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Chosen no: R-3415 a, from: 1904 Year. |
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The Harvest And Gentile Times.
QUESTION.--If the "Times of the
Gentiles" can be changed as suggested in the July TOWER, so that the
anarchy will follow 1914 A.D.,
instead of preceding it, might not similar changes be made in respect to all
the various lines of prophetic time-proof set forth in MILLENNIAL DAWN, Vols.
II. and III?
Answer.--You are
entirely in error. Not a figure, not a date, not a prophecy is in any sense or
degree affected by the article to which you refer. Indeed the harmony and unity
of the whole is the more fully demonstrated. Read again the article you refer
to, "Universal Anarchy, etc." (July 1 issue), and you surely will see
this. If it is not apparent to you upon a further study let us know the
particular point of your difficulty and we will endeavor to make it
plain.
The harmony of the prophetic periods is one of
the strongest proofs of the correctness of our Bible chronology. They fit
together like the cog-wheels of a perfect machine. To change the chronology
even one year would destroy all this harmony,--so accurately are the various
proofs drawn together in the parallels between the Jewish and Gospel
ages. It would affect the ending of the Jubilee Cycles, the 1335 days, the 2300
days and the Times of the Gentiles, throwing out of gear all the wonderful
harmonies of these in the "Parallel Dispensations." [R3415 : page 251]
We commend to you a fresh and careful study of
the presentations of DAWNS, Vols. II. and III., on these points. Evidently the
time features of Present Truth all stand or all fall together, and we see no
weakness or signs of their falling: on the contrary everything throughout the
world is confirmatory of them.
And while it is true that the great mass of
Present Truth is in many respects entirely independent of our "times and
seasons," nevertheless they are so related that the latter are almost necessary to explain the former. For instance, without recognizing that we are now living
in the "harvest" of the Gospel Age and in the parousia of the
Son of Man, how could we account for our great increase in knowledge respecting
the various features of the divine plan?
The easiest and best explanation of the
"feast" now spread before us as the Lord's "household of
faith" (indeed the only reasonable one) is that the Lord is now fulfilling
his promise recorded in Luke 12:37:
"Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find
watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself [as their servant]
and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them." While
these "things new and old" are handed from one servant to another and
to the entire household, can any of us doubt that the Master himself is
dispensing the delicious viands which so refresh us?
And if this be so it is a proof that we are in
the "harvest" or end of this age just as surely as similar blessings
marked the "harvest" of the Jewish age. And the times when these
blessings have reached us corroborate the prophetic testimonies respecting when
the harvest began (Oct., 1874
A.D.) and when it will end (Oct., 1914 A.D.), a period of 40
years, just as was the Jewish harvest. Unlike error, these things stand
investigation and the more searching the investigation the more satisfactory
will the results be, we believe, to those who are in the right attitude of
heart --to those who seek not to cavil, but to know the mind of the Lord. To
the "Israelites indeed" it is now "given to know" these things which are still mysteries to the world. Only "the pure in
heart," the thoroughly sincere, the honest, are in the position to have
the "ear to hear" this "knock" of the heavenly One (Rev. 3:20); only those who have the eyes of their
understanding opened can discern the presence of our King; only those who
hunger and thirst for the Truth can properly relish things new and old, now so
bountifully provided. These privileges are now restricted to the "meek and
lowly of heart," and these conditions must be maintained or else this
special hearing, sight and taste will be lost. Such loss in the Scriptures is
styled "outer darkness" --the darkness and confusion in which we see
the whole world now to be; but from which, thank God, there will be a rescue
"in the morning"--when the Sun of Righteousness shall shine clearly
forth, turning the outer-darkness into outer-light. But for such, meantime,
there is necessarily a great "shaking" and "horror of great
darkness" and trouble.
W.T.
R-3415a : page 250 - 1904r.