Deliverance (1926)
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Chapter I. Creator and Creatures
Chapter II. The Rebellion
Chapter III. Hypocrisy and Faithfulness
Chapter IV. World Destroyed
Chapter V. Enemy Organizes
Chapter VI. First World Power
Chapter VII. The Typical Organization
Chapter VIII. Arrogance Rebuked
Chapter IX. The Deliverer
Chapter X. Preparing the Empire
Chapter XI. The Nation Born
Chapter XII. The Final Battle
CHAPTER XIII. The World Established
Chapter XIV. Reconstruction and Restoration
Deliverance
A vivid description of the Divine Purpose particularly outlining God's progressive steps against wickedness and showing the final overthrow of the Devil and all of his wicked institutions; the deliverance of the people; and the establishment of the righteous government on earth.
BY J. F. RUTHERFORD
Author of
The Harp of God Creation Life
Reconciliation Government
Prophecy Light
and other books
3,023,000 Edition
Publishers
INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY
Brooklyn, New York, U. S. A.
Also: London, Toronto, Strathfield, Cape Town, Berne, Magdeburg.
MADE IN U. S. A.
AS A TESTIMONY TO THE NAME OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD
THE CREATOR OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED
“Ye are my witnesses . . . that I am God.”—Isa. 43: 12.
Copyrighted 1926 by
J. F. RUTHERFORD
PREFACE
THIS book contains a message of good news. It enables the people to have before them the positive evidence from which they may determine who is their worst enemy and who is their greatest friend. It shows why the people have been subjected to so much affliction and suffering and how they may and will be delivered from all their foes.
The names of the three great persons herein made conspicuous are: Jehovah the Father, and the Logos and Lucifer his sons. The son Lucifer organizes and carries on a wicked rebellion which Jehovah does not hinder until his own due time, when he intervenes and puts down the rebellion and the rebels. By and through his loyal Son, the Logos, he completely delivers the people and then showers upon them his gracious blessings.
This book contains a statement of the outworking of the divine purpose. It establishes faith, creates hope, and makes glad the soul. In due time all the peoples of earth must have an opportunity to know the message this book contains. The time is now due when they must begin to hear it. Let every one who reads tell it to his neighbor. The day of deliverance is at hand!
THE PUBLISHERS
INTRODUCTION
DELIVERANCE! It is a welcome word. Its need for man has become crucial. Peoples of earth find themselves weary and burdened of soul. The disabilities of body and mind are galling. Every man has his burden, and he would gladly welcome deliverance from that burden. With some the burden is financial, with others mental, with others physical; and nearly all suffer from discontent and disappointment. The vanity of the schemes of men is apparent to all. Many such have been tried, and all have proven failures. Is there no way out of the difficulties and burdens that hang over the peoples of earth? There is!
He who created the heavens and the earth, made also the man from whom sprang all the race. The name of that great Creator is Jehovah God. He knew the end from the beginning and made ample provision for every contingency. Concerning him this great truth long ago was written: "Known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world." (Acts 15:18) That he willed man should some day know about his purposes is also certain. It is written in his Word that in due time every man shall know the Lord, and that the knowledge of him and his way for man's deliverance shall fill the whole earth as the waters fill the deep. The physical facts all about, which are now daily observed by men, prove that the time is at hand when the obtaining of that great knowledge is beginning. Millions of people are beginning to see the way of deliverance and are taking courage. You should walk with that great army, learn and grow happy. This book shows you how to learn.
No; this is not another scheme of man. This book is devoted exclusively to pointing out God's way of deliverance. It entirely excludes all human creeds and all theories of church systems. Its message is taken from the Word of God, now due to be understood. You will be able to prove to yourself whether or not the divine arrangement herein disclosed is true. It is worth your time and effort.
Deliverance from the burdens of sickness, suffering, sorrow, disappointment and death is man's great desire. The plain way that leads to endless life in happiness he would gladly welcome. It is the will of God, the great Creator, that all men should come to a knowledge of the truth; and in due time that opportunity shall be granted to all. The way is now opening. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3) It is therefore fitting and essential for you to read that which explains the great divine way that leads to endless life and happiness. This book was written for that very purpose.
Good news brings peace of mind and gladness of heart. To know that humankind will be relieved of all burdens is not only good news, but is thrilling. The good news of man's deliverance by Jehovah will bring light into your life and fill your very being with peace and joy.
Deliverance
Chapter I. Creator and Creatures
WHY is there so much distress and perplexity in the world? Why are the nations so desperately preparing for war? Why is there so much selfishness among men? Why do men manipulate the prices of the food and raiment of the people and profiteer therein? Why do the politicians and the clergy deceive and mislead the people and lend their support to the selfish interests? Why are the people so much oppressed? Why are the people afflicted with famine, pestilence and disease? Why are they the victims of sickness, sorrow, suffering and death? Why is man in bondage to so many evil things? Who is responsible for all this unhappy condition? May we hope that the people will ever be delivered from this sad state and enter into the joys of peace, prosperity, health, life, liberty and happiness? Why am I? Whence did I come, and what can I do to help my fellow man?
These and many like questions crowded into the mind of the young man who desired to better the conditions for himself and his fellow man. He set out to find, if possible, the satisfactory answers to his questions. He visited and made inquiry of philosophers, doctors, clergymen, savants and other professedly wise men. The answer of each one, based upon human opinion, was entirely unsatisfactory.
What value is to be found in the unsupported opinion of imperfect men? Are not all of these men a part of the great multitude that travel the same unpleasant road? There must be some evidence that will speak with authority upon which a reasonable mind can rely. Thus soliloquized the youthful inquirer. Then he came upon a man of mature years. His head was clothed with silver locks. He had a kind face, and pleasant speech. When the questions were propounded to him this man did not venture his own opinion. In substance he replied:
“You are right in concluding that the unsupported opinion of man is of little or no value. There is one Eternal God, from whom proceeds everything that is good. There is a great wicked one who is the enemy of God and the oppressor of man. That enemy has long had the power of death. The righteous God has not interfered with this wicked one in carrying on his wicked work, but has used what has transpired for the testing of his creatures. Wickedness will not always prevail. In due time the wicked one and his wicked influence will be destroyed. Deliverance of the people is certain.
“These great truths of which I speak are set forth in that wonderful book we call the Bible. It does not contain the opinions of imperfect men; it is the Word of Almighty God, the Maker of heaven and earth. It was written by holy men of old as their minds were directed by the power of the great Jehovah. I mean that it was written under divine inspiration. It discloses the origin of man, why man has suffered, and how and when mankind will be delivered from all enemies and from all oppression. These great truths are so stated in the Bible that for many centuries they have been a secret and could not be understood until God’s due time. It is now due time to understand them.
“We are now well on in the twentieth century. There is a great increase in knowledge and much running to and fro in this day; and God said that these things would mark the time when his Book, containing his secret, could be understood. Of course the all-wise One would have a purpose from the beginning which must work out according to his own will. The time is come for man to understand how this divine purpose has been operating. I bid you to carefully examine God’s great treasure-house of knowledge. Therein you will find the full and satisfactory answer to all the questions you have propounded.”
Thus advised the searcher for truth sought and obtained the book, the Bible, and read therein: “The [reverence] of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10); and, ‘The secret of the Lord is with them that reverence him; and to them will he show his purpose.’ (Ps. 25:14) With reverential mind and honest purpose the answers to the foregoing questions were sought in that great treasure-house of knowledge, and what follows in these pages is what was therein disclosed.
THE CREATOR
Jehovah is the name of the great Creator. That name signifies his purpose concerning his creatures. “Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah.” (Ps. 83:18) “Immortal” means not subject to death but possessing life inherent. It is written concerning the great Jehovah God: "Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting." (1 Tim. 6:16) He first revealed his name to Moses. (Ex. 6:2) He is the great Creator of heaven and earth. (Isa. 40:28; 42:5) Every good and perfect gift proceedeth from him. (Jas. 1:17) He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Heb. 11:6) He is from everlasting to everlasting. (Ps. 90:2; 93:2) "In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength."—Isa. 26:4.
THE LOGOS
Of necessity there must have been a time when Jehovah God was alone. That time was before the beginning of the creation. His Word discloses the beginning of creation. The mind of John was moved upon by the invisible power of God, and under inspiration he wrote: 'Originally was the Logos, and the Logos was with God; and the Logos was a god. The same was originally with God. All things through him came into existence; in him was life, and the life was the light of men.'—John 1:1-4.
The term Logos is one of the titles applied to the first or beginning of God's creation. (Rev. 3:14) Concerning him it is written: "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist."—Col. 1:15-17.
By these scriptures we are advised that the Logos was the only direct creation of Jehovah God, and that thereafter the Logos was Jehovah’s active agent in the creation of everything that came into existence.
Solomon makes record concerning the Logos and represents him speaking of himself in these words: “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth; when he established the clouds above; when he strengthened the fountains of the deep; when he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment; when he appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by him, as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.”—Prov. 8:22-30.
It seems to be clearly settled by the Scriptures that the Logos (which means one who speaks for another) was the honored messenger of Jehovah God from time to time. He was sent on missions as the special ambassador of Jehovah. (Ex. 3:2, 15; Gen. 18:1; Ex. 23:20; Josh. 5:14) Being the beginning of God’s creation and his special messenger, as his name implies, the Logos would of necessity occupy a confidential relationship to Jehovah. It would therefore be reasonable that Jehovah would speak with him and consult with him about creation.
The Scriptures do not indicate the order of the creation of those angels that belong to the invisible realm of God; but it is disclosed that such include cherubim, seraphim, angels and others, all of whom are designated "sons of God".
Cherubim are spirit creatures who evidently occupy a position of importance in the execution of the purposes of God.—Gen. 3:24; Ezek. 10:14-16.
Seraphim, the Scriptures indicate, also are heavenly creatures serving in positions of importance relative to the execution of the divine purpose.—Isa. 6:2-6.
Angels are messengers or ambassadors who are entrusted with the transmission of messages and execution of orders from the courts of heaven.—Gen. 19:1, 15; 28:12; Ps. 91:11.
All the creatures of God, who therefore receive their life from him, are properly designated his sons. In the course of events concerning his realm these sons, at stated times, present themselves before Jehovah.—Job 1:6; 2:1.
LUCIFER
Amongst the mighty creatures of Jehovah God is the one first called Lucifer. His name means light-bearer or "morning star". God's prophet speaks of him as the "son of the morning". It would be difficult to find words more descriptive of beauty. He belonged to the heavenly realm and was therefore in the holy kingdom of God, and the description of him shows that he was shining forth amongst the others of that glorious place. This description indicates that he was more showy than the other creatures of heaven. Of him it is written that “every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so; thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee”.—Ezek. 28:13-15.
The Logos, the active agent of Jehovah God in the creation of all things, of course, created Lucifer. These two, Lucifer and the Logos, are designated in the Scriptures as “the morning stars”. The Logos was always the delight of the great Eternal One because of his faithfulness. Since the Scriptures declare that all the creation of God is perfect (Deut. 32:4), the presumption must be indulged that all these creatures in heaven were beautiful and glorious, dwelling together in peace and in harmony, and all giving glory and praise to Jehovah God.
In the course of time it pleased the Almighty Eternal One to prepare a place for the habitation of man, whom he then purposed to create. The record is: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,” and he “made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it”. In heaven these creatures no doubt were informed that the planet earth was being prepared as a place for the habitation of the creature man whom God would create in his own image, and this knowledge must have greatly delighted God’s heavenly creatures. It is recorded that when God laid the foundation of the earth for man’s habitation “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy”. —Job 38: 4-9.
The Scriptures clearly teach that there were two mighty creatures designated “morning stars”, to wit, The Logos and Lucifer. There must have been a great convocation of the glorious creatures of heaven at the beginning of the creation of earth, and it was at this convocation that the creatures were advised by the Creator of his purpose to prepare a habitation for man and to create man; and there these two mighty ones, “the morning stars,” sang together a song of praise to the Eternal One, and every one of the sons of God was so thrilled by the song that they shouted together for joy. So far as men know there is no other planet that is inhabited. The creation of the earth for man would be of most profound interest to the creatures of the heavenly realm.
CREATION OF MAN
The earth was created; and upon it were placed the plants and the herbs, the beast and the fowl, the fruits and the flowers. But there was no man to till the ground nor to enjoy the produce thereof. God must have spoken to some one of his purpose to create man, and it is reasonable that the Logos would have been the one to whom he spoke. It is recorded: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."—Gen. 1: 26-28.
It seems quite clear that the "image" and "likeness" here do not mean form or organism. The four divine primary attributes possessed by Jehovah forever are wisdom, justice, love and power. The perfect man, the intelligent creature, must have been endowed with these attributes; and as God has dominion over the universe, so man was given dominion over the creatures of the earth and was clothed with power to produce his species, fill the earth and subdue the planet.
God did not create man and then give him an immortal soul, as many have been induced to believe. The words "soul", "creature" and "man" mean the same thing. Every man is a soul, but no man can possess a soul. The statement or method of creation is plainly set forth in the Scriptures: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."—Gen. 2: 7.
Then God caused all the beasts and the fowl to pass before Adam, and he gave each one its name. Each beast and each fowl found its mate or kind. "But for Adam there was not found an help meet for him." "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him an help meet for him.’’ (Gen. 2 : 18-20) Then the woman was made and brought unto the man.
That part of the earth where man first saw the light must have been surpassingly beautiful. ‘‘Eden’’ means a paradise. It was on the eastern side of Eden that God planted a garden, and there he put man, whom he had formed, to dress and to keep it. This was the home of Adam and his wife.
Taking as a basis this brief record, which we know is true because made under divine supervision, we may draw upon the imagination for a moment. In heaven there was a great and happy multitude of angels, strong, vigorous, and beautiful. There were the cherubim and seraphim, holding responsible positions of trust and confidence. There was Lucifer, the bright shining one, who surpassed the others in show and beauty. And there was the Logos, the great and mighty right arm of Jehovah God, by whom all things were created that were made. All these creatures were the delight of the Mighty Creator, and especially was that true of the Logos. Up to that time all were loyal and true to God.
On the earth now was the perfect man, strong, vigorous and handsome; with eyes so keen that they knew no dimness, and with the agility and swiftness of the hind. And with him was his wife, possessing grace and surpassing beauty such as no man now on this earth has ever beheld, for she was perfect. Without doubt there was some means of communication established between those of heaven and the perfect creatures of earth.
The man and the woman were endowed with power and authority to bring forth children and to fill the earth with their descendants, and the heavenly creatures must have observed this with the keenest interest and joy. There is no evidence that any of the heavenly creatures were endowed with power to produce any offspring. The propagation of the race on earth was then new and novel, and all the heavenly hosts must have waited and watched with deepest concern for the time to come when man would fill the earth with a joyful race of people, all of whom would worship and praise the great Jehovah God. Happiness reigned in heaven and happiness reigned on earth. The environment was beautiful, pleasing to the eye, a joy to the heart, and all to the praise of the Eternal God, the Creator.
Chapter II. The Rebellion
EVERY perfect creature must be a free moral agent. The creature must have the liberty to exercise his power for good or evil as he may choose. In no other way could he be tested and proven. God could have made all of his creatures so that they could not do evil, but had he done so that would have prevented them from exercising freely their attributes and God would thereby preclude himself from testing and proving his creatures.
The heart is the seat of affection or motive. It is that faculty of the creature which induces action. If impurity enters the heart, impurity of action is almost certain to follow. Hence it is written: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”—Prov. 4:23.
Love is one of the divine attributes. Love is the perfect expression of unselfishness. Selfishness, the very antithesis of love, begins in the secret intent of the heart. Selfishness expels love. With love gone the heart becomes malicious. The creature possessing a malicious heart is one who is extremely selfish, having no regard for duty or obligation to others and fatally bent on accomplishing his purposes regardless of great wrong that may result to others.
The glory and beauty of the heavenly creatures, the perfection of the human pair in their Eden home, and the power and authority of man to fill the earth with his kind, furnished the opportunity for exercising either selfishness or love. The test came, and some of the mighty creatures of heaven fell under the test. The joy of heaven and earth was turned into great woe.
The tragedy of Eden has never known a parallel. In fact all other crimes and tragedies may be traced to the one there committed. Its enormity is enhanced by reason of the intelligence and greatness of the perpetrator of the crime and of his confidential relationship to the Eternal Creator. That terrible crime blighted the hopes of men and angels, filled the earth with woe and caused the very heavens to weep. It started the wheels of wickedness and has caused them to roll on down through the corridors of the ages, spreading war, murder, disease, pestilence and famine, thus crushing out the life-blood of countless millions.
So powerful, deceptive and cunning has been that arch criminal that the sensibilities of mankind have been stunned and benumbed, and the people for centuries have been kept in ignorance of the cause and its far-reaching effects. But now it seems certain that the time has come for God to pull back the curtain and let man have a better view and understanding of the terrible criminal and of his crime, that men may flee from the influence of the wicked one and find refuge in the arms of the Savior of the world.
Jehovah was man's benefactor and friend. He had created Adam, given him a wife, provided him with a beautiful home, made him prince of all he surveyed, clothed him with power to fill the earth with a perfect race of people, to subdue the earth, and rule it. Naturally Adam would love God. In addition to that he was so created that he would instinctively worship the One who was his friend and provider.
The will of God is his law. When that will is expressed toward man it is the law of God by which man is to be governed. A refusal to obey God’s law makes the creature a disloyal subject. Without law there could be no way of testing man’s loyalty. There must be a rule of action commanding that which is right and prohibiting that which is wrong. God provided a law for man. It was in connection with the food of Adam that God expressed his will or commandment. No evil effects would of course result merely from the food, because all the food was perfect; but the evil result would be from the act of disobedience of God’s law. The loss of life to man meant the loss of everything. God could not permit an unlawful creature to possess eternal life. He provided man’s food, and in connection therewith said: “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”-Gen. 2: 16, 17.
It was in keeping with God’s loving provision for man to appoint an overseer or helper or protector who would aid man in avoiding the doing of that which was wrong and would bring upon him the penalty for the violation of God’s law. It was the bright shining one, Lucifer, whom God selected and placed in Eden as overlord or protector of man. Concerning him and his appointment to this responsible office God said: “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so.” (Ezek. 28: 14) “Anointed” means that Lucifer, the cherub, was clothed with power and authority in the name of God to do certain things ; and in this instance he was clothed with power and authority as overlord in the "garden of God" to look after the interests of man and to keep him in the right way. "Cherub" means an officer or deputy to whom are delegated certain heavenly powers and duties. The word "covereth" means to screen, to shield, to protect. It therefore follows that Lucifer was clothed with power and authority to act as an overseer for man ; to screen, to shield and protect him from taking a wrongful course by violating God's law. It was his solemn duty, both to man and to God, to direct and influence humanity to go in the right way, that man might thereby honor God and prolong his life on the earth.
God had also clothed Lucifer with the power of death. (Heb. 2:14) It was therefore a part of the official duty of Lucifer to put the man to death if he did violate God's law. For this reason Lucifer occupied a confidential or fiduciary relationship toward God and man. There was committed into his hands a sacred trust of keeping God's newly-begun government on earth in a pure and proper condition. To betray that trust in order that he might overturn God's appointed means of government in Eden would be an act of treason. The perpetration of the crime of treason under such conditions would cover the perpetrator with perfidy and make him a nefarious, despicable creature and the blackest of all criminals. He being clothed with the most honorable position in the universe aside from that of the Logos, even different from the Logos because placed as overlord and protector of a domain, the betrayal of that trust is so terrible that it could not be properly stated in human phrase. The beauty, the purity and innocence of the perfect man and perfect woman, in an environment far more beautiful than any human eye has ever seen since, makes more pronounced the depravity of the heart that could commit the terrible crime hereinafter described.
Being one of the “morning stars” who witnessed the creation of man and of his perfect home, and being appointed to the position of trust and confidence as man’s overlord, Lucifer of course knew that God had empowered man to produce his own species and that in due time the earth would be filled with a perfect race of people. He knew that man was so created that he must worship his benefactor. He knew that he must destroy in the mind of man the thought that God is his benefactor. Lucifer became ambitious to control the human race and to receive the worship to which God was justly entitled.
Lucifer was impressed with his own beauty and importance and power, and forgot that he owed an obligation to his Creator. Selfishness entered his heart. His motive was wrong and his heart became malignant. He was moved to take action concerning Adam, and his motive was wicked. Concerning this purpose the prophet records of Lucifer: “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” (Isa. 14:13, 14) The Scriptures clearly show that Lucifer’s process of reasoning was like this:
'I am overlord of man in Eden. I have the power to put man to death, but even though man violates God’s law I will not exercise that power. I will induce man to believe that God is not his friend and benefactor but in truth and in fact is deceiving man. Besides this, God will not be able to put man to death and at the same time maintain his own consistency; because he has declared that that tree in the midst of Eden is the tree of life, and to eat of that tree means that one will live forever. I will therefore take man to that tree and direct him to eat, and then he will not die, but will live forever.
'But before I do that I will first induce Adam to believe that God is keeping him in ignorance and withholding from him the things that he is justly entitled to receive. Adam loves his wife. I will first induce Eve to do my bidding, and then through her I shall be able to control Adam. I will so throw the circumstances around Adam that he too will be induced to eat of the forbidden tree of knowledge, and then I will refuse to put either of them to death. Then I will immediately take them to the tree of life and have them eat of that fruit. Then they will live forever, and not die. By this means I will win them over to me and I will keep them alive forever. I will defy God; and while he has a realm of angels and other creatures of heaven that worship him, I shall be like the Most High and shall be worshiped even as God is worshiped.'
The Scriptures show that thus did Lucifer plan a rebellion. It was a cunning scheme that Lucifer thus devised; he thought it was a wise scheme. Evidently God knew about it from its inception, but he did not interfere until Lucifer had gone to the point of committing the overt act by overreaching man and inducing him to sin. Concerning this, God said: ""Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness."" (Ezek. 28:17) This selfish meditation in the heart of Lucifer was the beginning of iniquity in him. Up to that time he had been perfect. Of him God says: ""Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."" (Ezek. 28:15) The imperfection of Lucifer dates from that moment. That was the beginning of rebellion. That selfish meditation in his heart led to the terrible crime of treason and all the baneful effects that have followed since.
THE CRIME
Lucifer, having carefully planned his crime, now proceeds to carry it out. To do so he resorts to fraud, deception and lying. When the Logos was on the earth he stated that Lucifer "is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44), thereby showing that Lucifer gave utterance to the first lie that was ever told. That lie was; ""There is no death""; and the emissaries of the wicked one have been telling that lie to the people ever since.
Lucifer employed the serpent to carry out his scheme, because the serpent was more subtle than any other beast of the field which the Lord God had made. Lucifer therefore spoke through the serpent and said: ""Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened; and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.'' —Gen. 3: 1-6.
God had given his word that this tree produced a fruit that would increase the knowledge of those that ate it. The result was that when Adam and Eve did eat this forbidden fruit their knowledge was increased in harmony with God's announced law. They were now conscious of the fact that they had done wrong, because they hid themselves amongst the trees in the garden from the presence of the Lord. He brought them before him. They entered a plea of guilty, confessing that they had done wrong, and thereupon God entered against them the following judgment, to wit:
“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow, and thy conception: in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life: thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field: in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."—Gen. 3:16-19.
The Scriptures mention three classes of fruit-bearing trees in the garden of Eden, to wit: (a) every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food; (b) the tree of life in the midst of the garden; and (c) the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:9) God told Adam that he might eat of all the trees that were good for him. "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."—Gen. 2:15-17.
There is no evidence that Adam knew anything about the tree of life that was in the midst of Eden. On the contrary, he must have been ignorant of it, because there was no specific command given to him concerning it. Lucifer, as the officer in charge, being clothed with the power of death and entrusted with the high office of overlord of man, would, of course, know all about the tree of life. The fact that God gave Adam command about other trees in the garden and said nothing about the tree of life is evidence that man knew nothing about this tree. The eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil doubtless would open the way so that Adam would shortly know about the tree of life. But now comes the proof showing conclusively that Adam had had no opportunity to eat of the tree of life and that therefore he must have been in ignorance of it until immediately before his expulsion from Eden.
God summoned the guilty parties before him and, upon a full hearing of the facts, pronounced judgment against the woman and against the man and against the serpent which Satan had employed to deceive Eve. The final judgment against Lucifer or Satan is set forth in the prophecy of Ezekiel, and it provides that in due time he is to be destroyed and never shall be again. Immediately following the pronouncement of the judgment against man God addressed some one, then and there present, and it seems almost certain that he was speaking to the Logos, his true and trusted Son. We read: “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.” (Gen. 3: 22) Mark the words of Jehovah here recorded: “Man is become as one of us, to know good and evil.”
Knowing the situation was critical God seemingly acted immediately, before man had an opportunity to get to the tree of life and eat of it, and even before Lucifer had time to inform man of the location of the tree. The words addressed to the Logos were cut short; the sentence seemingly stops in the middle, without being finished, to wit: “And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever :—” Note the record. God did not speak another word, but acted immediately; and his action is recorded in the next verse, which reads:
""Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden, cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."' - Gen. 3 : 23, 24.
It was doubtless God's purpose at some time to permit man to partake of the tree of life and live forever, and, had he proven faithful under the test, that would have been his reward. Lucifer therefore caused him to fail in the test, caused him to fail to retain life, and caused him to bring upon himself and all his progeny the great sorrow and distress that have afflicted humankind down through the centuries.
Lucifer had manifested his unfaithfulness and treachery and doubtless intended to act as quickly as possible and lead man to the tree of life and let him eat of that fruit. He knew that God had given his word that the fruit of that tree was a fruit of life, and that if man should eat of it he would live and not die. Lucifer therefore reasoned that he would be able to prove to Adam and Eve that God was purposely deceiving them and keeping them in ignorance and keeping them away from the opportunity for life; and that he, Lucifer, was telling them the truth and was bringing them a great blessing, and that hence he was entitled to be worshiped by them and by all their offspring.
Had Adam eaten of that fruit of the tree of life immediately he could not have been put to death by Jehovah himself, because God cannot be inconsistent. God had given his word that this was a tree of life; and for him to permit man to eat of it and then put him to death would make void his word, which is impossible for God to do. (Ps. 138 : 2 ; Isa. 46 : 11 ; 55 : 11) Therefore, in order that God might keep his word inviolate and enforce his judgment against Adam he immediately expelled him from Eden and set a powerful officer on guard with a flaming sword turning in every direction, to keep man out of Eden and away from the tree of life.
In due time every intelligent creature of God will have an opportunity under full and fair conditions to follow the course of Lucifer and take the consequences, or to follow the righteous commands of God and receive the reward of being permitted to partake of the tree of life and live forever.
Why did not God kill man forthwith? Other scriptures show that at that time man had not exercised his powers to beget children. No children were born. Hence God permitted Adam to continue on earth 930 years, during which time he begat and brought forth his children. Now he has permitted a sufficient length of time to elapse for the birth of a sufficient number of Adam’s posterity to populate the earth. All of these have suffered from the baneful effects of sin, eventuating in death; but in due time they shall come forth and be brought to a knowledge of the truth, that they may know the reason why they have suffered. Then they shall have an opportunity to abide in sin and suffer eternal destruction or to follow the righteous commands of God and live for ever.
Adam was sentenced to death. This sentence was enforced against him by compelling him to eat of the fruits of the unfinished part of the earth, which gradually resulted in his death. Within that period of years his children were brought forth. While these were not formally sentenced to death, they were all born sinners. The imperfect Adam, undergoing the death sentence, could not beget perfect children. Hence it is written by the psalmist: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Ps. 51:5) To the same effect is the apostle’s statement in Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Thus is seen the terrible and far-reaching effects of this rebellion. It has brought all the suffering and sorrow, sickness and death, wars, famines and pestilences to which humankind have been heir during the past six thousand years. The very first son that Adam had was a murderer, and Lucifer the Devil induced him to commit the murder; therefore Lucifer was a party to the crime. Lucifer is guilty of every murder that has ever been committed on this earth.
No longer did God permit his creature Lucifer to go by the name which signified ‘a bright shining one’. His name was changed from Lucifer, and he was thereafter known by the four names, to wit: Satan, which means adversary or opponent; Devil, which means slanderer; Serpent, which means deceiver; and Dragon, which means devourer. He has been defiant and arrogant, and has opposed God ever since the time of Eden. He has slandered God’s holy name and brought reproach upon him and upon everyone who has sought to do the Lord’s will. He has used every possible means to deceive the people and turn their minds away from God. He has sought to devour or destroy everyone that has faithfully tried to obey God’s holy will.
This archenemy has had many emissaries on earth who have paraded themselves in the name and as the representatives of the Lord. Amongst these were the clergy of Jesus’ time, and to them and of them he said: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it.”—John 8: 44.
The rebellion did not stop with that of Lucifer and man. In heaven there was a host of angels, many of whom afterwards rebelled. The children of Adam increased. The women were beautiful in form and fair to look upon. The angels saw that men and women cohabited and children resulted. It was the will of God that the angels should remain on the spirit plane and that they should not leave their estate or life on the spirit plane and mingle with human creatures and cohabit with women. But many of these angels, misled and seduced by Satan the Devil, joined in the rebellion against God, as it is written: “And it came to pass . . . that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.''—Gen. 6:1, 2, 4, 5.
In due time these rebellious ones who kept not their first estate were imprisoned. (Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4) Many other angels of heaven joined Satan in his rebellion, and for centuries these have been serving with him and following his wicked course of reproaching God and oppressing men. (Dan. 10:13; Eph. 6:12; 1 Ki. 22:22) The Scriptures declare that in God's due time all these wicked angels who joined the rebellion with Satan shall be destroyed.
What terrible havoc this rebellion wrought! The great, beautiful and wonderful Lucifer, now degraded and covered with perfidy, becomes the very embodiment of wickedness. Many of the pure and holy angels of heaven, once enjoying the smile of the great Jehovah God and the fellowship of the faithful Logos, turned to wickedness, and in due time are to be destroyed. Adam, once pure, holy, perfect, strong and vigorous, was driven from the perfect Eden into the unfinished earth. His offspring have ever since been compelled to earn their bread in the sweat of their face and to suffer disease and sickness; and eventually in sorrow they go down to the grave. Above all, man was deprived of sweet communion with the mighty eternal God. All these centuries man has been in bondage to sin and death, groaning and travailing under his burdens, desiring, begging and praying that sometime and in some way he might be delivered.
God early began the operation of his marvelous arrangement for the deliverance of man and for his restoration. Exercising his power in exact harmony with justice, wisdom and love, God has been working out his great purpose to this end. Now the time has come for the peoples of the earth to begin to get a clearer vision of God’s great purpose of salvation and to learn how and when he will bring about man’s complete deliverance.
Chapter III. Hypocrisy and Faithfulness
MUCH of the Bible is written in symbolic language and could not be understood until God's purpose had progressed in course of fulfilment, and then not until God's "due time".
The serpent is used as a symbol of Satan the enemy, and those who yield willingly to the influence of the Devil and support his cause are called 'the seed of the serpent'. Woman is used as a symbol of the righteous organization of Jehovah God; and those who love righteousness and hate iniquity and who strive to follow in the righteous way are spoken of as 'the seed of the woman'. When God pronounced judgment at the time of the rebellion he said to the Serpent, the Devil: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Gen. 3:15) From that very day forward Satan the Devil has opposed God and fought against every one who has diligently tried to serve Jehovah. By resorting to ridicule and mockery Satan has delighted to reproach God in every possible way. Of course God could have imprisoned or destroyed the Devil; but his Word discloses that it has been the purpose of Jehovah to let this wicked one come to the full in wrongdoing, before he executes his final judgment against the Devil.
About 250 years after the expulsion of Adam from Eden, Enos the grandson of Adam was born. By that time, so far as the Bible discloses, every one of the human race followed the course of wickedness. The Bible record does not indicate that between Abel and Enoch there was even one good man who loved God and righteousness. This warrants the conclusion that all were under the control of Satan the wicked one. That being true, Satan must have thought that he had succeeded in having all men to worship him, in turning away all men from God; and that therefore by mockery and hypocrisy he would reproach God forever. It was in the days of Enos that hypocrisy began to be manifest for the first time, and that was in connection with religious worship. It is written: “Then began men to call themselves by the name of the Lord.” (See margin, Genesis 4:26.) It seems quite clear that this was a scheme of Satan to have men call themselves by the name of the Lord and yet pursue a course in opposition to God, thereby to ridicule God and hold his name up to scorn. These men were tools of Satan the Devil and were therefore hypocrites.
This discloses a scheme of Satan which he has ever followed since; namely, to have in his system of government an organized religion by which means he could deceive the people and ridicule Jehovah God. This is mentioned here because it discloses the fixed policy on the part of the Devil to use religion as a part of his deceptive and fraudulent schemes. Evidently he does this because he knows men are so constituted that they will worship something; and if he is unable to induce them to worship himself directly he will cause them to worship something else or to ridicule God at any cost. It is observed that he has many such schemes in vogue now on the earth, causing the people to worship anything except the true and living God.
A few generations later Enoch was born. He was the seventh generation from Adam. Of course Adam was wicked, because he had violated God’s law and continued in the evil course. Aside from Abel every one from Adam to Enoch was evidently unrighteous. The human race was going the road of corruption and wickedness. Enoch was the exception. He believed in Jehovah God. He believed that some day God would reward all those who would obey him. Satan the Devil had been so active that the peoples of earth by that time even doubted the existence of Jehovah God. It was necessary for Enoch to exercise faith that God actually exists. This was necessary in order for him to please God. “Without faith it is impossible to please him [God]; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6) That he pleased God is shown by the following statement: “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not, for God took him.” (Gen. 5:24) To the same effect Paul testifies: “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”—Heb. 11:5.
Enoch, because of his faith in God, was an outstanding figure amongst all the men of earth. He was a witness on the earth for God. Surely he was known amongst the other men and known by the fact that he believed on God and served him while all others were against the Lord. Such faith under such adverse conditions was pleasing to God, and God rewarded that faith by translating Enoch. In those days it was usual for men to live upwards of eight hundred years. Enoch lived 365 years and then God took him away. No one saw him go, no one buried him, and no one knew where he went. Satan the Devil had the power of death, and without doubt would have killed Enoch had not God prevented him from so doing. God has the power of death, of course; but he did not put Enoch to death for any wrongful act on Enoch’s part. Nor did Enoch die because of sickness, the result of the inheritance from Adam, his grandfather. The Devil had nothing to do with putting Enoch to death. He was a young man, compared with other men of his day. While in the vigor of youth, and while he walked with God and joyfully conformed himself to God’s righteous law, the Lord manifested his pleasure in the faith of Enoch by taking him suddenly away from earth’s wicked scenes, putting him peacefully to sleep without his having to pass through the bitter waters of a violent or agonizing death.
It seems reasonable that Enoch never saw anyone die; because Paul testifies that Enoch did not see death. The apostle, after enumerating a number of faithful ones, including Enoch, says, “These all died in faith.” (Heb. 11:13) It follows, of course, that Enoch was not taken away to live on some other planet, but that God took him quietly and suddenly, putting him to sleep without pain or anguish and without fear of the terrible monster death. Here God began to indicate that at some time he would destroy death and deliver all those who have faith in him from all their enemies, including the enemy death. — 1 Cor. 15 : 25, 26.
It is recorded that Enoch prophesied that in some future time the Lord would come with a mighty host of angels and execute judgment upon the ungodly. (Jude 14, 15) Of course he would give utterance to this prophecy in the presence of other men, and they in turn would mock and jeer and taunt him, and the Devil would use every power at his command to destroy Enoch. But the Lord Jehovah held his hand over Enoch. From this scripture it seems quite evident that God had told Enoch, or by some means put it into Enoch's mind, that sometime in the future he was going to send his mighty Representative to execute judgment upon all the enemies of God and to deliver the people from bondage. The spirit of the Lord moved upon the mind of Enoch and caused him thus to prophesy, because his heart was right toward God. This was the first prophecy of a coming Deliverer.
Thus by these two men, Enos and Enoch, are made manifest hypocrisy, a detestable thing in the sight of God, and true faith, which is pleasing to God. Hypocrisy, the fruit of wickedness, is from the Devil; faith is a gift from God. Thus God early made manifest his rule, from which he will never deviate, that those who have faith in him and walk with him in the way of righteousness and in obedience to his command shall be rewarded by deliverance from the enemy and be given the blessings of life. The goodness and mercy of the Lord endure forever. His loving-kindness is marked by his every act.
Chapter IV. World Destroyed
WITHIN the meaning of the Scriptures the word "world" signifies the peoples of earth organized into tribes or forms of government, under the supervision of an overlord or superhuman power. The superior power is invisible and is spoken of under the term "heaven"; while the organization on earth is visible and is spoken of as "earth".
Sixteen hundred years after the tragedy of Eden found the human race in a deplorable condition. The peoples of earth dwelt together in families or tribes; and the superior power that controlled them was Satan and a host of his evil angels, operating in conjunction with and under his direction. This was the invisible part of that "world". Having the power to materialize in human form, some of these angels did that very thing and then cohabited with the women of the human race. The result was a race of giants. "The sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them; . . . The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth."—Gen. 6:4, 11, 12.
The people who walked about the earth in human form constituted the visible part of the world. This part of that world was exceedingly corrupt, and the invisible part of it was the chief cause for the corruption. Satan, the great adversary of God, was the real responsible one. Still impressed with his own greatness, egotistically believing that he could defeat God in his purposes, he devised various schemes to that end. He saw the human race dying, and doubtless reasoned that if the angels should materialize and cohabit with women they would produce a superior race, and that this would make his kingdom more powerful. For this reason Satan was the inducing cause for the debauchery of angels and women.
So strong was the enemy’s influence that all the people came under his control except Noah and the members of his household. It is written concerning Noah that he was perfect in his generation. This was not perfection of physical organism but the perfection resulting from complete devotion to Jehovah. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”—Gen. 6: 8, 9.
God told Noah of his purpose to bring a great flood of waters upon the earth and thereby destroy both man and beast. “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”—Gen. 6: 13.
By this we are not to understand that God would destroy the mundane sphere, the planet earth, but that he would destroy the visible part of the world, the organization of the adversary. “And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant: and thou shalt come into the ark; thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives, with thee.''—Gen. 6: 17, 18.
Noah believed God. He was obedient to him, and his faith was pleasing to the Lord. ''By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.''—Heb. 11: 7.
The righteous course of Noah testified against the Devil's organization, both visible and invisible, and marked it with God's condemnation. Noah was a witness for God, and for this reason Satan the Devil had turned all others against Noah and against God. Of course the Devil would do everything within his power to destroy Noah, but was unable to do so because Noah had the protection of Jehovah. The mixed breed of human and angelic creatures had resulted in a race of giants that were wicked beyond description. Seemingly God was forced to take action to destroy this mongrel race from the face of the earth. At the death of Noah and his family there would be no one on earth as a witness for the Lord. Hence God must clear out this wicked progeny, carry Noah and his family over in the flood, and then start the race anew. And this he did.
THE DELUGE
Noah warned the people of the impending judgment of the Lord against the wickedness prevailing in the earth. They gave no heed to his warning. No rain had ever fallen upon the earth (Gen. 2: 5, 6), and it was not a difficult matter for Satan to induce the people to believe that none ever would fall. No one gave serious heed to the warning of Noah, but, on the contrary, they scoffed at him and made all manner of sport of his prophesying before them. In obedience to God Noah built the ark, which was completed after a long period of time; and during its construction he continued to preach to the people.
At the appointed time Noah and his family, and the beasts of various kinds, went into the ark. Then the Lord opened the windows of the heavens, and a great deluge of water swept from one end of the earth to the other and destroyed every living creature upon the face of the earth. This of course included the progeny of the angels and women; but the wicked angels themselves, who had left their first estate, will be finally disposed of at the great judgment day.—Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2: 4, 5.
But why should God bring the flood upon the earth? Was it merely to destroy wicked creatures? Other scriptures indicate that such was not the sole nor even the most important reason. The issue in the minds of the people was then, and is now: Who is the mighty God? Satan, unhindered, had induced almost all men, and a host of angels, to believe that he, Satan, was superior to Jehovah. He became arrogant in the extreme, boasting of his greatness and power; and doubtless he exhibited it in a marked degree. God would teach all his creatures that every good and perfect thing proceeds from himself, and that to follow the enemy Satan would result in disaster. He would teach all intelligent creatures that he is the great eternal One and that from him alone proceed the blessings of life, liberty and eternal happiness. The principle was later stated by the Lord Jesus in these words: "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."—John 17:3.
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