Revelation 21—The Descending Kingdom
21:1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth.—“It may be that this, rather than ‘the Millennium,’ is the name which we ought to give to the Golden Age, of purity and bliss which next awaits the world. The words seem to include a transformation and glorification of our material globe.”—Weym.
“Paradise, the Garden of God, applicable as a name to Eden, where our first parents resided, is Scripturally applied to the new earth when Restitution blessings shall, during the Millennium, have brought it to perfection. This Paradise of the future is referred to by the Apostles as ‘the third heaven,’ and as ‘a new heavens and a new earth.’ (2 Corinthians 12:2; 2 Peter 3:13.) They are not referring to new planets, nor to heavens ranged one above another, as many have supposed, but to the third of three great periods of time, beginning with man’s creation and extending into the illimitable future. The first of these periods, termed the first heavens and earth—the old order of things—passed away with the Deluge of Noah’s day. The second period, ‘the heavens and the earth which are now,’ the present order of things, are reserved of God to pass away with a great symbolic fire of trouble—revolution, etc.—which will utterly destroy the present spiritual powers and the present social arrangements. (2 Peter 3:6, 7; Galatians 1:4; Zephaniah 3:8, 9.) The third great period is to be a ‘world without end,’ under Divine administration. This will be the third heavens and the third earth, or the new heavens and the new earth, which will differ from the present condition of things in that they will be righteous! whereas the present arrangement is imperfect, unrighteous. The ‘new heavens’ will consist of the new spiritual ruling powers of the future—Christ the Head, and the Church His Body.”—Z. ’16‐392.
For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.—“The Scriptures show us that in this general rupture the nominal church (including all denominations) will be gradually drawn more and more to the side of the governments and the wealthy, will lose much of its influence over the people, and will finally fall with the governments. Thus the heavens [ecclesiastical rule] being on fire, will pass away with a great hissing.” (A. 333.) Two of the causes that operate to “burn” the present “earth” are declared to be hunger, and the misrule of beastly governments. (Deut. 32:24) In the end all will be glad to see the unclean heavens pass away (Job 15:15) rent in twain (Isa. 64:1) and the new heavens planted (Isa. 51:16) which will be heard in their lightest petition to the God of all grace (Hos. 2:21). “Drop down, ye Heavens from above.”—Isa. 45:8.
And there was no more sea.—“Under the control of the new Heaven—spiritual powers—the reconstructed social order will be so satisfactory, so complete, so thorough, that there will be no more dissatisfied masses. Everything will be reduced to law and order, obliterating the differences of wealth and power as they now exist.”—Z. ’16‐392.
21:2. And I, [John] saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem.—“The New Jerusalem is not ‘that great city [government] which ruleth over the kings of the earth’ (Revelation 17:18) but is the new Spiritual Government of the Millennial Age. It is not reared by men; but, descends from God out of Heaven. It is for this Kingdom, this Government, that our Lord taught His disciples to pray, ‘Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in Heaven.’ ”—Z. ’16‐392; Isa. 52:1; Matt. 5:35; Heb. 11:10, 16; 13:14; Rev. 3:12; 21:10; 11:2; 22:19.
Coming down [from God] out of Heaven, FROM GOD.—“We are not to think of this Holy City as being composed of literal stones, but of ‘living stones’ (1 Peter 2:4‐7; Ephesians 2:19‐22.) Neither Christ nor the saints in glory can be seen of men. But the whole world will quickly be made aware of the fact that a new Government has been instituted—a government of righteousness and all power.”—Z. ’16‐392; Heb. 11:10; 12:22; Rev. 3:12; 21:10.
Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.—“This declaration implies its beauty, grandeur and perfection, as a bride’s adornment on such an occasion is particular and elaborate to the last degree. Additionally, the statement reminds us that in the government of the future the world’s judges are to be the saints selected throughout the Gospel Age and frequently called ‘the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife.’ ”—Z. ’16‐392; 2 Cor. 11:2; John 3:29; Eph. 5:31, 32.
21:3. And [I heard] a great voice.—The Lord Jesus, the Father’s Word.
[Out of heaven] WAS saying, OUT OF THE THRONE, Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men.—“This verse associates this City with the other figure of a symbolic Temple, which the Lord is now preparing, of which the saints will constitute the ‘pillars.’ God will dwell in this Temple, and the world of mankind will approach God in it to receive the Divine blessings, as Israel approached the typical Tabernacle and the Temple in their typical religious services.” (Z. ’01‐199.) “When we think of the Church as the Temple under construction, it impresses upon us the thought that there is a future work to be accomplished. Why construct a Temple, and then not use it? St. Paul says, the Church is God’s workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10.) And His work will be so perfectly accomplished that there will be no need of rectification or alteration beyond the veil,—beautifully illustrated in the erection of Solomon’s Temple, of which we read that its stones were prepared at the quarry and then finally assembled for the construction of the Temple, and that they were so perfectly shaped and marked for their various places that they came together without the sound of a hammer.”—Z. ’15‐189; 2 Cor. 6:16.
And He [will dwell] DWELLETH with them and they shall be His people.—“All mankind will be treated from the standpoint of reconciliation, the Propitiation (price) for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) having been provided at Calvary, and the due time having then come for the manifestation of Divine favor.”—Z. ’01‐200; Psa. 68:18; Ezek. 37:27; Zech. 8:8.
[And] God Himself shall be with them, [and be their God].—“It will be the Kingdom of God, because God’s dear Son and His joint‐heir, the Church, will be in absolute accord with the Father, and all that shall be done under their control will fully and completely represent the Divine will respecting men. Nevertheless, it will be a separate Kingdom from that of the remainder of the Universe, as the Apostle Paul indicates. (1 Cor. 15:24, 25, 28.)”—Z. ’01‐200; Jer. 30:22; 31:33; Ezek. 11:20.
21:4. And [God] HE shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.—“The wiping away of tears implies a gradual work, such as we see will be the process of that glorious time. Man will not be exempt from every weakness and trial and difficulty at the beginning, but if he will conform to the Laws of the Kingdom, all cause for distress will gradually pass away, as restitution blessings will lift him out of death into life.”—Z. ’01‐200; Isa. 25:8; 65:19.
And there shall be no more death; neither sorrow nor crying SHALL BE.—“What a glorious sun‐burst of blessing is in these words! What a grand fulfilment will be there of the Apostle’s declaration respecting ‘Times of Restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world began’! The declaration, however, applies to the very end of the Millennial Age, and not in full to any previous time in that Age. (John 5:28, 29.)”—Z. ’01‐200; 1 Cor. 15:26, 54; Rev. 20:14; Isa. 35:10; 51:11; 65:19.
[Neither shall there be any more pain] For the former things are passed away.—The reign of Satan, sin and death will have ended forever. “To gain a place in the earthly phase of the Kingdom of God will be to find the gratification of every desire and ambition of the perfect human heart.”—A. 291.
21:5. And He that sat upon the Throne said, Behold, I make all things new.—“This expression does not relate merely to rocks and trees, etc., but to the great work which our Lord undertook; viz., the regeneration of humanity to the complete perfection contemplated in the original Divine Plan.”—Z. ’01‐201; Rev. 20:11.
And He said unto me, Write: for these words are [true and] faithful, AND TRUE.—“Present conditions seem so contrary to all this grand Restitution outcome that it cannot be fully believed and trusted by any except those who have learned to walk with the Lord. To all others these things will appear untrue, and God will appear unfaithful, and the matters which we are here discussing will seem ‘idle tales,’ as fables and golden fancies: but to us who believe, these promises are precious.”—1 Pet. 2:7.
21:6. And He [said] SAITH unto me, [It is done.] I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.—“It was the Father’s good pleasure that the Blessed One, the Only Begotten of the Father, should accomplish the entire program of redemption and restitution; and be forever the Associate and Representative of the Father, through whom and by whom all things should continue, as He was the one through whom all things were made that were made.”—Z. ’01‐201; Rev. 1:8; 22:13.
I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.—“It is this one who, during the Millennial Age, will extend to all the willing and obedient the Water of Life, everlasting life—the privilege of perpetual existence. But they must thirst for it, must desire it; and this desire must be manifest in obedience to the terms, the laws, upon which it will be supplied freely.”—Z. ’01‐201; Rev. 22:17; Isa. 55:1; John 7:37.
21:7. He that overcometh shall inherit [all] THESE things.—These earthly things.—Acts 3:21.
And I will be his God, and he shall be My son.—“Those addressed are not the Bride class, selected during the Gospel Age, (1 John 3:2) but the sheep class of Matt. 25—such of mankind as during the Millennial Age become the Lord’s sheep and obey His voice. They shall inherit the earth, the purchased possession—which Jesus will restore at the close of the Millennium to all the children of Adam who shall have accepted His gracious favors and been regenerated by Him, and thus become His sons, and He their God—their Father. (Isa. 9:6)”—Z. ’01‐201; Zech. 8:8; Heb. 8:10; Rom. 8:21.
21:8. But the fearful.—“If any, enlightened by the Truth, and brought to a knowledge of the love of God, and restored to human perfection, become ‘fearful,’ and ‘draw back’ (Heb. 10:38, 39), they, with the unbelievers, will be destroyed from among the people. (Acts 3:23.)”—A. 107.
And unbelieving.—Who will not trust God, after all the marvels of His grace they will have seen and experienced.—Heb. 11:6; Rom. 10:17; John 20:31; John 17:20; 1 Tim. 6:12; Luke 17:5; James 2:17.
And the abominable.—“Those abominable characters among men, who, knowing the truth, yet love unrighteousness.”—H. 60.
And murderers.—Slanderers.—Psa. 141:3; Deut. 5:17; Matt. 5:21, 22; 15:18‐20; 1 John 3:15; James 3:2‐12; James 4:11; Prov. 4:23, 24; Matt. 12:34‐37; Eph. 4:31; Psa. 15:1‐3; 19:14; 34:13; 101:5; Prov. 12:19; 16:28; 17:4; 26:20‐21; Jer. 20:10; 1 Cor. 10:10; James 1:19; Deut. 32:2.
And whoremongers.—Not at heart faithful to the Lord.
And sorcerers.—Dreamers, theorists, pseudo‐philosophers, endeavoring to accredit to themselves the great salvation wrought.—Rev. 22:15.
And idolaters.—“Such as misappropriate and misuse Divine favors, who give to self or any other creature or thing that service and honor which belong to God.”—H. 63.
And all liars.—“All who do not love the Truth and seek it, and at any cost defend and hold it.” (H. 63.) “If something is six inches long, let it be just six inches for six inches.”—Z. ’12‐147.
Shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.—“The severest punishment inflicted by the Jews upon any criminal. The corpse (after the man had been stoned to death) was thrown out into the Valley of Hinnom (Gay‐Hinnom) and was devoured by the worm or the flame.”—Weym.
Which is the Second Death.—“Such company would be repulsive to any honest, upright being. It is hard to tolerate them now, but in the close of the Millennial Judgment, when the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall have given every advantage and opportunity of knowledge and ability, the righteous will be glad when the corrupters of the earth, and all their work and influence, shall be destroyed.”—H. 63.
21:9. And there came [unto me].—To the John class, the Church, on this side of the veil.
One of the seven angels.—The Seventh.
Which had the seven vials full.—They are still full after they are poured out on ecclesiasticism!
Of the seven last plagues.—The Seven volumes of Studies in the Scriptures.
And talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee.—See Lu. 4:21.
The Bride, the Lamb’s Wife.—“As a grand lesson of the Divine sovereignty, and as a sublime contradiction to all evolution theories, God elected to call to this place of honor (as ‘the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife and Joint‐ heir’—Rom. 8:17), not angels and cherubs, but some from among the sinners redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb. The continued permission of evil is for the purpose of developing these ‘members of the Body of Christ’ and to furnish them the opportunity of sacrificing their little and redeemed all, in the service of Him who bought them with His precious blood; and thus of developing in their hearts His spiritual likeness, that when, at the end of the Age, they are presented by their Lord and Redeemer before the Father, God may see in them ‘the image of His Son.’ ”—Col. 1:22; Rom. 8:29; E. 412, 395; Rev. 19:7; 21:2.
21:10. And he carried me away in the Spirit.—“God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.”—1 Cor. 2:10; Rev. 1:10; 17:3.
To a great and high mountain.—How similar is the language, recording the experience of the first and greatest Member of the Church, at the beginning of His ministry. Concerning the Lord’s third temptation we read: “In this temptation the Lord is taken, not physically, but in the spirit of His mind, up into a high mountain—a very exalted kingdom. Physically He was all this time in the desert near Jerusalem; and as a matter of fact there is neither in that desert nor anywhere in the world a mountain from which all the kingdoms of the world could be viewed except with the mind’s eye.”—Z. ’06‐43.
St. John’s Vision of the Descending Kingdom
And shewed me [that great] THE HOLY City, [The holy] Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God.—The city came down from Heaven to earth. If we went up to Heaven, it would not be found there. If Rev. 21 is to be literally interpreted, then the whole surface of Palestine is far from sufficient to hold a city of this size. Besides, its height, length and breadth were to be equal.—Rev. 21:2.
21:11. Having the glory [of] FROM God.—The Church has a foretaste of this glory on this side of the veil.—1 Pet. 4:14.
[And] her light.—“The Lamb is the Light thereof.”—Rev. 21:23; 22:5.
Was like unto a stone most precious.—“The brightness of His [the Father’s] glory, and the express image of His person.”—Heb. 1:3.
Even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.—A beautiful green‐tinted diamond.—Rev. 4:3.
21:12 And [had] HAVING a wall great and high.—The pictures here are all pictures of the Bride. Nevertheless, the wall, the protection of that Heavenly City, in a special sense represents our Heavenly Father. No picture of the Bride would be complete that did not include Him who dwells within us, who is the Author of the Plan, and the Source of all our joys. Now as to the application of the picture of the wall to the Bride herself, one of Pastor Russell’s coworkers has aptly said: “We are like living stones, in the plural—144,000 stones in one, if you will. There was one perfect Stone to begin with, and all the others had to be conformed to the image of that Stone. Men have discovered a way of taking two glasses of different density and fusing them together, so you cannot tell where the point of fusion is. And so, with this Little Flock of 144,000, they are going to be welded together in one—there will be but one mind in that whole 144,000. There is only one thing they have in view, and that is to perform Jehovah’s will; and they rejoice in doing His will absolutely.”
And [had] HAVING twelve gates.—The twelve mystical tribes of Israel.—Rev. 7:5‐8; Ezek. 48:31‐34.
And at the gates twelve angels, and THEIR names written thereon.—The entire Little Flock; twelve thousand of each tribe, each working together, under God’s direction, as one angel, or messenger. Doubtless certain special work is reserved for each tribe. All who gain membership in that tribe will be particularly suited to the work to which they will be assigned.
Which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.—Their names, and the characteristics they signify, are given in Rev. 7:5‐8.
21:13. On the East.—Toward the Sun‐rising, toward the Dawn, toward the Little Flock, specially honored and blessed in their sacrifices on behalf of the Church. The side of the Amramites.—Num. 3:19; F. 128.
Three gates.—The mystical tribe of Joseph, Benjamin and Manasseh—Manasseh taking the place of Dan.—Ezek. 48:32; Rev. 7:5, 7, 8.
AND on the North.—The side of the Merarites, the Great Company.—Num. 3:33; F. 129.
Three gates.—The mystical tribes of Judah, Reuben and Levi.—Ezek. 48:31; Rev. 7:5, 7.
AND on the South.—The side of the Kohathites, the Ancient Worthies.—Num. 4:2; F. 129.
Three gates.—The mystical tribes of Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun.—Ezek. 48:33; Rev. 7:7, 8.
And on the West.—The side of the Gershonites, the Restitution classes.—Num. 4:22; F. 129.
Three gates.—The mystical tribes of Gad, Asher and Naphtali.—Ezek. 48:34; Rev. 7:5, 6.
Although the pictures here given are pictures of the Bride, and the gates apply as above shown, nevertheless these gates also represent the Ancient Worthies, who during the Millennial Age will be the earthly representatives of the Church, and, perhaps, exactly 144,000 in number. Additionally, the Ancient Worthies are called “gates” in Isa. 26:2. “The gates or entrances of the City, which are twelve in number, are inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is in harmony with what we have learned of the earthly phase of the Kingdom of God that the Ancient Worthies from the various tribes of Israel, selected during the Jewish Age, will be the visible representatives of the Heavenly Kingdom in the earth through whose instrumentality the nations may enter into the blessings of the Kingdom.”—Z. ’92‐16.
“The city lies open and accessible to all quarters, and to all quarters alike.”—Luke 13:29. Weym.
21:14. And the wall of the City had twelve foundations.—“The Lord himself, is the foundation, ‘Other foundations can no man lay than that is laid—Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 3:11.) He is the great Rock, and St. Peter’s confession of Him as such was, therefore, a rock testimonial—a declaration of the foundation principles underlying the Divine Plan. St. Peter disowned any pretension to being the foundation‐stone himself and properly classed himself to with all the other ‘living stones’ (Gr. lithos,) of the Church,—though petros, rock, signifies a larger stone than lithos, and all the Apostles as ‘foundation’ stones would in the Divine Plan and order have a larger importance than their brethren.”—F. 220; Matt. 16:18; Eph. 2:20.
And [in] ON them the TWELVE names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb.—“We are entirely out of accord with the views of Papacy, of the Protestant Episcopal Church, of the Catholic‐Apostolic Church, and of the Mormons, all of whom claim that the number of the Apostles was not limited to twelve, and that there have been successors since their day who spoke and wrote with equal authority with the original Twelve. (2 Cor. 11:13.)” (F. 209.) “We still have with us the gift of Apostles, in that we have their teachings in the New Testament, so full and complete as to require no addition; and hence the Twelve Apostles have no successors, and need none, since there are but ‘Twelve Apostles of the Lamb;’ they are the twelve stars; the twelve foundations.’”—John 6:70; E. 229, 207.
12:15. And he that talked with me.—Volume VII of Studies in the Scriptures.
Had a [golden] MEASURING reed of gold.—The Divine Word.
To measure the City, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.—Surely, if we can not find the measurement in the Scriptures it is hopeless to look elsewhere.—Zech. 2:1, 2; Rev. 11:1; Ezek. 40:3.
21:16. And the City lieth foursquare, and the length is [as large] as the breadth.—A perfect cube, like the Most Holy of the Tabernacle.
And he measured the City with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs.—“The number of ‘buildings’ in the City seems to be indicated by the measures—12,000 times 12,000 furlongs equals 144,000,000 square furlongs. This area contains 144,000 building‐lots of one thousand square furlongs each—which circumstance may well signify that the 144,000, faithful ones will reign with Jesus during a thousand years (one square furlong representing a year.”)
The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.—Each view of the City, from any side, presents to view, Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom.
21:17. And he measured the wall thereof.—Its thickness.
An hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man.—The measure of a man, the Man Christ Jesus, is 1,000. His Day is to be 1,000 years in length. Adam’s Day was a thousand years long. The total measure is 144,000, the number of the Elect. We should expect to find the number of those rescued during the Millennium shown somewhere in these measurements; and this we also find. The cubit, in symbolism, is flexible in length, like the word “day.” If we multiply the number of square furlongs in any wall by the 144 measures of a man, i. e., 144,000,000 X 144, the result is 20,736,000,000, the estimated number of the sheep class at the end of the Millennial Age.—Matt. 25:34‐40; Z. ’05‐271.
That is, of the angel.—As interpreted by the angel.
21:18. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper.—“The solid fabric of the wall was jasper; and the city itself was made of gold, resembling transparent glass.”—Weym.
And the City was pure gold, like unto clear glass.—Of Divine origin, and made up of those who have the Divine nature.
21:19. And the foundations of the wall of the City were garnished with all manner of precious stones.—Mosaic manufacturers make 15,000 colors; and it is estimated the trained eye can detect a million colors. In selecting and polishing the 144,000 gems and putting them in place in the Temple God is preparing a beautiful harmony of characters in infinite variety that will delight the hearts of all His creatures to all eternity.—1 Chron. 29:2.
The first foundation was jasper.—Likeness to the Father. See comments on Rev. 4:3.
AND the second, sapphire.—Faithfulness. The sapphire of the ancients is the modern lapiz lazuli, or azure stone, a mineral substance valued for decorative purposes in consequence of the fine blue color which it usually presents. It has the appearance of being spotted with gold dust. “The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.” (Job. 28:6.) The brilliant spots in the deep blue matrix invite comparison with the stars in the firmament. The crystals form into units having twelve equal sides. The blue is the color of faithfulness; the gold shows the faithfulness towards God; the star‐like appearance shows the faithfulness towards all the Heavenly beings—angels, archangels, and the Great Company; the crystalline formation shows the faithfulness towards the symbolical and actual twelve tribes of Israel which, in the last analysis, include all who shall become heirs of salvation. Those who gain the prize of the High Calling can be trusted.—1 Cor. 4:2; Luke 16:10‐12.
AND the third, a chalcedony.—Obedience; Submission. A green quartz, found in the copper mines of Chalcedon. It crystallizes in the twelve‐sided and twenty‐four‐sided forms of cubic crystalline formation. In the twelve sided crystals each side is a surface of five equal sides and angles. The Church’s obedience is perfect towards God as indicated in the faces of the crystals, five being a symbol of Divinity. It is operative towards the brethren as in the twelve‐faced crystals, and towards both phases of the Kingdom, as in the twenty‐four‐sided crystals.
The fourth, an emerald.—Deathlessness. One of the most beautiful of gems, of a bright green color, without any mixture, crystallizing in long, hexagonal (six‐sided) crystals. The stone loses color when strongly heated. From those originally imperfect (as shown in the six‐sided crystals) God is creating a race of deathless ones. Nevertheless, though begotten to the Divine nature, should they cling to the dross of their fleshly natures too determinedly, so great fires may be applied to burn away the dross as will destroy the value of the gem. This gem, too, represents the Church’s power to bestow life upon the dead world. The crystals may be broken or split crosswise. The everlasting life for the world, which may be made continuous, is nevertheless susceptible of being broken off at any time for disobedience.
21:20. The fifth, sardonyx.—Humility; Purity; Martyrdom. An ornamental stone much used for seals and cameos. It was considered by ancient oriental authorities that a fine oriental sardonyx should have at least three strata, a black base, a white intermediate center, and a superficial layer of red; these colors typifying the three cardinal virtues—humility, black; chastity, white; modesty or martyrdom, red.
The sixth, sardius.—Loyalty to Christ. A reddish stone much used by the ancients as a gem stone; it has been in all ages the commonest of the stones used by the gem engraver.—Rev. 4:3.
The seventh, chrysolyte.—Heavenly Wisdom. Greek Chrysos, gold, and lithos, stone. The meaning of the term makes it the golden stone. It is a gem of a golden color, lightly tinted with green. It is very transparent. “The wisdom that is from Above is first pure.”—Jas. 3:17.
The eighth, beryl.—Love of the Father. A pellucid gem of a bluish green color, much prized as a gem stone by the ancients. It crystallizes in the hexagonal system, with sixty‐six sides of various sizes and shapes. On each of the six principal sides are diamond‐shaped marks, alternately five and eight marks to a side, with four marks at the end. The sixty‐six sides represent the sixty‐six books of the Bible; the two ends represent the Old and New Testaments; the diamond shaped marks represent the Heavenly Father; the three groups of eight each represent the twenty‐four prophecies of the kingdom; five is a symbol of Divinity, and four represents Justice, Power, Wisdom and Love.
The ninth, topaz.—Benevolence. It is generally held that the mineral now called topaz was unknown to ancient writers, and that their topaz is our peridot. This is the name applied by jewelers to “noble olivine.” It is a dark, decidedly green‐colored mineral. Much mystery for a long time surrounded the locality which yielded most of the peridot for commerce; but it is now identified with the island of St. John in the Red Sea, probably the “Topaz Isle” of the ancients. It crystallizes in twenty‐six‐ sided figures. In some views—i. e., when the Great Company or the classes that are to be destroyed are taken into consideration—the tribes of Israel number thirteen; and when Spiritual and Fleshly Israel are considered separately, the total number is twenty‐six. It is not the wish of the Heavenly Father that any of these should perish, and it is the wish of the Church to do all humanly and Divinely possible to save the unworthy from the final consequences of their own willfulness. This spirit will be exercised to the last limit of love.
The tenth, chrysoprasus.—Constant, cheerful endurance. The modern Chrysoberyl is a yellow or green gem stone, remarkable for its hardness, being exceeded in this respect only by the diamond and the jacinth. It is not infrequently cloudy, due to microscopic cavities. The hardness signifies ability to “endure hardness as good soldiers,” and the clouds signify difficulties, troubles, to be overcome.
The eleventh, jacinth.—Unchangeableness. The modern sapphire, next to the diamond in hardness; a beautiful blue stone. Many of the crystals are parti‐colored, the blue being distributed in patches in a colorless stone; but by skillful cutting the deep‐colored portion may be caused to impart color to the entire gem. This stone crystallizes in the most beautiful and wonderful pattern conceivable, consisting of a six‐sided pyramid at either end, separated by three different sets of surfaces of six each and two different sets of surfaces of three each. We may think of the two ends as representing the teachings of the Twelve Apostles, and the twenty‐four surfaces between as representing the twenty‐four elders (prophecies pertaining to the Kingdom of God). God is unchangeable; although the different operations of His Plan, in different ages, make Him seem changeable to mankind. But the perfected Plan will be the adoration of all His creatures. This gem also shows how God can take characters whose conduct may have been very irregular, and by skillful cutting make them copies of Himself.
The twelfth, an amethyst.—Royalty. A stone of a violet color, bordering on purple, composed of a strong blue and deep red. The name is derived from the Greek a, not, and methyskein, to intoxicate, expressing the old belief that the stone protected its owner from strong drink. It was held that wine drank out of a cup of amethyst would not intoxicate. It crystallizes in double pyramids (base to base) of three sides on each pyramid. Amethyst was Pastor Russell’s birth‐stone; and behold how perfect its application! He was true blue in his faithfulness, and fully loyal to the blood of Christ, as shown by the red. He has the royalty now, thank God! The cup which he poured never intoxicated with error those who drank its live‐giving draughts from the Fountain of all Truth, our Father’s Word. The six‐sided crystallization represents his Six Volumes of Scripture Studies, and this, the Seventh, a summary of all, represents the stone as a whole. There are over ninety varieties of crystals in nature. Surely, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”
The following is William Miller’s dream, as given in The Three Worlds, the first of Pastor Russell’s books, long since out of print, where it is told only as a dream. (Jer. 23:28.) It calls to mind a dream of Pastor Russell’s, often told in private. In his early youth he dreamed of sleeping in an attic. Suddenly he awoke to see the morning sun, just emerged over the hill‐top, blazing directly in his face. He jumped to his feet with a start, thinking that it must be late. In doing so he stumbled over several forms still asleep. He was about to reproach himself for thus rudely awakening them, when he discovered that not one of the sleepers had been disturbed. The application is evident. “The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.” Pastor Russell was awakened by the light of the Sun of the New Day. He tried to waken others, and succeeded with “just one here, one there;” but the great mass are still asleep. However, the Dawn comes on apace. Now for William Miller’s dream:
“I dreamed that God, by an unseen hand, had sent me a curiously wrought casket, about ten inches long by six square, made of ebony and pearls curiously inlaid. To the casket there was a key attached. I immediately took the key and opened the casket, when, to my wonder and surprise, I found it filled with all sorts and sizes of jewels—diamonds, precious stones—and gold and silver coin of every dimension and value, beautifully arranged in their several places in the casket; and thus arranged, they reflected a light and glory equalled only by the sun. [These jewels are the beautiful truths which the open casket unfolded to his sight.] I thought it was my duty not to enjoy this wonderful sight alone, although my heart was overjoyed at the brilliancy, beauty and value of its contents. I therefore placed it on a center‐table in my room, and gave out the word that all who had a desire might come and see the most glorious and brilliant sight ever seen by man in this life. The people began to come in, at first few in number, but increasing to a crowd. When they first looked into the casket, they would wonder and shout for joy. But when the spectators increased, every one would begin to trouble the jewels, taking them out of the casket and scattering them on the table.
“I began to think that the owner would require the casket and jewels again at my hand; and that if I suffered them to be scattered, I could never place them in their places in the casket again as before, and felt I should never be able to meet the accountability; for it would be immense. I then began to plead with the people not to handle them, nor take them out of the casket. But the more I pleaded, the more they scattered; and now they seemed to scatter them all over the room, on the floor, and every piece of furniture in the room. I then saw that among the genuine jewels and coin they had scattered an innumerable quantity of spurious jewels and counterfeit coin. I was highly incensed at their base conduct and ingratitude, and reproved and reproached them for it; but the more I reproved, the more they scattered the spurious jewels and false coin among the genuine. I then became vexed in my very soul, and began to use physical force to push them out of the room; but while I was pushing out one, three more would enter, and bring in dirt, shavings, sand, and all manner of rubbish, until they had covered every one of the true jewels, diamonds and coins from sight. They also tore into pieces my casket and scattered it among the rubbish. I thought that no man regarded my sorrow or my anger. I became wholly discouraged and disheartened, and sat down and wept. [When the 1844 time passed, how perfectly was this fullfilled.] While I was thus weeping and mourning for my great loss and accountability, I remembered God, and earnestly prayed that He would send me help.
“Immediately the door opened and a man entered the room, when the other people all left it. Then he, having a dirt brush in his hand, opened the windows and began to brush the dust and rubbish from the room. I cried to him to forbear; that there were some precious jewels scattered among the rubbish. But he told me to fear not, for he would take care of them. Then while he brushed the dust and rubbish, the false jewels and counterfeit coin, all rose and went out of the window like a cloud and the wind carried them away. In the bustle I closed my eyes for a moment. When I opened them the rubbish was all gone, and the precious jewels, the diamonds, the gold and the silver coins lay scattered in profusion all over the room. He then placed on the table a casket, much larger and more beautiful than the former, and gathered up the jewels, the diamonds, the coins, by the handful, and cast them into the casket, till not one was left, although some of the diamonds were not bigger than the point of a pin. He then called upon me to come and see. I looked into the casket, but my eyes were dazzled with the sight. The contents shone with ten times their former glory. I thought that they had been scoured in the sand by the feet of those wicked persons who had scattered and trod them in the dust. They were arranged in beautiful order in the casket—every one in its place—without any visible pains on the part of the man [Pastor Russell] who cast them in. I shouted for joy; and that shout awoke me.”
21:21. And the twelve gates were [twelve] pearls; every several gate was of one pearl.—“The peculiar lustre of a pearl is dependent on the fact that the surface is not perfectly smooth, but covered with the irregularly sinuous edges of innumerable layers of inconceivable thinness, deposited one over the other. The distance of these edges from each other varies indefinitely, the pearls of the finest water having them closest. They are always, however, too fine to be detected by the naked eye. The edges make so many steps, so to speak; and the iridescence is produced by the mutual interference of the rays of light reflected from these thousands of angles. For their water, or lustre, as distinguished from iridescence, pearls are indebted to their being composed of thin layers, which allow light to pass through them, while their numerous surfaces disperse and reflect the light in such a manner that it returns and mingles with that which is directly reflected from the exterior. The thinner and more transparent the constituent layers, the more perfect is the lustre. The immediate occasion of the production of a pearl appears to be always the presence of some extraneous substance inside of the shell of the mollusk.” (McC.) The mollusk is the earthly tabernacle; the extraneous substance is the New Mind. The successive layers are the additions made to it, “precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little.”—Isa. 28:13.
And the street of the City was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.—There will be but one street in that City, the street which has been in process of construction throughout the Age. The Prophets tell us of it.—Prov. 16:17; Isa. 40:3; 49:11; 35:8; 62:10‐12.
21:22. And I saw no temple therein.—No special place of worship, for the use and benefit of the Little Flock.
[For] BECAUSE the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it.—The Bride’s whole life is completely wrapped up in the Father and the Son. Her one consuming wish is to glorify the Lord’s dear name. Of what need is any special place of worship for one who can say, “For to me to live is [for] Christ [to live]?”—Phil. 1:21.
21:23. And the City had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine [in] ON it.—“The sun signifies the light of this Gospel Age; the moon signifies the typically reflected light of the Gospel in the Law and the Prophets of the previous Dispensation. The glorified Church will have no need of the light which in the present time she so much enjoys through the Word and the Spirit, and the Law and the Prophets. She will have, instead of these, a much more excellent glory, being, herself, a part of the Sun of Righteousness.” (Z. ’01‐201.) “ ‘Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father’—our Lord Jesus, the Head of the Church, of course being included. The Prophet mentions the same Sun of Righteousness, saying, ‘The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His beams.’—Malachi 4:2.”—Z. ’16‐393.
For the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.—“We are not to lose sight of the fact that Christ is the Head of the Church, even as the Father is the head of Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. 11:3.) Hence the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb will always be an inner Temple in this great Temple which God has provided for the world’s blessing during Restitution Times.”—Z. ’16‐393; Isa. 24:23; 60:19, 20; Rev. 21:11; 22:5.
21:24. And the nations [of them which are saved] shall walk [in] BY the light [of it] THEREOF.—“The word ‘nations’ here signifies peoples, and is intended to show that all peoples, not merely the Israelites, will be thus favored under God’s Kingdom. The world will not be divided into nationalities as at present.”—Z. ’16‐394; Isa. 60:3, 5.
And the kings of the earth do bring their glory [and honor] into it.—“When mankind reaches perfection at the close of the Millennial Age, as already shown, they will be admitted into membership in the Kingdom of God and given the entire control of earth as at first designed—each man a sovereign, a king.” (A. 296.) “That Kingdom, in which all will be kings, will be one grand, universal Republic, whose stability and blessed influence will be assured by the perfection of its every citizen, a result now much desired, but an impossibility because of sin.” (Z. ’10‐39.) “During the Millennial Age the kings will be the Ancient Worthies; but subsequently a New Dispensation will open, under new conditions, in which mankind (perfected) will be granted the privilege of ruling themselves in harmony with the Divine Law.” (Z. ’97‐304.) In this verse the Ancient Worthies are directly referred to; while in verse 26 the rest of mankind are referred to. Notice the tenses of the verbs “do bring” and “shall bring”—present and future—in the Millennium and after.
21:25. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day.—Throughout the long Millennial Day of a thousand years all who will may seek and find salvation through the broad gates of the City of God that will then be wide open. (Isa. 60:11.) Now, “Narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”—Matt. 7:14.
For there shall be no night there.—“The period in which sin is permitted has been a dark Night to humanity, never to be forgotten; but the glorious Day of righteousness and Divine favor, to be ushered in by Messiah, who, as the Sun of Righteousness, shall arise and shine fully and clearly into and upon all, bringing healing and blessing, will more than counterbalance the dreadful night of weeping, sighing, pain, sickness and death, in which the groaning creation has been so long. ‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’—Psa. 30:5.” (A. 9.)
The Psalmist explains how the smile of the Father was turned away from mankind. He describes mankind as “Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; because they rebelled against the words of God [by disobedience of His express command] and contemned [set at naught] the counsels of the Most High. Therefore He brought down their heart with labor [each sex with its own peculiar kind]; they fell down, and there was none to help.” (Psa. 107:10‐12.) This disobedience brought our entire race into the Valley of the Shadow of Death (Psa. 23:4); but the Prophets encouraged us to hope for a watchman who would tell us of the coming of the Day. (Isa. 21:12.) In the Apostle’s time he declared the night was far spent, being then more than two‐thirds gone. (Rom. 13:12.) The event that is to bring in the Day is the rising of the Sun of Righteousness. (Mal. 4:2.) When here at the First Advent Christ was the light of the world (John 8:12); and the people in His immediate neighborhood saw a great Light, shadowing forth His coming glory. (Isa. 9:2.) He declared that we, too, should be lights in the world. (Matt. 5:14.)—“You in your little corner, and I in mine;” and that in the resurrection all these 144,000 brightly burning candles should be brought together and with Him constitute the Sun of Righteousness that is to heal and bless the world. “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.”—Matt. 13:43.
The sun rises quietly, like a thief. (1 Thes. 5:1.) When the Morning comes, the first work is banishing the works of the night. (Ezek. 7:7‐12.) Next comes the opening of the spiritually blind eyes of those that have physical sight. (Amos 5:18.) Surely, the best time for a great oculist to open the eyes of the blind is in the day time. (Isa. 35:5.) Now matters are more or less obscured (1 Cor. 13:12); but the time is coming when the blind shall be shown a way of life they have not hitherto known. (Isa. 42:16.) Will the Lord show wonders in the dark? (Psa. 88:10.) He will indeed; and when the nations come forth from the tomb, they will seek Him that turneth the shadow of death into the morning. (Amos 5:8; Isa. 42: 6, 7.) They will seek Him and will find Him. No wonder, then, that the Psalmist, looking down the stream of time to that happy Day, exultingly exclaims, “Then [after full experience with sin and death] they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He hath broken the gates of brass [that stood between them and perfection], and cut the bars of iron asunder [that held them in death’s prison house].” (Psa. 107:13‐16.) “And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.” (Rev. 21:4.) “For there shall be no night there.” “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the Morning.”—Psa. 30:5; Zech. 14:7.
21:26. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.—“This rendering of glory to the Kingdom will continue throughout the entire Millennial Age; for the princes throughout the earth will make known to the peoples that not in their own name or authority do they rule and execute judgment and establish righteousness, but in the name of the glorified Christ, Head and Body, whose representatives they are.”—Z. ’16‐394.
21:27. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything [that defileth] COMMON.—No one who could or would contaminate others by speech or example, will ever find a place in that City.
Neither whatsoever worketh abomination.—Nor anything tending in the direction of pride or sectarianism.
Or maketh a lie.—Nor anything countenancing the teaching of error for pleasure or profit.—1 John 2:22.
But they which are written in the [Lamb’s.] Book of THE Life OF HEAVEN.—“The Lamb’s Book of Life we must understand to include only those who attain to the position of joint‐heirship with Christ, those whose names are written in Heaven during this Gospel Age and who are faithful to their Covenant. (Psa. 50:5.)”—Z. ’16‐394; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5, 13:8.
Revelation 22—The River Of Grace And Truth
The River Of Life
22:1. And he showed me a [pure] River of Water of Life, clear as crystal.—“One would think that, even with no knowledge of the symbols of Revelation, no thinking Christian should have any difficulty in realizing that the book portrays trouble for the Church throughout this Gospel Age and the triumphant Millennial Reign at its close.”—Z. ’05‐170; Ezek. 47:1‐12; Joel 3:18; Zech. 14:8; Psa. 46:4.
Proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb.—“The Scriptures nowhere speak of the River of the Water of Life now. There is none, and can be none until the Heavenly City descends, for the river must flow from the midst of it, from the Throne. Describing the condition of the Lord’s saints at the present time very differently, the Lord declares that those who are His have in them a well of water springing up into life eternal.”—Z. ’05‐172; Ezek. 47:1; Zech. 14:8.
22:2. In the midst of the street of it.—In the midst of the Highway of Holiness.—Rev. 21:21.
And on either side of the River.—Nourished and blessed by the life‐giving Waters of Truth.—Ezek. 47:12.
Was there the Tree of Life.—The Christ, Head and Body.
Which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her [fruit] FRUITS every month.—Twelve kinds of fruit, twelve times a year, for a thousand years—a total fruitage of 144,000.
And the leaves of the [tree] TREES were for the healing of the nations.—“The symbolic picture suggests nourishment and healing for the sin‐sick, starving world, which then may partake freely of all the blessings and privileges thus symbolized.”—Z. ’05‐171; Rev. 21:24; Ezek. 47:12.
22:3. And there shall be no [more] curse.—“Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it [the removal of the curse] shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” (Isa. 55:13.) “Upon no subject is the testimony of the Scriptures more positive, consistent and conclusive than on this subject of the curse, its effects upon man, the redemption from it, and its ultimate removal.”—E. 421, 405.
But the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it.—“A spiritual police force will have humanity under absolute control. Every misdeed will be punished as soon as it is determined upon and before it shall have been put into effect. Likewise, every good act, good word and good thought will bring a blessing of restitution, health, strength—mental, moral, physical.”—Z. ’15‐267.
And His servants shall serve Him.—Beautiful inheritance of the Great Company class.—Rev. 7:15.
22:4. And they shall see His face.—This will be worth all they will be called upon to endure.—Matt. 5:8.
And His name shall be [in] ON their foreheads.—At present many of this class do not have clear perceptions of the Father’s character. All misunderstandings will be cleared up shortly. They only await the departure of the last of the Elijah class, in the spring of 1918.
22:5. And there shall be no MORE night [there].—Doubtless, at first, the Great Company’s memories of her dark night will be very keen.—Rev. 7:14; 21:23, 25.
And they need [no] NOT THE LIGHT OF A candle.—Light from the Church in the flesh.
[Neither] AND light of the sun.—The Gospel, through the Word.
For the Lord God [giveth] WILL GIVE them light.—“Blessed are they which are called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.”—Rev. 19:9; 7:16‐17; Psa. 84:11.
And they shall reign for ever and ever.—They—Christ and His Bride, in whose blest Heavenly courts the Beloved Bridesmaids will always find their happy station.—Dan. 7:27; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 3:21.
22:6. And he.—The same angel mentioned in Rev. 1:1; 19:9, 10; representing Pastor Russell, beyond the veil.
Said unto me.—The John class, in the flesh.
These sayings are faithful and true.—“There hath not failed one word of all His good promise.”—1 Kings 8:56.
And the Lord God of the [holy] SPIRITS OF THE Prophets.—It is still possible to have the same spirit as filled the Prophets of old, even though the prophecies themselves have ceased to be miraculously uttered or interpreted.—1 Cor. 13:8.
Sent ME His angel to shew unto His servants the things which must shortly be done.—Especially the events of the immediate future.—Rev. 1:1.
22:7. AND behold I come quickly.—See Rev. 16:15; 22:10, 12, 20. Jesus is the speaker.
Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.—The Elijah class, who see its clear import and accept the responsibilities implied.—Rev. 1:3; 3:14.
22:8. And I John saw these things, and heard them.—Understood them.—Rev. 1:3.
And when I had heard and seen, I fell down before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.—“This may signify that in the end of this Gospel Age as the whole Church, the John class, comes to see the unfolding of the Divine Plan, there might be a spirit or disposition amongst them to do too much honor to the one used of the Lord in communicating to them the Divine light now due.”—Z. ’05‐173; Judges 13:17, 18.
22:9. Then saith he unto me, see thou do it not: [for] I am thy fellow‐ servant.—“The angel’s refusal to accept homage should be a lesson to all ministers (servants—messengers) of God.”—Z. ’96‐305; Rev. 19:10.
And of thy brethren the Prophets.—Prophets, in the New Testament use of the word, refer to Christian speakers.
And of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.—“God alone should be worshiped: He is the Author of the great Plan and will be the Finisher of it. It is brought to our attention now by Him because it is now ‘due time’ for His people to come to an appreciation of His plans.”—Z. ’05‐173.
22:10. And he saith unto me, Seal not [the] THESE sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.—“Make no secret,” he added, “of the meaning of the predictions contained in this book; for the time for their fulfillment is now close at hand.”—Weym.
22:11. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still.—“At the time that the features of this symbolical Revelation shall come to be understood and appreciated by the Lord’s people, they may know that the time of the completion is near at hand. We are not to expect that the telling of this Message will have the effect of converting the world. It was not intended to do this and will not do it.”—Z. ’05‐173; Dan. 12:10.
And he which is filthy, let him be filthy still.—“Present Truth, although full of comfort and encouragement to the Church in respect to their dear friends who are out of Christ, has no effect whatever upon those who love sin, who are filthy, who are unrighteous. The unrighteous and the filthy simply ignore this message and are not moved specially by it.”—Z. ’05‐173.
And he that is righteous, let him [be righteous] WORK RIGHTEOUSNESS still.—“To lovers of righteousness, of truth, the revelations of the Divine Plan now unfolding commend themselves, and intensify their love for righteousness and appreciation of full consecration to the Lord.”—Z. ’05‐173.
And he that is holy, let him be holy still.—“The word seems to denote development and crystallization of character, immediately preceding the coming of the great Judge of all.” (Weym.) “Love is patient and kind. Love knows neither envy nor jealousy. Love is not forward and self‐assertive, nor boastful and conceited. She does not behave unbecomingly, nor seek to aggrandize herself, nor blaze out passionate anger, nor brood over wrongs. She finds no pleasure in injustice done to others, but joyfully sides with the truth. She knows how to be silent. She is full of trust, full of hope, full of patient endurance.”—1 Cor. 13:4‐7.—Weym.
22:12. [And] behold, I come quickly.—See Rev. 16:15; 22:7, 10, 20. The Lord Himself becomes the speaker.
And My reward is with Me, to [give] BE GIVEN every man.—Every man in Christ.
According as his work [shall be] IS.—The Church’s work is practically finished. The reward is given on the basis of the work already done, in character development and in the natural outgrowth of that development—works.
22:13. I am Alpha and Omega, THE FIRST AND THE LAST, the Beginning and the End, [the First and the Last].—“Our Lord tells us over and over again (See Rev. 1:8, 11, 17; 2:8; 3:14; 21:6), that He is the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last, of the creation of God.”—Z. ’93‐115.
22:14. Blessed are they that [do His commandments] WASH THEIR ROBES.—The Great Company class.—Rev. 7:14.
That they may have right to the Tree of Life.—Rev. 22:2.
And may enter through the gates into the City.—“Whose Builder and Maker is God.” (Heb. 11:10.) To these dear brethren we would say, The object of your trials is to remove the dross (Ex. 30:7; Mal. 3:2) that you may be fit companions of the Christ. (Ex. 12:8; Heb. 2:17; Rom. 5:3; Col. 1:11.) Do not think it strange. (James 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:7; 4:12; 5:10.) When you get the right viewpoint, you will rejoice in your sufferings. (Deut. 13:3; Psa. 23:4; 119:67.) The trials will not last forever (Psa. 39:1); and in them all you may hear the songs of deliverance. (Psa. 32:6, 7.) There is nothing to turn back to (Heb. 10:38); but there is joy untold to look forward to, and it is nigh.—Rev. 19:9; Psa. 45:14, 15.
22:15. [For] without are dogs.—There will be no clergy class, as such, in the Kingdom.—Isa. 56:10; Phil. 3:2; 2 Tim. 3:8, 9.
And sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolators.—See Rev. 21:8.
And whosoever [loveth and] maketh AND LOVETH a lie.—The old lies will die hard; and some may try to carry them far into the Time of Trouble, on the well‐known principle that if a pigeon’s brains are removed, and the wound allowed to heal, the bird will no longer seek its food, though it can still swing on a perch and ruffle its feathers and show fight. Ere long, however, the Truth will be so manifest that all must give way before it.
22:16. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.—All down the Age the Church has had this Message; all down the Age holy men of God have sought to understand its mysteries; all down the Age it has remained a closed book. But now the Mystery of God is finished; and the object of keeping the book closed is accomplished. God wished the world to know when the time for the complete removal of error and for the establishment of His Kingdom would come; and so He enables the last members of His Church to give the Message.
I am the Root and the Offspring of David.—“According to the flesh, our Lord Jesus was, through His mother, the Son, the Branch, the Offshoot or Offspring of David. It was by virtue of His sacrifice of His undefiled life that He became the ‘Root,’ origin, source of life, and development of David.”—E. 150, 136; Rev. 5:5.
And the bright and morning Star.—“And I will give him the Morning Star.” (Rev. 2:28.) Christ’s gift of Himself to the Bride is the greatest of all gifts.—Job. 38:7; Psa. 118:22‐25.
22:17. And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come.—“The Gospel Age makes ready the chaste Virgin, the faithful Church, for the coming Bridegroom. And in the end of the Age, when she is made ‘ready’ (Rev. 19:7; 21:2, 9), the Bridegroom comes; and they that are ready go in with Him to the Marriage. The Second Adam and the Second Eve become one, and then the glorious work of Restitution begins. In the next Dispensation, the New Heaven and the new earth, the Church will be no longer the espoused Virgin, but the Bride.”—A. 98.
And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come.—“Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.”—Matt. 5:6; Isa. 55:1.
[And] whosoever will, let him take of the Water of Life freely.—“Now the prospective members of the Bride class have the Lord’s Spirit in them, ‘a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.’ (John 4:14.) By and by these well‐springs brought together in glory with the Lord shall constitute the source of the great River of Life which shall bless and heal all nations. By and by the prophecy will be fulfilled: ‘He that believeth in Me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.’ ”
22:18. [For] I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book.—To all who ever understand it.
If any man shall add unto these things.—As was done in many instances during the Dark Ages, even in this very verse.—Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:5, 6.
God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.—His penalty will be, when he comes forth from the tomb in the Times of Restitution, that he will have to read the Seven Volumes of Scripture Studies, and get the matter straightened out in his own mind.
22:19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy.—Shall seek to nullify or minimize its teachings, now that the time has come for it to be understood.
God shall take away his part [out of the Book] FROM THE TREE of Life.—He will not be a part of the life‐giving Tree described in Rev. 22:2; not a part of the Little Flock.
And [out of] the Holy City, [and from the things] which are written in this book.—He will not be one of the Lord’s jewels, counted worthy of a place in the New Jerusalem.
22:20. He which testifieth these things TO BE saith, surely I come quickly.—The apokalupsis is at hand! See Rev. 16:15.
[Amen. Even so] come, Lord Jesus.—The union with the Bridegroom draweth nigh.
22:21. The grace of [our] THE Lord Jesus Christ be with [you all] THE SAINTS, Amen.—The first of the saints to whom will be extended the unmerited favor of a raising up out of death to perfection will be the Little Flock; the next class of saints to be reached will be the Great Company; next in order will come forth the Ancient Worthies; and finally the millions and billions of mankind, until at last Adam, himself, shall come forth from the prison‐house in which he has lain so long, and may, if he will, receive again by the will of God, as a favor or grace at the hands of Christ, the unspeakable boon of eternal life.
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“The sweet persuasion of His voice Respects thy sanctity of will, He giveth day; thou hast thy choice To walk in darkness still.”—Whittier.
THE SONG OF SOLOMON
The Bridal Anthem
1:1. The song of songs—The harmony of harmonies—the assembling in one beautiful picture of many of the most beautiful figures of the Divine Word.
Which is Solomon’s—Type of Christ in glory, as David was a type of Christ in the flesh.
1:2. Let him kiss me—A form of salutation signifying closest fellowship. “Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.” “Betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?”
With the kisses—The oft repeated endearments.
Of His Mouth—Of His Word, the Scriptures.
For Thy love—Thy caresses, the repeated assurances of guidance, protection, companionship, love and care.
Is better than wine—Wine is a symbol of doctrine. “They also have erred through wine.” “They are drunken, but not with wine.” “All nations have drunk of the wine.” “I will not henceforth drink of this fruit of the vine.” “Be not drunk with wine.” Although a sound faith is essential, yet of faith, hope and love, the greatest is love; therefore, love is better than wine. The Lord’s assurances of love are even more precious to the Bride than the precious doctrines so vital to her happiness.
1:3. Because of the savour—The sweet perfume.
Of Thy good ointments—The Holy Spirit, the holy anointing oil of the priesthood.
Thy name—Christ, which means “Anointed.”
Is as ointment—The holy anointing oil, the Holy Spirit.
Poured forth—At His baptism upon the Head, at Pentecost on the Body.
Therefore—Because of their admiration and appreciation of Christ’s Holy Spirit.
Do the virgins—The pure in heart.
Love Thee—Seek fellowship with Thee, aspire to learn of Thee, to cultivate Thy graces, to be near Thee.
1:4. Draw me—“No man can come to Me except the Father draw him.” “All Thine are Mine.”
We will run—Not sit in the seat of the scornful, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor walk in the counsel of the ungodly, but run with patience the race set before us.
After Thee—The Forerunner. The First‐born from the dead. The first to pass over the narrow way. The Head, that in all things He might have the preeminence. Not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The King—The Lord Jesus, typified by Solomon. “So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty.”
Hath brought me—Even in the present life.
Into His chambers—Into the “Holy,” the spirit‐begotten condition, the first heavenly condition; made us to sit down in heavenly places in Christ.
We will be glad—“Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous.”
And rejoice in Thee—“And again I say, Rejoice.”
We will remember—Will meditate upon, think of.
Thy love—Thy caresses, assurances of guidance, protection, companionship, love and care.
More than wine.—More even than the doctrines.
The upright—Those without deceit, guileless, honest.
Love Thee—Seek fellowship with Thee, aspire to learn of Thee, to cultivate Thy graces, to be near Thee.
1:5. I am black—The bride of Moses, Zipporah, type of the Bride of Christ, was an Ethiopian woman—a Gentile.
But comely—“The King’s Daughter is all glorious within”; her intentions are pure, spotless in God’s sight.
O ye daughters—Professed children.
Of Jerusalem—Of the Kingdom of God. The true Church instinctively recognizes that her detractors are to be found among God’s professed people.
As the tents of Kedar—Kedar was one of the children of Ishmael, and the name thus stands for the Ishmaelites, or Bedouins. Their tents are their homes; and though made of black goat’s hair and outwardly stained they are often luxurious in the interior, being hung with costly tapestries.
As the curtains—Between the Holy and the Most Holy.
Of Solomon—Of Solomon’s Temple. These curtains, or rather a similar curtain which hung in Herod’s temple, and which was rent in twain on the day of our Lord’s death, was most wonderful, being some thirty feet long, fifteen feet wide and five inches thick.
1:6. Look not upon me—Look not so upon me (Leeser); the Bride kindly expostulates with her critics.
Because I am black—Because I am somewhat black (Leeser); the Bride does not deny her imperfections, but is not disposed to admit that she is altogether worthless.
Because the Sun—The searching light of the true Gospel which exposes every defect.
Hath looked upon me—Judgment must begin at the House of God. The Bride’s sins are open beforehand, known to all men. God’s Word exposes the weaknesses of almost every noble character whose life is there recorded.
My mother’s children—Sitting and speaking against their brother, their own mother’s son.
Were angry with me—“Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for My name’s sake,” etc. “The brother shall betray the brother to death.”
They made me—Elected me, appointed me.
The keeper—Class‐leader, Sunday‐school teacher, etc.
Of the vineyards—Sunday‐schools, Christian Endeavor societies, Epworth Leagues, Young People’s unions.
But mine own vineyard—The cultivation of the fruits of the Spirit.
Have I not kept—I have been too busy with “church work,” to look after my own best spiritual interests.
1:7. Tell me—The Bride continues.
O Thou—Christ.
Whom my soul loveth—Whom having not seen, we love.
Where Thou feedest—“Wheresoever the carcase is there will the eagles be gathered together.”
Where thou—The Good Shepherd.
Makest Thy flock—The Flock of God.
To rest—My people have forgotten their resting‐place.
At noon—Where the grass is long and sweet, and where there are opportunities to draw specially near to the Shepherd. “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.”
For why should I be—Why should I longer appear to others to be.
As one that turneth aside—As one that goeth astray.
By the flocks—Not in them; for I never was in any other intentionally. I thought these other flocks were yours.
Of Thy companions—Other great teachers; heads of other churches; Antichrist systems.
1:8. If thou know not—The Heavenly One replies.
O thou fairest—The Lord does not taunt her with her self‐confessed stains.
Among women—Churches, true and false.
Go thy way forth—There is something for you to do.
By the footsteps—He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him.
Of the flock—Look about you; and when you see those whose lives indicate that they are true sheep, and when they urge you “Come and see,” follow Nathaniel’s example.
And feed thy kids—Inquiring ones, newly interested, especially if they manifest any goat‐like tendencies.
Beside the shepherds’ tents—Take them to the elders’ or deacons’ homes for further instruction in the right ways of the Lord; or, apply the same principle by bringing the Scripture Studies to their attention, thus introducing them to the teacher who has answered all our hard questions.
1:9. I have compared thee—The Lord continues.
O My Love—“Love one another as I have loved you.”
To a company—144,000.
Of horses—Fond of their Master, quick to do His bidding, easily guided, quiet, faithful, temperate, long‐suffering.
In Pharaoh’s chariots—The best in the world.
1:10. Thy cheeks are comely—The Lord continues to shower compliments upon His Espoused.
With rows of jewels—Jewels of Divine Truth; the ornaments of a meek and quiet spirit.
Thy neck—The yoke‐bearing member. “Take My yoke upon you”; a yoke is built for two—Jesus and one other.
With chains of gold.—The Divine nature. Each act of loyal burden‐bearing becomes a link in the golden chain.
1:11. We—My Father and I.
Will make thee borders—“A House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens.”
Of gold—The Divine nature.
With studs of silver—The House will be truly yours; that which is your own.
1:12. While the King—The Bride thus speaks of her Lord.
Sitteth at His table—Breaking the Bread of Life to His Household.
My spikenard—Devotion, as Illustrated by Mary’s alabaster box.
Sendeth forth the smell thereof—“Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?” At such times the fires of Heavenly love burn fiercest.
1:13. A bundle of myrrh—Wisdom. “In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge.”
Is my well‐beloved—Christ.
Unto me—“Who of God is made unto us Wisdom.” “We have the mind of Christ.”
He shall lie all night—During this dark time while evil is permitted.
Betwixt my breasts—I will take the Lord into my bosom, “More dear, more intimately nigh than e’en the sweetest earthly tie.”
1:14. My Beloved—Christ, on the other side of the veil.
Is unto me—The Bride, still toiling on this side of the veil.
As a cluster of camphire—A cooling, fragrant shade, a refuge from the fierce heat; “as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.”
In the vineyards of Engedi—Located on the shore of the Dead Sea, in one of the hottest of climates.
1:15. Behold thou art fair.—The Bridegroom speaks again.
My love—My Bride to be.
Behold thou art fair—Beautiful of heart.
Thou hast dove’s eyes—Heavenly wisdom—the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
1:16. Behold Thou art fair—“Fairer than the children of men.” The Bride returns the compliment.
My Beloved—“Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Yea pleasant—The disciplines are as nothing compared to the joy of your fellowship.
Also, our bed—The place of our rest; “let the saints be joyful in glory, let them sing aloud upon their beds.”
Is green—Our rest will be everlasting. “They rest from their labors.”
1:17. The beams of our house—The covering over us; “the Head of Christ is God.”
Are cedar—Immortal.
And our rafters—Wainscoting; the environment on all sides.
Of fir—Everlasting. Where changes never come.
2:1. I am the rose—Glorious, beautiful, without a peer.
Of Sharon—(The Plain). Not seeking exaltation.
The lily—Pure, fragrant, exquisite.
Of the valleys—Meek and lowly of heart.
2:2. As the lily—Pure, humble, defenseless; so the Heavenly One responds.
Among thorns—Which scratch, tear and wound.
So is My love—“Continue ye in my love.”
Among the daughters—Nominal church organizations.
2:3. As the apple tree—The Bride thus refers to Christ.
Among the trees—With a fruitage greater in variety, color, flavor, quantity and lasting quality.
Of the wood—Which run largely to leaves, professions.
So is my Beloved—“We love Him because He first loved us.”
Among the sons—The other sons of God with whom we are acquainted.
I sat down—“Come ye yourselves apart, and rest awhile.”
Under His shadow—His protecting love and care.
And His fruit—His perfect fruitage of love.
Was sweet to my taste.—“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!”
2:4. He brought me—Guided me by His Word and providences.
To the banqueting house—To sup with Him and He with me.
And His banner—The banner under which He fought the good fight of faith.
Over me—And under which I also am enlisted.
Was love—Love of the highest order.
2:5. Stay me—Nerve me for the war.
With flagons—The pure doctrines of the Kingdom.
Comfort me—Strengthen me for the conflict.
With apples—Spiritual food; bread from Heaven.
For I am sick of love—Am lovesick, over‐sentimental, dreamy, not sufficiently awake to the fact that true love includes service and sacrifice.
2:6. His left hand—His power as illustrated in the guidance of His people into all necessary Truth.
Is under my head—Directing my mental faculties.
And His right hand—His power as illustrated in overruling all things that would harm me.
Doth embrace me—“Secure in His tender embrace, I’ve nothing to doubt or to fear.”
2:7. I charge you—I must give you this message.
O ye daughters—Professed children; nominal Spiritual Israel.
Of Jerusalem—The Kingdom of God.
By the roes—Which you regard as the loveliest things of earth, as illustrated by the statuary on your estates.
And by the hinds—The things which you regard as most full of grace; therefore typical of your churches, colleges, hospitals, libraries and charitable institutions.
Of the field—The world, the present order of things.
That ye stir not up—Seek not to arouse.
Nor awake my love—To take charge of earth’s affairs.
Till He please.—For when He does stand up to assume control, “there will be a Time of Trouble, such as never was,” in which all these beautiful things upon which you have set your heart will be obliterated.
2:8. The voice of my Beloved—The Church suddenly recognizes the joyful sound, betokening the Second Presence of her Lord.
Behold He cometh—“At midnight there was a cry raised. Behold, He cometh!”
Leaping upon—Dismembering or changing the form of.
The mountains—The autocratic governments of Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Russia, Turkey, Persia and China.
Skipping upon—Shattering old customs and old political parties, and placing the people more in the ascendency.
The hills—The less autocratic governments of the United States, Mexico, Great Britain, France, etc. “The hills melt like wax at the presence of the Lord.”
2:9. My Beloved is like—In swiftness of movement.
A roe or a young hart—Swiftly leaping from mountain to mountain; preparing the world for His coming Reign.
Behold He standeth—“There standeth One among you whom ye know not.”
Behind our wall.—The wall of our earthly house, unseen by the eye of flesh.
He looketh forth—He looketh in.
At the windows—The windows of the soul, the eyes of the understanding.
Showing Himself—Revealing the fact of His Second Presence.
Through the lattice—Parallels and cross references of Holy Writ.
2:10. My Beloved spake—“Thine ears shall hear a voice behind thee.”
And said unto me—Through the words of the Prophets and the Apostles.
Rise up, My love—“Awake, awake! put on thy strength.”
My fair one—“Put on thy beautiful garments.”
And come away—From earthly to Heavenly conditions.
2:11. For lo, the winter—The time of the burning of the tares; “pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.”
Is past—Will shortly be past.
The rain—The deluge of Truth.
Is over and gone.—The Harvest work is all accomplished: will have been finished at the time here indicated.
2:12. The flowers—Promise of a new fruitage.
Appear on the earth—Among the restitution class.
The time of the singing—The harmonious mating.
Of birds is come—Of Heaven‐sent prophecies and their fulfilments. “Search ye out and see; not one of these shall want her mate”; i. e., every word of every prophecy will be fulfilled.
The voice of the turtle—The turtle‐dove; “the congregation of Thy poor” is thus described by the Psalmist.
Is heard in our land—The poor begin to take hope; the harbingers of the New Era are about us on every hand.
2:13. The fig tree—The Jewish nation.
Putteth forth—“Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth ... know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh.”
Her green figs—Plans for re‐establishment in Palestine.
And the vines—Of the Father’s right hand planting.
With the tender grape—Bearing the precious fruitage of love, joy, peace, long‐suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self‐control.
Give a good smell—Yield a sweet perfume to the husbandman. “My Father is the Husbandman.”
Arise My Love—“Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead.”
My fair one—The queen in gold of Ophir, Daughter of the Great King.
And come away.—“Forget also thine own people and thy father’s house.”
2:14. O my Dove—The Bride addresses her unseen Lord.
That art in—Directly in, fully in, guiding, controlling.
The clefts—The apparent fractures or injuries.
Of the rock—The Kingdom; the Stone cut out without hands.
In the secret places—The dark corners of life’s experiences, where we halt trembling and afraid.
Of the stairs—The stepping stones by which we ascend to the Heavenly City.
Let me see Thy countenance—“I shall be satisfied when I awake in Thy likeness.”
Let me hear Thy voice—“The sheep follow Him; for they know His voice.”
For sweet is Thy voice—“Grace is poured into Thy lips.”
And Thy countenance is comely—“I will that they may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory.”
2:15. Take us the foxes—Take away from us the sly faults, originating in the deceitful mind of the flesh.
The little foxes—Secret beginnings of sin in the mind.
That spoil the vines—That prevent us from yielding the fruitage of love so precious in Thy sight.
For our vines—“I am the Vine; ye are the branches.”
Have tender grapes—Have begun a fruitage, which is ripening beautifully in the Father’s sight.
2:16. My Beloved is mine—“The Head can not say to the feet, I have no need of you.”
And I am His—“If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it not of the body?”
He feedeth—Bestows His spiritual favors upon.
The lilies—“The meek will He guide in judgment; the meek will He teach His way.”
2:17. Until the day break—Until the Messianic Morning has fully dawned.
And the shadows—Of the reign of sin and death.
Flee away—Depart forever.
Turn my Beloved—Continue to hide Thyself from earthly eyes.
And be Thou like—In Thy swiftness of movement.
A roe or a young hart—Leaping from mountain to mountain—kingdom to kingdom.
Upon the mountains—Gentile dominions.
Of Bether—Of divisions, which separate us from Thee and separate Thee from Thy long‐promised Reign.
3:1. By night—While I was still in the dark in regard to God’s great Plan.
On my bed—My creed bed, the one from which I have now been taken, but in which many others are still left.
I sought Him—Sought intimate fellowship with Him.
Whom my soul loveth—“He that loveth father or mother ... son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
I sought Him—Christ, the Heavenly Bridegroom.
But I found Him not—Certainly not; how absurd of me to expect to greet the Bridegroom when I was in bed, sound asleep!
3:2. I will rise now—This creed bed is uncomfortable; it is “shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it.”
And go about the city—Interest myself in the activities of Christendom.
In the streets—Enter into the affairs of its governments.
And in the broad ways—Plunge into its pleasures—“gay white ways,” etc.
I will seek Him—Try to find the place of rest.
Whom my soul loveth—For which my soul longs. “We who have believed do enter into rest.”
I sought Him—Sought rest of heart in all these ways.
But I found Him not—“All that my soul has tried left but an aching void.”
3:3. The watchmen—Of nominal Zion; the clergy.
That go about the city—Christendom, Babylon.
Found me—Drew me under their influence.
To whom I said—Having become deeply interested in the subject of the Lord’s promised Return.
Saw ye Him—Have you discerned the fact of the Bridegroom’s Presence?
Whom my soul loveth—There was no reply, for the reason that “His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant: they are all dumb dogs; they cannot bark.”
3:4. It was but a little—“He is not far from us.”
That I passed from them—Became unbound, unfettered.
But I found Him—Was made acquainted with the proofs of the Parousia.
Whom my soul loveth—We ought to live for Him who died for us.
I held Him—“Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”
And would not let Him go—“I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.”
Till I had brought Him—Till I had accompanied Him.
Into my mother’s house—The antitypical Sarah tent.
And into the chamber—Heaven itself.
Of her that conceived me—The Sarah Covenant; the Oath‐bound Covenant.
3:5. I charge you—I must give you this message.
O ye daughters—Professed children.
Of Jerusalem—The Kingdom of God.
By the roes—Which you regard as the loveliest things of earth, as illustrated by the statuary on your estates.
And by the hinds—The things which you regard as most full of grace; therefore typical of your churches, colleges, hospitals, libraries and charitable institutions.
Of the field—The world, the present order of things.
That ye stir not up—Seek not to arouse.
Nor awake my Love—To take charge of earth’s affairs.
Till He please—For when He does stand up to assume control, “there will be a Time of Trouble such as never was,” in which all these beautiful things upon which you have set your heart will be obliterated.
3:6. Who is this that cometh—The Lord’s professed people thus speak of the evidences of the Lord’s Second Presence.
Out of the wilderness—The Time of Trouble having come, they recognize that the long‐promised Second Coming of the Lord is an accomplished fact.
Like pillars of smoke—Terrible in majesty, definite, personal, intangible. “I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke.”
Perfumed with myrrh—Anointed with Wisdom.
And frankincense—Praise to Jehovah.
With all powders—All ingredients of the holy anointing oil, type of the Holy Spirit.
Of the merchant—The apothecary; the Heavenly Father. “God gave not the Spirit by measure unto Him.”
3:7. Behold His bed—The place of His ultimate rest and ours.
Which is Solomon’s—Christ’s, in glory.
Threescore valiant men—The sixty centuries during which evil has been permitted.
Are about it—Standing between the people of God and the rest which He has promised.
Of the valiant—Invincible, immovable.
Of Israel—Of the people of God. All the centuries belong to God; they are His servants, working out His sovereign will.
3:8. They all hold swords—Since the slaughter of Abel, all the centuries have been filled with bloodshed.
Being expert in war—War has prevailed throughout the earth during all that time.
Every man hath his sword—Every century has its implements of war.
Upon his thigh—Ready for use upon the slightest provocation.
Because of fear—The present world‐war is due to mutual fear and distrust.
In the night—The time of the permission of evil; the time for dark motives and dark deeds.
3:9. King Solomon—Christ, in glory.
Made Himself a chariot—Appiryon, palanquin; a magnificent vehicle provided for a queen’s reception and her entrance into the royal city, and in which the King goes forth to meet her; typified by the chariot of fire which bore Elijah away from earthly scenes: the magnificent spectacle with which this Age will end.—See page 63.
Of the wood of Lebanon—The saints. The typical temple was built, in part, of cedar and fir timber cut from Mt. Lebanon.
3:10. He made the pillars thereof—The corner posts, just outside the place of greatest honor.
Of silver—The Great Company.
The bottom thereof—The canopy overhead; “that in all things He might have the preeminence.”
Of gold—The Divine nature.
The covering thereof—The seat; the Throne of the Royal Priesthood.
Of purple—Royalty.
The midst thereof—The heart of it.
Being paved with love—Love of the highest order—love for enemies.
For the daughters—The professed children; nominal Spiritual Israel.
Of Jerusalem—The Kingdom of God.
3:11. Go forth—“Come out of her,” out of Babylon.
O ye daughters of Zion—My people; God’s people.
And behold King Solomon—Get clear views of Christ.
With the crown—The Crown of Life; the Divine nature.
Wherewith His mother—The Sarah Covenant.
Crowned Him—With glory and honor.
In the day—Pentecost.
Of His espousals—When the antitypical Eliezer was received by the antitypical Rebecca.
And in the day—Now at hand, praise the Lord!
Of the gladness of His heart—When the marriage of the Lamb takes place. “Blessed is he that is called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
4:1. Behold thou art fair—The Lord addresses His Bride anew.
My love—“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.”
Behold thou art fair—“So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty.”
Thou hast dove’s eyes—The Heavenly wisdom.
Thy hair—Woman’s hair was given her for a covering, and it is her glory. The righteousness of Christ is the Bride’s covering, and it is her glory.
Is as a flock of goats—Thick, luxuriant.
That appear from Mt. Gilead—The flocks of goats on Mt. Gilead are of unusual size to this day.
4:2. Thy teeth—Masticators, grinders, assimilators of spiritual food.
Are like a flock—In glistening array.
That are even shorn—When the lips are parted.
Which come up from the washing—Cleansing by salivation.
Whereof every one bear twine—Whereof they come forth in pairs.
And none is barren—None is without its mate.
Among them—The teeth are perfect in form and number, illustrating the Bride’s ability to feed upon the strong meat which “belongeth to them that are of full age.”
4:3. Thy lips—“O Lord open Thou my lips!” “My mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips.”
Are like a thread of scarlet—As the scarlet thread of redemption runs through the Divine Word, so it is with you, and on your lips—the all‐ absorbing theme of life.
And thy speech is comely—“My speech shall distil as the dew.”
Thy temples are like—Thy mind, the mind of the New Creature, may be properly compared to.
A piece of pomegranate—The pomegranate curiously combines the flavors of all fruits. It thus well illustrates the New Mind, which, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, brings to perfection the fruitage of love, the sum of all the Christian graces.
Within thy locks—Behind thy veil; concealed by the veil of the flesh.
4:4. Thy neck—Willingness to bear burdens.
Is like the tower of David—David was a type of the Church militant.
Builded for an armory—Designed to accommodate a great number.
Whereon there hang a thousand—“One shall chase a thousand.”
Bucklers of shields of mighty men—“I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.”
4:5. Thy two breasts—“The breasts of her consolations, whereof ye may suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.”
Are like two young roes—The Scriptures, the Word of God, quick and powerful.
That are twins—The Old and New Testament Scriptures are identical in origin, spirit and purpose.
Which feed among the lilies—“The meek will He guide in judgment; the meek will He teach His way.”
4:6. Until the Day—The Millennial Day. The Bride is the speaker.
Break—Has fully dawned.
And the shadows—Of the Valley of the Shadow of Death in which I now walk.
Flee away—Are gone.
I will get me—In spirit.
To the mountain of myrrh—The Kingdom of Wisdom.
And to the hill of frankincense—Praise, heart adoration.
4:7. Thou art all fair—Blameless, faultless. The Lord responds.
My love—His love is commended to us in that “while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly.”
There is no spot—You have kept your garments unspotted from the world.
In thee—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us.”
4:8. Come with Me—To our Heavenly inheritance.
From Lebanon—From your present unfinished condition. The typical temple was built, in part, of cedar and fir timbers from Lebanon; but they had to be hewn and finished before they could be used.
My spouse—My espoused Bride.
With Me from Lebanon—You are but following in the path I trod.
Look from the top of Amana—The view from this peak is said to be indescribably grand. Look away to Heaven.
From the top of Shenir—(Peak or pointed.) Look beyond the sharp experiences of the present.
And Hermon—(Rugged or abrupt.) Look beyond the unkind words and deeds you now encounter.
From the lions’ dens—You are now in the lions’ dens, but look beyond them. Satan goes about as a roaring lion; but no lion shall be there.
From the mountains—Kingdoms of this world. Look beyond them.
Of the leopards—Papacy and those of her spirit. “And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard.”
4:9. Thou hast ravished My heart—Taken it away.
My sister, My spouse—The Bride of Christ is His sister. His Father is their Father. His mother, the Sarah covenant, is their mother. “We, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the Promise.”
With one of thine eyes—With thy singleness of vision. “If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be light.”—Matt. 6:22.
With one chain of thy neck—With thy one bond of servitude; consecration to the service of the Great King.
4:10. How fair is thy love—How various and beautiful are its forms of expression.
My sister, My spouse—My Father’s Daughter, My espoused Bride.
How much better is thy love—The ways in which you show your devotion to me.
Than wine—Than thy doctrines, some of which, in the past, have been badly mixed.
And the smell—The sweet fragrance.
Of thine ointments—The anointing oil; the Holy Spirit.
Than all spices—Than all other virtues.
4:11. Thy lips, O My spouse—My beloved Bride to be.
Drop as the honeycomb—Distil a dropping of pure honey; sweet and helpful words.
And the smell—The sweet perfume.
Of thy garments—The robe of Christ’s righteousness.
Is like the smell—The life‐giving odors.
Of Lebanon—The cedar and fir trees of Lebanon.
4:12. A garden enclosed—A heart‐garden, shut out of sight of all but its owners.
Is My sister, My spouse—My Father’s daughter, My espoused Bride.
A spring shut up—“It shall be in you a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.”
A fountain sealed—Sealed with the King’s own signet, until the time comes that all the well springs are brought together in the first resurrection, to constitute the fountain from which will flow the River of the Water of Life.
4:13. Thy plants are—The plants in your heart‐garden are illustrated by.
An orchard of pomegranates—The pomegranate curiously combines the flavors of all fruits and thus well represents love, the sum of all the Christian graces.
With pleasant fruits—Pleasing characteristics.
Camphire—Rest, trust, confidence.
With spikenard—Fragrant devotion, as illustrated by Mary’s alabaster box.
4:14. Spikenard and saffron—Fragrant devotion and long‐suffering.
Calamus and cinnamon—Knowledge and understanding.
With all trees of frankincense—Praise, heart adoration.
Myrrh and aloes—Wisdom and patience.
With all chief spices—All the remaining elements of Christian character.
4:15. A fountain—In the midst.
Of gardens—Beautiful, clear, sparkling, life‐giving.
A well of living waters—Invigorating the whole world in the New Age. “The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.”
And streams from Lebanon—Pure, refreshing.
4:16. Awake O North wind—Storms of adversity. The Bride speaks.
And come thou South—Balmy breezes. “Some days are bright and sweet with praise, some with accepted pain.”
Blow upon my garden—My heart‐garden, in which I seek to develop the fruits most pleasing to my Lord.
That the spices thereof—The aroma of good deeds, kind words and noble thoughts.
May flow out—Manifest itself to the Lord and to others.
Let my Beloved—Bridegroom, Christ.
Come into His garden—Come into my heart.
And eat—Appropriate to His use and pleasure.
His pleasant fruits—The fruits of love, which He has cultivated within me.
5:1. I am come—The Lord responds.
Into My garden—I have accepted your invitation to come in and make My abode with you.
My sister, My spouse—My Father’s Daughter, My espoused Bride.
I have gathered My myrrh—Wisdom; generally the result of bitter experience. Myrrh means bitter.
With My spice—The fragrant and sweet ingredients of the Holy Spirit.
I have eaten—Accepted, appropriated, consumed.
My honeycomb—The sacrificers themselves.
With My honey—With the sacrifices of praise which they offered.
I have drunk My wine—Taken note of the doctrines you teach.
With My milk—Noticed also the manner and spirit with which you present the milk of the Word to those not so far advanced.
Eat, O friends—The Lord addresses the needy world.
Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved—“He, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
5:2. I sleep—“While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.” The Foolish Virgin class is here represented as speaking.
But my heart waketh—At heart the Foolish Virgins are loyal to the Lord.
It is the voice of my Beloved—She recognizes the evidences of the Lord’s Second Advent.
That knocketh—“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”
Saying Open to me—“If any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him.”
My sister, My love—The Foolish Virgins are children of the same Father, and are also born of the Sarah Covenant, but the Lord does not address them as His spouse.
My dove, My undefiled—The Great Company class are pure in their hearts intentions.
For My head—“As one who has vowed a vow of a Nazarite to separate himself unto Jehovah.”
Is filled with dew—Freshness, vigor. “Thou hast the dew of Thy youth.”
And My locks—“All the days of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head. Till the days be fulfilled in the which he separateth himself unto Jehovah, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.”
With the drops—Experiences.
Of the night—My consecration to Jehovah has been steadfast throughout the world’s dark night of sin.
5:3. I have put off—Temporarily laid aside. The Foolish Virgins reply.
My coat—The wedding robe which You provided.
How shall I—How can I see to.
Put it on—I am in the midst of the dark night of the Time of Trouble.
I have washed my feet—I am a church member, in good and regular standing.
How shall I defile them—Why should I leave my creed bed and obey Your call to come out of Babylon?
5:4. My Beloved—In His great love and pity for me.
Put in His hand—Exerted His mighty power.
By the hole of the door—Rattled the time‐lock.
And my bowels—My heart.
Were moved for Him—Was stirred to action, but too late to go in with Him to the wedding.
5:5. I rose up—Roused myself to activity.
To open to my Beloved—Just as the Harvest was past.
And my hands—Holding the keys to the Bible, the Studies.
Dropped with myrrh—Wisdom, gleaned from the Scripture Studies, till then neglected.
With sweet smelling myrrh—A knowledge of all the precious things of Present Truth.
Upon the handles—The lines of prophetical evidence.
Of the lock—The time features of the Lord’s Plan.
5:6. I opened to my Beloved—After the Harvest work was finished.
But my Beloved—True to His word.
Had withdrawn Himself—“And they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage.”
And was gone—And the door was shut.
My soul failed when He spake—I lacked the love, faith and hope to obey promptly.
I sought Him—“Many shall strive to enter in but shall not be able when once the Master of the House hath risen up and shut to the door.”
But found Him not—“I am He that shutteth and no man openeth.”
I called Him—“Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter in.”
But He gave me no answer—No hope of being His Bride and Joint‐heir.
5:7. The watchmen—Watchmen in nominal Zion, the clergy of the nominal church.
That went about the city—Christendom.
Found me—Observed my course in accepting Present Truth and withdrawing from their systems.
They smote me—“With arrows, even bitter words.”
They wounded me—Wounded my reputation.
The keepers—Civil authorities.
Of the walls—The Governments, the bulwarks of Christendom.
Took away my veil from me—Were instigated to destroy me, to cause me to pass into death.
5:8. I charge you—The Foolish Virgin class continues.
O daughters of Jerusalem—O all who profess to love Him.
If ye find my Beloved—If you yourself expect to be of the Bride class.
That ye tell Him—In my behalf.
That I am sick of love—Hungering for His companionship, longing to see His face, despite the fact that I did not open to Him promptly.
5:9. What is thy Beloved—The Lord’s professed people, now in nominal Zion, speak.
More than another beloved—Why is Christ any more to you than He is to me?
O thou fairest among women—The Lord’s professed people in nominal Zion begin to awake to the fact that the last of the spiritually‐minded ones are leaving them.
What is thy Beloved—To you.
More than another beloved—To another.
That thou dost so charge us—We would like to understand the reasons why you are so deeply concerned, and why you persist in saying, “The Harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”
5:10. My Beloved is white—“Holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners.” The Foolish Virgin class responds to the Lord’s professed people in nominal Zion.
And ruddy—A reference to His pierced side. “He was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood.”
The chiefest—The standard‐bearer or chieftain.
Among ten thousand—Among ten thousand warriors.
5:11. His head—“God gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church which is His Body, that in all things He might have the preeminence.”
Is as the most fine gold—“Who only hath immortality.”
His locks are bushy—His consecration is perfect and complete.
And black as a raven—And He remained steadfast in it unto death.
5:12. His eyes—Wisdom.
Are as the eyes of doves—Pure, peaceable, gentle.
By the rivers of waters—By the channels of truth.
Washed with milk—Primary elements of the Truth.
And fitly set—All in perfect harmony.
5:13. His cheeks—His countenance towards me.
Are as a bed of spices—The personification of every virtue and every grace.
As sweet flowers—Towers of perfumes (margin), flowers trained upon trellises; shedding a beauty and fragrance compelling the attention of all.
His lips like lilies—His speech modest, beautiful and sweet. “Never man spake like this Man.”
Dropping sweet smelling myrrh—Distilling Heavenly wisdom. “My speech shall distil as the dew.”
5:14. His hands—As in rolling or unrolling a scroll or parchment.
Are as gold rings—Conform to the shape of the roll. “Thou art worthy to take the roll and to open the seals thereof.”
Set with the beryl—Love of the Father. See page 335.
His belly—The word signifies the whole body, from shoulders to thighs.
Is as bright ivory—A beautiful vision.
Overlaid with sapphires—Faithfulness. See page 334. “And they saw the God of Israel, and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone.”
5:15. His legs—The members that have been carrying on the work of the Body.
Are as pillars of marble—“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of My God.”
Set upon sockets—Feet, the foot members.
Of fine gold—“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him!”
His countenance—Smile of favor.
Is as Lebanon—Pure, invigorating, refreshing.
Excellent as the cedars—Everlasting life.
5:16. His mouth—His Word. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Is most sweet—“All bare Him witness and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth.”
Yea, He is altogether lovely—It is impossible to describe all His excellencies; He is the sum of all that is to be desired.
This is my Beloved—This is the One I love supremely.
And this is my Friend—“I’ve found a Friend, O such a Friend!”
O daughters of Jerusalem—O you who are nominally His.
6:1. Whither is thy Beloved gone—After the door is shut, those who have been nominally Christ’s begin to give heed to the message of the Foolish Virgins.
O thou fairest among women—O most spiritually‐minded amongst us.
Whither is thy Beloved turned aside—We realize that He has entirely withdrawn Himself from us.
That we may seek Him with thee—Show us in the Word how He is now to be found. “All that a man hath will he give for his life.”
6:2. My Beloved—The Foolish Virgin class, now thoroughly aroused to the facts, explain to the Lord’s professed children in nominal Zion.
Is gone down—His Second Advent is accomplished.
Into His garden—He has taken His Bride to Himself.
To the beds of spices—To accept from her heart‐garden the fragrant and sweet ingredients of the Holy Spirit.
To feed in the gardens—To receive to Himself the precious fruits love, joy, peace, long‐suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self‐ control.
And to gather lilies—To take the humble sweet ones home; to gather the wheat class into the Heavenly garner.
6:3. I am my Beloved’s—The Great Company can not forget that they are precious in the Lord’s sight.
And my Beloved is mine—“Fade, Fade, each earthly joy, Jesus is mine.”
He feedeth among the lilies—“The meek will He guide in judgment; the meek will He teach His way.”
6:4. Thou art beautiful—At heart. The Lord again addresses His Bride.
O My love—“Love one another as I have loved you.”
As Tirzah—A delight.
Comely as Jerusalem—“The City of the Great King.”
Terrible—In the conquest of evil.
As an army with banners—To an opposing host.
6:5. Turn away thine eyes from Me—Observe the Lord’s modesty and humility.
For they have overcome Me—How the Lord delights to express His appreciation of the virtues of His Bride, despite the fact that they are all but feeble reflections of His own!
Thy hair—Righteousness. Woman’s hair was given her for a covering, and it is her glory. The righteousness of Christ is the Bride’s covering, and it is her glory.
Is as a flock of goats—Thick, luxuriant.
That appear from Mt. Gilead—The flocks of goats on Mt. Gilead are of unusual size to this day.
6:6. Thy teeth—Masticators, grinders, assimilators of spiritual food.
Are as a flock—In glistening array.
Which go up from the washing—Cleansing by salivation.
Whereof every one bear twins—They come forth in pairs.
And there is not one barren—None is without its mate.
Among them—The teeth are perfect in form and number, illustrating the Bride’s ability to feed upon the strong meat which “belongeth to them that are of full age.”
6:7. As a piece of pomegranate—The pomegranate curiously combines the flavors of all fruits. It thus well illustrates the New Mind, which, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, brings to perfection the fruitage of love, the sum of all the Christian graces.
Are thy temples—Thy mind, the mind of the New Creature.
Within thy locks—Behind thy veil; concealed by the veil of the flesh.
6:8. There are threescore queens—Nominal church organizations openly joined to earthly heads.
And fourscore concubines—Even more are secretly violating their pledges of spiritual virginity. Altogether the census shows about 150 sects. See page 160, where all the principal sects are enumerated.
And virgins without number—Foolish Virgins, really pure at heart.
6:9. My dove, My undefiled—The Virgin Bride of Christ.
Is but one—“That they may be one, as We are.”
The only one—To share the glory, honor and immortality of Christ.
Of her mother—The Oath‐bound Covenant.
She is the choice one—The specially favored one.
Of her that bore her—The antitypical Sarah.
The daughters—Professed children of God.
Saw her—Discerned her, at the time of the manifestation of the Sons of God.
And blessed her—Called her blessed.
Yea the queens—Those openly affiliated with worldly churches in union with worldly governments.
And the concubines—Those secretly thus affiliated.
And they praised her—Acknowledged, in the end, that her course was right and her exaltation merited.
6:10. Who is she—The Bride.
That looketh forth—Beams resplendent.
As the morning—The Millennial Morning.
Fair—Pure, just, holy, good.
As the moon—“The law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.”
Clear—Glorious, light‐giving.
As the Sun—“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father.” “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
And terrible—In the conquest of evil.
As an army with banners—To an opposing host.
6:11. I went down—Following the exaltation of the Bride. Christ speaks.
Into the garden of nuts—The heart‐gardens of the Foolish Virgin class. A garden of nuts does not as quickly yield its treasures as a garden of spices, to which the Bride’s heart garden is likened.
To see the fruits of the valley—Of the class that had not risen with the Bride to the Pisgah heights of faith and hope and love.
And to see whether—As a result of their experiences in the Time of Trouble.
The vine flourished—Their characters had been properly affected.
And the pomegranates budded—To see whether there is promise of the fruits of the Spirit coming to perfection.
6:12. Or ever I was aware—I knew not how it was.
My soul—Filled with love and pity for them.
Made me like the chariots—Swiftly speeding to them to bless and help them in their hour of extremity.
Of Amminadib—Of My willing people, the Bride.
6:13. Return, return—“Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.”
O Shulamite—(Uneven one), you who have been uneven in your love, hope and faith.
Return, return, that We—My Father and I.
May look upon thee—Smile upon thee; bestow blessings. “With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the King’s palace.”
What will ye see—You who study the matter.
In the Shulamite—The Foolish Virgin class. The answer is that you will see.
As it were the company—The Great Company.
Of two armies—“A great multitude which no man can number.”
7:1. How beautiful are thy feet—“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace.” The Lord again addresses His Bride.
With shoes—“Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.”
O Prince’s daughter—Daughter of the King, Jehovah.
The joints—“The whole Body, fitly joined together and compacted with that which every joint supplieth.”
Of thy thighs—(Softness) gentleness, tenderness.
Are like jewels—“They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels.”
The work of the hands—“For we are His workmanship.”
Of a cunning workman—“As for God, His work is perfect.”
7:2. Thy navel—Umbilical cord; by which you are joined to the Oath‐bound Covenant, the Sarah Covenant; the cord of faith.
Is like a round goblet—Generous in capacity.
Which wanteth not liquor—Is full of the Divine promises.
Thy belly—Spiritual digestive tract.
Is like a heap of wheat—Solid spiritual food.
Set about with lilies—Flowers of humility.
7:3. Thy two breasts—“The breasts of her consolations, whereof ye may suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.”
Are like two young roes—“The Scriptures, the Word of God, quick and powerful.”
That are twins—The Old and New Testament Scriptures are identical in origin, spirit and purpose.
7:4. Thy neck—Willingness to bear burdens.
Is as a tower of ivory—Purity and strength.
Thine eyes—Wisdom, Heaven‐sent.
Like the fishpools in Heshbon—Pure, deep.
By the gate of Bath‐Rabbim—Calm and strong.
Thy nose—Scent for spiritual food.
Is as the tower of Lebanon—Lofty, high, noble.
Which looketh toward Damascus—“Visions of beauty rise before us.” “He that lacketh these things is blind and can not see afar off.”
7:5. Thine head upon thee—Thy reasoning faculties.
Is like Carmel—(Crimson.) “Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool.”
And the hair of thine head—Thy righteousness. Woman’s hair was given for a covering, and her glory. The righteousness of Christ is the Bride’s covering, and her glory.
Like purple—Royalty. The robe of Christ’s righteousness, which the Bride now wears, will ultimately become the robe of the Queen.
The King is held—Bound, captive.
In the galleries—The happy prison‐house of the charms of His Bride.
7:6. How fair—Beautiful at heart. “The King’s daughter is all glorious within.”
And how pleasant—When the New Creature is in full control.
Art thou, O beloved—“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”
For delights—For one with whom to enjoy the Father’s favors and blessings throughout eternity; heirs together of the grace of life.
7:7. This thy stature—The stature of the fulness of Christ.
Is like a palm tree—Tall, upright.
And thy breasts—“The breasts of her consolations.”
To clusters of grapes—Suggestive of food and refreshment for the hungry, when they shall suck and be satisfied, milk out and be delighted.
7:8. I said—The world, in the Messianic Age, is the speaker.
I will go up to the palm tree—“And many people shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the House of the Lord.”
I will take hold—Lay hold of eternal life.
Of the boughs thereof—The members bending over to lift me out of the miry clay and the horrible pit.
Now also thy breasts—Feeding and helping the famishing world in the New Age.
Shall be as clusters of the vine—Giving life and health.
And the smell of thy nose—Thy scent for spiritual things and the blessed results that follow.
Like apples—Food for the hungry.
7:9. And the roof of thy mouth—Where the praises of Jehovah reverberate.
Like the best wine—The new wine of the Kingdom.
For my Beloved—Christ will then be the world’s Beloved, also.
That goeth down sweetly—“I will not henceforth drink this fruit of the vine till I drink it new with you in the Kingdom.”
Causing the lips—“Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust.”
Of those that are asleep—In death.
To speak—Shall the dead arise and praise thee?
7:10. I am my Beloved’s—The Bride speaks again.
And His desire is towards me—“So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty.”
7:11. Come My beloved—The Lord addresses His Bride after the Time of Trouble.
Let us go forth—On our great mission of love and mercy.
Into the field—Into the world, which needs us so much.
Let us lodge—Take up our temporary dwelling‐place.
In the villages—“Have thou authority over ten cities!” “The tabernacle of God is with men.”
7:12. Let us get up early—In the dawn of the New Age.
To the vineyards—The hearts of mankind in general.
Let us see if the vine flourish—If men are beginning to draw nigh to God.
The tender grape appear—If there is promise of an ultimate fruitage pleasing to the Father.
And the pomegranates appear—If there are evidences that love, joy, peace, long‐suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, are going to abound.
There—When you see with what infinite patience and wisdom and love I cultivate the heart‐gardens of men.
Will I give thee—Cause thee to appreciate fully.
My loves—The love with which I have loved thee.
7:13. The mandrakes give a smell—The regeneration of the world is nigh.
And at our gates—The Ancient Worthies are the gates by which the restitution classes will come to the Mediator.
Are all manner of pleasant—Agreeable, attractive, pleasing.
Fruits new and old—The virtues which the Bride cultivated and others especially appropriate to the changed conditions of the New Age.
Which I have laid up—As a part of the much‐diversified Plan of the Ages.
For thee, O My beloved—For thy enjoyment.
8:1 O that Thou—My Lord and Head. The Bride addresses her Lord.
Wert as my brother—Not so immeasurably above me in character and station.
That sucked the breasts of my mother—So that we would be on an equality with each other.
When I should find Thee without—Beyond the house of flesh.
I would kiss Thee—Would feel free to express in Thy presence the great love I feel.
Yea I should not—Under such circumstances.
Be despised—By the critics who now blame me for presuming to so high a station as to be Thy Bride.
8:2. I would lead thee and bring thee—But now it is Thou alone that are competent to lead.
Into my mother’s house—The antitypical Sarah tent.
Who would instruct me—“They shall be all taught of God.”
I would cause Thee to drink—Accept, appropriate, enjoy.
Of spiced wine—Doctrines flavored with the Holy Spirit.
Of the juice of my pomegranate—The pomegranate curiously combines the flavors of all fruits. It thus well illustrates the fruitage of love, the sum of all the Christian graces.
8:3. His left hand—His power as illustrated in the guidance of His people into all necessary truth.
Should be under my head—Directing my mental faculties.
And his right hand—His power as illustrated in overruling all things that would harm me.
Should embrace me—“Secure in His tender embrace, I’d have nothing to doubt or to fear.”
8:4. I charge you—I must give you this message.
O daughters of Jerusalem—Professed children of God.
That ye stir not up—Seek not to arouse.
Nor awake my Love—To take charge of earth’s affairs.
Until He please—For when He does stand up to assume control, “there will be a Time of Trouble such as never was,” in which all the earthly organizations upon which you have set your heart will be obliterated.
8:5. Who is this—The Heavenly Father thus speaks of the Bride.
That cometh up—That cometh forward into prominence.
From the wilderness—At the end of 1260 years of wilderness hiding and papal supremacy.
Leaning upon her Beloved—Upon her Lord.
I raised thee up—“It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?”
Under the apple tree—Under Christ, the Author and Finisher of your salvation.
There thy mother—The antitypical Sarah.
Brought thee forth—“Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth?”
There she brought thee forth—The Oath‐bound Covenant accomplished its end.
That bare thee—From earthly to Heavenly conditions.
8:6. Set me as a seal—Indelibly impressed. The Bride beseeches her Lord.
Upon Thy heart—Thine infinite love.
As a seal upon Thine arm—Thine infinite power.
For love—Such love as I have for Thee.
Is strong as death—“Neither death nor life shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jealousy—The fear that I may not, after all, prove acceptable to You, as Your Bride.
Is cruel as the grave—Sheol, oblivion.
The coals thereof—The weaknesses of my fallen flesh.
Are coals of fire—Burned into my very soul.
Which hath a most vehement flame—These burning thoughts of my imperfections will be with me as long as I am in this tabernacle.
8:7. Many waters—Nor angels nor principalities.
Cannot quench love—The Father reassures the anxious Bride.
Neither can the floods—“Nor things present nor things to come.”
Drown It—Extinguish it.
If a man—The Man whom I have ordained.
Would give all the substance of his House—All His own glorious station with me on the Throne of the Universe.
For love—In exchange for the love you have manifested for Him throughout the dark night of your earthly career.
It would utterly be condemned—Despised by the courts of Heaven.
8:8. We—The Lord and His Bride together speak.
Have a little sister—The Foolish Virgin class, born of the same Father and the same antitypical Sarah, the Oath‐bound Covenant.
And she hath no breasts—Is not fully developed.
What shall we do—What will be the Divine arrangement?
For our sister—The Great Company class.
In the day—The close of the Time of Trouble.
When she shall be spoken for—Called to render up her account.
8:9. If she be a wall—Bulwark of truth, on the One Foundation.
We will build upon her—“Other foundation can no man lay.”
A palace of silver—Give her a place with the Great Company class.
And if she be a door—By which men and women have found the Lord and the Truth.
We will inclose her—Give her an environment.
With boards of cedar—Everlasting life.
8:10. I am a wall—The Bride thus refers to herself as having been a staunch defender of the Truth. “Lo, we have left all and followed Thee.” What then shall we have?
And my breasts—Unlike the Foolish Virgins.
Like towers—“Whereof ye may suck and be satisfied milk out and be delighted.”
Then—Because I reached the development of character He desired.
Was I in His eyes—The eyes of the Bridegroom.
As one that found favor—Peace (margin).
8:11. Solomon—Christ.
Had a Vineyard—For growing the fruitage of love.
At Baalhamon—(Lord of the multitude.) A reference to the Messianic Reign, in which Christ will be Lord of all.
He let out the vineyards—Gave the immediate care.
Unto keepers—The Ancient Worthies, “whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth.”
Every one—Of the keepers.
For the fruit thereof—The kind of fruitage expected.
Was to bring—Present, offer.
A thousand pieces of silver—Yield a rich return of truth and praise from the hearts cultivated.
8:12. My vineyard—The same vineyard.
Which is mine—We are made joint‐heirs with Christ.
Is before me—Will take a thousand years to till.
Thou, O Solomon—Christ.
Must have a thousand—Tributes of praise.
And those that kept the fruit thereof—The Ancient Worthies.
Two hundred—A fifth as much, as their portion.
8:13. Thou—The restitution classes, address their Lord.
That dwellest in the gardens—The heart‐gardens of the redeemed race.
The companions—The Great Company; the companions that followed the Bride.
Hearken to thy voice—Have entered with joy into the King’s palace.
Cause me to hear it—O Lord, I see there is hope to me. I also would be Thine. Show me Thy will.
8:14. Make haste, my Beloved—The restitution classes continue.
And be Thou like—In thy swiftness of movement.
To a roe or to a young hart—Leaping from mountain to mountain, kingdom to kingdom.
Upon the mountains—The various divisions of the Kingdom of God during the Messianic Reign.
Of spices—Good deeds, kind words and noble thoughts. “And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.” “The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.” Amen.
The Heavenly Bridegroom
That He is mine and I am His, Oh! wondrous thought. I am so poor, so weak, so lowly, can there aught Of worthiness in me be found, that He should love And seek me for His Bride? I hear His voice, “My Dove, Thou art all fair, My Spouse, there is no spot in thee; Thy speech is comely, better is thy love to Me Than wine! Thine eyes as Heshbon’s fish‐pools, and like flocks Upon Mount Gilead are thy spiced and flower‐decked locks. The winter’s past, My Dove, come, come with Me away, Far spent the night, make ready for thy nuptial day!” My heart responds, “Throughout the many‐centuried night I’ve longed for Thee. I’ve waited for the dawning light; And I have laid Thee like sweet myrrh upon my breast, Thine arm beneath my weary head hath brought me rest. Thou whom my soul doth love, Thy countenance is fair To see within the secret places of the stair; Thy head is like fine gold, how beautiful Thy feet! Thine eyes as doves’ eyes, and Thy lips with honey sweet. I rise, my Lord, I leave my father’s house, behold My Robe of Righteousness, my raiment of wrought gold! Oh! wealth of love divine, that claims me for Thine own. Oh! miracle of grace, to seat me on Thy Throne. Oh! glorious future hopes, Oh! bliss beyond compare, Through all eternity Thy love and work to share!”
—G.W.S.
June 25, 1917.
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL
Ezekiel 1—God’s Character And Plan
1:1. Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, at I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.—Christ promised that at His Second Advent He would raise up a “faithful and wise servant,” or “steward,” who should watch and give forth in due season meat for the Household of Faith. This one should be given charge of all the Storehouse, the Word of God, to bring out of it things new and old. (Matt. 24:44‐47; Luke 12:42‐44.) The Prophet Ezekiel types this servant. As Ezekiel was among the Lord’s people, the Hebrews, in captivity in literal Babylon, this servant was among those in captivity in Mystic Babylon, beside the great river Chebar (“Joining”), the stream of commerce which joins the nations, on which Christendom is founded, and from which she draws her support, as did in a literal sense Babylon from her great river, Euphrates. In the early seventies Charles Taze Russell found himself engaged in commerce, but earnestly studying the Word of God, and striving to teach what he found therein. In fulfilment of the Divine promise the Heavenly things were opened to him (Matt. 3:16), and he saw the significance of the visions, prophecies, given in olden times by the Almighty. He was given a crystal‐clear understanding of the character of Jehovah.
Ezekiel’s Vision By The River Of Chebar
1:2, 3. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity, the Word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.—Men do not raise themselves up to become great and honored agents in God’s outworking of the Divine Plan of the Ages (Luke 18:14; Eph. 3:11); but now and then throughout the centuries Jehovah Himself (1 Cor. 12:18) has raised up Christian men to carry forward one step or another of His purposes. God made special use of St Paul, St John, Arius, Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe, Martin Luther and Charles T. Russell. The significance of the word Ezekiel is “God is strong,” and epitomizes the faith and the message of Pastor Russell. He shows the power of Jehovah to save His people now (Acts 15:14), and later to save all the willing and obedient of mankind. (Acts 15:17.) As Ezekiel was the son of Buzi, “Contemned of God,” Pastor Russell was born the child of a nominal religious system which is unfaithful to Jehovah. Pastor Russell, by the faithful carrying out of his vow of consecration to Divine service, was accepted as a true priest of the Almighty. He sacrificed himself and all that he had until, in October, 1916, he died penniless, but rich in the things of God. Chosen expressly by God to declare the message of Present Truth to the last, or Laodicean age, of the Church, the hand, power, of Jehovah was upon him.
1:4. And I looked and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it; and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.—As a young man Charles T. Russell was looking intently to see what might be discerned in the Word of God. “Watch,” said the Master. Pastor Russell took for his motto, “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me.” (Hab. 2:1) He called his semi‐monthly publication, “THE WATCH TOWER”; and, firm in the belief that the Second Advent took place in 1874, he included as a sub‐ title, “And Herald of Christ’s Presence.” The north symbolizes the spiritual phase of the Kingdom of God. (Isa. 14:13; D. 653.) Pastor Russell beheld coming, permitted by God, a great Time of Trouble, a whirlwind of warfare, revolution and anarchy. (Jer. 25:32; Psa. 58:9, 10; D. 528.) It was the cloud accompanying the approach to human affairs of Him for whose Kingdom many have so long prayed. “Clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His Throne, a fire goeth before Him and burneth up His enemies round about.” (Psa. 97:2) A conflagration, beginning with world war, is upon the earth, developing into revolution and anarchy. Fire symbolises the last of these misfortunes. (Dan. 7:11) The situation is complicated, infolding, perplexing. None of the national leaders understand the situation. To the poor world, in gross darkness, and lying “in the wicked one,” the cloud is full of darkness (Isa. 60:2), of gloominess (Joel 2:2; Zeph. 1:15); but to those who are taken out of the world and into Christ, it is full of brightness and hope—a white cloud, with a silver lining. In the bright light of the dawning Day of Christ the faces of the Lord’s people light up with joy as they see these things coming to pass; for their “deliverance draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28)—the deliverance, too, of the whole world from the kingdom of Satan, the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), into the glorious Kingdom of God, the other side of the trouble. With the understanding of God, His work, plan and purpose, there shone forth the amber, golden glow of the Divine presence, and of the true character, nature and glory of the Almighty God of Love. The Father Himself is supervising the troublous commotion, bruising to heal (Hos. 6:1), and “shortening the days.”—Matt. 24:22.
One Of The Living Creatures
1:5. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.—Out of the contemplation of the cloud of trouble, the worldwide commotion, the destructive anarchy, and of the golden amber glow of God’s presence, came a wonderful understanding of something long misunderstood and misrepresented—the character of God. As the vision showed “four living creatures,” so the Divine character was seen by the Laodicean steward to consist of four active principles (Rev. 3:14); Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom. The four have the likeness of a perfect man.
1:6. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.—Each of the four attributes has four characteristics or attributes; and each has the Word of God (wings—Rev. 12:14), in the Old and New Testament, in two different ways of operation (two pairs).
1:7. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.—The feet members of Christ, embodying the Divine attributes on earth, are righteous (straight) in Christ’s righteousness, pure, unblemished in God’s sight, holy, acceptable, living sacrifices (the calf is a type of unblemished sacrifice); and they shine with the imputed perfection of the Man Christ Jesus.
1:8. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides: and they four had their faces and their wings.—The hand is symbolic of power and of execution of purpose. Overshadowed by the Word of God is the Divine power (hand) to execute the thing purposed, operating through human channels, through the power of men. He shows the qualities of the Divine mind through man. Shielded, protected, sustained by the Word (wings)—(Psa. 61:4), the work of the Almighty goes on through “the foolishness of preaching.” (1 Cor. 1:21.) Men and women are “coworkers with God.” (2 Cor. 6:1.) The hands (powers) of man are instruments for the operation of infinite Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom.
1:9. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went everyone straight forward.—The wings (Psa. 91:4; Rev. 12:14) are perfectly joined together in unity of purpose and action. Straight on to the end ordained of God goes His Word, upholding and strengthening.—Isa. 46:10, 11.
1:10. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.—The character of Jehovah possesses four fundamental attributes, each composed of all the others. The four faces or features of the living creatures represent the four attributes of God, each inseparable from the others, and in each operate each and all of the four. Divine Justice operates in the fulness of Power, Love and Wisdom. In the fall of man into sin, unbending Justice enforced death for disobedience. Love delayed the execution of the sentence upon Adam 930 years (Gen. 5:5), that Wisdom might impress upon the erring human son an indelible lesson of the exceeding sinfulness of sin (Rom. 7:13) and the extent of the penalty, death, that man, by said experience, might “know evil.” (Gen. 3:5.) Divine power will raise man from the dead, that he may learn to “know good” and experience the fulness of the Father’s Love and Wisdom. All who are willing and obedient, who consecrate fully to God’s will, shall enjoy “pleasures forevermore” (Psa. 16:11) in the sunshine of Divine favor. The unwilling and disobedient shall suffer the full penalty of Justice in the Second Death (Rev. 21:8), “utter destruction” (2 Thes. 1:9), final and eternal obliteration. (Psa. 37:10.) The face of a man symbolizes the quality of Love, in the character image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:27), the God of love. (1 John 4:8.) The ox represents Power (Rev. 4:7); for no animal is stronger, or more patient in the exercise of strength. The majestic lion is God’s Justice, roaring its message of death, and executing all that oppose its voice. (Psa. 89:14.) No other creature is so far‐sighted, or soars so high as the eagle. The eagle symbolizes Wisdom, far‐seeing, ordering all the affairs of the Almighty along the lines of Justice, Power and Love.
1:11. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.—Each pair of wings (Rev. 12:14) symbolizes a separate function of God’s Word; one pair to fly with, to carry forward the Plan in the spirit realm, the powers of the air (Eph. 2:2), the other to uphold “all things by the Word” (Heb. 1:3) and to cover and protect.—Psa. 91:4.
1:12. And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.—Not with wavering, as darkened minds imagine, proceeds the Divine Word, but “without variableness or shadow of turning.” (Jas. 1:17.) Wheresoever the mind, or Spirit, of Jehovah sends forth His Word, thither straight onward go perfect Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom.
1:13. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.—God’s Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom glow with the light of wisdom. The understanding of God’s attributes makes every quality of the Almighty to glow with a wondrous illumination to anyone given to see the “visions of God” first perceived clearly by the Laodicean Servant. “Thy Word is a lamp” (Psa. 119:105), shedding light in the darkness, effecting a personal local illumination. The Word is a lamp to the “feet” members of Christ. (Eph. 1:23.) Up and down, everywhere, throughout all the Divine qualities, wherever manifested, spreads the illumination now shining through the Lamp, the Word.
1:14. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.—In the operation of Divine Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom are sudden gleams of Heavenly wisdom upon great problems, such as now light up the dark clouds of the Time of Trouble.
1:15. Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.—The word “cycle,” or “wheel,” is familiar in bicycle, motorcycle, and in cycle as applied to epochs. The Divine attributes operate upon human society, the symbolic earth, in cycles, or ages (Eph. 3:11), and in the mechanisms of ages by which God’s Plan is carried forward, His character, or face, is seen.
1:16. The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.—Pliny says of the beryl or chrysolithos, “It is a transparent stone with a refulgence like that of gold.” Says Smith’s Bible Dictionary, “The ancient chrysolithos, or modern topaz, appears to have a better claim than any other stone to represent the tarshish of the Hebrew Bible.” Gold is symbolic of things Divine. These golden cycles are the Divinely appointed ages in connection with the four attributes of Deity. The Divine operations are not in one simple age, cycle, or manner of operation, but cycle within cycle, age within age, many operations working together “manifold” (Eph. 3:10), like a vast and complicated machine.
1:17. When they went, they went upon their four sides; and they turned not when they went.—Divine Justice conflicts not with Divine Love, nor with Wisdom nor Power, but all qualities are in simultaneous operation. They proceed along lines planned ages ago.—Jas. 1:17.
1:18. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.—“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways (plans) higher than your ways.” (Isa. 55:9.) The Plan of the Ages reveals the lengths, breadths, heights and depths of the purposes of God, and fills the reverent soul with awe. The Plan of God is full of the infinite Wisdom (eyes—Psa. 32:8) of its Author.—B. 305.
1:19. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.—Whenever God’s attributes operate they are in accordance with the Divine Plan; sometimes the Divine qualities are exercised towards celestial things and sometimes towards things terrestrial.—1 Cor. 15:40.
1:20. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.—The Spirit, or Power of God, is in all His attributes and in all their operations.
1:21. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.—In whatever direction the Divine Spirit is to act, whether in earthly things or among spirit beings, thither the operations of the Spirit go in the cooperative action of all God’s attributes. When an age is finished and one attribute ceases its action, they all cease.
1:22. And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.—The firmament in the air or atmosphere (Gen. 1:20), and symbolizes the powers of spiritual control. Above the attributes of God and controlling their operations is the Divine will. The expression of God’s will during the time indicated by the vision is the Christ, Head and Body. “All power in Heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18) is given unto Christ, and will be shared by His Bride and Joint‐heir. (Rev. 20:4.) “The terrible crystal”—literally “the reverential ice”—suggests the reverence due to the ruling Christ Head and Body, and their own reverential attitude towards the Father. The color is that of ice, clear as crystal, pure, unmixed “truth in the inward parts” (Psa. 51:6), characterizing the new ruling powers in the spiritual phase of the Kingdom of God.
1:23. And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.—Beneath, subject to the direction of the Christ, Head and Church triumphant, are the wings (Word of God—Rev. 12:14). Whenever Divine Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom are in action, the Word of God points straight up to the Father as the Source of every good thing.
1:24. And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings.—The sound of the Father’s Word is as the voice of great waters (Rev. 1:15), mighty truths, in “the voice of speech,” for the benefit of His children. It is the voice of God, too, when spoken by His people. When Divine Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom operate upon human society, then the Word of God is in full harmony therewith.
1:25. And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.—It is through the reigning Christ, Zion, that the voice of Jehovah shall sound forth. “The Lord will roar from Zion.” (Amos 1:2.) “Out of Zion shall go forth the Law.” (Isa. 2:3.) Through The Christ sounds forth the Word of God bespeaking to the world infinite Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom.
1:26. And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a Man above upon it.—“THE HEAD OF CHRIST IS GOD.” (1 Cor. 11:3.) Above the triumphant Christ, Head and Body, is the Throne of Almighty God. “The Son [is] subject to Him that put all things under Him.” (1 Cor. 15:28.) The Throne represents the dominion of God. As the blue sapphire (symbolic of faithfulness), so is the rulership of the Almighty. “God is faithful.” (1 Cor. 1:9.) In the contemplation of the watchers, the faithfulness, unchangeableness of God, is seen shining through the Christ, the firmament, like the soft blue of the sapphire stone. Man is in the image and likeness of God. Reigning over all is One whom men can understand, a Deity whose perfect Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom elicit complete consecration. God is seen to be not a ferocious demon, belying His own command of love, but a just, reasonable, loving God, able to save all the willing and obedient. Jesus, the friend of sinners, was and is the perfect image of the Father.
1:27. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of His loins even upward, and from the appearance of His loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.—“God dwelleth in light whereto no man can approach.” (1 Tim. 6:16.) Radiant is the Almighty with the golden glow of the Divine nature. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29); only the perfect can stand in His presence; for all dross, not refinable (Mal. 3:2, 3), is consumed by Justice. The essence of the Divine Revelation is Love, the golden light radiating in every direction from Our Father. “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light” (1 John 2:10), in the Divine love‐light that surrounds the Throne and pervades the entire spirit realm. This love is the light of the world, to light men unto God.
1:28. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.—The Throne and He that sat thereon were surrounded by all the colors of the rainbow. (Rev. 4:3.) The love spirit finds fruitage in character fruits. So the light of our Father is divisible into the warm red of love, the glowing blue of faithfulness, the brilliant green of immortality, the royal purple of kingship, for those on any plane who are worthy of that honor, etc.—the manifestation of every good character fruit and every good purpose for the blessing of all His creatures. (John 15:8; Gal. 5:22.) The glory of God is not a display of blinding light to terrify men; but it is to do good, to manifest to the uttermost His character of love. When the watchman of the Laodicean age discerned the Divine character and Plan he fell upon his face (Rev. 1:17), in reverential worship and in complete consecration to do the will of his Father in Heaven. There sounded forth and through him, from the pages of God’s Word (Isa. 30:21), the voice of the Sublime One who has been speaking to Christendom during this dawn of the Golden Age.
Ezekiel 2—The Rebellious House And The Book
2:1. And He said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.—It is a mark of favor to stand before a king. (Prov. 22:29.) Those who stand before rulers receive commissions, are invested with authority and power.
2:2. And the spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that spake unto me.—“The words which I speak, they are spirit.” (John 6:63.) When the full import of the Word was discerned, Pastor Russell took a firm stand. The spirit, power, influence of God entered into him, never to leave. He stood firmly, before God, before his friends, and before all the hostile hosts of Mystic Babylon the Great.
2:3. And He said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day.—Pastor Russell’s work was largely among professing Christians—not slum work, Christian work among the professedly non‐Christians, or a revivalistic work calling to repentance and conversion. This was not the work appropriate to the Harvest of the Christian Age. John the Baptist announced the First Presence of Messiah, and began the harvesting of Jewry, and was not sent to the heathen, but to the Lord’s people, the Jews, to acquaint them with the First Advent, expose those withholding the keys of knowledge (Luke 11:52), and warn of the impending destruction of Jerusalem and Judea in A. D. 70 and 73. (Matt. 3:7; 24:2.) A like work was to be accomplished in Spiritual Israel, Christendom, after the Lord’s Second Advent in 1874. The man raised up, “set upon his feet,” and given wisdom, grace and power for the task, was Pastor Russell.
2:4. For they are impudent children and stiff‐hearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.—Few things are more trying than a family of impudent children. Forwardness in evil‐ doing and evil‐speaking was one of the characteristics of the Hebrew people. They violated the Word of God and justified the violation. (Matt. 15:5.) By impudent—hard faced—tradition they made void the Word of God. The effrontery of the “Christian” era has been unsurpassed. Possessing greatest light, they have sinned most grievously. The Word said, “He that is begotten of God sinneth not” (1 John 3:9); yet John Tetzel was, and in some countries Roman Catholic priests still are, selling indulgences to commit sin. Professing “Christians” keep Christianity out of their affairs with the phrase, “Business is business.”
2:5. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a Prophet among them.—The work of Ezekiel among the Hebrews in captivity proved a thankless task. He was rejected by both those in captivity and those remaining at Jerusalem under Zedekiah. His following was almost nothing. But he witnessed faithfully, and no Hebrew could say that he had not been cautioned of danger and warned of impending catastrophe. Whether the clergy and people of Christendom wished to heed Pastor Russell or not, they certainly heard his words. (Z. ’03‐436.) His work was peculiarly prospered. Against difficulties it grew and extended beyond the wildest dreams, until it compassed the civilized world. In the face of the united opposition of Protestant and Romanist clergy, the steward of Almighty God accomplished the most gigantic preaching work ever done by one man. “I cannot open the morning paper without Pastor Russell staring me in the face,” said a prominent minister. In the newspapers, in the theatres, on the bill‐boards, in billions of tract pages distributed gratis, in millions of home libraries, in the questions of inquiring church members, it was evident everywhere that a great preacher was faithfully sounding forth a trumpet message. With a voice of many waters, reverberating like thunder throughout the world, spoke Pastor Russell; and ere long “they shall know that there hath been a Prophet [preacher] among them.”
2:6, 7. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions; be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak My words, unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; for they are most rebellious.—Fearlessness characterized Ezekiel and Pastor Russell, both outcasts among the “best” people. Pastor Russell was thrust by the church people into a wilderness condition, amid the briers of opposition and reproach. Though the thorns of persecution crowned his head, he was never afraid of words nor of angry looks. (Jer. 1:8‐10.) “I would rather see him stoned to death,” said a Wilkes‐Barre, Pa. preacher, in answer to a kindly invitation to come and hear Pastor Russell preach. “He ought to be skinned alive, and his hide stretched on a door,” remarked a Chicago “divine” to another “divine,” coming out from one of Pastor Russell’s addresses. A scorpion has a great swelling, formidable looking head, but it stings with its tail. (Rev. 9:5, 10.) Ecclesiasticism is made up of organizations whose heads utter boastful, swelling words, but which do injury through their followers. The sting of a scorpion—of the followers of synods and popes—is through poisoned words. Every great reformer has had some turn on him who were very close to him. Not from outside did Pastor Russell suffer most. A few from among his own household, whom he had befriended, helped, pushed, advanced, struck at him to ruin him and destroy his influence and his work. It is characteristic of the scorpion to sting and poison in the dark corners of a man’s own home. “Be not afraid, though thou dost dwell among scorpions.”
2:8. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house; open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.—The attitude of the rebellious Christian was not that of God’s chosen servant. Never did he rebel against the Divine leading, nor seek to pervert the Word of God. “My flesh is meat (food) indeed.” (Jno. 6:55.) “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4.) Whatever the word or message that came from the Father’s lips through the inspired pages of the Bible, the Laodicean steward was to appropriate, assimilate.—Rev. 10:9.
2:9. And when I looked, behold, a hand was sent unto me; and lo, a roll of a book was therein.—The Divine hand sent from God is the Divine power, support, upholding and advancing the interests of whatever is in the hand. “The book therein” is the Divine Plan of the Ages, Present Truth, especially as relating to the impending downfall of Christendom in the end of this Age. Ancient books were written on a continuous sheet, rolled up. The sheet was often written on both sides. The writing outside could be plainly read until covered by the rolling, but that inside was entirely hidden from view. Present Truth, the Divine Plan of the Ages, contains features which are plain to any one who looks at them; such as those relating to the earthly features of God’s Plan—the evil in the earth, the clashing interests of rich and poor, and various other elements of the present order of things, the great war, and the approach of a better order of things after the present troubles are over. Present Truth, “the roll of the book,” also contains hidden, deep truths, discernible only to those who have the Holy Spirit. It possesses features impossible for natural men, not anointed with the Spirit, to perceive. “The natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit, neither can he know them; for they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:14.) Many thousands of consecrated Christians are upheld, comforted and rejoiced by the deep things of God, made clear for the first time in centuries by the “roll of the book.”
2:10. And He spread it before me; and it was written within and without; and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.—What an honor to be the person before whom the Almighty would clearly spread out His purposes,—the honor which came to Pastor Russell, and with it a witness work of vast extent and responsibility! The purpose of Present Truth is to inform the Lord’s people and the people of the world, as far as they may listen, concerning the significance of the times. All classes profit more or less from the warning of Pastor Russell, as the message goes broadcast throughout the world. It comes with a different significance to Church and to world. To the Church it is a trumpet call of truth (Rev. 10:2‐7), to get ready quickly for deliverance, resurrection glory, honor and immortality. To the world, the worldly‐minded, the Present Truth is something to be dreaded. (Isa. 28:19.) This world, age, state of affairs, is in process of destruction. The destroying agencies, as portrayed in the Scriptures (1 Kings 19:11, 12; Z. ’04‐249; Z. ’98‐207, 208) are world‐wide war, then revolutions on an unprecedented scale, and finally universal anarchy—savagery. The significance of anarchy is appreciated by but few. It means an utter absence of government, first the paralysis, and ultimately the ceasing, of the governmental functions which now afford protection, peace and safety to property and life. As matters progress to the climax, as disaster after disaster overtakes human effort, and disintegration descends into the dissolution of law and order, the whole earth will be “filled with violence”. (Gen. 6:11; Micah 6:12); and men’s hearts will utterly fail. (Luke 21:26.) Picture the worst revolutions ever known; this trouble will outdo them all. Paint the darkest picture, and none will be as black as the sable pall of this dreadful night, this reign of terror already settling down upon mankind. Truly, “mourning, lamentation and woe” were the burden of God’s Prophet Ezekiel, as he foresaw the destruction of his beloved city, Jerusalem—and of Pastor Russell, as he foreknew the desolation of a world!
Ezekiel 3—Pastor Russell’s Divine Ordination
3:1. Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.—The Prophet was to find something. As Ezekiel ate the book in the hand of God, so the “faithful and wise servant” of this day absorbed, assimilated, the Plan of the Ages which was in the power (hand) of the Almighty. Pastor Russell searched diligently to find all that he could of the purposes of God. As he understood, he was to go speak to “the House of Sons” (Heb. 3:6), all the children, sons of God—to nominal Spiritual Israelites.
3:2. So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that roll.—“I never knew any one so willing to do the will of God,” said the private secretary and traveling companion of Pastor Russell. He was eager to learn all he could about the Heavenly Father’s will. It was not of himself that he learned and taught the Divine Plan; but God Himself caused him to learn, believe and teach.
3:3. And He said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.—No mere casual scanning of Present Truth would suffice. The man of God was to be filled with the great Message. (Rev. 10:9, 10.) “The sweetest story ever told” (Psa. 19:10; 119:103) brought inexpressible peace. It sweetened the experiences of a life of sacrifice. Whoever eats, assimilates Present Truth, finds every heart question answered, every doubt silenced. He learns “the peace of God that passeth understanding” (Phil. 4:7), and a sweetness as of honey in the promises, plans, and purposes of the Father of Love.
3:4. And He said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with My words unto them.—From apostolic days to today all to whom the Spirit gives utterance begin to speak (Acts 2:1‐18) because constrained to do so, because they “love to tell the story.” To Ezekiel, and to the greatest preacher of modern times, came a readiness of speech, when Jehovah Himself gave them His Spirit, and commanded to “get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with My words unto them.”
3:5. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel.—Present Truth was not to go to the heathen, the drunkards, unbelievers, but to the Christian people of the world, the spiritual House of Israel.
3:6. Not to many people of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.—If the Message of Present Truth had been sent to the heathen with its glad tidings for all, they would have turned from devil worship, to worship the true God. (Matt. 11:21, 23.) On two occasions the trumpet sound was heard by “people of a strange speech and of a hard language.” Pastor Russell passed through Japan and India on a round‐the‐world tour. In Japan the people requested that he stay. It was the message they had longed for. In India the natives heard him gladly. In eastern and southern Africa a believer in Present Truth found his way from Nyassa to the Cape, and many thousands of natives embraced the Truth and were baptised.
3:7. But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.—Christendom has never hearkened unto God. They hear and do not. (Jas. 1:22.) They are forgetful hearers of the Word. (Jas. 1:25.) They know their Master’s will and do it not. (Luke 12:47.) Because they hear not God, they heed not the Word of God when brought to them by His servants.
3:8. Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.—Whatever situation Pastor Russell faced, God made him more than equal to it. This last and most illustrious of the reformers never asked for money; yet he had enough entrusted to him to carry on the work. Champions of Christendom met him on the debating platform; each encounter widened and strengthened the witness for Present Truth. He faced the modern enemies of Reformation with books by tens of millions, and they were unable to combat their power. “To read the Studies in the Scriptures,” admonished a Southern preacher to his flock, “is to believe them.” No argument could be devised to stem the flood of Truth, only a ban on the reading of the books. In innumerable places priestcraft caused the public burning of the books. Practically every home in America, England, Germany, Sweden, Australia, and other Protestant countries was reached by a deluge of free tracts. Such a tracting of the world with billions of pages, was never known. The enemies of Truth were wholly unable to check the spread of knowledge. A further situation faced was the production of the free Photo‐Drama of Creation, seen and heard by twelve millions. No answer could be put forth by clerical foes of truth, but baseless, cruel libels on the private life of one of God’s noblemen. Audiences by the thousands listened to Bible lectures by Pastor Russell and by hundreds of public speakers, and their voice is still heard all over the world. Stinging assaults of slander were ignored by a man of destiny, who had too much of God’s work to do to pay attention to the yelpings of little men—of the D. D.’s of Christendom (Isa. 56:10), who love slumber, but who snarl and bite when disturbed in their dreams of “peace, peace” (Jer. 6:14), social and civic gospels, church unity, and evangelistic raids on the pockets of the masses. Not a situation or a person but was faced victoriously.—Isa. 54:17.
Pastor Russell in the Critics’ Den
3:9. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead; fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.—The forehead is symbolic of wisdom. A man of high forehead, as was Pastor Russell, is of a high type of intellect. Pastor Russell’s mind was made strong against opponents of the Reform which is ushering in the everlasting Kingdom of Messiah. It is impossible for error to withstand truth. (Luke 21:15.) As in apostolic days, believers in Present Truth call themselves “in the Truth” (2 Pet. 1:12), the teachings of the Word of God are termed “the Truth” (1 John 3:19), and those who believe them are known as “Truth people.” (3 John 4.) The mind of Pastor Russell was filled with Truth. Crystal clear, with hard, irresistible logic, the Present Truth, which constituted his wisdom and understanding, was the hardest proposition ecclesiasticism ever encountered. (Isa. 50:7.) The mind of God’s steward was as adamant. Adamant is literally, in Hebrew, “a diamond point.” With diamond hardness (Rev. 4:3), the Present Truth cuts its way through all opposition, though the opposing thought be hard as flint. The diamond is the most crystal clear of stones, and represents the truth in irresistible form. It is futile to oppose the mind of any Present Truth believer, for truth is irrefutable. To those who have it, it imparts the mind of an intellectual giant—the mind of Christ, of God. (1 Cor. 2:16.) Their foreheads are made as diamond. In the light of the sun the diamond sparkles with indescribable beauty. It breaks the sunlight up into its component parts and reflects and refracts in prismatic flashes of rainbow colors. The sun is the Gospel of Divine Love and its embodiment, Jesus Christ. The component parts of Christian love are the character fruits. “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long‐suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” (Galatians 5:22‐3.) The minds, wisdom, characters of God’s true people are full of manifestations of the shining upon them of the glorious Gospel of the Son of Righteousness—full of the beauty of righteousness. The minds of God’s saints are made as the diamond in its excelling hardness and sunlit radiance.
3:10. Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, all My words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart and hear with thine ears.—Like Ezekiel, Pastor Russell was to hold back, pervert, or wrest nothing.
3:11. And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.—It was to be a message for the Lord’s people in captivity to the king of this world. Satan, bound in Mystic Babylon the Great, the governmental‐ecclesiastical‐ commercial system of Christendom.
3:12. Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.—Through the begetting of the Holy Spirit we are raised up to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4), to sit with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6), in the Spirit‐begotten condition. The Spirit raised Pastor Russell up to an understanding and appreciation of Heavenly things. (Matt. 3:16.) At Pentecost the place where the Apostles were sitting was filled with a rushing sound as of a mighty wind, and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2.) The mighty rushing sound represented Pastor Russell’s receiving a rich endowment of the Spirit of God, to whose leadings he was fully consecrated and to whose influence and guidance he wholly devoted his life. The words of Christ and of God are contained in the Bible, written thousands of years ago, behind in the stream of time. It was in the Word of God, behind him in time (Isa. 30:21), that Pastor Russell perceived the rushing sound, the utterances of the Holy Spirit. The message of the Bible has been perverted by Catholic and Protestant misunderstandings into anything but a glorious and blessed Gospel. It is a thing to be dreaded, if the glory of God is to eternally torment the vast majority of humans. But the Message of Truth sounded forth by Pastor Russell declares the grace of the Gospel which is to reach every man, woman and child (1 Tim. 2:6) with its blessed influence, power, wisdom and love, so that all creation in due time may join in a mighty paeon of praise. “Blessed be the glory of Jehovah from His place.”—Psa. 106:48.
The Clergy Would Censor The Bible
3:13. I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.—Many Christian ministers have had glimpses of the Word of God, knowledge of some details of the Plan, some measure of the Holy Spirit; but to Pastor Russell, God’s messenger to the last stage of the Church, was given a superabundance of gifts, to set the things of God in order (Isa. 44:7), to proclaim an harmonious understanding of all the Divine purposes for mankind and of some for the angels. (Eph. 3:10.) He heard the full harmony of “the song of Moses and the Lamb.” (Rev. 15:3.) To him the wings (Rev. 12:14), the Word of God, Old Testament and New, sounded their Glad Tidings, a message whose parts “touched one another,” were in complete touch, full harmony. He heard for the first time since Apostolic days the Plan of God, “the noise of the wheels [cycles, ages].” He heard the manifestations of the operation of the Holy Spirit, the “noise of a great rushing,” and was filled with the Spirit in a measure beyond the portion of most Christian men. His patience with the stupid and erring was godlike and his love‐lit face was an inspiration.
3:14. So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.—“God hath taken you out of the world” (John 17:16); raised “to sit with Christ in Heavenly places.” (Eph. 2:6.) The Spirit took Pastor Russell away from earthly aims and raised him up to the plane of sacrificing priesthood. He turned from commercial pursuits to devote his life to the Heavenly Message. He tasted the bitter herbs of persecution, of suffering with Christ; and amid ostracism and persecution he lived the life of Christian service. He carried on his work in fervency of spirit; for the power of God was upon him, strengthening him with might in the inner man (Eph. 3:16), and with wisdom to deliver, in the face of the determined opposition of priestcraft, the trumpet message announcing the Presence of Christ—the sound of the Seventh Trumpet, the trump of God.—Rev. 10:7.
3:15. Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel‐abib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat and remained there astonished among them seven days.—Future historians will record, as most remarkable, the mental, moral and spiritual bondage in which professing Christians were held during the Gospel Age, through the machinations of priestcraft, under the king of the age, Satan himself. Pastor Russell came with his message, in a day of supposed enlightenment, to a people bound hand and foot. Tel‐abib in Hebrew is “Hill of Grass” (from “Tel,” hill, and “Abib,” sprouting, budding). Abib was another name for Nisan, the first month of the Hebrew sacred year, corresponding to April. In type or symbol a place represents a condition, or a stage in historic development. The “hill of budding,” the beginning of the sacred year, symbolizes the dawn of the Times of Restitution, the “Millennial Dawn.” The Millennium (Rev. 20:3, 4, 7) began in 1874, with the Return of Christ. It was at about that time that Pastor Russell came to his fellow‐Christians with the beginning of a better understanding of the Bible, “the vision of God.” It was, as it were, the budding‐time of the good promises of God for the blessing of all peoples. The Christian people lived on and by the stream of commercial, social and economic intercourse that feeds and supports Christendom, Babylon.
3:16. And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying.—In a time prophecy a day in the prophecy usually signifies a year in fulfillment. For seven years after Christ’s Return in 1874—until 1881—Pastor Russell, although he knew much of God’s Plan, was in some degree in the same condition as other Christians in imperfect understanding of God’s Word. In 1881 a former associate, Mr. Barbour, of Rochester, N. Y., who had been a faithful fellow‐watcher, developed into the “Evil servant” of Matt. 24:48‐61 and Zechariah 11:17, and produced a work on the Hebrew Tabernacle types in opposition to the fundamentals of true Christianity. Pastor Russell desired the truth on the subject. He gave himself up to prayer and study of this matter alone. For days he struggled with the problem and wrestled with God in supplication. At length the matter cleared up. He then wrote “Tabernacle Shadows of the Better Sacrifices.” of which 1,500,000 copies have since aided Christians to understand the deeper things of the Word and to make complete consecration unto death. This was in 1881, at which time he also published “Food for Thinking Christians,” a work embodying much afterwards expanded into the six volumes of “Studies in the Scriptures.” The same year, 1881, is prophetically marked at the time for the final withdrawal of favor from the churches, a favor which had begun to be withdrawn in 1878—the year in which the clergy were cast off as representatives of the Divine Word, and when Pastor Russell began his work by the publication of 50,000 copies of “Object and Manner of the Lord’s Return.” In 1873 the stewardship of the things of God, the teaching of Bible truths, was taken from the clergy, unfaithful to their age‐long stewardship, and given to Pastor Russell. In the interim, until 1881, the new steward was setting the things in order, getting the truths of the Bible in logical and Scriptural form for presentation, until the last great item of the Hebrew Tabernacle types, was ready. Then, in 1881, he became God’s watchman for all Christendom, and began his gigantic work of witness.
3:17. Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me.—The function of watchmanship was not given until 1881. (Jer. 6:17; Isa. 21:6‐12.) Faithfulness in individual watching during a trial period of seven years was rewarded by the bestowal of the office of the greatest servant whom the Church of God has had since the Apostle Paul. “Whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant.” (Matt. 20:27.) Pastor Russell at all times served the Church in great things and small. No request was too insignificant to get his careful attention. Rich and poor alike were faithfully served in every possible way. This work prior to 1881 was a great work for any ordinary man, but insignificant compared with what was to follow. By 1884 the watchman’s work had grown to such proportions as to cause the founding of THE WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY. This is the agency through which God’s appointed watchman has delivered his message to Christendom. Pastor Russell paid no attention to the words or opinions of man, however learned or pious, whether men of modern days or the “early fathers” of post‐apostolic times. He listened to the word direct from the mouth of God, spoken by holy men of old as moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21.) Ezekiel was raised up shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem to warn the Hebrews of the impending calamity. Pastor Russell’s warning to Christendom, coming direct from God, has been of the imminent collapse of the present “Christian” civilization in a welter of war, revolution and anarchy, to be succeeded by the early establishment of the Kingdom of God. In all his warnings he claimed no originality. He said that he could never have written his books himself. It all came from God, through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
3:18. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.—Pastor Russell saw and revived the teaching of the Word of God that death is death. “All have sinned.” (Rom. 3:23.) “Death passed upon all.” (Romans 5:12.) “The wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23.) “There is none righteous.” (Rom. 3:10.) “The dead sleep in the dust.” (Isa. 26:19.) “Their thoughts perish.” (Psa. 146:4.) He taught clearly the Word of God first enunciated to Adam, “Thou shalt surely die.” (Gen. 2:17.) Man is not inherently immortal. At death he is dead, unconscious, asleep until the resurrection, not “more alive than ever,” as taught by a blinded and apostate priestcraft. Man, soul and body, is not a being whom God cannot destroy. “Fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body.” (Matt. 10:28.) To all erring mankind Pastor Russell was directed by God to reiterate the Divine penalty for sin, as death, and not eternal torment. This was a fundamental part of the message both of Ezekiel and of Pastor Russell.
3:19. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.—Pastor Russell faithfully warned the wicked. He published a complete exposition of the Bible statements regarding the Adamic death—3,000,000 copies of a pamphlet, “What Say the Scriptures About Hell,” quoting all Bible passages mentioning Sheol and Hades, the death state. He scarcely ever spoke in public without dwelling on this cardinal tenet, that the dead are dead. To the very best of his ability he taught Christendom the truth. By faithful testimony he delivered himself from liability.
3:20, 21. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.—Another cardinal teaching of God’s Word, clearly taught by Pastor Russell, is the nature of the eternal punishment to be visited upon the incorrigible backslider. Clergy, bishops and popes have taught for centuries on this subject an irrational combination of extreme symbolism with gross literalism, as suited their ambition to exercise worldly power and hold the masses in subjection—minds, bodies and pocketbooks. They have interpreted one symbolism symbolically and the next literally. They have said that the “Lake of Fire” and the “torment” are literal, but that the “beast” and the “false prophet” are symbolic (Rev. 19:20), even though it involved the absurdity of a symbolic beast going into a literal lake of fire! Blind and deaf to those who have pointed out the unreasonableness of such foolishness, they have turned savagely upon those that have the Truth. In eighteen centuries they have killed fifty million adherents of Christ, and persecuted innumerable others. It is impossible to compute the number that they will do to death in this, the close of the Gospel‐Age Harvest, when governmental protection shall be withdrawn from lovers of truth, except that, this time, they will get all such!
An important feature of Pastor Russell’s teaching is that the Scriptural punishment of the incorrigibly wicked is not life in torment but oblivion, annihilation, the “second death” (Rev. 21:8); that every one is, either in this life or after the resurrection, to be brought to a full knowledge of the Truth (1 Tim. 2:4); to receive some measure of the Holy Spirit; that those who incur the extreme penalty for sin will be only those who backslide beyond recovery. In full conformity with Ezekiel’s prophecy Pastor Russell taught that “when a righteous man doth commit iniquity, he shall die”—the Second Death.
3:22. And the hand of the Lord was there upon me; and He said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.—Ezekiel was impelled by the Holy Spirit to depart from the river Chebar with its teeming activities. Pastor Russell’s consecration led him to separate himself from commercial activities and to give his life to the service of God. The hand of the Lord was upon him to do this. The Lord’s people, the Hebrews, mingled with the Chaldeans, living in the plain—literally “vale” or “valley.” Pastor Russell turned from ordinary avocations to all the people dwelling in the Valley of the Shadow of Death (Psa. 23:4); and in that condition God communed with His true Watchman. Pastor Russell has been known to pass entire nights in prayer, and go about his work the next day as though nothing unusual had taken place.—Rev. 3:14.
3:23. Then I arose, and went forth into the plain; and, behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.—Continually the vision was before Pastor Russell of the character, plan and work of the Almighty. Daily he renewed his covenant of consecration and daily sought to carry it out.
3:24. Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.—A thought possesses propulsive power, and must result in action unless hindered by an opposing thought. The Spirit, thoughts, words of God were continually entering, from the Bible, into Pastor Russell’s mind and setting him into action. All who have set themselves apart to do the will of God and have received the Holy Spirit, are members of Christ, in the House of Sons (Heb. 3:6), the Royal Priesthood. In the consecration of the typical priesthood, the priest shut himself in the Tabernacle for seven days. (Lev. 8:33.) (Seven symbolizes completeness.) So Christ and those in Him abide continually in the antitypical Holy, the spirit‐begotten condition. Pastor Russell lived in the Spirit from his consecration to his death.
3:25. But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them.—Each forward step in any branch of knowledge renders institutions based on past partial knowledge functionless; and consequently the adherents and beneficiaries of such institutions oppose the march of events. The clergy, trying to stem the tide of Truth, to uphold an effete ecclesiasticism tottering to its fall, put every restraint upon the influence of Pastor Russell; but the bands upon him served also to bind the tares more tightly into the organization bundles. (Matt. 13:30.) In fulfillment of the prophetic parable the bundles are to be destroyed in the anarchy about to ensue. Church members have been urged to get rid of every scrap of paper bearing the Message of Present Truth; the Truth has been preached against in practically every church in the English, German and Swedish speaking world; people have been warned against reading the Truth; Truth people have been discharged or refused employment; in Europe they have been imprisoned at hard labor; some have been done to death by firing squads; they have been forbidden to hold meetings. Neither Pastor Russell nor his fellow‐believers were permitted to utter the Bible Truth before the congregations of ecclesiasticism. It was not to go out among “them,” and his greatest work was the deepening of the spirit of consecration among those of the “House of Sons.”
3:26. And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover; for they are a rebellious house.—It is impossible to witness spiritual things to the carnally‐minded (1 Cor. 3:1; John 16:12). But Pastor Russell never refrained from speaking or publishing the Word of God. The Bible teaches that the service of God must be of a willing heart. It is a privilege which may be accepted or rejected, as the hearer desires. Yet to the worldly, Pastor Russell was as “dumb”, for they would not hear.
Ezekiel 4—The Papal And Protestant Sieges
4:1. Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the city, even Jerusalem.—In Ezekiel’s days, in Chaldea, a book was a collection of inscribed tiles. The Laodicean servant was to be a writer of books. In many articles and chapters on the kingdoms of this world and their judgment and fall, and that of their ecclesiastical, political and business systems, Pastor Russell portrays Christendom, typically spoken of as Jerusalem. It bore the Lord’s name, but was defiled by the evil practices of its inhabitants. (C. 295.) As a type, Jerusalem represents particularly the ecclesiastical phase of Christendom.
4:2. And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it, set the camp also against it, and set battering rams against it round about.—Ecclesiasticism was to experience prolonged siege by a class symbolized by Ezekiel. The siege was to be conducted by Truth, encompassing the stronghold of the nominal city of God. Beleaguered ecclesiasticism was to go through experiences like that of a besieged city shut off from its province, shorn of its actual dominion, while nominally retaining it, cut off from the supplies that had flowed from the tributary peoples. In addition to the slow weakening of a close besiegement, it was to withstand occasional assaults, make sorties and go through a period of warfare, with only one possible end, the utter destruction of the city. The besieged city was surrounded on every side with a line of military works, trenches, palisades and forts, collectively called a fort; from which, especially from the principal center of offense, it was continually harassed by wearing‐down activities and assaulted by surprise attacks. So ecclesiasticism was to be surrounded and placed on the defensive, by strongly entrenched and fortified enemies. “God is our fortress.” (2 Sam. 22:2.) It was to be done by a class of progressive and liberty‐loving Christians in revolt against and attack upon the intolerance, superstition, and tyranny of priestcraft.
Ancient cities were surrounded by high walls, with frequent towers for watchmen, spearmen, bowmen and slingmen. The walls, in emergencies, were lined with such fighters and with throwers of boulders and firebrands. The attack was made upon a weak point in the wall; and an earthen mound or mounds was cast up to furnish an elevation from which to equalize for the besiegers the advantages of the defenders. The walls of ecclesiasticism are its defense of creeds and of formalism and, not least of all, of the civil powers and the men who stand as a bulwark against attack. A “mount” symbolizes a government. (Dan. 2:44, 45.) The nation (mount) was organized, militant Protestantism. The camp is the temporary abiding place of those who are fighting on the Lord’s side. (Heb. 13:13.) A battering ram was a device for battering down the wall of a city to make a breach for the attack of the soldiery. Ecclesiasticism has surrounded itself with walls of living stones, soldiers, police and other officers of the civil powers who protect the churches and church people (Isa. 59:10), educators to build up belief in ecclesiasticism, writers to write articles and books, and a host of other adherents and supporters. In the siege of ecclesiasticism the Lord’s yeomen have attacked aggressively with books, newspapers, missionaries, lectures and education; seeking to loosen and dislodge some of the living stones surrounding organized error.—Jer. 6:6.
4:3. Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city; and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.—An iron pan, literally a “thin plate,” was between besieging Protestantism and beleaguered ecclesiasticism. “They were holpen with a little help” (Dan. 11:34). The civil powers were to stand as a wall of iron protecting the Lord’s people from the persecuting power of ruling priestcraft. No breaches could be made in the wall. It was a “wall of iron.” “No evil shall befall thee.” (Psa. 91:10.) “Greater is He that is for thee than all these that be against thee.” (2 Kings 6:16.) Iron, as in the iron claws and teeth of the beast of Daniel, symbolizes the agencies of an irresistible power. Turning the face toward or against anything was a mark of favor or of disfavor. (Psa. 104:29.) The Lord’s people were resolutely to disfavor established ecclesiasticism and to besiege it from the Reformation to the close of the Harvest. When Ezekiel sees another doing something it usually signifies another than Pastor Russell doing it, but may signify Pastor Russell seeing himself, or the Ezekiel class. The Ezekiel prophecy types and symbolizes Pastor Russell or the Reformer class seeing Pastor Russell or the Reformer class or some member of that class doing the thing typed or symbolized. Here, the Protestant class from the Protestant Reformation down through the Harvest period, is seen systematically and effectually besieging established ecclesiasticism. The house of Israel ordinarily meant the Hebrew nation, the nominal fleshly house of Israel. The Hebrews were divided into the ten tribes (Israel), thoroughly infected with Pagan beliefs and practices, and the two tribes (Judah), holding more closely to Jehovah. In antitype, when both Israel and Judah are mentioned, and the prophecy is intended for an antitypical fulfillment, Israel signifies the Papacy and Judah signifies established Protestantism. Here the sign was to be the whole nominal house of Israel—all professing Christians, Catholics and Protestants.—Z. ’05‐179.
4:4. Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity.—In verses 4 to 6 Israel and Judah are included in the same picture, and signify Papacy and established, corrupted Protestantism. The left side was a sign of less favor. Romanism kept on in sin and kept adding, multiplying evil deeds, until iniquity should come to the full (Gen. 15:16). A day in prophecy signifies a year in fulfillment. (Num. 14:34.) Ezekiel here represents the reformer class which had to endure the iniquities of Papacy, both by persecution and by the shame of seeing professed Christians believing grossest error. The iniquity of Papacy, the house of Israel, lay in the fact that the Reformers had shown them insistent proofs of their wrong course, and yet they continued in their own way, heedless of the Divine warnings. Hence less favor has been felt by Jehovah toward them than toward Protestantism.
4:5. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.—Upon the reform element was laid the burden of seeing the dupes of Papal priestcraft continually learning and living error. This was a burden upon conscience, and was repugnant to the enlightened mind of the reform element, known for centuries, in name at least, as Protestant. Priestcraft of the larger division of Christendom was to be under attack for 390 years, during which time the besieging element, the reformers, were to be protected from Papacy by the “iron wall” of the civil powers. This began in 1528 and ends in 1918. The year 1528 is one of the turning points of history. Protestantism in England and in Germany was in the balance. The sudden rise of Charles V of Germany to great power had emboldened Pope Clement to side with Charles. He induced the Emperor to support a measure designed to limit the spread of Protestantism, to be followed by its utter destruction. Under the proposed law no Protestant was to convert a Romanist to the reformed faith, nor would it be allowable for Protestantism to spread to other countries. It meant for all Protestants an end such as the Huguenots came to in France, the suppression of the Renaissance with its “increase of knowledge” (Dan. 12:4), and the end of the prosperous and comparatively enlightened civilization of modern times. The future of the whole world, and of the Divine Plan, was at stake! A general war was barely avoided to destroy Lutheranism. Philip Landgrave of Saxony discovered the plot, took arms, and in 1528 forced indemnity from a Catholic bishop. Other princes of Germany stood with Philip.
To quote from Dr. Peter Bayne, LL. D., the historian (“Martin Luther”), page 486: “These (the princes of the reformed faith) were inflexibly determined that the decree of the majority should not be assented to. Philip of Hesse, John of Saxony, Markgraf George the Pious of Brandenburg‐ Anspach, the Dukes of Lunenburg and Brunswick, the Prince of Anhalt, and the representatives of Strasburg, Nurnberg and twelve other free cities, entered a solemn protest against the prospective revolution. They were called Protestants! All, to this hour, who claim that Truth shall be unveiled, and that no Pope, or Kaiser, shall congeal the ever‐advancing stream of progress and improvement, may take an honorable pride in tracing their spiritual descent to the intrepid Philip and the magnanimous and simple‐hearted John.” (p. 481): “How thoroughly is the whole pageant of that war, 1528, erased from the memory of the present generation! And yet the effect of those events is not yet exhausted; nor would it be possible for any one without forming some comprehension of them, to understand how link added itself to link in the evolutionary chain of modern history.”
Thus Germany set up the iron wall of civic defense between the besieging Protestants and beleaguered Papacy. In England, too, the other great empire which has stood as an iron wall between the reform element and Papacy, the break with Rome began to take form in 1528. This was the year when Pope Clement appointed his legates, Correggio and Wolsey, to conduct the divorce trial of Queen Katherine of Aragon, at the behest of Henry VIII. (Rev. 8:8, 9.) As God raised up a willful, stubborn Pharaoh when He purposed to deliver the Hebrews from Egypt, so He raised up the lustful Henry VIII as the agent through whom the break should come between England and Rome. “The natural result” [of Henry’s divorce proceedings], says A. F. Pollard, the historian, in his “Henry VIII,” “was the separation of England from Rome.” Thus did Divine wisdom use “the wrath of man to praise Him” and cause the “iron wall” of the civil, military and naval powers of the British Empire, Germany, and of the United States, to stand an impregnable barrier against the persecuting power of Great Babylon. Safe behind the iron wall, the reform element was able to live and grow in its camp and to keep up its siege of Roman Catholic priestcraft.
4:6. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.—The right side signifies less disfavor than to Papacy. The house of Judah represents Protestantism, the Protestant churches. Until 1878, when cast off by the returned and present Messiah, Protestantism enjoyed Divine favor, just as the two tribes, collectively called Judah, did as compared with the idolatrous ten tribes of Israel. After 1874 the Present Truth took the form of a general overhauling of creeds and the announcement of Christ’s Second Presence. This was unanimously rejected by the Protestant churches; and organized Protestant ecclesiasticism from 1878 on for forty years became the Judah of this type, besieged on every side by the reform element, under the leadership of the steward of Divine Truth, Pastor Russell. Until 1918, Hebrew reckoning, beginning in the fall of 1917, the civil powers continue as a “wall of iron,” protecting the Lord’s people in their witness against error.—Rev. 3:14; B. 66, 91.
4:7. Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and thine arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it.—The Ezekiel class, the true Protestant reform class, during the 390 and the 40 years set themselves to the attack upon priestcraft. Pastor Russell seldom spoke without some words of objection to or warning about ecclesiasticism. The arm symbolizes power (E. 50, 47) and the uncovering of the arm is as when a man takes off his coat in attacking a task. The siege was to be carried on with energy. The reform element was to preach continually, not condoning or excusing priestcraft, but directly and pointedly attacking it.
4:8. And, behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege.—God bound His true people to this work. The reform element were not to change their attitude, but continually to keep at the attack upon ecclesiastical corruption until the siege should end in 1918. The Hebrew year 1918, begins in October, 1917.
4:9. Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side; three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.—These grains represent different grades of spiritual food, each kind of food to be eaten by the kind of Christian represented by the food. Wheat represents the true Gospel of the Kingdom, as in the parable of the sower (Matt. 13:1‐30), and is the food of the Little Flock. Barley among the Hebrews was little esteemed, for it was the price of an adulteress. (Hos. 3:2.) It signifies the spiritual food of a class guilty of spiritual adultery, unhallowed alliance with the world in the bringing forth of “strange” children. (Hos. 5:7.) Beans, lentiles, millet and fitches represent grades of food inferior to wheat (which contains every element to support life) and inferior even to barley. Their continued use as foods, causes physical deficiencies, weaknesses and disease. Lentiles are usually cultivated for fodder. Millet is still inferior. Symbolically it represents Christians who “have no depth of earth.” (Matt. 13:5.) Vetches, sometimes called “tares” or “prickly spelt,” are a very poor food. Their prickly nature suggests a type of hard‐to‐get‐along‐with Christians, and the kind of mental, moral and spiritual food that produces them. In with some of the true wheat, in established churchianity, as shown by verse 16, were to be gathered Christians of various degrees of development, each eating the kind of food corresponding to his Christian development, the wheat class assimilating the best of the Divine Word, and so on down to those who absorbed the poorest grade of spiritual provender, some of it food usually regarded as fit only for animals. This was the food the various classes should subsist on, each according to his capacity, from 1528 to 1918, and from 1878 to 1918.
4:10, 11. And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it. Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of a hin: from time to time shalt thou drink.—A shekel was half an ounce; twenty shekels were ten ounces. A hin was a gallon and a half. The sixth part of a hin was one quart. This was the daily ration, a starvation allowance. They were not to feed on it continuously, but on Sundays, or two or three times a week—“from time to time.” The people would, as a class, have a scanty spiritual subsistence during the siege period.
4:12. And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight.—Cakes, made of this mixture, were used by the very poor in times of scarcity, depicting the scarcity of spiritual food among the followers of ecclesiasticism. The poor, not having stones or ovens, baked their bread or cakes on heated stones or in the fire, or roasted them by placing them between layers of dung, which burns slowly. Only the dung of animals was used ordinarily. No insult or defilement was greater than to turn a man’s house into a receptacle for human excrement. (Deut. 23:12‐14.) Our Lord associated human dung with “that which defileth a man.” (Matt. 15:11.) Luther spoke of the “dunghill of Roman decretals.” The human dung signifies human traditions, clerical additions to the Word of God.
4:13. And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.—The spiritual food, poor as the mixture was, was to be thoroughly defiled.
4:14. Then said I, Ah Lord God! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.—This typifies the heart desire of the reformer class to keep clear of defiling errors.
4:15. Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow’s dung for man’s dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith.—The spiritual food would be unsavory enough.
4:16. Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem; and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure; and with astonishment.—The type enacted by Ezekiel was intended to depict spiritual conditions in ecclesiasticism, Romish after 1528 A. D. and Protestant after 1878 A. D., in Jerusalem (churchianity), the besieged city, where there would be a famine of the Word of God. As prophecies often have a literal as well as a symbolic fulfillment, this refers also to the straitness of the siege of literal Jerusalem and to the literal scarcity of food in the Time of Trouble upon Christendom, with its high cost of living, food dictators and food tickets.—Lev. 26:26.
4:17. That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.—Like as people on poor food in starvation quantities weaken and die, so Christians weaken and die spiritually on the diet provided by priests and clergy.
Ezekiel 5—The Severed Hair Calamities
5:1. And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber’s razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.—This is located “after the days of the siege” of Jerusalem, or in antitype after Romanism’s and Protestantism’s siege is ended in 1918. It had a literal fulfillment in 606 B. C. and is to have a literal and a symbolic fulfillment in and after 1918. It depicts the several kinds of troubles upon Christendom, and the causes provoking them. The shaving of the head represents the affliction of Christendom. (Isaiah 3:17, 20, 24; Jer. 7:29.) The shaving of the beard was part of the ceremonial treatment of a leper (Lev. 14:8, 9), and signifies that after 1918 Christendom will be treated by outraged Justice at a moral leper, unclean with incurable iniquity, the perverseness, which, in the face of continual preaching of the Gospel, led up to the recent wars.
Ezek. 5:2, 12, 16, 17, relate to features of the destruction of literal Jerusalem in 606 B. C. and 70‐73 A. D. and of Christendom in 1914 to 1918 A. D. Since in verse 12 a third part of the persons were to suffer death or affliction, the hair in verses 1, 2 and 3 signifies the people in Jerusalem—Christendom. In Samson’s case the hair represented his strength; and here the hair cut off signifies that the people who are the strength of Christendom shall be cut off in the brief but terribly eventful period beginning in 1918 A. D. A third part are “burned with fire in the midst of the city.” Fire symbolises destruction. One large part of the adherents of ecclesiasticism win die from pestilence and famine. (Deut. 32:24.) In 5:16, 17 the shafts of hunger are represented as the evil arrows of famine. The staff is that upon which one leans; the staff of bread is the food supply of Christendom. In 1916 there was already a 25 per cent. crop shortage throughout the world, presaging worse conditions to come. In verse 18 the evil beasts sent upon Christendom are the savage “Christian” governments of the world (Deut. 32:24), which, by unheard‐of barbarity in war, are bereaving the people by millions and causing bloodshed unparalleled in history.
5:2. Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.—A third part of the hair was to be smitten with a knife. See 5:12. This represents people not definitely in or under ecclesiasticism, but associated with it, favoring it, and benefiting from it These are to be smitten with the sword drawn for destruction of life in the Time of Trouble. A considerable portion of the people will be separated by the winds of warfare and commotion from all connection with churchianity. These have been connected with, sympathizers with, or beneficiaries from churchianity. This class also will be involved in the bloodshed of the “great tribulation.”—Matt. 24:21; Rev. 7:14.
5:3, 4. Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts. Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.—To bind in the skirts is a symbol of close affiliation. A few adherents of churchianity will affiliate themselves with those believing Present Truth, but so searching will be the circumstances of the trouble period that none not at heart “in Present Truth” (2 Pet. 1:12) will be able to remain in the protection overshadowing the Lord’s people. These few will be separated, and finally become involved in the destruction upon all supporters of, sympathizers with and beneficiaries of churchianity. Not one shall escape; it will be upon “all the house of Israel.” Babylon’s conflagration will be hastened by the adherents here described. After 1918 the people supporting churchianity will cease to be its supporters, be destroyed as adherents, by the spiritual pestilence of errors abroad, and by the famine of the Word of God among them. The Sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17), which is the Word of God, will be wielded in the hands of “Present Truth” believers in such a manner as to cause conscientious supporters of ecclesiasticism to cease to be supporters.
5:5. Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.—God, through the increase of knowledge, the Renaissance, and the dynamic power of belief in the Word of God, has set up Christendom on a pinnacle of power in the midst of the heathen nations or the world.
5:6. And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them.—God taught Christendom the principles of Justice and gave her His law of Divine, self‐sacrificing love—“A new law, that ye love one another.” (John 13:34.) Relatively to the light of Christendom and heathendom, Christendom is far the more wicked; for, having the instructions, exhortations and examples of the Bible, she has both refused them and not walked in them.
5:7. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in My statutes, neither have kept My judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you.—Christendom under the blessing of God has multiplied in material things and in knowledge more than heathendom, and yet has not only not walked in God’s Law of Love, but has not lived up to the standards of righteousness and justice of the heathen. Chinese are more reliable in business engagements than are Christians. Some tribes in Africa are more moral sexually than are whites, and explorers have noted the natural kindness of the negroes of Nyassa and Soudan.
5:8. Therefore thus saith the Lord God: behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.—Because of Christendom’s wickedness against light, God is against this system calling itself by Christ’s holy name, and will execute upon it judgment of such unprecedented awfulness as to constitute a lasting lesson to “uncivilized” peoples.
5:9. And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations.—The punishments come because of churchianity’s illicit union of church and state, termed spiritual “fornication” (Rev. 17:2); her licensing of liquor, vice and crime; her doctrines of devils (1 Tim. 4:1), such as eternal torment, inherent immortality and Trinity; her desolating abomination in the Romish mass (Matt. 24:15); and her Phariseeism in the face of wilful butchery of millions.
5:10, 11. Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds. Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord God; Surely, because thou hast defiled My Sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall Mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity.—The Hebrew sanctuary or temple typed the Christian Sanctuary class, the Church of living stones (1 Pet. 2:5), the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16, 17.) True Christianity, pure in apostolic days, was defiled (2 Chr. 36:14) with practices and doctrines detestable and abominable to God, until now it is termed “the great whore,” (apostate church of Romanism) and the daughters “harlots” (Protestant churches). (Rev. 17:5.) Divine Justice will not spare nor pity, until upon Christendom has been visited all the righteous blood of hundreds of millions of victims of her long centuries of unchristian wars and persecutions.
5:12, 13. A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. Thus shall Mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause My fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in My zeal, when I have accomplished My fury in them.—Job hoped for the time when God’s wrath should be past. (Job 14:13.) The wrath of God will be over forever when this trouble time is past. (Isa. 10:25.) Divine Justice will be comforted, will rest, having accomplished its sentence of death, with the accompaniments of sickness, sorrow, tears and degradation, mental, moral and physical, upon the human race.
5:14‐17. Moreover I will make thee waste, and a reproach among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all that pass by. So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the Lord have spoken it. When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread: So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the Lord have spoken it.—Christendom is to be laid waste by war, revolution, anarchy, famine (Luke 21:26), and pestilence, from end to end. Her vaunted and envied eminence will pass, through self‐destruction, due to false ideals of honor, into a desolation causing the taunts and reproaches of the heathen, and being to the heathen nations a cause of astonishment and source of instruction. The fury of God’s anger against her appears in the expression “in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes.”
Ezekiel 6—Sword—Famine—Pestilence
6:1‐4. And the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.—This chapter relates to the Divine wrath, after 1918 A. D., upon the governments, symbolically called “mountains and hills,” and the rivers, the denominations.
6:5‐7. And I will lay the dead carcasses of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars. In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.—All state churches are to be destroyed, literally by the sword, and by the truth about them in the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit. (2 Ki. 23:13‐22.) At the tops of the hills and mountains, the governments, are the altars, the centers of the nation’s worship. Great sacrifices are made by the masses to maintain these altars.
6:8. Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.—Heathendom will be the safest place on earth in the time of Zion’s travail! (Jer. 44:28.)
6:9. And they that escape of you shall remember Me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from Me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.—God has completely broken relations with the churches, which with heart and eye have “departed from Me.”
6:10. And they shall know that I am the Lord, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.—After the trouble is over, the survivors will have a thousand years in which to recognize the hand of God.
6:11. Thus saith the Lord God; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel: for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.—The attitude of the Lord’s true people, “the mourners in Zion” (Isa. 61:3), is that of righteous indignation against the abominations of Christendom.
6:12. He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish My fury upon them.—In spite of the manifest judgments of God, the devotees of Mystic Babylon, “Christians,” will not turn to God but, while doing reverence and rendering service to their altars and idols, will be overtaken by literal sword, famine and pestilence (Jer. 15:2) and by the spiritual Sword of the Spirit, by starvation from the lack of God’s Word, and by pestilential doctrines.—Psa. 91:6, 7.
6:13. Then shall ye know that I am the Lord, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols.—In the Roman and Greek churches the idols, images and ikons are literal. There are other idols in all the churches—power, prestige, social position, clerical honor, gold, worldly education, etc. As in the Tabernacle types, zealous, obedient sacrifice caused a “sweet savor” to rise to God, so the same service raises a sweet savor to the idols of Christendom. The “green trees” and “thick oaks” were favorite objects of idolatry (Jer. 2:20; Hos. 4:13), and typed the worship of prominent preachers and other men.—Psalm 37:35.
6:14. So will I stretch out My hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations; and they shall know that I am the Lord.—Christendom is to be made more desolate than the wilderness surrounding Palestine, wiped off the face of the earth, to make way for the New Order of things, “the world to come” (Heb. 2:5), “wherein dwelleth righteousness.”—2 Pet. 3:13.