The Watchtower, August 15, 1946
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"They shall know that I am Jehovah.”
-Ezekiel 35:15.
Vol. LXVII
Semimonthly No. 16
CONTENTS
AUGUST 15, 1946
The Harvest, the End of the World 243
What Is “the World”? .............
Messiah’s Appearing at
a Consummation of a World Jewish Harvest.............................
Harvest in Progress
Among Alt, Nations .............
Sowing of Weeds or Tares .......
“End of the World”.....................
The Reaping...............................
... 247 ...249 ... 251 ... 253
Shilling in the Father’s Kingdom ......254
Queen of Sheba Condemns
Worldly Wise .......................
Letter from Alexandria, Egypt “The Watchtower”.......................
“Creator’s Remembrance”
Testimony Period ...............
“Watchtower" Studies _____________
........255
_______256
_____242
... 242 ...242
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Published Semimonthly By
WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY 117 Adams Street - - Brooklyn 1, N.Y., U.S.A
Officers
N. H. Knorr. President W. E. Van Ambubgh, Secretary
“And all thy children shall be taudht of Jehovah; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” - Isaiah 54:13.
THE BIBLE CLEARLY TEACHES
THAT JEHOVAH Is the only true God, from everlasting to everlasting, and Is the Maker of heaven and earth and Giver of life to his creatures; that the Word or Logos was the beginning of his creation and his active agent in creating all other things; and that the creature Lucifer rebelled against Jehovah and raised the issue of His universal sovereignty;
THAT GOD created the earth for man, made perfect man for the earth and placed him upon it; that man yielded to unfaithful Lucifer, or Satan, and willfully disobeyed God’s law and was sentenced to death; that by reason of Adam’s wrong act all men are born sinners and without the right to life;
THAT THE LOGOS wns made human as the man Jesus and suffered death in order to produce the ransom or redemptive price for obedient men: that God raised up Christ Jesus divine and exalted him to heaven above every other creature and clothed him with all power and authority as head of God's new capital organization;
THAT GOD’S CAPITAL ORGANIZATION is a Theocracy called Zion, and that Christ Jesus is the Chief Officer thereof and is the rightful King of the new world; that the faithful anointed followers of Christ Jesus are Zion’s children, members of Jehovah's organization, and are His witnesses whose duty and privilege It Is to testify to Jehovah’s supremacy and declare his purposes toward mankind as expressed in the Bible;
THAT THE OLD WORLD, or Satan's uninterrupted rule, ended A.D. 1914, and Christ Jesus has been placet! by Jehovah upon the throne, has ousted Satan from heaven, and now proceeds to vindicate His name and establish the “new earth”;
THAT THE RELIEF and blessings of the peoples can come only by Jehovah's kingdom under Christ, which has begun: that His next great act is to destroy Satan's organization and establish righteousness completely in the earth ; and that under the Kingdom the people of good-will surviving Armageddon will carry out the divine mandate to “fill the earth” with righteous offspring, and that the human dead in the graves will be raised to opportunities of life on earth.
ITS MISSION
HIS Journal is published for the purpose of enabling the people to know Jehovah God and his purposes as expressed in the Bible. It publishes Bible Instruction specifically designed to aid Jehovah’s witnesses and all people of good-wlIL It arranges systematic Bible study for its readers and the Society supplies other literature to aid In such studies. It publishes suitable material for radio broadcasting and for other means of public Instruction in the Scriptures.
It adheres strictly to the Bible as authority for its utterances. It Is entirely free and separate from all religion, parties, sects or other worldly organizations. It Is wholly and without reservation for the kingdom of Jehovah God under Christ his beloved King. It is not dogmatic, but Invites careful nnd critical examination of its contents in the light of the Scriptures. It does not Indulge in controversy, and its columns are not open to persomililies.
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“THE WATCHTOWER”
The Watchtower is a magazine without equal in the earth, and is conceded this rank by all that have been faithful readers thereof during its more than sixty years of publication. The Watchtower has increased in importance with the progress of the years, and never has it been more valuable than today, at this world crisis, when the destiny of eaeh intelligent human creature is being decided. The getting of correct information and instruction, just such as is required for the times, to decide your course wisely to a happy destiny, was never more vital than now, for “where there is no vision, the people perish”. Informed persons well acquainted with the consistent contents of The Watchtower agree that those who want to gain life in peace and happiness without end should read and study it together with the Bible and in company with other readers. This is not giving any credit to the magazine’s publishers, but is due to the great Author of the Bible with its truths and prophecies, and who now interprets its prophecies. He it is that makes possible the material that is published in the columns of this magazine and who gives promise that it shall continue to publish the advancing truths as long as it continues to exist for the service of the interests of his Theocratic Government. Carefully and prayerfully read this issue of The Watchtower. Then do not delay to mail in your subscription, that you may receive it regularly, twice a month, twenty-four copies the year. It is $1.00 in the United States; $1.50 elsewhere.
“CREATOR’S REMEMBRANCE” TESTIMONY PERIOD
For a month usually devoted to the recuperation of one’s physical vigor and strength and youthfulness in the Northern hemisphere the above name is very fitting. Not only school children then enjoying their vacations but also all others of Jehovah’s witnesses will want to remember their Creator by publishing the message of his name and kingdom. During August the thousands of Jehovah’s witnesses assembled at Cleveland and all other publishers will offer to the reading public the combination of four of the Society’s booklets on a contribution of 10c, or ten selected booklets, including “Be Glad, Ye Nations”, on a contribution of 25c. The distribution of booklets has proved a splendid way for many new publishers to get started in the work of giving witness to God among the people, and doubtless many Watchtower readers will be interested to take part therein and thus show remembrance of their Creator. All that is necessary to be put in touch with those who will give practical instruction and association in the field service is to drop us a brief word. Do so, and we shall give it our earliest attention. At the close of this August Testimony Period we shall be delighted to receive field reports of more publishers of the Kingdom message.
“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES
Week of September 22: “The Harvest, the End of the World,” fl 1-20 inclusive, The Watchtower August 15, 1946.
Week of September 29: “The Harvest, the End of the World,” fl 21-23 inclusive, also “Harvest in Progress Among All Nations”, fl 1-19 inclusive, The Watchtower August 15, 1946.
Week of October 6: “Harvest in Progress Among All Nations,” fl 20-40 inclusive, The Watchtower August 15, 1946.
ANNOUNCING JEHOVAH’S KINGDOM
Vol. LXVII August 15, 1946 No. 16
THE HARVEST, THE END OF THE WORLD
"The harvest is the end of the world.”—Matt. 13: 39.
TEHOVAH created this globe of earth to last I forever as one of his marvels of creation. He J created all the wonders about this earth which amaze and delight the God-fearing man who studies His works. All things serve the purpose of this great Creator: “who makes the clouds his chariot; who walks upon the wings of the wind; who makes the winds his messengers; his ministers, flames of fire. He founded the earth upon its pillars, that it might not be moved forever and ever.” (Ps. 104:3-5, An Amer. Trans.) Using the waters as His servant, he brought the great global flood to cleanse the earth of a depraved generation, and started a new generation with the family of Noah, on this ever-enduring earth. As it is written in the sayings of the wise man: “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.” (Eccl. 1: 4) Jehovah God, in his pleasure at the worship of this family of flood-survivors, declared his unchangeable law to them concerning the destiny of the earth, saying : “I will never again curse the soil because of man, though the bent of man’s mind may be evil from his very youth; nor will I ever again destroy all life, as I have just done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall never cease.” (Gen. 8:21,22, Au Amer. Trans.) Thus one of the never-stopping circles of events that God decreed for our perpetual earth is that of “seedtime and harvest”.
2 By God’s law it is therefore established in our minds that a harvest does not mean the end or destruction of our earthly globe. Hence by saying, “The harvest is the end of the world,” the great Teacher of nineteen centuries ago could not have predicted any destruction to the earth upon which the harvest is conducted. He was then speaking to the people in parables or figures of speech, and by such parabolic figures he was not teaching anything contrary to God’s plainly stated laws governing literal things like our earth. In his parables he was using things common in everyday life in order to picture, by likeness or resemblance, remarkable events to
1. What has Jehovah God decreed for this earth?
2. Why does the harvest not mean destruction to our globe? take place upon this earth. In view of the terrible things threatening the world of today, one of those remarkable events closely concerns us. It is “the end of the world”.—Matt. 13:39.
'Are we at the end of the world? Are we in the time of its end? One of the proofs foretold by the great Teacher by which to know for a certainty that we have entered into the time of the end is “the harvest”. If we are at the end of the world, then this harvest must be in progress. It is of the greatest importance for us to know this, for, without being aware of it, we may be at the end of the present world, which means also that we are at the beginning of a new world. It is possible that this generation of today may be viewing the harvest going on, but may not understand what it means. They may not see that a significant parable is being fulfilled.
4 The great Teacher of parables showed that this lack of perception and understanding would exist at the time of the parable’s fulfillment. To explain why he taught in parables or figures, he said: “This is why I speak to them in figures, because though they look they do not see, and though they listen they do not hear or understand. They are a fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy, ‘You will listen and listen, and never understand, and you will look and look, and never see! For this nation’s mind has grown dull, and they hear faintly with their ears, and they have shut their eyes, so as never to see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their minds, and turn back, and let me cure them!’ ” Who today would want to be that way? It would mean one’s not being cured of what is wrong with the world. In place of being cured and spared from world disaster, it would mean being like the nation of Israel, whose majority were that way and who shortly thereafter ended up with a national disaster. Its bitter effects the natural Jews are suffering to this far-removed day. The great Teacher pointed out a better and happier way to his faithful learners, saying: “But blessed are your eyes, for they do see, and your ears, for they do hear. For
3. How can we know we are at the end? and why should we know’ 4. How did Jesus point out the general lack of understanding at the end? and why should we not be that way?
I tell you, many prophets and upright men have longed to see what you see, and could not see it, and to hear what you hear, and could not hear it.”—Matt. 13:13-17, An Amer. Trans.
5 The ones seeldng happiness and blessing today amid this wobbling world will take time to study to see the meaning in the things at which they are looking and to hear understandingly the things told them by the instructed learners of the great Teacher.
WHAT IS “THE WORLD"?
’ The parable of the harvest must be highly important because it has to do with the “kingdom of heaven” or “kingdom of God”. Nothing, not excepting the affairs of the United Nations organization of today, could be more important than that. The kingdom of heaven is of Jehovah God; the United Nations organization is of the world that will have an end. Manifestly it is not of the new world over which the never-ending kingdom of heaven will rule. Therefore the harvest foretold in the parable must spell something of tremendous importance regarding the United Nations organization and other man-made institutions of this world. Consequently the parable invites our most careful attention, particularly to see if we have reached the final feature of it, namely, the harvest.
7 What is the “world”, whose end is the harvest? In telling of it in his parable Jesus Christ used a special expression. To indicate that the expression does not mean the destruction of this earth, some translators of Jesus’ words put it this way: “The harvest is the close of the age.” {Weymouth; An Amer. Trans.) “The harvest is a full end of the age.” {Young) “And the harvest is the conclusion of an age.” {Rotherham) "The harvest is the consummation of the age.” {Am.Stan. Ver., margin; Lutterworth, 1938) All those here quoted use the word age instead of world. The word which the Greek-writing apostle Matthew used to quote Jesus is aion. We get our English word aeon, or eon, from it. From this we are not to think that by the word which Jesus used he meant just a period of time, a period uncertain as to length but certain to come to an end in a harvest. The thing that Christ Jesus was here stressing was the change in conditions, the change in the system of things, and not the mere ending of a period of time such as an age is.
8 For example, the apostle Paul, at Ephesians 2: 2, speaks of aion as the “course” of this world, saying: “In time past ye walked according to the course [or aion] of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
5. What will those seeking happiness and blessing now do?
6. Why is the parable highly important? and why give it attention? 7. As regards earth, what does the “end of the world” not mean? 8. How does Paul show “a!6n” does not mean “period of time” here? children of disobedience.” This course was influenced by the prince of this world, Satan the Devil. For certain the same apostle does not refer to an indefinite space of time when he writes, at Galatians 1: 3, 4: “Our Lord Jesus Christ. .. gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world [or aion], according to the will of God and our Father.” He must have been referring to the Christians’ deliverance from the course or system of things, because, certainly they were not taken out of that space or period of time, for we are still living in it. The same apostle says, at Hebrews 1:1, 2: “God ... hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds [or aiones].” Here he could not with reason be referring to the creating of periods of times, but to certain great systems of things which may or may not come to an end; and these may exist at the same time, to make up one big whole or universal system, as we might say.
’ Likewise, in the parable concerning the harvest, the world that ends is the system of things which mankind has known since the days of the great flood. During the time in which the parable fits, a certain state of things exists in the field which is to be harvested. A certain condition is permitted with regard to those who have to do with the field. And this is what comes to an end at the time of the harvest. Thus it can be appreciated that Jesus by the parable was not encouraging a study of so-called “ages” or timeperiods and the framing of a chronology or time table by means of which to predict what is to happen at future dates or points of time.
10 Now notice, also, that in the expression “the end of the world” the apostle Matthew shows Jesus as using a particular word {synteleia) for the word end. (Matt. 13:39,40,49; 28:20) Jesus’ apostles copied him by using this word when speaking of the end of a world. (Matt. 24:3; Heb. 9:26) It is a combined word; it combines the preposition “with” {syn) together with the noun “end” {telos). Since the word contains the preposition “with”, this indicates that two or several things work together or with one another to bring about a common end. Hence the word {synteleia) used by Jesus has been defined as consummation, the combination of parts to one end, or the bringing to an end together* This shows that a number of things are in effect or in operation during the closing down of the world and that these things cease together at the finish of the said “world”. Thus when the disciples asked Jesus, “Tell us, when
*See Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell & Scott, 1856, under synteleia and synteUo.
9. Afi to an “al6n”, what ia it, then, that ends?
10. What does the special word for “end” that Jesus used mean and show?
shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coining, and of the end [synteleia) of the world [aidn) ?” they saw that certain related things would be in force and at -work during the time of consummation of this “world”. So they wanted to know what these would be and how they would come to a simultaneous conclusion at the finish of such world.
11 One of the things that Jesus, in reply, said would come to a finish at the final end of the world is the preaching that God’s kingdom had been established by Jesus’ coming into the Kingdom power. He said: “And this glad message of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the inhabited earth, for a witness unto all the nations, and then will have come the end [or telos).” (Matt. 24:14, Rotherham) By this it is seen that the “end” or consummation (or synteleia) about which the disciples asked is a period of time marked by decisive events and which has a beginning and a finish or final end (telos).
12 Thus Jesus showed that the consummation (or synteleia) of the world is the same thing that the prophet Daniel calls the time of the end (or synteleia, according to the Greek Septuagint Version of Daniel). The preaching of this Kingdom gospel in all the habitable earth by Jehovah’s witnesses comes during this period of the “time of the end”. Furthermore, the preaching of this Kingdom gospel stops at the final end (or telos) of this period of the “time of the end [or synteleia)”. In other words, when the consummation or time of the end (or synteleia) ends up, then is when the final end (or telos) comes. Foretelling something that would take place in the time of the consummation (or synteleia), the angel said to God’s prophet: “But thou, 0 Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end [synteleia): many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” (Dan. 12:4) The angel also added: “All these things shall be finished [synteleo). But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end [synteleia) of the days.” (Dan. 12: 7,13; according to the Greek Septuagint) According to Jesus’ prophecy concerning the consummation (or synteleia), not only the running to and fro resulting in an increase of knowledge occurs during this time of the end (or synteleia) but also the harvest takes place then, too.
MESSIAH’S. APPEARING AT A CONSUMMATION OF A WORLD
13 The apostle Paul tells us that, nineteen centuries ago, when Jesus Christ appeared in flesh and died on the tree at Calvary, it was at the “end of the world”. Jesus’ sacrifice then was perfect and all-sufficient and hence it did not need to be offered often or
11. What important thing will stop at the final end of the world? 12. What do Jesus and Daniel show occurs in the consummation? 13. According to Hebrews 9:26, when did Jesus appear for sacrifice? repeatedly. Therefore Paul says: “Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the [Jewish] high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world [or kosmos): but now once in the end [or synteleia) of the world [or aidnes) hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”—Heb. 9:25, 26.
14 The apostle’s statement helps us to discern what was the world (aidnes) or systems of things which ended there. He has particular reference to the Hebrews or Jews, because all through this letter to the Hebrews down to this point he is discussing things connected with the Hebrews, from Abraham onward; and he specializes on the things connected with the law covenant which God made with the Hebrews. When Christ Jesus presented himself in consecration to God at the Jordan river and was baptized in token of his consecration, God there laid the foundation of a righteous new world (or kosmos) in Christ Jesus. Paul wrote to the Hebrews about this about A.D. 61, or about thirty-two years after that foundation of the new world was laid in Christ Jesus. Now, after Jesus died on the tree A.D. 33, it was not necessary for him to repeat that suffering and death over and over again, often, as by any so-called “sacrifice of the mass” in Roman Catholic churches. Why not? Because Jesus’ human sacrifice was perfect and completely met all that divine justice could ask. Hence its cleansing and redemptive effects are permanent and continuous and do not need to be renewed by fresh, repeated sacrifices. Therefore Paul says that “now once in the end of the world hath [Jesus] appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself”. The Jewish high priest did offer animal sacrifices repeatedly, because those sacrifices did not actually take away human sins. But when Christ Jesus offered up his one, all-satisfying sacrifice, it needed no repetition; it put an end to the system of sacrifices by the Jewish priests.
15 By his sacrifice Jesus became the mediator of a new covenant. (Heb. 7:22; 8:6-13) That put an end to the general system of things which the Jews enjoyed under the old law covenant between themselves and God. Up to that time also a system of types and shadows of good things to come in the future had been in force, including a “worldly sanctuary”, a kosmic or fully equipped sanctuary. At Jesus’ appearing in the flesh back there, to bring in the realities which were foreshadowed by the types and shadows, that system of typical, shadowy things came to an end. All these systems of things connected with the Hebrews or Jewish people came to an end
14. Why did Jesus’ sacrifice not need repeating? and what did It there bring to an end?
16. What other things made it a combination end or consummation? together. Hence there was a consummation or combination end. It was a joint end of such systems and it covered or took in a period of time.
JEWISH HARVEST
10 It is significant to note that there was a harvest at that "end [synteleia] of the world [aidnes]”. John the Baptist, in his preaching, indicated that there would be such. He began to preach just six months before he baptized Jesus in the Jordan river. He pointed ahead to Jesus’ coming as a harvester and warned the sectarian Pharisees and Sadducees with these words: “I am baptizing you in water in token of your repentance, but he who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not fit to carry his shoes. He will baptize you in the holy spirit and in fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean up his threshing-floor, and store his wheat in his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with inextinguishable fire.” (Matt. 3:11,12, An Amer. Trans.) John’s peculiar mission, as described by Jehovah’s angel just before the time of John’s conception, was “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord”. (Luke 1:13-17) For possibly a year after Jesus’ baptism John the Baptist continued free to do preaching and baptizing, and all this was preparing more people for the Lord Jesus, Jehovah’s Representative. (John 3:22-30) Hence these prepared people must be harvested. The harvest began when the harvester arrived, namely, the anointed Jesus. The harvest began specifically after this consecrated and anointed Jesus came back from the wilderness, after his forty-day temptation there, and came to John the Baptist and got acquainted with his disciples. The first that he harvested were Andrew and John, and Peter, and Philip and Nathaniel, all five of whom became apostles of Jesus Christ.—John 1: 35-49.
17 John the Baptist was thrown into prison by King Herod Antipas, thus putting to an end John’s public career. Shortly afterward Jesus, while on his way up through Samaria to Galilee, called attention to the harvest work. At the well near Sychar Jesus’ disciples were surprised to find him giving a Kingdom witness to a Samaritan woman. Then Jesus said to them: “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other
10. When did a harvest begin back there at that end’ and how? 17. Where and how did Jesus first call attention to that harvest? men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.” Soon thereafter he preached the Kingdom to many Samaritans who came out to see him. A number of them believed. (John 4:34-42) Then he left these Samaritans to be reaped and gathered into God’s Theocratic organization later by his disciples, after Pentecost following his resurrection from the dead. —Acts 8: 5-25.
18 Jesus, with his immediate disciples, concentrated mainly upon the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”. He and John the Baptist had laboured in sowing the seed of the truths concerning the kingdom of heaven. So now, in taking these disciples along with him to join him in the preaching, Jesus was conducting them forth into the fields of believers ripe to be harvested. Jesus and John the Baptist had worked as sowers, and now Jesus’ disciples were entering into the good results of their labors, to reap that whereon they had spent no previous effort. They were joining in gathering the believers who should become heirs of life eternal, and were thus being fully repaid for their work. For this reason both Jesus the Sower and they the reapers were rejoicing together.
19 About two years later Jesus again called attention to the harvest then in progress among the Jewish nation. Concerning his third preaching-tour through Galilee A.D. 31, we are informed: “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Matt. 9: 35-38) Jesus thus called Jehovah God the “Lord of the harvest”.
20 In harmony with this advice to pray for more laborers to be sent into the harvest field, Jesus promptly afterward sent his twelve apostles out by two and two to preach in all accessible Jewish cities. He said: “Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 10: 1-7; Luke 9:1-6,10) Months later, Jesus sent forth seventy other disciples, in twos, to preach, saying: “The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” As he sent them forth he reminded them that they were doing harvest work, by telling them: “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the
18. How did the disciples reap that whereon they had bestowed no labor? and with whom did they rejoice?
10. Two years later how did Jesus again refer to the harvest?
20. How did Jesus act upon the prayer for more harvest laborers? harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.”—Luke 10:1-11.
21 Judged by the words of John the Baptist to the Jews, that was a time of division, a time of separating the wheat from the chaff, which is a harvesttime process. Jehovah was the Lord of that harvest among the Jews, but Christ Jesus was his Servant to wield the winnowing fan or shovel and to cause the division between the wheat class and the worthless chaff class. The division began taking place before Jesus died, but continued after his resurrection from the dead and his ascension to heaven. At Pentecost Christ Jesus, having now received of the Lord of the harvest the holy spirit, began to pour out this active force upon the wheat class, namely, the faithful apostles and fellow disciples. These early ones of this wheat class were further used as reapers, and there was a great gathering of more of the wheat class, from Pentecost onward. The account in Acts of the Apostles shows, however, that Christ Jesus was still conducting operations. (Acts 9:1-16) He wielded the winnowing-fan of the Kingdom truth at his threshingfloor, and by the truth concerning the Messiah he separated the Jewish wheat from the chaff. The wheat he preserved within Jehovah’s Theocratic organization for future use as His witnesses, all baptized with His spirit.
22 The chaff class, however, were flung to the winds and permitted to be dispersed as by the winds. They 21. Mow was the separation of the wheat from chaff carried on?
22. How v<as the Jewish chaff dispersed and burned? were not brought under Theocratic organization, because they rejected Christ Jesus as the Messiah. What collections of Jewish "chaff” there were, as, for instance, at Jerusalem, were burned in a baptism of “fire”. They were destroyed as a settled organized nation. Also the important records of the descendants of King David and of the priestly house of Aaron were lost or destroyed. In a letter written about A.D. 50 the apostle Paul refers to the destructive fire of God’s wrath that came upon such Jewish chaff, and writes: “The Jews ... both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they pleased not God, and are contrary to all men: forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath [of God] is come upon them to the uttermost [or telos].” (1 Thess. 2:14-16) About twenty years later, namely, A.D. 70, Jerusalem was destroyed with a terrific loss of life. Three years later, A.D. 73, the last Jewish stronghold, at Masada on the western shore of the Dead sea, fell to the Roman legions on Nisan 15 after a self-massacre by the besieged Jews. Only two women and five children escape the massacre, by hiding.
23 Those two events, but particularly Jerusalem’s destruction, marked the end of the Jewish harvest. They brought to a close the consummation (synteleia) of the world (aidnes, systems) of those natural Jews. (Heb. 9: 26) It came, indeed, with a baptism of fire!
23. What thus came to an end?
HARVEST IN PROGRESS AMONG ALL NATIONS
THE harvest of the “wheat”, as described by Jesus in his parable of the tares, is now in progress among all nations of this earth. Religious commentators on the Bible have tried to apply this parable to the work of harvest carried on by Jesus and his apostles among the Jews down till Jerusalem’s destruction A.D. 70. They interpret Jesus’ explanation, “The harvest is the end of the world,” to mean the end of the so-called “Jewish age” or “Jewish polity”. In some respects the Jewish harvest carried on by Jesus and his apostles may be pictorial of the harvest described in his parable of the wheat and tares; but certain things about the parable show it lias an earth-wide application and that its harvest must take place among all the nations of earth. Also the facts in fulfillment of the parable give it an extension to all the earth.
2 The facts of modern history since A.D. 1914 establish that this momentous harvest is now in progress. The nations cannot escape it, especially the nations 1. Where does the parable of wheat and tares locate the harvest?
2. Why cannot the nations escape this harvest? of “Christendom”, for God Almighty has decreed it among them. According to His unchangeable law of seedtime and harvest, that which has been sown cannot fail to be harvested. Hence, under the urgency of the present-day situation we come to the great Author and Interpreter of the Bible, with the same request upon our lips as the disciples made of Jesus, saying: “Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field.”—Matt. 13:36, Am. Stan. Ver.
3 First of all, then, let us read the parable as spoken by Jesus: “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and
3. What docs the parable of wheat and tares as spoken by Jenus say? gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” —Matt. 13:24-30.
* The parable presents the resemblance of an earthly seedtime and harvest to the kingdom of heaven or kingdom of God.* This does not mean the invisible, heavenly kingdom of God which was established over our earth A.D. 1914, when He installed Christ Jesus on the heavenly throne to rule for Him among His enemies. The parable could not be referring to this invisible Theocratic Government, because in other parables Jesus compares the “kingdom of heaven” to a sower sowing seed, to a grain of mustard seed, to a woman putting leaven in the dough, to a hid treasure, to a merchant seeking pearls, to a dragnet sweeping up fish, and to growing seed.t In harmony with their fulfillment all these “kingdom of heaven” parables must be referring to the visible organization on earth of the people of God who are in line for the heavenly throne with Christ Jesus. The parables show how this visible organization is brought together and how it works. The one on earth who was the beginning of this visible organization with Kingdom hopes was Jesus Christ. Being the Chief Ambassador and Representative on earth of God’s coming kingdom, he could preach to the Jews among whom he was, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He could also say to his enemies, the religious Pharisees: “The kingdom of God is among you. (Matt. 4:17; Luke 17:20,21) Therefore all these parables begin or start with Christ Jesus; and Jesus’ explanations thereof so indicate.
5 Who, then, is the sower of the good wheat-seed? Jesus explained to his disciples: “He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man.” (Matt. 13:37) This shows that John the Baptist was not the sower and hence he has nothing to do with the harvest described in this parable. John the Baptist himself was not sown as one of the symbolic wheat-seeds, for John had no hopes of membership in the invisible heavenly Kingdom. He was not a child of the Kingdom, and was not taken into the visible organization of Christians in line for the Kingdom. Hence Jesus said respecting •That.the expression “the kingdom of heaven” is identical with “the kingdom of God” can be seen by comparing the same parables as given by different gospel-writers, where Matthew uses the first expression and Mark and Luke use the second expression: Matt. 13:11 and Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10; and Matt. 13: 24 and Mark 4; 26; Matt. 13: 31 and Mark 4: 30, 31; Luke 13:18; and Matt. 13: 33 and Luke 13: 20, 21.
tMatt. 13: 3, 31, 33, 44, 45, 47; Mark 4: 3, 26, 30, 31; Luke 13:18, 19, 20; 8:5.
4. What Is the “kingdom of heaven” to which the parable refers?
5. Who was the sower? and why not John the Baptist?
John the Baptist: “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” “For 1 say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the Idngdom of God is greater than he.”—Luke 16:16; 7:28; Matt. 11:11-13.
6 The Sower of the good seed is the Greatest in the kingdom of God. That one is God’s Anointed King, Christ Jesus. He is the One who purchases the symbolic “good seed” by giving his life for God’s “sheep”, and therefore God his Father gave and supplied the “good seed” to Christ Jesus. As Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (John 10:11,15,27-30) “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.” (John 17:11, 9, 6,12) And how did Jehovah, the great “Lord of the harvest”, give the good seed to Christ Jesus the Sower? In the way that Jesus described, when he said: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (John 6:44, 45) It is Jehovah God that, by his Word written and preached, teaches and draws men to Jesus and thus gives them to him. Jesus taught and preached God’s Word.
7 Hence Jesus, in further explanation of the parable, said: “The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one.” (Matt. 13: 38) The Kingdom of heaven is good, and its children are pictured as “good seed”. They are the seed of God. They are children of God, being begotten by his spirit to become his spiritual children and thereby heirs of the heavenly Idngdom with Christ Jesus. But until they enter into that invisible Idngdom with Christ by a resurrection from the dead they are members of the visible organization of God’s “good seed” on earth. To this organization Jesus refers in the parable as “the kingdom of heaven”, or “kingdom of God”.
’ It is like a “Idngdom” because the members of this visible organization all look up to and give allegiance to Jehovah God as the “King of eternity”, the right-
6. Whence did Christ Jesus get the “good seed’’? and how?
7. Why are the “seed” good? and of what are they members?
8. How is this visible organization a “kingdom of beaten” or “kingdom of God”?
ful sovereign of the universe, the possessor of the universal sovereignty. Hence, in the great paramount issue between Jehovah God and Satan the Devil concerning the universal sovereignty, they uphold Jehovah’s side of the issue. Being good seed, they must bring forth good fruit, according to the rule that Jesus emphasized in saying, “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 7:18, 20, 21) The “good seed” do the good will of the heavenly Father.
9 Where are these “good seed” sown? In just the land of Palestine, among the natural Jews in the days of Jesus and the apostles? Jesus shows where, saying: “The field is the world [kosmos].” Furthermore, this “field” is his as the Sower, for he opened up his parable by saying: “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field.” This world, or field, is different, therefore, from the world (aion) that comes to an end (or syn-teleia). The farmer who sows good seed in his field does not burn up and destroy his field, but does burn up and destroy the weeds. He thus brings to an end their presence in his field.
10 All the earth is Christ Jesus’ field of opportunity for sowing or stationing and planting the “good seed”. It is true that he began sowing seed first in the Jewish field in the land of Palestine and that the first seed sown were members of the “lost sheep of the bouse of Israel”. But that Jewish territory did not constitute the world (or kosmos), which is “his field”. Hence he said, after his resurrection from the dead: “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46,47; Acts 1:8) “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy [spirit].” (Matt. 28:18,19) Thus, by their preaching everywhere after his ascension to heaven, Jesus would continue to sow the good seed in all nations.
11 Since the field of opportunity and of the right to sow is “the world”, it shows that the “good seed” of the “kingdom of heaven” organization would be made up not alone of persons from Jewry but also of persons from the Gentile nations, none barred. As the apostle Peter said to the first Gentile convert,
9. In what field are the seed sown? and whose field is It?
10. How did Jesus show “his field” was not just the Jewish field?
11. Since the world Is the field, what about those of the seed?
Cornelius: “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” (Acts 10: 34, 35) Christ Jesus, personally, did not begin to sow the good seed outside of the Jewish nation while he was on the earth in the flesh, but he began to do this from heaven after the “seventy weeks” of God’s special favor to the natural Jews ended A.D. 36. Then he began sowing the good seed among other nations by sending Peter to preach to Cornelius, an Italian.
11 By pouring out the holy spirit upon the devoted believers, Christ Jesus planted them as good seed in the earth, from the day of Pentecost A.D. 33 onward among the Jews and from the time of Cornelius’ hearing the Kingdom gospel onward among the Gentiles. (Acts 2:1-4,32,33) The apostle Paul was specially used in preaching the gospel in the Gentile field, and through him the gifts of the holy spirit were imparted to multitudes of Gentile believers. (Rom. 15:16, 29; Acts 19: 6) Showing the world-wide preaching by about the year A.D. 60, or twenty-seven years after Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, Paul wrote to the Colossians: “The word of the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you; even as it is also in all the wobld [or kosmos~\ bearing fruit and increasing, as it doth in you also,... If so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven ; whereof I Paul was made a minister.” (Col. 1:5,6,23, Am. Stan. Ver.) Paul’s fellow apostle, John,’ wrote his account of the gospel and also his third and last epistle about the year 98, or sixty-five years after Jesus ascended to heaven. And thus Jesus continued to sow the good seed of the “children of the kingdom” by means of his twelve apostles down till at least that late date in the life of the apostle John. Jesus has continued to sow the “good seed” down through the past nineteen centuries; but, particularly after John’s death, what took place? Jesus tells us in the parable.
SOWING OF WEEDS OR TARES
15 “But while men slept his enemy came and resowed weeds among the wheat and then went away. When the blade sprouted and formed the kernel, then the weeds appeared as well.” (Matt. 13: 25, 26, Moffatt) When men slept was night. The apostle Paul says: “They that sleep sleep in the night.” (1 Thess. 5:7) In the Bible sleep is sometimes used as a symbol of death. (Matt. 9:24; 1 Thess. 5:10) Hence the sleeping of men in the parable may picture the falling
12. How did Paul show a world-wide preaching in his day? and how long has the Sower Christ Jesus continued to bow good seed?
13, 14. (a) To what, first, may the sleeping of the men refer? (b) To what also may the sleeping refer? asleep in death of the twelve apostles of Christ, including the last survivor of them, the apostle John, who died about A.D. 100. But already about forty-five years before that date Paul, when giving a farewell admonition to the elder brethren from Ephesus, said to them concerning unfaithful or counterfeit Christians: “I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.”—Acts 20: 29-31.
11 Therefore the sleeping of men in the parable may refer also to the failure of Christian overseers to keep awake and watch for the spiritual interests of the flock of God, or the good seed of the “children of the kingdom”. Such falling to sleep spiritually took place after Paul’s death, and more so after Jolin’s death. Also history shows that after the apostles and their faithful fellow servants of the church died a great darkness of spiritual night settled down over all the earth where the gospel had been preached.
15 During this nighttime, when Christians slept to their responsibilities and failed to watch according to the light of the Bible, the great enemy of the “Lord of the harvest” and of his Sower of good seed got busy. He resowed or oversowed the Lord s field with weeds, tares or darnel (zizanion, according to the Greek). The name of the weed or tare appears to find its root in the Hebrew verb (zandli) meaning to commit adultery or play the harlot. It refers to an imitation wheat, a spurious or false wheat. It is not an innocent weed, but its grains produce vomiting and diarrhea, convulsions and even death. It is a plant distinctly unrelated to wheat, and when it is not separated but is harvested together with wheat, bread made from the flour often causes dizziness to the eater. Indeed, if this tare seed is mixed with bread, besides causing nausea, it produces difficulty in speaking and other outward effects running from intoxication to paralysis and, in some cases, mortification of the eater’s extremities or even death. For this reason the claim that the name of the weed (zizanion) is from the Arabic root-word zan, meaning dizziness, is not without good foundation.
10 The sowing of such weeds or tares of that bearded darnel variety took place after the night set in, that is, after the apostles died and many Christian leaders became drowsy and failed to watch against the inroads of the enemy. Christ Jesus the Sower exposes the enemy that sowed these tares as Satan the Devil. Hence the tares are his children,
15. What about the weed that the enemy then sowed in the field?
16. Who sowed tares? and how does John warn against such tares? “the children of the evil one.” Satan the Devil produces them. He plants them thickly in among those who are the good seed or “children of the kingdom”. The apostle John, in his first letter written not long before his death, warned his Christian readers against becoming such symbolic tares. Said Jolin: “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he himf Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” (1 John 3:10-12) In a second letter John writes against tares, saying: “Many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”—2 John 7, 9-11.
IT Long before John’s letters Paul warned the Christians of the sowing of tares under the form of a great falling away from the faith, or apostasy. The Sower of the good seed, we remember, used the apostles and other faithful disciples to spread the good news of the Kingdom, resulting in the growth of many “children of the kingdom”. In imitation, the Devil used those fallen-away ones to spread religious traditions and other false doctrines throughout the field where Christianity had spread, thus producing tares or “children of the wicked one”. The religious leaders in this great falling away oi- apostasy combined together to produce a great religious system of iniquity, which the Bible calls “the man of sin”.
18 In warning the early Christians that this iniquitous system must develop before the great day of accounting and of judgment would take place, Paul writes: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [hindereth] will let [hinder], until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his
17. Imitating Jesus, how did the De\il sow tares, and where?
18. How did Paul warn against the system of tares? and when did they especially begin to disclose themselves? mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” (2 Thess. 2:3, 4, 7, 8) In the early fourth century, in the days of Emperor Constantine of Rome, the tare class especially began to disclose themselves. Then the religious leaders of the organization at Rome which claimed to be the Christian church openly committed spiritual adultery with the Roman political rulers of this world.—Jas. 4:4.
19 Thus in course of time that part of the parable went into fulfillment which says: “And the owner’s slaves came to him and said, ‘Was not the seed good that you sowed in your field, sir? So where did these weeds come from?’ He said to them, ‘This is some enemy’s doing.’ And they said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, for in gathering up the weeds you may uproot the wheat. Let them both grow together until harvest time, and when we harvest I will direct the reapers to gather up the weeds first and tie them up in bundles to burn, but get the wheat into my barn.’”—Matt. 13:27-30, An Amer. Trans.
20 Jesus explains that “the reapers are the angels”. Hence the inquiry of the owner’s slaves may picture that even the angels wondered at the planting and growth of the tare class, the spiritual weeds, in among and about the “children of the kingdom” or good seed. They were like a “fifth column” implanted among God’s true servants to try to sabotage the work of God’s true church and to try to overwhelm the few true Christians and to prevent Jehovah God from taking out of the world the church class, the full number of the “children of the kingdom”, in his divinely appointed time for this work. However, even Christ Jesus’ faithful servants on earth marveled at the vast growth of tares among and all about them. What produced such tares was the religion that developed within so-called “Christendom”. Such religion compromised truth with error. It tried to blend the Bible doctrines with religious traditions and pagan philosophies, such as Plato’s immortality of the human soul, and Egypt’s trinity doctiine, and Rome’s pagan system of priestcraft. Like the householder in the parable, the Lord Jesus restrained the angelic servants from going in and at once severing the true Christians from the false, adulterous ones. Likewise his faithful Christian servants on earth the Lord Jesus did not permit to separate the true from the false. They were not competent to do that, for the" Lord Jesus Christ is the Judge. The harvesttime, the end of the world, had not then come, and when that time did come, then the distinction between true and false would be clearly made.
21 As to the tare or bearded darnel, it is stated that,
19. What part of the parable then went into fulfillment?
20. Who marveled at the tares* growth? and from doing what were they restrained?
21. Why did the owner of the field forbid uprooting tares at once? until the ear of this weed is fully formed, it cannot easily be differentiated from the developing wheat. Moreover the weed’s tendrils might be wrapped around the growing wheat. Hence in trying to uproot the tares, the wheat might mistakenly or unintentionally be pulled up also. In his mercy the owner of the field was not wanting to lose any of the wheat class.
22 The tares are religionists who are stumblingblocks and who cause others to stumble into wrong and to commit offense against Christ. They practice iniquity or lawlessness toward God. The average person would think, therefore, that the best thing for the protection and healthy growth of the wheat class would be to uproot promptly the tare class from their association with the wheat. And the Roman Catholic Hierarchy proceeds on that theory. The question arises, then, Why does the Lord permit the offensive and lawless religionists to grow and develop in such overwhelming numbers? The purpose is to test the integrity of creatures in order to make manifest who are faithful in their devotion to Jehovah God. The issue of His universal sovereignty is here implicated, and those who confess and hold fast to His universal sovereignty must be shown up in contrast with the tares who defy His supremacy and sovereignty. Paul gives the key answer to the question, when he writes to the Christians at Corinth: “When ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions [or schisms] among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.”—1 Cor. 11:18,19.
“END OF THE WORLD”
23 So, down through the many centuries of “Christendom’s” religious career this situation has existed in the field. The “householder” or owner of the field, Christ Jesus, did not interfere with the enemy, the Devil, in planting a multitude of religious tares who profess to be the “children of the kingdom”. He has let Satan the Devil go on uninterruptedly. He has let the tare-dominated condition of the field continue. This system or state of things is what Christ Jesus refers to as the “world” that must have an end. He said: “The harvest is the end [or consummation, synteleia] of the world [or system, aidn]; and the reapers are the angels.” (Matt. 13:39) As the harvest is a time period of great activity, so the here-mentioned “end” or consummation of the world is a period of activity that has a beginning and then a final end. When it ends, the system of things that has existed will have been completely removed, and the
22. A.8 regards the real tares, what question arises? and how does Paul give a key answer?
23. What, therefore, does “the end of the world” mean’ and why is It important to find out whether we are in the harvest now? right state of things will be fully brought in thereafter. The question now is, Has this harvest begun! and, if so, when did it begin ? It is important to ascertain this, because, if we are in the midst of the harvest, then the final end of the old world and the complete introduction of the righteous new world are quite near.
24 Undoubtedly the “end of the world” that comes with the harvest operations is the same end as that about which the disciples later inquired of Jesus, using his very expression and saying: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end [or the consummation, synteleia} of the world [aion] V’ (Matt. 24: 3) Thereupon Jesus prophetically described the things that would occur during the “end” or consummation, among which things he said: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matt. 24:30,31) Here the harvest work of gathering the wheat class, the good seed or “children of the kingdom”, is plainly meant.
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