VOL.
XLVII November/December 1964 No. 6
Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men"
Benjamin F. Wilson and The Emphatic Diaglott
Will Communism Rule the World? Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth, peace, CHRISTIAN
people the world over have traditionally set aside the twenty-fifth day of
December for the observation of Christmas. If asked why they observe this day,
the answer might be quite varied. Some would say, "This is the day on
which the Christ Child was born." Others would insist that they like the
spirit of giving. Many might admit that they like the festive tradition which
has been handed down to them from past generations through the church. Thus
depicted, Christmas to them is a birthday, a memorial or feast day similar to
other days set aside by tradition, though more significant. If
the real importance of Christmas, the birth of Christ, is known and
appreciated, it is realized as an event truly worthy of our memory, not only on
one day each year, but on every day of our life. We
have heard the Christmas story (Luke 2:1-16) from childhood. But only now, as
we associate this Babe of Bethlehem with the Logos, do we get a correct
appreciation of the truth respecting Jesus. He was not from Adam (Adamic --
earthly) through Joseph. No, the lives of Adam and Joseph were earthy and
forfeited by Father Adam's disobedience to God. Their heritage was death. Had
Christ been of their lineage, he could not have paid a corresponding price for
Adam --who was created in the image and likeness of God, a perfect human image
of God. Adam lost this perfection only by his disobedience to God's command.
Christ could not have been of this parentage, for we are told in 1 Corinthians
15:47: Christ, "the second man, is the Lord from heaven." Yes,
his was a transferred life -- transferred from spirit to human being. As the
Logos, he was a perfect spirit being (God's only begotten Son) living with
God in the heavens. As such, he served the Father perfectly. Seeing that he
might further the Father's purpose toward mankind, he willingly gave up his
existence as Logos, this most favored position of all of God's creation, and
took on him the form of man, an object of his own creation. (1 Tim. 2:6.) Not
only this, but his love and devotion to the Father, and his sympathetic love
to fallen mankind was so deep that he willingly forfeited this perfect human
life, in order, first, that God's Plan of salvation might be worked out; for
God's law required a perfect human life in payment for the perfect human life
lost in Eden by disobedience; and second, that mankind might be redeemed from
the death penalty and thus restored to the perfection enjoyed in the Garden. This
he did without selfish interest, for he sought not his own will. In his last
recorded prayer he asked to be returned to the status he enjoyed with the
Father before his human existence. (John 17:5.) Yes, "for our sakes [that
mankind might be redeemed] he became poor [human -- the man Christ Jesus], that
we, by his poverty, might become rich"-perfect, and at peace with God. - 2
Cor. 8:9. According
to God's original plan (Gen. 1:28) man was to subdue the earth and rule over
all of the other forms of living things placed upon the earth, not to be
subservient to them, not to fear them, but to use them for his pleasure.
Neither was man to rule over man, but each was to be a king in the earth and
live peaceably. The one just reason for the permission of evil is that it is
for the good of humanity that they might "know good and evil"-that they might gain a knowledge
of the difference between good and evil. Knowing
that only those who are obedient sons of God can hope for continued life and
inhabit the earth in the ages to come, we can more fully appreciate the song of
the angels on the night of our Savior's birth and understand the reason for
their great rejoicing. They were announcing to the world of mankind, the
greatest event in the history of our planet since the creation of man -the
Logos was made flesh! Oh, what cause for rejoicing! The angel said, "Fear
not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto
all people." Only
a few have analyzed this message of the angelic hosts; only a few have seen the
true scope, and few have appreciated the
comprehensiveness of this simple statement. The eyes of the masses have been
dimmed by the many fables of men. The joy of understanding and appreciating
the true story of salvation from sin and death, sickness and sorrow, by and
through our Savior, the Prince of our Peace, is foolishness to natural man now.
Eventually they will realize the folly of their ways, and this same joy will be
given to them, to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. Yes, to all the
nations of the world. The
birth of the Babe was one step toward that great day. It was first necessary
for Christ to grow into the full stature of manhood (Adam, whose place in death
he was taking, being a perfect man) prior to carrying out his real mission.
During those years he was schooled in God's Word, tested in all things, and
proved faithful and perfect. He kept the perfect Law inviolate. Death on the
cross was another step toward this "peace on earth." For by it
mankind gained the right to life through Christ. He thus purchased the human
race. Christ has obtained the full right to life, and has been given power over
both death and life and will give life freely to all obedient to his commands. The
resurrection and ascension of the risen Christ again to heaven (into God's
presence and favor, his right hand) were other steps. For it was by these that
mankind gained a mediator who alone can present them faultless before God, and
place them back into sonship relation with the Father. The
selection of a bride for Christ is still another step toward mankind's peace
with God. God, who provided Eve to be a companion and helpmate for Adam because
"it was not good that man should be alone," will also provide a
suitable companion for his dearly beloved and faithful Son, Christ. To those
called to be his
Bride, our Lord
said, "In my Father's house are many mansions [dwelling places]: if it
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may
be also." - John 14:2, 3. Is
it any wonder that the angels of God rejoiced to announce the birth of Jesus,
the "life-giver"? Picture their great joy, after four thousand years
of sin and death, to see this first assuring sign that Jehovah's promised Seed
had arrived and that his plan of salvation for man, his crowning earthly
creature, was progressing as promised. "For unto you [mankind] is born
this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke
2:11.) May our thanks and praise be unto our eternal God for this greatest of
gifts, for this "Life giver," the great One, for he is "able to
save unto the uttermost. "- Heb. 7:25. The
"peace on earth, good will to men" prophesied has not yet been
realized, but the day is drawing ever nearer. The Messianic Kingdom will
complete this prophecy of peace. All those who will obey God shall then become
the "sons of God." (Rev. 21:7.) Only then shall the real tidings of
great joy be known and appreciated by men, and mankind be reconciled to God.
Then shall there be real "peace on earth and good will to men." Christmas
began this chain of events which will lead up to such a happy conclusion.
Because we are favored among men to know the full importance of God's
"Gift," we should truly rejoice and be filled with a joy equal to
that reflected by the heavenly hosts who sang, "Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men." But let us not
stop with reflecting such joy one day of the year; such joy is cause for
rejoicing every day of our lives. Therefore let us resolve to reflect our joy
daily and give thanks always, even until "the Prince of our Peace"
and that of the world is reigning over all the earth and every tongue
confessing him Lord of all. -
L. Petran. Christmas
-
Grace M. Harris. The Cross and the Evangel
"Therefore being justified by
faith, we have peace with God IN
THESE words Paul reaches a climax. It is not only a culmination to his
argument but also in his experience. It is his own triumphant declaration of
his standing before God, his liberation from the past and his security for the
future. He has "passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). But his
experience is not, in his view, peculiar to himself. "We are justified," he says,
writing to people he had never seen. " We have peace with God." "We have access into this grace
wherein we stand." "We rejoice in hope of the glory of God." This is the one universal
Christian experience. The
evangelist when setting forth the love of God revealed in Christ and the claim
made for the Cross, is wholly right. The proved historic facts and the
confirming experience of every day are with him. Every religious movement, as
it affects either an individual or a
community which leaves out the redeeming Cross, ends like a desert stream, in a
marsh. The New Testament knows no gospel except that of the evangelist. In the
teaching of Jesus, especially in the words which give preeminence to His
death, in the preaching of the Apostles and the appeals of the Epistles, the
supreme topic is the Cross and its redeeming sacrifice. The great Christian men
and women who have spread abroad Christ's name and hazarded their lives for His
sake, whose sanctity has influenced others for the Gospel, have all stood at
the foot of the Cross. All who have had a common experience of pardon, peace
and purity, with united breath ascribe their victory to the Lamb. Let
us, then, set the Cross in its place in the Christian life. How does it come
into Christian experience? Fundamentally, the heart is the same in every man
and woman, and the whole experience is wrought in us by the Holy Spirit of God. A SENSE OF NEEDEvery
Christian life begins in a sense of need. It may be, as it has been in young, innocent people, simply a sense of
the need of God. It may be a desire for a greater purity and simplicity of
life. This may be the experience of those who have been saddened by the world's
sin, or startled by their own tempting thoughts of evil. It may be a discontent
with low secular and frivolous things and a craving after a deeper, truer,
braver, purer life. Sometimes a devout and attractive personality throws a
selfish character into relief, and at once rebukes and charms. Sometimes a
sudden sorrow quenches the dazzling sunshine. The cheapness and emptiness of a
worldly life are seen, and the sense of need becomes a hunger of spirit, or it
may be that some sin, or some sudden and hateful deed of evil, rouses the
person, and fills the heart and even the face with shame. It brings in a sense
of weakness and helplessness, and the sense of need is felt in such an hour. Or
it may be that passions rise again and again in flood to mock at all restraint.
For as rivers in sun-scorched countries often flow down beneath their dry beds,
so this hunger and thirst persists even when life is profligate. Yet in
whatever aspect it may present itself, this sense of need, created in us by
God's Spirit, is the beginning of Christian experience. "They that are
whole need not a
physician; but
they that are sick." EFFORT TO SATISFY THE NEEDThe
second stage is the effort to satisfy this need. There is usually some such effort. Evil habits
are abandoned. Tempting and seducing companions are avoided. Homes and haunts
of peril are shunned. There may be recourse to worship and to prayer. There may
be some reading of the Bible and of religious books. A new interest in the
Church and in Christian service may be aroused. The whole tone of life has a
new seriousness. If the sense of need has been vivid and imperative, the effort
to satisfy it is often earnest and costly. Some of the most striking passages
in religious biography are concerned with this ardent effort to satisfy this
sense of need. But this second stage has only one sufficient ending, and that
is at the Cross. THREE PATHS TO THE CROSSThe
third decisive stage is peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, which is given only at
the Cross. There
are in the New Testament records three spiritual experiences which disclose
in clear detail three paths to the Cross. These are the spiritual experiences
of Peter, John, and Paul. God's way with these three great believers was not
set down simply as a study for students. They were "written for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have
hope." They declare, it would seem, three ways by one of which every
Christian enters into peace with God. PETER'S EXPERIENCEWhen
we study the spiritual experience of Peter we find that he stands out as an
example of followers of the Lord who find themselves at the foot of the Cross
after professing their faith in Christ quite sincerely without realizing what
it should mean. As they endeavor to follow Christ, He unveils them to
themselves, and makes Himself known to them. Instances of strong oscillations
in Peter's thoughts and words occur frequently before our Lord's sacrifice on
the Cross. At one moment he says, "Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O
Lord"; at the next, we read, "they" including Peter,
"forsook all, and followed Him." At one moment he confesses Christ,
as Son of the living God; at the next he rebukes Him, as though He were but a
sinful man like himself. At one moment he says, "Thou shalt never wash my
feet"; at the next, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my
head. " At one moment he is ready to fight the whole band of soldiers
almost alone; at the next he is shrinking away before one little maid. But by
gentle rebuke of their faults and by ever keener reproach of their low ideals,
and by correcting their mistakes, Christ guides and quickens such sincere and
honest hearts. To all such simple believers there comes the day of awakening;
the more honest they are the earlier it comes. Such an one may fall into sin
which is loathsome to him. The world may never know it. His life may seem the
same to his dearest friend, but his shallow peace has gone. Just as Peter when
he denied his Lord realized that his need was not only to know Christ's word,
not only to esteem His character, not only to follow in His steps in the moment
of high elation, but a new sense of need had suddenly developed into his
heart. He had become conscious that his need was the forgiveness of sins. It was a, short step then to
the Cross. As
he turned to the Cross on which his guilt had been expiated he entered a new
realm. Christ had become not only Teacher, Friend, and Master; He had become
the Redeemer who bore his sins "in His own body on the tree. " JOHN'S EXPERIENCEA
second way to the Cross is mirrored in the experience of John. There are young
and sheltered lives which have grown up amid the obedience of a devout home. A
godly parentage, a careful training, and the example of a winsome Christian
life have wrought out in them a natural Christian outlook. They have grown up
measurably unspotted from the world. But as the years increase, their growth in
the knowledge of Christ quickens their spiritual insight and gives them a
keener sense of sin. The awful power of the world, the flesh and the devil dismays
them. They see men and women they love blinded and seduced by Satan. And as
they turn their eyes more and more on Christ they discover how far they
themselves are from His holiness, and how near akin to the passion-driven
sinner. They see more clearly than others the beauty of Christ and therefore
feel more keenly the great gulf between them and Christ's perfect holiness. It is a short step for
these, also, to the Cross. Seeing right into the world's sin and evil, knowing their own heart and
confessing its weakness and sinfulness, they look up to find God reconciling
and forgiving them in the Cross. The words of Christ are their music; but the
death of Christ is life and peace. With Paul and Peter they say, "Therefore being
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." PAUL'S EXPERIENCEThe
third way to the Cross is seen in the experience of Paul. Strip his early life
history of all that is accidental to him, his Hebrew birth and training, his
peculiar environment, and we find he stands out as the type of men who have
gone badly astray. Paul was by nature an eager, restless, tireless man, who
lived intensely. Paul did not plunge into profligate riot or base self-indulgence.
He did not engage in the questionable methods of the man of the world. He had
no bitter animosity to religion. But uncleanness of thought and lewdness of
mind are not the only sins of corrupt hearts. When Paul came to himself, long
after he had tried to satisfy his sense of need in Pharisaic zeal, he realized
how far he had gone astray. He saw the willfulness, and the hate, and the proud
ambition which had governed his heart. The mercilessness of his threatenings
was ever in his ear. The stain of murder was red on his hands. No man awakened
to find the hideousness of his sin, and smitten into despair by finding how far
he is away from God and from goodness, ever endured greater agony than Paul.
He never forgot the terrified faces of humble believers. He never forgot
Stephen's wonderful peace in dying. That was one of the heaviest stones of his
bruising. He never forgot his own blasphemies. He never forgot the face of
Jesus whom he was persecuting. He stands for the type of all men who have
wanton lives, polluted hearts and condemning memories. From such a place of torture it is a short step
to the Cross. That
sense of need is not quenched by a few prayers. A man cannot begin to be a good
man when he is cursed by a bad conscience. An accusing record stands out in
deeper crimson at every thought of God and His holiness. But when such erring
and guilty men see God in Christ, see His love blotting out the handwriting
that is against them: when they come to believe that God loves them and has
provided the means of reconciliation through the blood of the Cross, they
meekly accept pardon and pass into peace. A new life, a new joy, a new devotion
arises in their heart. Their Christian life begins at the Cross. FROM THE CROSS TO RESURRECTION CHANGEThere
is one further stage in the experience of the Cross, and that is the pilgrimage
from the foot of the Cross to our resurrection change into the likeness of
Christ, to be in His presence for ever. We are not saved entirely by one look
at the Crucified One. The Cross can be never out of sight of the Christian.
Ever and again in our pilgrimage on earth we come to the place where there
stands always, appealing and uplifting, the Cross of Christ. When we slip and
fall, and our faces are filled with shame, our hearts bowed down by guilt, we
kneel again at the foot of the Cross. When we face tribulation and the trials
of life, or we drink the cup of pain, or see some cherished earthly hope
failing, we find our strength in the Cross of Christ. When worldliness or
apathy damps our ardor, or our taste for goodness fails in our hearts, we are
revived again only by the Cross. The sorrows of life are hallowed, its joys
consecrated, as we turn again and again for light, for courage, and for help
to the Cross. In
closing let us press the natural question of our text. Are you justified by
faith and have you peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ? You may know
much of Christ's wisdom and rejoice in His moral loveliness. You may believe
Him to be the Savior of many. But you are not really a Christian at all until
you have believed this good news that you are reconciled to God, and have
entered into peace. The sense
of need and the sense of helplessness lead us all to the Cross which lifts the
burden no human soul can bear. Then we can say with all saints, "Being
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." -
Forest Gate Bible Monthly. Benjamin F. Wilson and The Emphatic DiaglottUnder this caption there
appeared in The Restitution Herald, Oregon, Illinois, a series of
articles contributed by Paul M. Hatch. By kind permission of the publishers, we
take pleasure in submitting a condensation of those articles. As most of our
readers know, we regard The Emphatic Diaglott as being a most valuable help in the study of the New Testament. We are confident that
it will be an inspiration to all, to learn something concerning the life and
work of the translator, Benjamin F. Wilson. Ed. Com. IT
WAS stated in a previous article that "the testimony of the several
writers in the first century A.D. was an emphatic thing in its entirety and
meant to be so, for it was a testimony and vigilant work of faith and
action." Though this was true in a sense, it was not entirely so, and a
modification of this statement must be mentioned at this time, for Wilson
indicates in one section of the preface, that The
Greek article often finds its equivalent in the English definite article
"the," but in the majority of cases it is evidently only a mark of
emphasis. It frequently precedes a substantive, an adjective, a verb, an
adverb, a participle, or a particle, thus pointing out the emphatic words. The
Greek article and Emphatic Pronouns exercise a most important influence upon
the meaning of words, and sometimes throw light on doctrines of the highest
interest. The sacred penmen of the New Testament were, in the opinion of many
eminent persons, guided by Divine inspiration in the choice of their words,
and in the use of the Greek article there was clearly a remarkable discretion
displayed. In fact, the Signs of the Emphasis are incorporated with the words
in such a manner, that the latter cannot be stated without conveying at the
same time to the intelligent mind an idea of the very intonation with which the
sentence was spoken when it was written down. This peculiarity of the Greek
language cannot be properly expressed in English except by the use of typographical
signs; such as, Initial Capital letters, italics, small capitals, and
capitals... . Having
established the plan under which to make the translation, Brother Wilson set
to work at the painstaking pursuit of arranging the English interlinear in
reference to the Greek and making the translation. Some careful planning of
pages must have employed considerable time and patience. . . . There were,
eventually, to be 839 page plates of Greek and English type interlinear with
the marginal translation, page footnotes, and references. In addition to
these plates, other pages were to be made up of Title Page, Preface, Plan of
the Work, Appendix, etc. The size of type is determined to have been in six
point in the Greek type and the English translation. In older terms this type
size was called nonpariel. The interlinear was still in four point. The type
was set by hand. Joseph
Wilson, a brother of Benjamin Wilson, had apprenticed his son William H.
Wilson in the printing shop of his brother to learn the printing trade.
William, in the November 28, 1906, issue of The Restitution, gave to
us his experiences in the old print shop at the time that the "Emphatic
Diaglott" work was going on While
I was a boy, my father put me into the "Gospel Banner" office to learn
the printing business. It was during this time that the "Emphatic
Diaglott" was translated and printed. I
can now in my mind's eye see Uncle Benjamin sitting at his desk, making a
literal word-for-word translation of the New Testament. I remember seeing the
Greek type arrive from England. Many readers of the Diaglott may not be aware
that my uncle not only translated the Diaglott, but took charge of the mechanical
work as well. He electrotyped the entire book himself. The following was the
process he followed. As
each page of the "Emphatic Diaglott" was put into type, he took a
wax impression of the page of type. This wax mold was then black-leaded with
very black lead dust. He had a vat containing acid. In this acid he hung a
copper plate, and also the wax mold before he went home at night. In the
morning he would find the wax mold covered with a thin sheet of copper. The
acid dissolved the copper and the black lead attracted it to the wax mold. He
then made a metal plate out of melted metal and fastened the copper plate to
it. He
then printed the first edition of the book from these plates on a hand press. I
used to ink the plates by a soft roller, while he worked the press. . . The
work was printed in sections and offered for sale and distribution as the work
of translation and printing progressed. We are not at present aware how many
sections were printed and distributed before the complete printing and assembly
in book form was accomplished in 1864; nor are there any of these sections now
known to be in existence. The sectional printing and distribution were
finished by late 1863. Now the printing, assembling, and binding all the
sections together of the complete work into book form was begun. This was
completed in the first edition by August, 1864. The earliest of this Geneva
edition that has been observed is in private hands in Oregon, Illinois. Another
investigator has indicated that there are copies of the Geneva printing, under
the hand of the translator and publisher, Ben Wilson, in the Library of
Congress in Washington, D.C., which would be to establish and authenticate the
copyright, and another one is in the library of the University of Chicago at
Chicago, Illinois. The
title page of the Geneva edition printed under the hand of the translator
Benjamin F. Wilson is of very interesting make-up. Later editions, printed by
other hands, do not in any way convey the beauty of the original first edition. Subsequently,
probably in the year 1865, Benjamin Wilson gave over the printing and sale of
the "Emphatic Diaglott" to a New York publishing firm, S. R. Wells
& Co., No. 787 Broadway. Later, the publishing firm was known as Fowler
and Wells. They printed from the original plates a number of editions carrying
up through the years of the 1890's. The copyright is at present in possession
of the International Bible Students Association Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society,
Brooklyn, New York. This society
has made new plates of the pages with a different style of Greek type. All
other features that Wilson introduced have been retained. The printing
employed by the association is very
clear and neatly bound. Benjamin
Wilson's work is well received in a number of circles and it has in recent
years received more attention than formerly. ... Much more in the field of
document research and examination is now available than was at the disposal
of Brother Wilson and, because this is so, scholars now have come to appreciate
the labors that he pursued. Will Communism Rule the World?WHEN
we compare modern Persia, Greece, Italy, or Turkey with the powerful empires
over which they once held sway, spreading in might and dominion across
continents, we cannot but be impressed by the unforeseen changes in the
destinies of the nations of the world. From the other angle, the rise of these
mighty empires of the past could never have been anticipated from their
insignificant beginnings. Truly it must be said that no man can forecast the
future of nations, but as Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of the Babylonian empire,
was obliged to confess, "The most High does according to his will among
the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand." In the words
of the prophet, "All nations before him are as nothing, and they are
counted to him less than nothing and vanity. " History
continues to repeat itself in this respect in modern times, for we are still
witnessing the decay of some nations and the unexpected rise of others.
Certainly in the latter class must be included the Russian Soviet power, which
has had such a phenomenal rise into world prominence. The rapid and continuous
spread of communism throughout the world, viewed in the light of the growing
power of the mighty empires of the past, compels us to ask whether Russia will
be the next great power to rule the world. Its tentacles are spreading in every
direction, despite all the efforts of those who are trying to prevent its
growth and obstruct its progress. Its avowed intention is to extend throughout
the earth by revolutionizing every nation, and the attempts of the so-called
democracies to uphold the old order are clearly doomed to failure, as the
light of progress reveals the inequalities and gross injustices that have
prevailed under the kings and governments
that have hitherto held sway. God,
before whom the nations are as the small dust of the balance, is alone able to
foretell their destinies, and we have a revelation from him that sheds great
light upon this matter. In the prophecies of Daniel we are given an outline of
the history of that section of the earth which has been the cradle and sphere
of God's natural people Israel, and of his spiritual people the Church of
Christ. Portrayed in the image of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2), and in
the beasts of Daniel's vision (Dan. 7), are four universal empires, and four only, that would cover this
territory from the days of Daniel until the establishment by the God of heaven
of a world-wide kingdom of righteousness that would never pass away, to be
ruled by the Son of man and the saints of the most High. History
so far has wonderfully fulfilled this prediction given twenty-five centuries
ago. Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome have succeeded each other in their
turn, and the last has been in all respects the greatest of them all. The tenfold
division of this Roman power under the sway of the Papal horn lasted as long as
the four preceding pagan empires put together. As the Papacy has ceased to
exist as the secular ruler of the latest aspect of the Roman power, we must
now be living not only at the end of the fourth empire, but at the end of its
last form. It was to be in the days of these present independent kings of Europe,
the ten separated kingdoms of Roman origin, that the God of heaven would set
up his kingdom that will never be destroyed, and which is to consume all other
kingdoms. We must therefore have reached the very end of the age, and the
threshold of the impending kingdom of God. It
is clear therefore there can be no place for any other universal dominion to
arise, in view of this divinely foretold succession of empires. Communism,
like Napoleon, Hitler, and others, must inevitably fail in any attempt to
obtain such world-rule. Judgments upon this pagan and anti-Christian power are
described in Ezek. 38 and 39, when as leader of a communist assembly, Gog will
invade the land of Israel in support of the surrounding hostile Arab states.
Then God, whom communists deny and defy, will pour his indignation upon them,
and magnify himself in the eyes of many nations. They shall know then that it
is God who has gathered the children of Israel back into their own land again
and that his sanctuary will be in the midst of them forevermore. Insignificant
as Israel is among the nations today, she is to become the center of a universal
kingdom greatly exceeding in size, power, and wonder, anything ever known in
the earth. Her King shall reign over all peoples to the ends of the earth, and
none shall be exempt from his sway. It is but a little while, and all will
realize that God rules in the affairs of men. They will know that the divine
decree has gone forth, " I have set my King upon my holy hill of
Zion." All nations have been given to the Lord Jesus Christ for his inheritance,
and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. "The law shall go
forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isa. 2:3) and
all who are wise will acknowledge and submit to him. For it is written,
"God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven, in earth, and
under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that. Jesus Christ is
Lord to the glory of God the Father." (Phil, 2:9-11.) -
Forest Gate Bible Monthly. The Question BoxPhil. 3:20, 21; Luke 12:37;
Rev. 14:13 Question
No. 1: "For
our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look f or the Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
like unto
his
glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all
things unto himself ." - Phil. 3:20, 21. Does
this passage refer to the bodies of individual Christians, or to the one body
of Christ (described by the Apostle in the 12th chapter of 1st Corinthians) of
which each true Christian is a member? Regardless
of the answer to the foregoing, how are we to understand the word
"vile" in this connection? (According to modern dictionaries the word
"vile" means worthless; despicable; morally base; depraved.) Answer: Let
us first study the Greek word here translated "vile." (Our readers
will recall that, in the May-June issue of the Herald, we made a study of the Greek
word "hama" translated "together," and found that in the
case of nine of its ten occurrences, the meaning "at the same
moment" could not apply, but had to be rejected in favor of "during
the same period." That fact proved to be of assistance when we came to
consider the same word "hama" in 1 Thess. 4:17.) For
the benefit of English students who have had little or no experience with
Greek word studies, may we again suggest the following procedure: 1)
Turn first to Strong's Concordance, under the word "vile." This will
be found listed on page 1098. On that page it will be noted that the word
"vile" (in Phil. 3:21) is a translation of Word No. 5014. 2)
Word No. 5014 appears on page 70 in the Greek dictionary at the back of the
concordance, and is the Greek word "tapeinosis." 3)
"Tapeinosis," it will be seen, means "depression (in rank or
feeling)." 4)
Refer next to the Englishman's Greek Concordance of the New Testament, to the
English and Greek section, commencing on page 873. In
this section turn to the word "vile." (Page 939.) It will be noted
that the word "vile" is used to translate a number of Greek words.
However, our present study has to do with only one of these, namely,
"tapeinosis," which is the third on the list, the reference being to
page 720. 5)
On turning to page 720 we find all the verses in which "tapeinosis"
occurs, listed in scriptural sequence. We note also that they are four in
number, and that "tapeinosis" is only once translated
"vile." (Scholars are agreed that "vile" is a poor
translation here; the word "humiliation" is preferred.) Let
us now consider the four scriptures in which "tapeinosis" appears,
postponing our consideration of Phil. 3:21 until after we have examined the
other three scriptures. (1) Luke 1:48"For
he hath regarded the low estate (tapeinosis) of his handmaiden." The
Virgin Mary is the speaker here. She is making no reference to her body. (If
she were, it is inconceivable that she would call it vile.) Actually she is
contrasting her then lowly social status with the lofty status of the house of
David from which she sprang. (2) Acts 8:33"In
his humiliation
(tapeinosis)
his judgment was taken away." The
reference here is to Jesus, he who was "holy, harmless, undefiled"
(Heb. 7:26), and whose body, therefore, could not have been, at any time, vile. Actually
the body of Jesus is not under consideration in this passage. Instead, the
entire period of his life on earth is under review. From the cradle to the
grave, his whole, career had been one of humiliation, and it is to this that
the prophecy of Isaiah, expounded by Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch, drew
attention. (3) James 1:10"Let
the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but the rich in that he is made low (tapeinosis)." A
rich brother is not here exhorted to rejoice that his body is made vile. (Such
an exhortation would surely fall on deaf ears, if anyone were so foolish as to
offer it.) The
rich brother may, however, (and, indeed, he must, if he is to be a
more-than-conqueror) learn to distinguish the true riches from those of earth,
and to lay them up, "where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal." (Matt. 6:19-21). If, in the
Lord's providence, the best way for him to learn this lesson is by being
"made low" (by being stripped of his earthly riches and social
status) he is to rejoice therein. This
concludes our review of the meaning of "tapeinosis" in 3 of its 4
occurrences in the New Testament. (4) Phil. 3:20,21Let
us now turn to our text, and see if the foregoing study throws any light on the
word here. While not conclusive, the fact that in none of the other three
occurrences does "tapeinosis" refer to an individual's body, but in
each case has reference to his (or her) lowly social status; this fact, we
say, suggests that the same meaning is likely to hold true here, too. First,
however, we must secure a better translation than the Authorized Version given
at the head of this Question. (All scholars are agreed that our Authorized
Version, in this text, leaves much to be desired.) A preferred translation is
submitted below: "For
our citizenship [margin commonwealth] is in heaven; whence also we wait for a
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation (tapeinosis) that it may be
conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able
even to subject all things unto himself." -American Revised Standard
Version (1901
edition). Now
for our question: In these two verses, is the Apostle contrasting the
individual flesh and blood bodies of the members of the Church on earth with
the spiritual bodies they will have in heaven, or is he contrasting the lowly
status of Christ's body (the Church) on earth with the lofty status it will
have when the Lord returns for her? As
indicated foregoing, there is a strong presumption (from our examination of
the other three occurrences of "tapeinosis") that the reference is
not to the individual bodies of Christians, but to the mystical body of Christ.
However, the context must decide this question. This being true, the question
remains one of interpretation. In all matters of interpretation, there is room
for different opinions. Our own understanding, submitted with due regard for
the views of others who may think differently, is that the context supports the
viewpoint which interprets the passage as having reference to the mystical
body of Christ, not to the individual bodies of its members. St.
Paul's general line of argument seems clear: In the company of professing
Christ followers there are two main groups-the true and the false. They are
easily distinguished, not by slight differences of viewpoint on some
"hard to be understood" points of doctrine on which even inspired
Apostles differed (2 Pet. 3:16), but by the general tenor of their lives. The
false are described as of earthly mind -- who live as enemies of the cross of
Christ. (Phil. 3:18, 19.) The true are not to be content with merely adding to
their store of knowledge, but, as Moffatt's choice translation puts it,
"We must let our steps be guided by such truth as we have attained."
(Ver. 16.) This must be true both of the mature and the immature. (Ver. 15.) It
is mandatory in the Christian experience that each fresh item of truth
understood be promptly put into practice. At once it is to have its place in
"guiding the steps." This principle was so elementary with Paul that
he could, in all humility, consistently urge upon the brethren not merely that
they pay attention to his teaching, but that they copy him -- and even were to
take note of those who lived by the example he set. - Ver. 17, 18, Moffatt. Then comes the great contrast, which we may well believe was ever present to his mind -the state of humiliation in which the true Church, the Body of Christ, was to complete its course, and the state of glory to which she would be changed. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Col. 3:4.) "Then," as Brother Russell has so well expressed it (Reprints, p. R1102), "the Church shall in reality be a glorious body, a body suitable in every way for the high position she shall fill as the Bride of Christ -the companion of the Son of God for all eternity, his joint-heir in all things, and his efficient and thoroughly capable co-worker in the great mission to which Jehovah hath appointed the Christ -- Head and Body -- Bridegroom and Bride. Together they shall constitute the great Prophet, Priest, and King whom Jehovah hath anointed; and their glory shall appear to all intelligent creatures in heaven and earth." Question
No. 2: On
page 61 of the July-August Herald you wrote: "Perhaps one of the most convincing proofs to the
consecrated child of God that for some years we have been living in the
parousia of the Son of Man is the fact that there has been spread before us a
'feast of fat things' -- an unfolding of the vast storehouse of precious
truth, the like of which was unknown since the days of the Apostles." Presumably,
when you wrote this paragraph you had in mind Luke 12:37, which reads: "Blessed
are those servants, whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching; verily
I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat,
and will come forth and serve them." When does this feast occur, before,
or subsequent to, the raising of the dead in Christ, mentioned in 1 Thess.
4:16? Answer It
was this very passage in the gospel by Luke that we had in mind. It occurs in
the midst of a parable our Lord presented to his disciples, which was obviously
intended to inculcate watchfulness on their part. Now it is well known that
some of our Lord's parables partake of the nature of prophecies. Moreover, the prophecy becomes a promise to those meeting the conditions. This parable, we
think, is one such. When
does this feast take place, and where? The feast is to be experienced
"when he cometh," by those of his followers who are still in the
flesh. Evidently this feast takes place here on earth after he arrives, and
before they experience their change. That
the feasting takes place on this side the veil, and that it occupies a period
of time after our Lord's return, will be more readily realized, when we recall
in what the feast consists. To our understanding, the feast consists of such an
unfolding of devotional and prophetic truth as would strengthen his servants
to stand "in this evil day"; strength such as would enable them to
make their calling and election sure, notwithstanding the subtleties of the
times in which they live-the hour of special testing predicted in Rev. 3:10.
Such unfolding would, of necessity include such harmonies as we have found in The Divine Plan of the Ages,
and would
set forth, in clearest light, the wondrous character and faithfulness of our
God. Things new and old would be provided from the storehouse (the Scriptures);
especially those relating to the change of dispensation then pending. Not
two events, therefore, but three, are scheduled to occur, "when he
cometh." The sequence in which these events occur, according to our
present understanding, is as follows
That
we have had, and continue to enjoy, a bountiful feast, is not a matter of
faith, but of knowledge, and since it was to be provided, not before, but "when
he cometh," instead of looking forward to his arrival, we look back to that event, and,
recognizing his presence, look forward to our change. Some
have expressed the conviction that the feast enjoyed by the living, occurs
prior to the raising of the dead in Christ. For reasons which will be submitted
below (in answer to Question No. 3) we think this viewpoint erroneous. However,
if for the moment, we were to accept it as being correct, it would remain true
that all three events occur during the parousia of our Lord. Instead of
looking forward to his arrival, therefore, such should, with us, look back to
that event, and, recognizing his presence, look forward to the raising of
their sleeping brethren and their own change. Question
No. 3: "Blessed
are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth." One
of the brethren who, from time to time, is good enough to give us the benefit
of his studies on this and related subjects, has suggested that it would be
helpful if we clarified some of the remarks we made on this text in the
Question Box for March-April. There, on page 29, we said "In
addition to 1 Thess. 4 16, 17 there is another scripture which bears on the
question, namely, Rev. 14:13. Here we read: "Blessed are the dead which
die in the Lord from henceforth." Evidently, from a particular point of
time, "the dead which die in the Lord" are to experience a unique
blessedness. If I understand this passage correctly, the point of time
represented by "henceforth" is that of our Lord's return. Those who
are living at that time, and other footstep followers of the Master born later,
are those spoken of as "the dead which die in the Lord" from that
time. These, not all in a single moment, but one by one, will end their
course-die as human beings. -- However, they will not need to sleep, even for a
moment and in this lies their unique blessedness. " The
brother's comments on the foregoing, rewritten in question form, may be stated
as follows: What
justification is there in 1 Thess. 4:16, 17 for the thought you express that
some "born later" (that is, after our Lord's return) are included in
the phrase "the dead which I die in the Lord from henceforth"'? (Rev.
14:13.) Furthermore, is it possible to determine the date on which the period
indicated by the word "henceforth" commenced? To
this question we reply: The idea that some "born later" may be
included in the phrase "the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth"
is not to be found in 1
Thess. 4:16, 17 nor is it to be deduced therefrom. Furthermore, it is not explicitly
taught in Rev. 14:13 either, but it does seem to be a reasonable inference from
that text, in the light of its context. In 1
Cor. 15:51 and 1 Thess. 4: 16, 17 the Apostle began to unfold a wonderful secret. However, the Apostle's
word is not the last word on the subject. Our Lord's message sent from heaven
years later, through the Apostle John, in Rev. 14:13, gives us additional
information. (This, by the way, is another illustration of the principle of progressive unfolding of truth; the path
of the just being as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the
perfect day.) If
we understand Rev. 14:13 correctly, it would appear that the solution of the
secret which the Apostle began to unfold is here completed by our Lord. There
will be some, he tells us, who will "die in the Lord" (evidently some
of his followers) from a certain time. The phrase "from henceforth" does not admit
of the possibility that these would all die in a single moment, but points
rather to their dying one by one, during a period of time. In
what period does this take place? The context ("Thrust in thy sickle and
reap" Do
we know when that was? No! -- At one time most of the brethren associated with
this ministry were under the impression that the harvest was a period of
exactly 40 years and that it would come to an end by or during the year 1914.
This impression was not gained foolishly, but was based on a chronology which,
at the time, seemed scriptural, and on the fact that such chronology seemed
to be interwoven and interlocked with numerous prophecies -- and these
prophecies in turn interwoven and interlocked with other prophecies and
fulfillments not dependent on chronology. However,
while all the evidences bearing on the matter of time continue to convince us
that, for many years past, a harvest work has been in progress, we long ago
reached the conclusion, and so stated in these pages, that there is no way to
determine the length of the harvest, the date when it commenced, or the date
when it will end. As Brother Russell expressed the matter in September 1, 1916
(Reprints R5950), in an article captioned The harvest is not ended, "some of us were quite
strongly convinced that the harvest would be ended by now, but our expectations
must not be allowed to weigh anything against the facts. The fact is that the
harvest work is going grandly on; it is not ended by any means. As far as our
present judgment goes, it would appear that there is a considerable harvest
work yet to be done." Again,
in 1921, at the urging of the other Directors and Editors, Brother Streeter
pointed out in these pages that an adjustment of 19 years appeared to be
necessary in one of the links in the chain of chronology; and that, if this
were the only adjustment required, it would mean that those events which had
previously seemed reasonable to expect in 1914, might yet occur in 1934. On
page 105 of his book on Daniel the Beloved, published by our Institute in 1928,
he makes this same observation with regard to the possible ending of Gentile
Times in 1934. However, with his characteristic humility and caution, he
notes: "The arrival of this future date (1934) of course will determine
the correctness or incorrectness of this application." The
arrival of 1934 determined the incorrectness of the application, as all are
aware. Since 1934 some six million Jews were butchered in the murder camps of
Nazi Germany. This could hardly have occurred if Gentile Times had ended.
Gentile supremacy was still very much in evidence. The
year 1948, when Israel became a sovereign state, was doubtless a year of
significance in Israel's experience, but that event would hardly justify the
thought that the end of Gentile Times came then. Even today, half the city of
Jerusalem is in hostile, Arab, hands; while the United Nations is seriously
considering making it an international city! We
have no doubt whatever that the consummation of the age is at the door. The
deliverance of the church through the glorious "change" of the First
Resurrection draws ever nearer, even though we do not know precisely, when
that change may come. So also the rescue of the world from Satan, sin and
death cannot long be delayed, even though we cannot say just when Satan will be
bound for a thousand years and our Lord's Messianic Kingdom begin to be
established. A
word in conclusion in regard to the three Questions considered foregoing. We
urge none to accept the views herein presented, nor the conclusions drawn,
merely because they are presented in this journal. All should carefully study
and weigh the facts and evidences themselves and accept the conclusions only
after they are convinced that they are well-grounded and represent the truth.
Nor should the acceptance or rejection of these conclusions be the cause of
disturbance of harmony amongst the brethren, or be made a test of fellowship to
any degree. The spirit of Christ dwelling richly in his fellow-members will
lead all such to guard against the spirit of contention and selfishness and at
all times to stand in defense of the spirit of liberty and love. Let brotherly
love continue. -
P. L. Read. Ebenezer"Hitherto hath the Lord
helped us." - l Samuel
7:12. NEXT
month, if the Lord will, we shall enter the gateway of another year. Today, we
pause to look back over the path already trod. The close of each year marks
another milestone in our lives. It may be likened to a signpost pointing in
two directions. Over the path already trod, we read: "HITHERTO," while indicating the road
before us, it points: "HENCEFORTH." We
cannot, of course, go back. Time passed has passed forever. Nor are we unmindful that the
Apostle Paul exhorts us to "forget the things that are behind."
(Phil. 3: 1.3.) Yet surely not to the exclusion of many precious lessons! The
words of the poet find an echo in our hearts
Looking
back over the wider scene of world history, what a dark and gloomy picture is
presented to us! Whichever way we look, hope seems to have almost died; the
fading hope of peace and prosperity at the commencement of the year has almost
reached the vanishing point. Nations are snarling at one another, and people
begin to wonder how long it will be before they are at each other's throats;
all this in spite of the certain knowledge that another great conflict between
the nations must bring down in complete ruin the whole tottering structure of
this civilization. Indeed, we are seriously warned by men of science that the
extinction of all life upon this planet is now within the realm of possibility.
The atom bomb of Hiroshima is now superseded by the hydrogen bomb, of which it
was reported before the Atomic Energy Commission in U.S.A. that "one hydrogen bomb could cause
84,000,000 deaths and injure another 20,000,000." As crisis follows
crisis, and conference succeeds conference, "men's hearts fail them for
fear," there is "distress of nations with perplexity [Greek -- "no
way out"]." Nationally, internationally, politically and economically,
the year just passed has been one of rapid retrogression. Statesmen and
politicians are unable to keep pace with the swift march of events, or to halt
the onward steps of the nations toward complete chaos and anarchy. ISRAEL - "A BURDENSOME STONE"Again
looking back over the pathway of the past year, the prophetic student and men
of good will cannot fail to be impressed by the tragedy of Israel. What a
dark and wearisome path the year 1964 has been. Unwanted by the nations of the
earth, and established as a nation in the land of their forefathers, they have
sought to find rest and forgetfulness of the past. But strategy, diplomacy,
and the greed of men have denied them even this. Promises and pledges made to
them have been broken, and their faith in men and nations has been shattered.
Surrounded by enemies as they are, the whole world cast their eyes upon Israel
and tremble. How true have been the words of Jehovah through the Prophet of
old: "Behold,
I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about . . .
and in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people. "-Zech. 12:2, 3. Such,
then, is the picture which presents itself to us as we look back over the
world-scene of 1964. It is not a pleasant picture; perhaps it is best described
in the words of Daniel: "a time of trouble such as never was since there was a
nation," or
in the words of the Prophet Joel: "a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of
clouds and of thick darkness, like the morning dawn spread out upon the
mountains." - Joel 2:2, Leeser. However,
dark though the picture is, yet to the watchful Bible student the happenings of
1964 are a cause of glad expectancy and hopeful anticipation. For years
Christians have prayed for the coming of God's Kingdom; for years they have
known that "this present evil world" must pass away. As was to be
expected, the demolition process involves a period of inconvenience and
unpleasantness -- all that is implied in the prayer - "Thy Kingdom come; thy
will be done ON
EARTH." With
the Word of God before us, and
looking back over the scene behind, the question arises: "What is there left
of unfulfilled prophecy prior to the establishment of the Kingdom of peace and
righteousness in the earth? Are we not able to see that the greater part of Biblical
prophecy is now history? Whatever may be our views of the many interpretations
of chronology, we
cannot mistake the signs foretold which indicate with clarity that the final overthrow
of Satan's empire is close at hand! The restoration of Israel and the
regathering of her people to the Land of Promise "in the last days,"
as foretold, continues steadily toward its full accomplishment, although we
have yet to see the final trouble which is to come upon them there. These
things lie a short way along the road marked: "HENCEFORTH"; but that which concerns the
child of God most intimately is the fact that before the final collapse of the kingdoms of earth and
the establishment of God's Kingdom, the Bride of Christ, the Lamb's wife, must
enter into her inheritance and be joined unto her Lord! "The Bride,"
having made herself ready, will soon enter "with him to the
marriage." "AND
THE DOOR WAS SHUT"! That is the point of momentous interest to us; that, to us, is the
meaning of world events as we
look back over the past year! THE TIME IS SHORT! "SEARCH ME, O GOD"Again
we look back over the road marked: "HITHERTO" -- and this time it is to be a
more individual and personal viewpoint; a little self-examination and
searching of the heart. What sort of road has it been for me during 1964? There
are some who will look back into the past year and recall that it was then they
commenced to walk along this road as "new creatures in Christ
Jesus." Others will look further back into the past and remember that they
have seen many New Years since they commenced to walk this "narrow
road." But length of time is not the important factor so far as God's
estimation of us is concerned. How have we used that time -- how are we using
the time? That
is what matters in God's sight. For
every true child of God the year 1964 has been a year of "ups and
downs." There have been high hopes, and there have been disappointments.
Doubtless the year began with good resolutions and a firm resolve to walk more
closely in the Master's footsteps; with a sincere determination that God's
will, and his will only, would be the controlling force directing every motive,
every thought, word, and deed. It began with a reaffirmation of our
consecration vows. Now, at the commencement of 1965 how thankful we can be
that the good resolutions and the firm resolve have not broken down; the determination
that God's will shall direct our lives remains the same; the earnest desire
toward Christlikeness is also still unaltered. Alas, in spite of all this,
there have been mistakes; there have been "fightings within and fears without,"
and battles have been lost -"the old man" has gained the victory.
It is recorded that D. L. Moody, the evangelist, once remarked: "I've had
more trouble with myself than with any other man I have ever met," and how
truly that describes our own experience through the year. "NOT ONE WORD HATH FAILED"Yet,
in spite of everything that has come to us, we look back along the road marked:
"HITHERTO," and from our hearts testify to the truth that
"HITHERTO bath
the Lord helped us." He has never failed us. When we have forgotten him, he has remembered
us. He has strengthened us in weakness; he has comforted us in tribulation; he
has given peace in times of mental conflict, and 0, how tender and merciful he
has been when we have failed and stumbled in the way. Who will not echo the
words of the Psalmist: "Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had
almost dwelt in silence. When I said, 'My foot slippeth' - thy mercy, O Lord,
held me up." (Psa. 94:17, 18.) Or of Joshua: "Not one thing hath
failed of
all the good things which the Lord our God spake concerning us; all are come to
pass unto us and not one thing hath failed thereof." - Josh. 23:14. Yet
have there not been many joys and blessings along the road of 1964 -- the joys
of service and of fellowship? Have we not rejoiced in an enlarging
appreciation of God's wondrous Plan for all mankind which unfolds more rapidly
every day, and at a pace undreamed of in earlier years? However, this wider
vision is but a means to an end, for the acquisition of knowledge is not an end
in itself. God is outworking his designs, not only in the world about us, but
in our hearts and lives. He has in view the development of that "Seed of
Promise" which is to bring peace and blessing to the world. And dare we be
unmindful of his desire for a Home, and his intention to have a family of
Divine sons in fullest fellowship with himself? Are these our desires also?
Are these the things which are uppermost in our thoughts and to which our
lives are being molded? Have we during the year that is past sought first the Kingdom of God and his
righteousness? Can it be said, from the heart, that everything else in our
lives has taken second place to this glorious Hope of our Calling? At
the commencement of our Christian pilgrimage we said in our hearts:
But
life is a period of years -- sometimes many, sometimes few-and as we echo the
sentiments of those words we consider the whole course of life from
consecration till death, a life which "on the whole" has been spent for God. Yet
should it not be remembered that life is made up of years; a year is made up of
months; a month, of weeks; a week, of days; a day, of hours; an hour, of
minutes, and a minute is composed of seconds. When, therefore, our lives were
surrendered to God and his service, we pledged ourselves to use every moment as faithful stewards in his
employ. "Take My Moments and My Days"This
was the sentiment of the heart. Have I used every moment of the 366 days of 1964 in
full accord with my consecration pledge? That is not an extremist way of
searching our hearts; it is the only correct way of examining our progress on
the Christian road. It is the way which will urge us to more progress toward
the Goal along the road which is marked: "HENCEFORTH." -
Edwin Allbon, Eng. Recently Deceased
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