishment Iha tv«il mony of God's Stone Witness and Prophet. fhr Gr/u/ Pyramid in Egypt, is disciiWtd 111 flllJS Vnliliiu’, di closing same of Its vast storage of liv'wlci ho A General Description of the Grc.ti I'vinmlil, Why <» Special Interest to Chrisiinn?:. S< lent lfl<. ' l»a«cnh; ifpd Prophetic Testimony; It.'i 5k imtlfh’ I ‘•mmim.. hi Testimony concerning the I’lmi id ⁽hr         the

Death and Resurrection of CJiriri hidh m d A < m u’ Time of Trouble; The Nature of the Inmbl*. the Great Reformation Movemrnt Marked; I <d lh^f Second Advent of Christ; Rcfmv* Athelwn. h’’'d’ H v and Evolutionary Theories; Vrrihr* Ivilh thf I Inn of the Bible and its Appointed I inw* and . 'fH -no .. Confirms Bible Chronology An t*r faith in ihlw Volume.

Aho in Dano-Norueuian, Ftnniith. f (*rrmrrn Greek, Polish, Swedish; Cloth Binding, 75c.

THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON

189,000 edition. 667 pages; also 39 pages of questions. Cloth binding, cents.

The contents of this volume cover the closing epoch of the Gospel Age—a period which brings to the world wonderful blessings, which in turn become more and more a cause of friction, discontent and trouble, hastening that irrepressible conflict between Capital and Labor. Some of the topics discussed are: The Day of Vengeance; The Doom of Babylon—Christendom: Babylon—Christendom—The City—The, Empire— . The Mother—The Daughters—Babylon's Doom— Its Dread Significance; The Necessity and Justice of the Day of Vengeance; Babylon Arraigned Before the Great Court: The Arraignment of die Civil Powers— The Social—The Ecclesiastical; Babylon Before the Great Court. Her Confusion—National: The Civil Powers in Trouble—In Fear and Distress they Seek Alliance One with Another—The Cry of Peace! Peace! When there is no Peace; Babylon Before the Great Court, Her Confusion—Ecclesiastical; The Nations Assembled and the Preparation of the Elements for the Great Eire of God's Indignation; How and Why the Nations are Assembled—The Increase of Poverty— The Outlook for Foreign Industrial Competition Appalling—Barbaric Slavery vs. Civilized Bondage— Tne Conditions Universal and Beyond Human Power to Regulate; The Cries of the Reapers' The Conflict Irrepressible—The Testimony of the Worldly wise; Proposed Remedies—Social and Financial: Communism —Anarchism— Socialism— Collectivism— Nationalism —Single Tax—Other Hopes and Fears—The Only Hope; The Battle of the Great Day: Typified in Israelis Fall and in the French Revolution—The Lord's Great Army—The Time of Israel's Trouble—His Deliverance and the Discomfiture of the Hosts of Gog and Magog; Our Lord's Great Prophecy: The Abomination of Desolation—Flee to the Mountain— Those with Child, etc,—Before Winter and the , Sabbath—Lo Here! Lo There!—Believe Them Not— Tile Darkening of the Sun and Moon—The Falling of the Stars—The Fig Tree—As in the Days of Noah They Knew Not—One Taken and the Other Left; The Establishment of the Kingdom and How it Will Manifest Itself: Who Constitute the Kingdom— Setting up the Spiritual Kingdom—-Setting up Princes in All the Earth—The World's Conversion; Jehovah's Footstool Made Glorious,

Also in Dano-Norwegian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Polish, Swedish; Cloth binding, 85c.

THE ATONEMENT BETWEEN

GOD AND MAN

738,000 edition. 637 pages: 86 />«>!<■■' c'f questions. Cloth binding, JO cunts.

The key-note of this volume I-. the rrin--un prh r From this doctrine radiate all other rfm-rrlnei connected with our salvation. An undri .laniluia »l The ransom permits Christians to decide al on. - •.’.lint i. truth and what is error. The study Is rnl.cn up In an orderly manner as follows: TheT.i.l umr I'hil.-y..r.liy The Orthodox View—The Heterodox View 1 hr View. The Author of the Atonement I lucirlna id tin-Trinity Unscriptural; The A/r.ftur.ir .J dm Alonriarm Jesus Made Flesh—Not Incarnate I, The Medmior of the Atonement: The Latest: I lediicrii.ns of S, |eni r in rc the Union of Life and Pain and loss |_n What Sense our Lord was made Perfect through suffering How Davids Son—Joseph's Genealogy through Solomon—Mary's Genealogy through Nathan The Son of Man as Seen by the World -Pilate View Rousseau's View—Napoleon's View, The Ch innel of the Atonement: The Operation of the I f.ily Bible The Baptism. Witness and Seal of The Sfijilt   Al -rmr

ment: Spirit Baptism. One Only In I ho c Ruh How to Recognize the Spirit's Witney.. The A'pird of a Sound Mind: The Holy Spirit of Amnenirni Sup posed Objections Considered— Quench Not the bpim —Lying to the Holy Spirit—bin mr.nir.i The I Inly Spirit—The Holy Ghost Wltrwveib, The Subject l of the Atonement—Man: What B Man- I lin Ofthe-dox Answer—The Scientific An -. tr I he I tijrln Answer—Man's Body—The Spirit ol Man the Human Soul—What Is Sheol, Hades to which all Souls go in the Interim between Death rm llhellri tirrcction? Hopes for Life T-Mrbuline .uid Immortality •Secured by the Atonement: Is the I liiimin .'kml Itn mortal or has it a Hope o I becoming linn* mall ■ Wherein the Hope for the Church mil the J lope fin the Saved World Di Her; The Necessity for the Atone ment^-The Curse: Man nn Fxampte fin Angela and for Future Generations; A Ran ram fur All. (In Only Basis for At-one-ment; The Ministry of Reruncilia rwn or At-ane-meru.

Also in Dano-Norwegian. Finnish, French, Herman Creek, Polish, Swedish: Cloth Binding, 85c.

..THE NEW CREATION

731,500 edition. 747 pages-, also 71 pages of questions. Cloth binding, l_t0 cents

Compiles the Scriptural rules and laws of management of the church and the Christian home. Opening with a discussion of the Bible record of creation, it continues with "In the Beginning": The Earth Was— Creative Days 7,000 Years in Length each—Persistency of Species Refutes Evolution Theory-—Earth’s Grand Jubilee Due at Close of the Seventh Creative Day; The New Creation: How Begotten and Born to the New Nature; The Call of the New Creation: None but the Called Eligible—'l ime of Gospel Call Limited; The New Creation Predestinated: General View of Election; TheOrganization of the NewCreation: Gifts of the Spirit Ceased with their Necessity-Woman’s Province in the Church; Order and Discipline: Meaning of Ordination—Funeral Services— Tithes—Collections^—Charities; The Pest or Sabbath of the New Creation: Origin and General Observation of the First Day of the week cs Christian Sabbath; The Judgment: Judgment During the Gospel Age; 7he Baptism: Infant Baptism—Scriptural Testimony on Baptism—Disciple View—Baptist View—The Baptism of Fire—Is Water Baptism Necessary:? The Passover: Marital and Other Privileges and Obtijga-lions of the NewCreation: Advice to the NewCreation in the Varied Conditions of Marital Union; Parental Obligations: Parental Influences; Sundry Earthly Obligations; The Foes and Besetments: The World and Nominal Church as Enemies of the New Creation —the Great Adversary: The Present Inheritance of the New Creation: Our Hope—The Thief in Paradise: The Resurrection Inheritance of the New Creel ion: The After Resurrection to Life—Not a Judgment or Trial for Past Sins.

Also in Dano-Norwegian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Polish, Swedish; Cloth Binding, 85c.

THE FINISHED MYSTERY

£,495,000 edition. 610 pages, Cloth binding, 40 cents

An explanation of the books of Revelation and Ezckid, particularly noting how events of the past seven years have fulfilled prophecy. Proceeding upon the theory of interpreting the unknown on the basis of what is known, the probable manner of fulfilling prophecy respecting the events of the forthcoming four years is advanced. The book explains the Seven Messengers to the World—Paul, John, Arius, Waldo, Wycliffe. Luther, Russell; Six Seats and the Papacy: Seventh Seal and the Great Company; Four Preliminary Reformations; Two Ineffective Reformation Woes; The True Reformation Woe; The Time of the End; The Birth of Antichrist; the Papal and Protestant Beasts; Eeclesiasticism's Seven Plagues; The Papacy's Last Stand- The Fall of Ecclesiastic ism: The Overtheow of Satan s Empire; The Thousand Years' Reign; The Descending Kingdom; The River of Grace and Truth; The Papal and Protestant Sieges; Suord— Famine— Pestilence: Dawn of the Evil Day- Molech the Torment Deity; Christendom's Blind Flight; Gods Four Sore Judgments; Unfaithfulness of Gods People; Parable of he Eagles; The Lions Whelps; The Hypocritical Ecclesiastics: The Thrice Doubled Sword; The Melting Pol of War: Two Apostate Church Systems: Protestant Pollution; The Boiling Caldron; Downfall of Philosophy: Philosophy’s Utter Ruin; Destruction of the Devil; Churehianity to be Destroyed; Christendom’s Future Condition; Church and State to go Down Together; Christendom not to Endure; Christendom’x Utter Downfall; Why Ecclesiasticism Mifst Perish; Clerical Seeds of Anarchy; Christendoms Early Restoration; Why Cod Will Restore Christendom; The Valley of Dry Bonas; A Great Religious: Reformation; The Final Overtheow of Pride; Death of Pride’s Multitude; The Temple and the River of God.          •

Also in Dano-Norwegian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Polish, Swedish; Cloth Binding, 85c.

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STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES

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HARP BIBLE STUDY COURSE

$2⁸⁵ Postpaid

A library of eight topically arranged Biblestudy books in ordinary, not theological, language. Containing over 4,000 pages. The complete set of seven volumes Studies in the Scriptures, by Pastor C. T. Russell, containing over 3,700 pages, maroon cloth, gold stamped library edition, size 5 x 7M inches, dull finish paper; complete index of every scripture explained or quoted theoughout the seven volumes.

The Harp Bible Study Course, using as its text book “The Harp of God" by Judge J. F. Rutherford, a work of 384 pages; regular Tuxedo green linen gold stamped library edition, size 5 x 7yi inches, dull finish paper, Reading assignments consist of an hour's reading for Sundays, Self-quiz cards containing twenty ! questions on what has been read mailed weekly, stud-। ents not required to submit written answers.

_; International Bible Students Association

Brooklyn, New York, U, S, A.