Souvenir Notes — Bible Students Convention, Norfolk, Part 1 (1907)
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Watch Bible and Tract
Tower Society's Conventions
A
RANSOM
FOR ALL
THE
SHALL
YOU
TRUTH
MAKE
FREE
YE
SHALL
KNOW
THE
TRUTH
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
JUNE 14-17
NIAGARA FALLS,N.Y. AUG.30-SEPT.6
NORFOLK, VA. SEPT.29.-OCT.6
1907 PART I
Souvenir
Souvenir
(Notes from)
Watch Tower
Bible and Tract Society's Conventions
To the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
IN THE INTEREST OF HIS CONSECRATED SAINTS,
WAITING FOR THE ADOPTION,
THIS WORK IS DEDICATED
"To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God." "Wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself; that in the dispensation of the fulness of the times He might gather together in one all things, under Christ."
Eph. 3:4, 5, 9; 1:8-10.
Indianapolis, Ind. June 14-17
Niagara Falls, N. Y.
Aug. 30-Sept. 5
Norfolk, Va. Sept. 29-Oct.6
The Pure Testimony
The pure testimony put forth in the Spirit Cuts like a sharp two edged sword, And hypocrites now are most sorely tormented Because they're condemned by the Word; The pure testimony discovers the dross, While wicked professors make light of the cross, And Babylon trembles for fear of her loss.
The world will not persecute those who are like them, They'll hold them the same as their own. The pure testimony cries out separation, Which calls you your lives to lay down; Come out from their spirit and practices too, The track of our Savior keep full in your view, The pure testimony will cut its way through.
Has not the time come for the Church to be gathered Into the one spirit of God? Baptized by one spirit into the one body, Partaking Christ's flesh and His blood; They drink in one spirit which makes them all see They're one in Christ Jesus wherever they be, The Jew and the Gentile, the bond and the free.
A battle is raging between the two kingdoms, The armies are gathering around. The pure testimony and vile persecutions Will come to close battle ere long; Then gird on your armour, ye Saints of the Lord And he will direct you by His living Word, The pure testimony will cut like a sword.
NOTHER year has rolled around and again it seems to be the Lord's will that a report should be prepared of the proceedings of the Conventions for 1907. The thought seems to be that there will not be many more Conventions for any one of us to attend here on earth and that as many baskets of fragments be gathered up as possible from the remaining Conventions. Therefore, the work has been attempted, and will consist of a combined report, issued in two parts.
While this is not an official report of the Conventions of 1907, held under the auspices of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, at Indianapolis, Ind., Niagara Falls, N. Y., and Norfolk, Va., but merely notes of the sermons and incidents connected therewith, we trust, however, that it will be a fitting memento of the "best Conventions" ever
held. Further, that it may be, in a measure at least, the means of stirring up the pure minds of as many as possible to put forth strenuous efforts to attend every Convention possible until at last we gather in that last and best Convention of "The Church of the First Born," which will never end and from which there will be no parting, and of which these Conventions are but a foretaste.
We read in the Scriptures:
"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear (reverence) Him; and he will show them his covenant." (Psa. 25:14.)
"Then they that feared (reverenced) the Lord spake often to one another: and the Lord harkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared (reverenced) the Lord, and that thought upon his name." (Mal. 3:16.)
"Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works;
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Heb. 10:24, 25.)
In view of the importance of the above texts, we wish to impress upon all that these Reports are not meant to take the place of personal attendance at Conventions, if it is at all possible to attend. The fact is, those who attend personally get more from the reports because they refresh their memories with the good things heard and enjoyed there. Especially is this true with the discourses, which nearly all the friends find great difficulty in remembering, and which are worth reading and thinking over a great deal; they are "meat in due season" from our present Lord, the Master of the Harvest, through "that servant" and his "fellow-servants."
We trust that those who were privileged to attend the Conventions will, in the possession of this report, have a tangible reminder of the precious seasons of fellowship they enjoyed and of the many helpful suggestions and assistances which were there presented, and which otherwise might possibly have been lost in the abundance of blessings provided in that "feast of fat things," but which will thus be permanently preserved.
We also trust that those who were not privileged to personally attend the Conventions may, by means of this Report, receive a large share of the blessings, which were the portions of those who, more fortunately situated, were able to attend, and that the Report may cause such to feel that they had a personal part in the Conventions, which they could not have had in any other way.
We cannot urge too strongly that every one go to the Conventions for the valuable experience and fellowship and association at the Conventions with those of "like precious faith," which cannot possibly be reproduced in any report.
We pray the Lord's richest blessing upon this Report as it goes on its mission to the "Household of faith," giving out His truth, and that His spirit and His strength may refresh one and all, and be especially manifest in the trials necessary in endeavoring to "press down upon the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
May grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Yours in the fellowship and the royal service of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
GEO. M. HUNTSINGER,
Columbus, Kansas.
DR. L. W. JONES,
2024 Washington Boul.,
Chicago, Ill.
Indianapolis Convention of the Watch Tower Bible and Trart Society
THE OLD WAY
THE NEW WAY
"But thou, O 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."
AS PARTIAL fulfillment of the above prophecy by the Prophet Daniel, the Indianapolis Convention of Believers in the Atonement Sacrifice of Jesus, began, so far as the Chicago Ecclesia was concerned, when, on June 13th, they met in a body at the Dearborn Street Railway Station, and with them a number of friends from various places in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
It was surely a pleasure to see one another so happy and to meet once again this side of the vale those we had met before and to personally meet and greet the others. "whom not having seen, we loved." It was a foretaste of the joy that was ahead of us.
The Committee of the Chicago friends having carefully considered the various routes to Indianapolis, decided to go over the famous Monon Road, which is the most direct route. Special cars of the most modern type with all conveniences for our comfort were reserved for our use, and we were accorded the finest treatment by the Monon officials. The Monon Railroad also connects with the principal roads going to the Jamestown Exposition and they will be pleased to send, free of charge, upon application to them at 182 Clark Street, Chicago, circulars descriptive of their rates, stop-over privileges, hotels, etc.
The thought came to our mind: "What have we to complain about in traveling?" Surely nothing, if we stop to consider how the Queen of Sheba and her company traveled on camels, when she visited Solomon, and how our dear Lord Jesus and the Apostles walked many a weary mile. Comparing such primitive methods with the service as was rendered us by the Monon Railroad, should cause every heart to render thanks for so many temporal blessings while enroute for the Conventions where such grand spiritual feasts were laid out for us.
There were seventy-three in the party from Chicago and vicinity. We enjoyed the trip very much, singing songs and scattering tracts at the various stations we passed through. The Convention Hall was not open that evening, as it was thought best that all the friends should get a good night's rest and be ready for the Convention proper, which opened the next morning.
The hall where all the services, except the baptism service, were held is known as the "Tomlinson Hall," and is a large hall, seating about 3,300. It is nicely arranged for conventions, but because of its size, etc., it is difficult to hear everything that is said, hence all the testimonies will not be reported in full, for we could not always catch the name of the
person testifying and in some instances could not hear the testimony at all. However, we did get many of the special remarks in those testimony services and they will appear in their proper order.
The Indianapolis friends did all in their power to make the Convention a success and to look after the comforts of the visiting friends. Like all the conventions, this one was the best, and the thought was many times expressed that each Convention would probably be the best, until we finally reached the last and best Convention of all, the Convention of the Church of the First Born.
At the opening of the Convention, there were about 375 present, but before the Convention closed there were about five hundred present. These were representatives from the following states, and it is possible there were other states represented that we did not learn of: Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, Ohio, Indiana, Texas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, South Dakota, Missouri, Oklahoma, District of Columbia, Alabama, Tennessee, Iowa, Michigan, Kentucky and Ontario, Canada.
TOMLINSON HALL
Friday, June 14, 1907
10:30 A.M.—Convention opened by singing of hymn No. 87. Opening Address by Brother C. A. Wise, of the Indianapolis Church.
BROTHER C. A. WISE
N the 7th day of February, this year, I received an envelope about like that (exhibiting our blue Tower envelopes); I believe you are all acquainted with that kind of envelopes; you have seen them before. It was from Brother Russell, suggesting the propriety of a convention at Indianapolis about the middle of June. Those of you who know the Indianapolis friends can readily understand how quickly we concurred in the suggestion. Dear friends, our expectations have been great; and as
we have anticipated the convention, and the blessings that should be ours in the convention, there has been great joy in our hearts; and as we have corresponded with different friends in various parts of the country, and have learned of their intentions or desires to associate with us during this time, how our hearts have been made glad. We are glad this morning that this day has arrived; we are glad you are here with us at our homes.
It has been a pleasure and a joy, dear friends, for the class at Indianapolis to serve you in the little ways they have been able in the perfecting of the arrangements for the convention; and when you see those wearing white badges you may know they have been in a special way in the last few weeks trying to lay down their lives for you.
I rejoice that I have the privilege of welcoming you here to our homes. I rejoice to have the privilege in this great hall—Tomlinson Hall—of welcoming people such as never before have assembled here. There have been a great many banquets held in this room in times past, but beginning today there is going to be a banquet such as this hall has never before seen. The great King of the Universe has spread the table, the Lord Jesus has come forth and served us; and so we rejoice. All things are ready; all things are ours.
Now, how are our hearts this morning? Let us open wide the doors of our hearts and let the dear Redeemer come in and take full possession of us; He is so ready and so willing to bestow blessings upon us. Now, are we ready, are we willing to receive the blessings? I know we are.
I know of a great many small and some great sacrifices that you have individually made in order that you may make your arrangements to attend this convention, and the Lord is going to honor you in the sacrifices you have made. So this morning what is the condition of our hearts? Are they in condition to receive the blessings and the favors of our dear Elder Brother, the Lord Jesus Christ? Dear friends, I can assure you upon His word that the services of this convention will not be in vain. And I trust also that when you begin to return to your several homes you will be imbued with the spirit of this convention, so that the friends who are not privileged to attend may feel the influence and catch some of the spirit of these gatherings. I trust it may be said of this convention, as of the last convention, that the last was the best. That is literally true. The last convention you see is always the best, because I think, dear friends, there are reasons why it should be. If we are growing in favor, growing in knowledge, and growing in the graces of our dear Savior, then the last gathering should be the best gathering. I trust this may be true of the convention at Indianapolis; that this may be the best ever.
Now how, or by what means, were we able to bring together such a gathering as we see here? It is by the power of the truth. It is by the power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is of His favor which He has bestowed upon us. As He says, "Ye are not children of the night, nor of darkness, but ye are the children of light." And so our dear Savior has taken us into His confidence, and He has revealed to us, and is revealing to us, some of the deep things of Himself. Those of you who are privileged to sit at this banquet table for these four days will partake of this deep, strong meat—not the milk but the meat of the Word—that you may grow up into Him. I assure you, dear friends, if your heart is right, and you are sitting at this table the Lord Jesus is serving, he will not serve you with any food that will cause spiritual indigestion, or anything of that kind. No, no; just the reverse. We do not have spiritual indigestion, those of us who sit at the Lord's table. So we rejoice in His Love; we rejoice in His favor; we rejoice in His presence. And O, how sweet it is for brethren to dwell in unity! And how sweet it is to feel the loving arms of our dear Savior around about us in the busy scenes of the day, in our conflict with the world, and how we rejoice as we feel His loving guidance in all things! The all-seeing eye of our Heavenly Father is around about those who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice. That is the class the Savior is seeking out, and we are assisting Him in this work—assisting all those who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice.
I trust the services of this convention may tend to make us strong in the Lord; that we may still find the sacrifice bound unto the horns of the altar, that day by day the Lord may bring about such conditions as will cause the burning or consuming of the sacrifice until the whole offering is consumed in His service. Now, none of us could do any great thing. You and I have the great privilege of daily laying down our lives for the brethren in the small things that come to us day by day; and you know those are the hardest things to do—those little things that seem so insignificant to the world, and even we sometimes underestimate them, but they are the things that tend to make us grow; those are the things the Lord wants us to do. He will never entrust us with the great things until we have been faithful in the small things day by day. So let us be faithful in all things.
Now I know how anxious you are to tell something of this grand story of Jesus and His love. I know of this grand story of Jesus and His love. I know for you in these last days, so I think a long speech from me at this time would be out of place. I have the great pleasure, dear friends, of now introducing to you our dear brother Herr, of Allegheny, who will be permanent chairman of the convention, and who will now take charge.
Response by Brother M. T. Herr.
EAR FRIENDS: It is with a very great deal of pleasure that I come before you this morning, and listen to the precious words our dear brother has
brought to your ears. I am sure that ever since any of us have known of this convention our hearts have been dwelling upon the possibilities of blessing in this
BROTHER C. A. WISE
the first general convention of this year.
I am sure that we have each one already received, as we have listened to the words our brother has spoken to us, a very rich blessing from the Lord. As we neared the time when the date was due for the convention to begin, our anticipation grew stronger, and deeper, and in some way the Lord was preparing us for the blessings He had for us; and already we realize that the Master Himself has served us, just as He said He would do; that He would gird Himself and serve us. So He is fulfilling that this morning. The illustration our brother used is taken from the Father's word. We are seated at the table.
BROTHER M. I. HERR
You remember the words of the Psalmist, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." There never was a time when this was more thoroughly true of us than today. We of the Lord's people are in the midst of foes on every hand, visible and invisible, known and unknown. Never was there a time when so much effort was made to overthrow the faith of the Lord's people, and to divert them from the path of righteousness. We come today to be seated
at the Master's table, and to receive from His hands, and we know the food He will give us is not adulterated, nor has it any admixture of error. That which the Master gives is clean, and that which He serves is pure. Therefore we have the double assurance, first, that it comes from the hand of the Master, and, second, that it is that which is proper and suitable for us; and as we wait before the Lord we know we will not be turned away empty.
We appreciate the love of the dear ones of the church at Indianapolis. We appreciate all their services of love. We know it has cost them no little service, but we know it was done in the spirit of love which so characterizes all of the Lord's people, and for this reason we are pleased to partake of their hospitality at the Lord's table this morning, today and all through this appointed time. We are pleased to recognize and acknowledge ourselves as sharers and recipients of their loving ministry toward us and towards the Lord's people in their care for us.
Now, on behalf of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, I bid you all welcome to this, our convention the convention of the Lord's people, the convention in which all who love the Lord and are trusting in the precious atoning blood of Christ are welcome. We
fellowship together as members of the family of God; we fellowship together not merely as those who love the Bible, and see some blessed truths in it, for if that were true the basis of our fellowship might be very much broader than it is, and include many who are not really cleansed by the precious blood. There are many today who look upon the Bible as a book from which they may receive some blessing and some knowledge they get from no other source. We do not fellowship thus. We fellowship as members in Christ, as those who are trusting in the precious blood of Christ; and, unfortunately for them, there are not very many at the present time who are trusting in the precious blood. But it is our privilege in this dark night to be covered by the blood, and as those who are trusting in the atoning blood of Christ we recognize the fellow-members who by one spirit have all been baptized into the one body, soon to be complete in glory, and soon to begin that glorious work which will mean the blessing of all the families of the earth.
Now we all realize the Lord has abundantly poured out His spirit in fulfillment of His promise, and let us remember that we are not receiving from the Lord for ourselves merely, but we receive in order that we may again pour out the blessing. As our brother so beautifully expressed it, as we go from this place we pour it out to those who have not been privileged as we to attend. But while we are here, we are not here merely to receive a blessing; we are not here as empty pitchers merely to be filled, but as those who are being filled give of that which we ourselves have received. And may we each contribute our share of the blessings to each other, and may we each be vessels filled with the Master's spirit, and pour out a blessing to others.
We remember that at previous conventions some of those who were not with us in the knowledge of the precious present truth were brought to it through the spirit manifested by those who were attending the convention. When in Washington, D. C., recently I met several brethren who were brought to the truth during the convention. We may not know how the light shining forth from the vessels filled with the holy spirit may accomplish some blessing here, so we let our light shine, and we pour forth that which we have received, and thus we are as bright and shining lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom, as the Lord says, we should shine as lights in the world.
May the Lord bless us all, and may we all be in that attitude of heart by which we can receive the rich outpouring that the Master has for us. I quote the words of our dear brother that this undoubtedly can be, and we hope and believe it will be, the best convention ever held. And so we look to the Lord for His blessing. Amen.
Praise and Testimony Meeting.
At the close of Bro. Herr's response, he threw the meeting open for praise and testimonies. There were several songs and prayers and twenty testimonies. We could not hear all or get the names of those testifying, but some of the points we did get follow:
One and all expressed their joy and gratitude at being able to be present. To some it was the first General Convention they had ever attended. To some also, it was the first time they had ever seen our dear Pastor Russell personally; it is not necessary to tell how much they appreciated being there and of meeting him, for we have all been to our first convention and remember how it was.
Some told how they had been planning for a long time to be present, while others did not know they could come until the last minute. One sister told us that the Lord had been so good to her that she did not feel she should ask to get away from work, but
upon asking her if the Lord ever put a limit to his goodness, she said no. The next morning she asked her employer if he thought he could spare her for a few days and told him where she wanted to go. He replied that she could go and he would manage the work all right. Possibly some others could have been at the convention if they had made the effort. If you are not planning for the next one, we suggest that you begin at once by asking the Lord to open the way for you, if it is his will.
Not Receiving for Ourselves Only.
One of the thoughts presented several times was that we were not there to receive for ourselves only, but that we were to fill our pitchers and then pour out the good things when we returned to our several homes, and that therefore we were to try to get as full of the Spirit of the Lord as possible.
BROTHER M. L. HERR
Bible Students' Convention, Indianapolis
Convention Feher.
Brother Geo. Draper said that four or five weeks ago he and Sister Draper got the convention fever and so they came all the way from South Dakota to get a blessing. On the way they stopped with the Minneapolis friends, who sent by them their love and greetings to all at the Convention. Bro. Draper said he was sure this convention would give much zeal and courage to press on.
Song Testimonies.
Several of the friends testified by calling for a special song which expressed the sentiments of their hearts.
San Antonio, Texas,
One sister from San Antonio, Texas, said she brought love and greetings from their class as they all wished to be remembered to those present. She said when she heard four months ago of the convention to be held at Indianapolis, she asked the Lord to keep her well.
Old and Young Nerd the Lord.
A brother from Johnstown, Pa., stated he was one of six from there. He quoted from John: "If ye love me, keep my commandments," and stated that no matter how old or young we are, we need the Lord. He had been in the Baptist Church for 27 years. He urged that we go prepared to tell the glad story to those near by.
Rejoicing in the God of Our Salvation.
One brother from Elgin, Ill., said he was rejoicing in the God of our salvation and in our fellowship. He said, it is wonderful to think of these things—I am glad I am here.
Live in the Presence of God.
One brother from Batavia, Ill., said, I feel the need of living in the presence of my heavenly father. I want to realize more and more my absolute nothingness.
Many Young People Interested.
One brother said he was baptized into present truth about a year ago and has been feasting at the table ever since.
Consecrated in Nominal Church.
Another testified that he had been in the truth for four years, that he had been consecrated in the nominal
systems, but was hungry for more and more truth. He stated that on hearing the first sermon on the truth he accepted it.
Helped to Come to Convention.
One sister testified that she had been helped to come to the convention by a gentleman who paid her $5.00 for a slight service. She said that if she had not been in the truth she would not have wanted to accept it. It was her sixth general convention and she had been greatly blessed in all of them.
Nine Years.
One brother who had been in the truth for nine years said that as he looked back he rejoiced that he had not resisted the Lord to any great extent, but realized on the contrary what a blessing had come to him because of permitting the Lord to do His work in him.
Light Bearers.
Another brother said he thanked the Lord for the light which makes manifest and that we now realize that our eyes are open. For three and a half years Jesus was giving out the light. He then said, "Ye are the light of the world."
Great, Big, Bald-headed Boy.
Another brother said it was not necessary for him to tell us that he was happy for all could see it. He said that for several days before the convention he could hardly eat or sleep and that the day before the convention he laid down on the bed, but after tossing and rolling around for a while he got up and his wife asked him what the trouble was; he said, I cannot sleep, at which she replied, you great, big, bald-headed boy!
For some time I had been searching for the truth. I could not find anyone that had all the truth, and you can imagine my astonishment when I did find the truth. This text has impressed me, "If you continue in my Word (which does not mean merely going to church, etc.), ye are my disciples indeed. Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."
At the close of this service Bro. Wise announced that volunteers were wanted the next morning at 7 o'clock to distribute cards announcing Bro. Russell's discourse the coming Sunday on the Overthrow of Satan's Empire.
Friday Afternoon, 2:30 P. M.
Praise Meeting, Led by Brother Dr. C. W. Jones, of Chiragn, following which Pilgrim Brother Frank Draper gave a discourse on the subject of "Bible Times and Seasons."
EAR FRIENDS: We have before us a chart or diagram of Bible Chronology—our chronological chart. The chronological feature of the Lord's word and plan is presented more particularly on this first part of the diagram of which I will not speak particularly on this occasion. As expressed in the announcement, the feature of the Lord's Word and Plan we will study relates to the times and seasons. There is considerable said in the good Word of the Lord respecting this subject, as most of my hearers already very well know.
I wish to bring to your attention a text. In the 6th verse of the first chapter of Acts you will find these words recorded: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" This question was propounded to Jesus by the Apostles very shortly before
He was taken from them into Heaven. The Apostles knew that sometime previously God's kingdom had existed on earth in Israel. We learn from the chronology of the Old Testament of the Scriptures that that kingdom lasted for 513 years—a period marked out on this part of the diagram, beginning when Saul became Israel's first king and ending at the point of time indicated here, when Zedekiah, Judah's last king, was dehroned and uncrowned and taken captive to Babylon. And there is where the Gentile Times our dear Redeemer referred to ended. You will recall these words he uttered on one occasion: "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." (Luke 21:24.) The Apostles well knew, therfore, that from that time, about 600 years before our Master's advent until the time they pro-
pounded the question, "Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel" that God's kingdom did not exist on earth.
We see, however, dear friends, that while it did exist in Israel for more than 500 years, it was only a typical kingdom, foreshadowing and illustrating the grander, better kingdom which will
PILGRIM BROTHER FRANK DRAPER
be fully established at our dear Redeemer's second advent.
When the Apostles asked Jesus this question, "Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" they were natural men, and however good, noble and earnest they were, they were not able to understand and appreciate spiritual truths. Our Lord had taught them some spiritual truths during His ministry, but they were not able to comprehend them; they were not able to appreciate them. You remember on one occasion he said, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." (John 16:12) You cannot understand them now. "Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth . . . and he will shew you things to come."
You remember our Lord's answer to their question: "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." Now right here some of our friends grievously err; they make a very great mistake. And perhaps we also made this same mistake. It is this: Suggesting that our Lord intended to intimate in His statement that Jehovah did not intend that His children should understand anything about the times and seasons of this present evil world—should not understand any of the deep parts and features of His Word and Plan; that they might understand the surface truths of the Bible that an ordinary reader of average knowledge might understand, but not the deep things, not the mysteries, and consequently many of our dear friends would take this unscriptural position of not being interested in the prophecies, or in the "things to come" and therefore are not being blessed as Jesus intimated His faithful disciples would be blessed in this text which says that when the holy spirit is come it would guide them into all truth and show them things to come.
It seems to me that if our dear friends who take that position which we are mildly criticising had read a little further, or given a little closer attention to an additional statement made by Jesus, they would not have taken that position. You remember His following words: "But ye shall receive power, after that the holy spirit is come upon you." Mark, dear friends, He did not say that you will receive power or authority to
understand the times and seasons, or know something about this feature of my Father's plan when you shall be glorified and made joint-heirs with Me in the kingdom; but, "ye shall receive power after that the holy spirit is come upon you." "Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49.) Jesus said, practically, "Now, my disciples, as natural men you cannot understand this feature of my Father's plan, for the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit, but you tarry at Jerusalem, you do as I instruct you, and when you receive the holy spirit you will begin to understand something about this feature of my Father's plan."
And it is demonstrated very clearly that this is what our Lord meant, from the words Peter addressed to the assembled multitude on the Day of Pentecost, or the day following, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times or refreshing (restitution) shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his prophets since the world began." (Acts 3:19-21.)
Please notice particularly, dear friends, that ten days previously Peter did not know anything about the times and seasons. Remember he was the spokesman for the other Apostles, and for all of the Apostles on that occasion as on other occasions. Remember it was Peter who personally and directly asked the Lord the question, "Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" But under the inspiration of the holy spirit he began to understand something about this feature of God's plan—the times and seasons. He then understood that Jesus after ascending into heaven would take His seat at His Father's right hand, intimated or expressed in this text: "Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool." And then that when the time for His second advent to take place was due Jehovah sent Him back to earth, and after glorifying the church and restoring the Jewish nation to divine favor, as other texts plainly intimate will be the first feature of the work accomplished by Jesus, then all the families of the earth shall be blessed; then the glorious restitution work shall be accomplished, the Lord reigning on earth until all enemies are put under His feet, the last enemy being death.
On one occasion Jesus, addressing His disciples, said: "Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." But, "Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God." Not the mere surface truths of the Lord's words, such truths and facts as natural men of sufficient intelligence might understand, but the deep features of God's word, the strong truths, called by the Apostle Paul the strong meat. "But to them that are without, all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear,
PILGRIM BROTHER FRANK DRAPER
BIBLE CHRONOLOGY.
"PRESENT EVIL WORLD"
II PET.3:7
WORLD THAT WAS
II PET.3:6
JEWISH AGE
GOSPEL AGE
FIRST ADAM
WORLD
TO COME.
II PET.3:30
MILLENNIAL
AGE
SEVEN TIMES - 2520 YEARS
15335 DAN 12:12
RESTITUTION
OF ALL THINGS
ACTS 3:19-21
TOTAL
NUMBER OF JUBILEE CYCLES 70
19150 - 950
51149 - 2499
EARTH'S
GREAT JUBILEE
2 YEARS
FLOOD
WATERNESS
JUDGES
KINGS
AD
WRITE DOWN THE VISION & MAKE IT PLAIN UPON TABLES THAT EVERY ONE MAY READ IT FLUENTLY. HARRY 2:2.
and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them."
(Matt. 13:17; Mark 4:11.)
And thus we see, dear hearers, that it is God's intention that His children, the Master's disciples, should understand the various features of His plan as they come due to be known.
Again, Jesus praying to the Father for His disciples said: "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." Not natural babes, of course; they could not understand any part or feature of God's plan; but to the class Jesus on another occasion called the "Little Flock," His meek and humble disciples, the class He referred to in His sermon on the mount, saying "Blessed are the poor in spirit: (the humble-minded) for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:3.) My dear hearers, if you and I are of this class, we are the most blessed and favored people in the world. If we are of the class to whom the Lord is revealing the secrets of His word, the deep things which relate to His plan, or the most advanced features of that plan, we are surely a very highly favored people. Are we sufficiently meek and humble to accept God's favor on His terms, believing in Jesus as our Savior, believing with our hearts unto righteousness and making confession with our mouths unto salvation, and fully submitting our wills to the divine will, enabling us to constantly say, "Lord, not my will but thine be done?" If so, the Lord will reveal the precious truths of His Word to us. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and he will show His covenant unto them; and "the meek will he guide in judgment, the meek will he teach his way." No wonder then Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek."
In Rev. 1:1 we find a statement which is very significant: "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him," Notice, dear friends, there was a time when the Master Himself, the great head of the church, did not understand, or was not acquainted with the various features of God's plan illustrated in the book of Revelation. He did not understand them when He was the man Christ Jesus. Why He could not look far enough into the future to know the time of His own second advent, then. He said, "Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." (Matt. 24:36.) But when Jehovah resurrected Our Lord He conferred on Him all power in heaven and in earth, as the Master Himself said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matt. 28:18.) There Jehovah highly exalted Him, and gave Him a name above every name, that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven," all the holy angels, "and things in earth," all human beings, and more particularly the human beings that will be on the earth when the kingdom is fully established, "and things under the earth,"—the billions who have gone into the death condition in the past and who will hear the voice of the great Deliverer and come forth when His kingdom is fully established; and they will all bow to Him, all recognize Him as the great King and Judge of earth.
The Apostle Paul in 1 Thes., 5th chapter, says: "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." Now, dear friends, if we are the Lord's true disciples, if we are endeavoring to walk patiently and faithfully in His footsteps, the day of the Lord which has already overtaken the world as a thief in the night has not so overtaken us. By God's grace we trust that we are the class of whom Daniel wrote, saying. "The wise shall understand." I trust that by God's grace—not because we are better than other people, for some of us by nature are not as high perhaps in the mental and moral and physical scale as others, but being sufficiently humble to fully give ourselves
to the Lord, to resign our wills fully to His,—He has counted us worthy of places in the Little Flock. And it is for this reason that we recognize from the prophecies and signs of the times that the Master is establishing His kingdom, that Michael, that great Prince, is actually standing up, and that we are now in the time referred to in this text: "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed." (Dan. 2:44.) We believe with all our hearts, dear friends, that this text is now being fulfilled, and that the prophecies and the signs of the times very plainly indicate that it will not be many years now until it will be fully established, and Satan be bound, and the time for the blessing of all the families of the earth to come, and thus be fulfilled the promise God made to Abraham about 4000 years ago, the point of time indicated here on the diagram, "In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."
Many good people, and some who are Christians, making some effort to walk in the Master's footsteps, and walking in His footsteps to some extent, believe that our dear Master established His kingdom on earth at His first advent at Pentecost. But, dear friends, the Bible very plainly and positively teaches to the contrary. It teaches that His kingdom will be established at His second advent,—the time Paul wrote of in this text: "When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory." (Col. 3:4.) And the time John wrote of in this text: "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.) And the time the blessed Master Himself referred to, saying to His disciples: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions (or habitations): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:1-2.)
Now the speaker once interpreted that text, or entertained this thought of it at least, in reference to this part of it, "In my Father's house are many mansions," in this way: as though the Lord had said to His disciples, "Up in heaven there are a large number of beautiful, magnificent buildings, and, my disciples, those buildings are for you, and when you die you will go up to heaven and inherit and occupy those buildings." But, dear friends, we now see very plainly that was not the Master's thought. The text itself proves that it was not. "In my Father's house (the universe) are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you"—a place that was not then in existence; and consequently it is very evident that none of the Old Testament worthies who lived and died in the periods or ages prior to Jesus' first advent could have gone to that place. Surely they could not have gone to a place that was not in existence. And here we are reminded of the words Jesus addressed to Nicodemus, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven," and the words of Peter on the day of Pentecost, "For David is not ascended into the heavens," (Acts 2:34) and this text also in Paul's second letter to Timothy: "Christ . . . hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2 Tim. 1:10.) And our Master said, "If I go away I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also." (John 14:3.)
Now, dear friends, I will bring to your attention some parts of a parable given by our Lord to convince His hearers that the kingdom would not immediately appear; that it would not be established on earth until the Gentile times would end. This parable is recorded in the 19th chapter of Luke, and is introduced thus: "And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
And he called his ten servants, and delivered to them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us." Of course we can easily recognize that the young nobleman represented Jesus, who forty days after His resurrection went into the far country—heaven—and on reaching that far country Jehovah gave Him the heathen for His inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession. Other Scriptures intimate that in a certain sense it was when Jesus was resurrected He was given all power in heaven and in earth, and He was given the sceptre, or the right to rule over the entire earth, to exercise authority from the rivers to the end of the earth. And you will remember perhaps having read in the 22nd chapter of Ezekiel these words, addressed by Jehovah to Zedekiah, Judah's last king, who was a little later taken captive to Babylon: "Thou profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God: Remove the diadem, and take off the crown. . . . I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him." That is to say, Jehovah overturned the kingdom that had existed in Israel for five hundred years, and turned it over to Babylon, and later to Medo-Persia, later on to Greece, and then later on to Rome, and it was that kingdom that was in authority at our dear Redeemer's first advent, and it was under the dominion of that power, or kingdom, that He was crucified. But when He was resurrected, and exalted to the Father's right hand, Jehovah gave Him the sceptre, the authority to rule from the river to the ends of the earth, and instead of saying, "My son go back to earth immediately and begin to rule," he said: "Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool." And so, dear friends, instead of the Master, after having received the kingdom, returning to earth immediately to exercise authority, He took His seat at His Father's right hand, awaiting the time God had previously appointed for His second advent to take place when He would begin the great work of blessing all the families of the earth.
Now, just a word in reference to Jehovah's words addressed to His Son, "Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool." I presume we have all more or less misunderstood this text in the past. I am sure the speaker thought of it in this way: As though Jehovah meant or said, "My Son, sit on my right hand until my time comes to consign your enemies to hell fire, where they will undergo horrible torture forever and ever." Now, we can at once see that such an intrpretation of the text is unreasonable. What is a footstool? I presume all my hearers know that it is a place of rest for the feet; it is a serviceable piece of furniture; it is an article of which good use can be made. A person does not despise and abuse his footstool. A footstool is not near as important or necessary as a throne. Jehovah said, "The heaven is my throne. What is His footstool? The earth. And we My dear friends, God has a footstool as well as a throne. What is his footstool? The earth. And we are told in the Old Testament that God will make the place of His feet glorious. The Scriptures abundantly teach that Jesus and His joint-heirs will reign for a thousand years during the Millennial age, during which time God's footstool will be made glorious and remain glorious forever and ever. So you see it is not God's intention to destroy His footstool; neither is it Jesus' intention to destroy His footstool. Of what is His footstool constituted? His enemies. Now this is the proposition: When His second advent takes place, and Satan is bound and in prison, mankind generally will come to a knowledge of the truth; those who are now the Lord's enemies on account of ignorance, weakness, and unfavorable surroundings will become His subjects, they will become His friends, and they will give Him their loyal support. Then every knee shall bow to Him,
and every tongue shall confess His righteous authority. The individuals—and we do not know what proportion of the human race this will be—who will refuse to come into harmony with the Lord will be His enemies, and will be slain. They will be destroyed in the way the Master brings to our attention in this text: "For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people." (Acts 3:22-23.)
Marked out on the chart, or diagram, beginning at the point of time marked here, and ending at the point of time indicated there, we have a very long period—7000 years. From the human standpoint that is an exceedingly long period. From the human standpoint a hundred years is indeed a very long period. But from God's standpoint this is a very short period. Seven thousand years is just one week, if you please, because one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. In the ninetieth Psalm it is said, "For a thousand years in thy sight are as but yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." We understand, dear friends, it is a day of this length, a thousand years, that God had in mind about 6000 years ago when he said to Adam, "In the day that thou eatest thereof, dying thou shalt surely die" (marginal reading). Adam died, not in a 24-hour day, but in a thousand year day; he lived 930 years. When God turned him out of the Garden of Eden, making it impossible for him to have access to the life-sustaining fruits of the trees, he began to die, and continued dying for 930 years, when he became actually dead. My dear hearers, that is when by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.
It is not our thought that this is the only day with Jehovah that is a thousand years long. He has various days of different lengths. One of them is 40 years long, called the day of temptation in the wilderness. In the first chapter of Genesis we read of six days in which the earth was created. Then in the New Testament Scriptures at least three terms or words are applied to the same period of time. Paul said: "Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation." And Jesus said, quoting from the prophet, that he came to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. These three terms evidently apply to precisely the same period. There is a great deal said in the Scriptures about the last day, the Lord's day. We will qoute only a few: Jesus said to his hearers on one occasion, "And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6: 40.) That is, I will glorify him at the last day. And that is the day Paul wrote of in his second letter to Timothy, last chapter, saying, "I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course. I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day." He was not to get the crown of righteousness immediately, but at that day. What day? The day or time of Jesus' second advent. He said, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am ye may be also. And Paul said, "Not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."
What then might be said with respect to our dear friends who do not love His appearing, and about persons who say, "We believe the Lord will come sometime, but probably not for a thousand or thousands of years. This world is good enough for us; we do not want to be pessimistic; we don't want to be old croakers and fault-finders. Here is a class of people who claim that it is not a good world, and will not be until the Lord's kingdom is established. But this is good enough for me." I say on Bible authority, dear friends, that however kind, and gentle, and moral, they may be, they are not of the Little Flock; they will not be made sharers in the kingdom; they are not of the class that is groaning within themselves; they are not sincerely and heartily praying, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
They are satisfied with this evil world. They will never be in the kingdom. It is only those who recognize this as an evil world, and are out of harmony with it, and long for the Lord's kingdom to be established, who will enter the heavenly kingdom, and sit down with the Lord in His throne. Dear brethren, how is it with us today? Our Master said, "I come quickly." Can we respond heartily, "Even so, come Lord Jesus?" What if we could be assured that next week the Lord's kingdom would be established and the present order of things end, the present institutions be overthrown, and Satan be securely bound in prison? Would we then respond heartily, "Even so, come Lord Jesus?" Yes, Lord, we would be glad if Thy kingdom would be fully established tomorrow. Is that the way we feel about it? I trust by God's grace such is the case. We believe with all our heart that in less than 8 years from now Satan will be bound in prison and kept there for a thousand years, during which time all his evil works will be fully undone; and we trust then that today every one of us can respond, "Even so, come Lord Jesus."
This "last day" is referred to in this text: "Martha saith unto him, I know that He shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." (John 11:24.) The last day referred to in this text is not a twenty-four hour day, and not the last day of time, as we once thought, but it is the last of seven days, each a thousand years long, the first beginning when Adam and Eve fell at the point of time indicated on the chart, and the fourth in the past at Jesus' first advent, and the sixth in the past at His second advent; when the second advent begins, and early in that seventh day: the church will be completed and glorified; and a little later the Jewish nation will be restored to divine favor, and then throughout the remainder of the day all the families of the earth shall be blessed. No wonder that is called the day of the Lord. It will be the grandest day the human race has ever experienced, but He does not say the grandest it ever will experience, because the perfect day that will follow will be a still grander day. But during that day the race will be saved from the effects of the fall, and whoever will then obey the Lord will enter the perfect day and will live forever.
It may surprise some when we say that we are in the last day. The last day is actually upon us; indeed we have been in it now for more than 30 years. And that is why trouble has increased so remarkably all over the world, not only socially, but politically and religiously. And we believe the physical earth is being prepared or changed gradually for the glorious restitution work soon to begin. Before the flood Jehovah had prepared the elements that destroyed the old world. The people did not know anything about it. Probably Noah, who prepared the ark, did not know just what means God had prepared for the destruction of the first world, but when the time for its destruction came it was accomplished very suddenly; He made a short work in the earth,—taking about a year for its accomplishment. Now, for a long time—we do not know just how long—Jehovah has been preparing the elements that will destroy this present evil world or order of things, when the time for its destruction shall have fully come. When that time shall have come, and the Gentile times shall have ended, He will make a short work in the earth. When the people say, "peace and safety" then sudden destruction cometh upon them, and they shall not escape.
So it is very evident from the signs of the times as well as the prophecies that this day is even at our doors, that the climax of trouble will be reached before many years go by. Perhaps you have noticed when reading the account of the flood, what preceded it and what followed it, in the book of Genesis, that before
the flood the average length of life was at least 900 years, and immediately after the flood it was reduced to about 200 years, and a little later to 120, and then later to 100, and to 70, and now it is about 36. The flood so changed the physical earth, the climate, the elements, that the average length of human life was reduced from 900 to 200 years immediately, and now we learn from the general tenor of the Lord's word, its general teaching, that when the kingdom shall be fully established on earth, and Satan fully bound in prison, and the "highway" opened up, the elements, the climate, the seasons, and everything related to the earth, will be so much more favorable to the sustenance of human life then than now that nobody will get sick and die for Adam's sin. People will begin to improve physically, and mentally, at once. We understand that it will not be necessary for God to perform miracles in order for people to live a thousand years, any more than it was necessary for miracles to be performed before the flood for people to live 900 years. But they will live at least a hundred years, and if they will not then come into harmony with the Lord, and begin to practice the Golden Rule, they will be destroyed from among the people—not dying what we call a natural death, but being put to death by some extraordinary means. And at the end of the age God will reign fire down from heaven upon those who will not be in harmony with Him, and blot them out of existence.
I am glad, dear friends, to believe with all my heart that there are children and young men and women living today who will never die, but will go through the time of trouble, remaining on the earth, and who will be purified by the fires of that time, as stated in the 13th chapter of Zechariah, they will call upon the name of the Lord, and will remain in the land; then if they will continue to obey they will never die, but live forever. Whoever in that day disobeys wilfully will be put to death for his own sins. "But every man shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge." (Jer. 31:30.) We all know that people are not dying for their own sin now, but for Adam's.
In the second chapter of our Lord's gospel according to John we find these words, uttered by Jesus Himself: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." And it is added by the inspired historian, "But he spake of the temple of his body." I presume that many of us have in the past thought Jesus referred to His own human body, that He would raise it up Himself, but we see now, dear friends, how plainly the Bible teaches to the contrary, that it was God who raised Jesus. It is repeatedly stated in the Acts and in Paul's writings that God raised Him up. Jesus could not have raised His own body; a dead person could not resurrect himself. It is stated in Isaiah of our dear Redeemer that He poured out His soul unto death, that He made His soul an offering for sin; and the Psalmist prophesying long before said, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (the grave)." The same word translated "hell" in this text is translated "grave" in the following text: "For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." (Eccl. 9:10.) Why? Because "the dead know not anything" (vs. 5). Our Master went into that condition and remained there until the third day, when our Heavenly Father resurrected Him and gave Him authority to resurrect all others at His second advent, giving Him the keys of death and hell. These keys He will use at His second advent, unlocking the great prison house of death, and bring the prisoners forth. We read, "Hell delivered up its dead." There are no living prisoners in hell; all in hell are dead, and would have remained there dead forever had not Jesus Christ gone down into hell and redeemed them, making their release possible.
What did our Lord mean when He said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up?" Why, other Scriptures show very plainly that He referred to the church, His body. This was spoken of the temple, His body; the temple Peter wrote about in his first epistle, telling us that it is composed of spiritual stones; and that is the temple of which Solomon's temple was only a type.
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