SATANIC STRATEGY DOOMED TO FAILURE.

;;t once recognized Abel as the piv im-ed seed, and immediately injected int < the mind of Cain a desire to murder his brother, which Cain did. From that time on, Satan sought to destroy every person who seamed to have the favour Of God, even as Saul soiignt to destroy David who. the Scriptures Sl.jw. was a type of the real Seed, according to t e promise.

In due time. Jesus was born, as a 2-child. All the prophets of Israel had foretold the birth of the new King. He was the heir of promise. Satan recognized Him as the Seed and immediately put it into the mind of King Herod to kill the young child ; and to accomplish this purpose, the kmg caused all the children in Bethlehem, under two years of age, to be slaughtered.

THE SEED OF PROMISE

God made promise that the “ Seed of the woman” should not only bruise the serpent’s head, but should ultimately d. -tr >v the “ Seed of the serpent,” establish a g< » Loment of righteousness in the earth, ana ' ring blessings to all the groaning creation. He specifically made this promise to Abranam, saying. “ In thy seed shall all the natic- ; cl the earth be blessed” (Gen. 22 : 1-18). Th? Apostle Paul particularly identifies this promise . with Jesus and the Church—trie members of His body—denominating such as the “ Seed of the woman,” as promised (Gal. 3 : 16. 27-29). The development of th s Seed began when Jesus consecrated t»e Jordan and was there baptized. He immediately went into the wilderness and S-ta;. Tf cosm'zine Tosus .as. the ll ”. s/f first opportunity to destroy Him (Matt. 4 : i-n). When Jesus died upon the cross, Satan doubtless thought he bad succeeded in his purpose to destroy the “ Seed.” Subsequently, however. Jesus arose from the dead and ascended on high. That was a surprise and disappointment to Satan.

At Pentecost, the body members, composing the remainder of the “ Seed of promise,” began to be selected and developed, which w’ork has progressed until now’. The body members of this “ Seed ” are designated in the Scriptures under various names, such as, the Church, the bride class, the wheat, the Lord’s jewels, etc. Some of these have been found in the Catholic and Protestant Churches all through the age. The great Master gave a parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt. 13:24-40). showing that the “wheat” represents those who will be of the kingdom of God; while the “tares” are the children or offspring of the devil. He stated that both would grow in the same organiz.ations until the end of the Gospel age, at which time the separation would-take place. During the Gospel age, millions have been brought into the various church systems, but the Lord definitely states that only 144,000 will be in the body of Christ, constituting the “Seed” according to the promise (Rev. 7^: 4 :   14: 1-3). To this

class God gives His exceeding great and precious promises ; and only to those who are overcomers of the world, the flesh and the devil will He grant a share with Him in His kingdom. Satan and his cohorts have ever sought to destroy this “Seed” of promise ; but God has safeguarded that “ Seed” as the “apple of His eye.”

SATAN’S SEED

Development of the spiritual “Seed” according to the promise began with the baptism of Jesus at the J ordan. Satan understood that the “Seed” of promise was a seed only according to the flesh, and continued in this thought until Jesus arose from the dead. Then he began to get more light upon God’s purposes. At Pentecost he saw’ the beginning of the selection of men to whom it was declared that if they would prove faithful unto death they should be of ’ the “Seed” according to the promise, this “ Seed ” being designated as the Church, or bodv of Christ. Thereupon Satan set about to devise ways and means to offset the “Seed” of promise by developing a “Seed” of bis own ; and in due time he had his “ Seed ” in full operation.

Antichrist means against Christ, or instead Of Christ. The Christ—Jesus, the Head, and the members of the Church, His body—being the “Seed” according to the promise, it follows that Satan’s “ Seed,” which claims to be in place of Christ, is against Christ, therefore Antichrist. Even in the days of the apostles Satan was perfecting his plans to establish the Antichrist—his “Seed.” (See

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I am able by the law to dispense above the law. and of wrong to make justice in correcting laws and changing them.” Satan would have the people believe that the Pope is an absolute autocrat who has the power to make laws and to ignore all laws of others, even God's

COUNTERFEIT MILLENNIUM

The Pope, as the head of the system, together witYi his “little flock”—the clergy ---asserts that the Millennial reign began in a.d. 800 and continued until the year 1800, when the system received a severe, blow’ at the. hand of Napoleon Bonaparte. The S-'tiptures show that at the end of Christ's Millennial reign there is to be a “ little season ” when Satan is to be loosed. Papacy claims that the ” little Reason” is Irani the y^ar 1800 until now. In fact, a comparison shows that the Papal system is a counterfeit of Messiah’s kingdom and that it constitutes the “ Seed ’' of Satan, being designated in the Scriptures under the title “ Babylon, the mother of harlots ” ; and that the Protestant systems, dominated by the clergy, constitute the “ daughters.”—Rev. 17:5-

TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD CONTRASTED

The fact that God has designated these systems as Babylon does not mean that all the people in the systems are bad. On the contrary, the Lord shows that in these systems manv of His true saints have been developed. H is the system, dominated by an ambitious clergy, that the Lord designates as the “ Seed ’ ’ of Satan. It is the clergy who promulgate and teach the doctrines. For many centuries the clergy have supported Satan’s lie: “ Ye shall not surely die ’ “ There is no death,” etc.

Both Papal and Protestant clergy have taught the doctrine of inherent immortality of all souls and the doctrine of eternal torment. The Lord’s Word teaches that when a man dies he is dead. “The wages of * in is death” (Rom. 6:23). "The soul that sinneth it shall die ” (Ezek. 18:20). When a man is dead, he is unconscious. “ There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. ” (Eccles. 9: 10). “ His breath goeth forth ; he returneth to his earth ; in that very day his thoughts perish.” (Ps. 146:4). The “ hell ’ of the Bible Is the grave, the tomb ; and all who die go to hell and remain there until the resurrection. Even Jesus went to hell (the grave, the tomb), as plainly stated in Ps. 16: 10. .Acts 2 : 27 and elsewhere.

Without the> lie of Satan it would have been absolutely impossible ever to fasten upon thinking people the doctrine of purgatory, which has been such a fruitful source of revenue for Papacy ; likewise the doctrine of the mass, which the Lord Himself styles as an abomination (Matt. 24: 15), would have been unquestionably rejected; the doctrine of eternal torture, and other kindred doctrines, would never have been believed. By these false doctrines Satan has deceived millions and “ blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”—2 Cor. 4 : 4.

Satan induced his ‘’Seed” to enact laws limiting the use of the Bible to the clergy

class, think Bible filled down

The people were not permitted to independently and knew nothing of study. The result was that darkness the earth and gross darkness settled upon the people.

WAR BETWEEN THE “SEEDS”

Jehovah’s Prophet, referring to the “ Seed ” of. Satan, particularly the Papal head, said : “ He shall speak great w’ords against Jehovah, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High”

(Dan.

Every means that could po¹

in the course Of time, ambitious Clergymen tffe woman drunken with the blood of the in all the Protestant systems were teaching saints and with the blood of the martyrs of

Satan’s first and famous lie—the doctrine Of Jesus.” Throughout the greater part of the inherent immortality and the kindred doctrine Gospel age. the Seed of the woman,” the of eternal torture, mixing politics and religion, saints, have been in captivity to Babvlon. civil with ecclesiastical powers; and thus ” Satan developed his “ Seed ” in the Protestant system amongst the true saints of God. The perseention of others in the name of religion is too well known to our readers to need repetition here. God permitted all this perse-

cution for a good purpose, development of true and

for Uis caiai

ants of

Matiy are still there,-and to these we Sound this warning. The Lord foretold that the separation and deliverance would take place at the end of the Gospel age, which is designated as a harvest time. 'This harvest began, according to the Scripture chronologv, in 1878. Since then, the true saints of the Lord, whether in the Papal or Protestant systems, have been fleeing out of Babylon and being gathered by the* Lord into a condition of closer fellowship with Him.

and manifest :i character pleasing to the Lord, and such as He will be able to use in carrying blessings to the groaning creation.

For a thousand years, Satan exercised a free hand in controlling the kings of earth through his “ Seed,” the Papacy. The rapid development of Protestantism after a.d. 1800 greatly interfered with his operations. The year 1878 marked the time when Christ Jesus would begin the exercise of His Divine power, preparatory to His reign. It was in ghat very year that the gathering together of the truly consecrated began—the harvest of the Gospel age!* That, faithfirt and wise servant of the Lord, Pastor Charles T. Russell, then began boldly to proclaim the truth as it had not been proclaimed since the days of the apostles. The very keynote to God’s wonderful plan of salvation is the ransom sacrifice—that Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every* man (1 Tim. 2 : 5, 6 ; Heb. 2:0). Pastor Russell plainly proved from the Scriptures that death is the result of sin ; that the only way that leads to life is through the merit of the sacrifice of our Lord ; that, the “ Seed ” of promise, the Church, has been in course of development during the Gospel age, and when finished, restitution blessings will be offered to all the remainder of mankind through this “ Seed.” God used him to turn thousands of people back to the Bible and to bring comfort to their hearts. Since then. Pastor Russell and those joining with him in this work have gladly, at a sacrifice to themselves, sent the Gospel message to all narts of the world. This has greatly angered Satan ; and for the past twenty years he has.specially pitted his “ Seed ” against these faithful followers of the great Master, Satan has united practically all denominations in persecuting Pastor Russell and his associates. He has diligently employed the Clergy, a

Catholic Secret Order, and other similar ganlzations in this persecution throughout earth.

THE

Twenty dared his

KAISER AND THE POPE years ago, Emperor William

or-the

de

____ purpose of restoring the Pope to his original power. His statement at that

time.

was , published bv Pastor Water) Tower, as follows :

‘‘Emperor. Wilhelm of

publication by the pre

Russell in Tne

recent speech is reported to hav<

Germany in

said :

“ * The Pope is the spiritual ruler of the largest communion on earth, and he is by

far the most powerful and aut spiritual rulers.

“ ‘ Kings and emperors are

ordained guardians

social

directors of social well-being, leaders of religious bodies arc

the divinely order and just as the the divinelv

ordained moderators of conscience.

“ * I think it imperative therefore that he be put in a position to freely accomplish all the good of which he is capable. He must be liberated from his seif-imposed imprisonment in the Vatican. All the trammels that surround and harass him in his daily life must be removed, so that he will then be at liberty to fight the common enemies, Socialism and irreiigion.

“ ‘ I havij meditated long and deeply on this subject. The fact, that it preoccupies me so much convinces me that I am inspired to take action in the matter. It is like one of the voices that Socrates had about with him which whispers in my ear that this also is my mission to remedy’ the Pope’s position and open up the field for his range of welldoing. It daily urges me to act.

•‘The small preternatural voice unmistakably spurs me on, and I think than this m> better augury of success could be desired.

“‘ Tor this moment 1 can say no more, and it does not behove me to be too explicit about my plans. They are already laid, and my immediate actions will be a development .of them. Their result will be their justitica-

sibly be thought of has been employed by the “ Seed ” of Satan to crush out the very spirit of true Christianity and to substitute the doctrines and forms of the Antichrist. Tins persistent worrying and wearing out are well illustrated in the institution of the. confessional, the inquisition, secret spying systems, and other means of persecution.

Exactly in conformity to Jehovah’s state- f_{ion> an}d jj _wj|j _ai_so p_f. the justification of ment, there has ever been enmity between _{manv ac}ts j_n tp,.         • • •

the “ Seed according to the promise arid the ⁿ ...

“ Seed of the serpent.” Papal ecclesiasticism, backed by the State, or civil power of Rome, began an open and relentless persecution of the saints in the sixth century. The escutcheon of history is blackened’ by what followed. In 1204, the fiendish inquisition came into vogue-and, in the name of religion, murder stalked about in the earth, and the

seemed strange and unaccountable to my good Protestant subjects, but which had

their motive and their origin in a desire to accomplish great and enduring events.

“ ‘ I shall not die until my ends in this regard are attained. Death otherwise would litjd a void in my existence ; and I feel within me that 1 have not been born in. vain.’ ”

blood

flowed freely. This

wicked persecution can be accounted for only according to the Scriptural statement as the effort of Satan to destroy the “Seed” of promise that would bring blessings to mankind. Satan used his own “Seed” in the attempt to wear out and destroy the “ Seed ” ■ of promise.

THE REFORMATION

the year

the good and great

Martin Luther vehemently protested against the unrighteous course pursued by the “ Seed ” of Satan. All students of history are familiar with the persecution that followed and how the Lord blessed Luther’s efforts in establishing many of the saints of God in the true faith. The Protestant Church was established ; but with its establishment the Adversary again sowed his seeds of wickedness, and

WHAT IS BABYLON?

The word “Babylon” originally meant gateway to God. .Afterward, in derision, it came to signify confusion, because at Babel the language of men was confused. The ancient city of Babylon typed Mystic Babvlon. Mystic. Babylon is described in Rev. 17: 1-6 as “ Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.” The Papal system is the mother of harlots. The term “mother of harlots” signifies her daughters are likewise harlots. In the larger sense,

DEMONS IN BABYLON

The Scriptures also indicate that will be marvellous activity among* demons at the end of the Gospel age are now in that time. Jesus declaret

there

We

deceptions would be such that, if it were possible, even theelect (the promised “ Seed ”) would be deceived. But God will not permit this deception to prevail. Referring to Hie close of the age, the Revelator said, “ Babylon the great is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils” (demons) (Rev. 18:2). These demons, working under Satan, the chief of devils, have found a fertile field of operation in Babylon. It is a well-known fact that the Czar of Russia was under the wicked influence of the demons, who operated on his mind for years .through Rasputin the pro-German medium to betray and wreck Russia in favour of the Kaiser. 'Die Czar

was head of the Greek Church, a part, of Babylon—a part of the  Seed” of Satan.

Accepting the devil’s falsehood, many men of great mental capacity have been deceived ; among them such men as Sir Oliver Lodge, Sir A. Conan Doyle. Stead. Funk, Crookes, Meyers, Gurney, Hodgson, and many others. Without a doubt thev see and hear, but they are not communicating with the spirits of dead men. They are communicating with the evil demons above described. The honesty of these men is not questioned, yet their “proof” falls flat if we accept the Bible as true. The great majority of the clergy of Babylon, however, are higher critics and evolutionists, and therefore repudiate the the inspiration of the Scriptures and refuse the Bible’s testimony. Lhe Bible says that death is an enemy: “ He i Christ j must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet : the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death ” (1 Cor. 15: 25. 26). The dogmas

their course. The Scriptures clearly, indicate that Satan and his cohorts, the demons, inhabiting Babylon, will use his ⁱ Seed — rhe willing ones of Babylon— to bruise the heel of the “ Seed ” of promise.

But again Satan will be defeated'; because the death of the saintly oiies will bo their triumph. As the Apostle declares, they shall net sleep, but shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. They.shalLbe “caught away” (literally, removed by violence) to meet the Lord and be for-ever with Him.—1 Cor. 15 : 51, 52 ; 1 TheSs. 4 : 17.

The last members of the Church having been taken away’, the peoples of the world will awaken to the fact that the nominal church system (Babylon) is the “Seed” 6f Satan ; and then, as shown by the Scriptures, “ a mighty angel took up a stone like a great . millstone and cast it ipto the sea ” (overwhelmed ecclesiasticism in a great 'tithe of destruction). This is the final cataclysm or time of trouble to which the Prophet Daniel referred and which Jesus also mentioned.— See Dan. 12 : 1 ; Matt. 24 : 21,

CAUSE OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE

Once understanding the two seeds—the “Seed of the woman” and the “Seed of the serpent ”—and that there has been <? limitvTin d conflict beCween~thent from Eden ', until now. all religious Intolerance and persecution in the name of religion is made clear. Millions of honest people have been duped by. Satan's deceptive schemes. These facts are set forth calmly and dispassionately, and not with any feeling of enmity; they are not stated to injure any one, but that the people may be enlightened at this time of great crisis. Every Christian will put away any feeling of animosity and hatred, and realizing the cause of conditions in the earth, will rejoice at the evidence of the near complete

triumph of the “Seed” of promise—The 'Lite Kingdom of heaven is at hand!

Christ.

Turn carnage

GLIMPSES OF GLORY your mind away from the scenes oi

_______. and destruction, persecution, wickedness and sorrow, and by the eye of faith behold

the longed-for kingdom of God coming into power. Looking ahead a little, we see Satan bound ; the demons for ever destroyed; . wickedness and crime no more permitted. The law goes forth from The Christ and the word of God from Jerusalem. The people are turned to peaceful vocations ; they beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. No more shall they know war. The dead are being resurrected and are returning from the land of the

oi the vicarious atonement and the forgiveness of sins are overthrown by Spiritualism. Satan has alwavs sought to overthrow this vital truth. The majority of modern clergymen refject the doctrine of the vicarious atonement, . —7               - v-’-

denying that the blood of Jesus bought the ■^Ju- ^ut'“ⁿ. their heads and sorrow and sighing human race. Satan is playing his last card ?;^r'“          awav (Isa. y *'4 jSa • i-io)-

In his effort to deceive and to destroy the A^{h g}V‘^nd u''°^^d₁^ertu-^ldran?^a₍^^h^s “Seed ” of promise. Satan knows we have ¹.!^ie ' ^Io'^{e th}f M^lenmal reign of ChriX __j .l- E-j .... ______..   ... ..       j ■ .very man m the earth, nr that has ever

enemy—the condition of death. They are coming to Christ with songs of everlasting

reached the end of the world. He is makingf hip last desperate stand to control the earth.

Every man in all the earth, or that has ever lived on the earth, shall have had a fair and

Ha is using all the members of his “ Seed ” in this titanic effort. Through the Pope and the Kaiser he seeks to overrun the world. He plays his children, the clergy, to deceive and draw away the minds of the people from the Bible. His subjects, the demons, now being loosed from prison, and inhabiting Babylon, will produce a great cataclysm ; and every nation that is controlled by Satan’s “ Seed ” will fall into the“ great tribulation ” foretold by our Lord.

'Lhe enmity between the “Seed” of Satan and the “Seed of the woman” has almost reached a climax. The demons, finding a habitation in the minds of those who control Babylon and who constitute the “Seed” of Satan, will exercise their every power to destroy the “Seed” of promise. Many will be surprised that the orthodox clergy of our dav are thus ensnared. The ecclesiastics of the Jewish system, the scribes and Pharisees, are duplicated in the clergy of the ecclesiastical systems of our time. These have denied the words of the Master, the blood of Jesus and the resurrection of the dead. 'They⁷ say the dead are not dead, and therefore cannot be resurrected ; and since man is a creature of evolution, as they claim, they thereby deny the necessity of a ransomer. Thev have accepted Satan’s lie in preference to God’s truth. Jesus said, therefore : “Why do von not understand my speech ? Even because yon cannot hear my word. Ye are of your lather the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the

impartial trial for life; ttie wilfully wicked destroyed for ever ; and the obedient ones fully restored to health, strength, perfectipn of body and mind, and their hearts filled with joy.

truth,

because there is no truth in him.

When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of hi: own ; for he is a liar, and the father of il '

WHY THE CHURCHES FAILED

The peoples of earth are now in the great transitory period. The greatest crisis of all time is upon the human race. Many are asking, Why has Christianity failed ? Why should this great war come when we have so many churches and like organizations ? The answer is found in the fact that Christians In the church systems have bean overreached by Satan, and his “Seed” has there prodominated and controlled. The clergy have repudiated the Bible, they have turned the people away from It; their religion has been merely a veneer and could not regenerate ths heart. The spirit of Christ alone can bring regeneration.

But let no true Christian at this hour be discouraged or dismayed. It is a lime, for all such to be calm and sober-minded, to watch and pray. Be strong in faith, and remember the .Master’s words: “ He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.” To the order-loving people of the world the Prophet of the Lord says : “ Seek meekness, seek righteousness ; it may be that ye shall be bid in the day of the Lord's anger.” Go quickly to your Bible and prove that the foregoing statement is true; and learning it to be true, you will be able to see, shining beyond the darkness that now enshrouds the earth, the light of hope, the Messianic Kingdom.

(John

43, 44). Here

locates the class composing

THE HEEL TO BE

Jehovah said that the

Jesus definitely the “Seed” cf

BRUISED

— ------ — Seed of the

Serpent ” would bruise the heel of the “ Seed

of the woman.” The “heel” means the last members of the body of Christ on earth --the last to pass within the vail of death. Lhe world has now ended. The last members of the body of Christ ₍soon will have finished

then, the word applies to ecclesiasticism as a whole—the Catholic and Protestant systems —not the people. Harlotry means the unlawful relationship between ecclesiastical and civil powers. The Lord here foretold

!Si

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