The evil servant

In 1881 a former associate, Mr. Barbour, of Rochester, N. Y., who had been a faithful fellow‐watcher, developed into the ʺEvil servantʺ of Matt. 24:48‐51 and Zechariah 11:17, and produced a work on the Hebrew Tabernacle types in opposition to the fundamentals of true Christianity.

He then intimated that there would be an evil servant class who would smite their fellow-servants and turn back and join the world.

The “evil servant” is made up of the same class, identically. That class responded to the call for the kingdom and looked for the second coming of the Lord, but they had a selfish motive that induced them to take a selfish course of action. Jesus stated that their fate is the portion assigned to the hypocrites, which is destruction.

This is further proof that Judas foreshadowed the “evil servant” class, “the man of sin, the son of perdition.” 8 Preservation is sure only to those who love God, and love for God is proven by the full obedience of the creature to the commandments of the Lord and doing so with a proper and unselfish motive. At so many times and in so many places in the Scriptures God has stated and illustrated the unchangeable rule, in this regard in particular.

In so doing the “evil servant” class ‘takes off the shoe’ (that is, the covering of the feet) of “the preparation of the gospel of peace”.

When Jesus appeared at the temple for judgment he began there the cutting-off work, at which time, says the prophet, “mine anger was kindled against the shepherds.” (Zech. 10:3) He proceeded from that time forward to send away the workers of iniquity, the “evil servant” class. (Matt. 13:41; 24:50, 51; Hos. 5: 6, 7) These false shepherds show their hatred of God, and the Lord God abhors them.

“The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the sanctuary.” (Ps. 68:17, R.V.) Seir, mentioned as second, pictures the “evil servant” class, the “man of sin”, “the son of perdition.” Mount Paran seems well to picture the “elective elder” class once in line for the kingdom, for it was at the wilderness of Paran that Jehovah cleared out the unfaithful elders.

In every country efforts were made to force the faithful servants of God into the war. In all the countries that had enacted a conscription law with the “conscientious” provision therein, the clergy got themselves appointed on the draft boards or commissions and there used their power and influence to destroy the faithful servants of God. The faithless crowd that afterwards developed into the “evil servant” class co-operated with the modern Philistines.

The bringing of the live goat and sending him forth for Azazel pictures the “evil servant” class, the chief of that class which is the “man of sin”.

It is clear, therefore, that the “evil servant” falls under the power and influence of Satan and the demons and becomes a part of the wicked organization and the enemies of the Lord God and his kingdom, and thereafter the Devil uses the “evil servant” to make war upon the faithful servants of the Lord.

With the end of the Elijah work of the church quite a number were gathered out and became opponents of God’s organization on the earth and identified themselves with the “evil servant” class.

Thus Jehovah foretold that the vicious and malicious acts of the “evil servant” class, pictured by Achan, could not succeed and will not be permitted to retard the advance or increase of His witness work, which work must be done preceding Armageddon.

In this wicked effort they have received the aid and help of the “evil servant” class, which class continue to say with sarcasm: “Where is the great multitude?”

Such “man of sin”, “son of perdition,” includes clergymen, the “elective elders” of congregations, and particularly those classed by the Lord Jesus as the “evil servant”; all of whom conspire together to do injury to God’s Theocratic organization and persecute his people.

But such ones do not make up an evil slave class. Jesus did not say that he would appoint an evil slave.