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REMARKS ON THE FOREGOING
Thus,
we see the attention of the whole world is being drawn to the
restitution of the Jews, now commencing. The attention of all
thinking Christians is being drawn to it. The leading religious
papers--such as the "Independent"--find
the interest in the subject so great, that, though hitherto they have
shown opposition to Millenarian views, yet now they are calling
attention to this marked fulfillment of prophecy now in progress.
Yet, though they see this, they fail entirely to grasp the import of
it. Lord S., in closing his remarks, came much nearer the real import
of the Jewish exodus than do most thinkers on the subject, when he
said, "This persecution is a sign of the end --of the great end,
which, God be praised, cannot be far off." Yes, it is a sign of
the end--the end of this age, and the beginning of the age of
restitution --the Millennium. It is a sign of the end of "the
present evil world," or dispensation
of evil. It is the precursor of the World to come--the dispensation of truth
and righteousness, in which Jesus and his Bride-- the spiritual seed
of Abraham (Gal.
3:29.)
--shall reign over, and bless all the families of the earth, through Israel, after the flesh, who must first be restored to influence, and
power.
Israel is the
anti-typical "fig tree," cursed and blighted by the Master,
because it bore only leaves; and it is Israel that he refers to
again, saying, When ye see the fig tree putting forth leaves, then
know that summer is nigh--then lift up your heads and rejoice, for your
redemption draweth nigh. (Luke
21:28-31; Mark
11:13,14.)
Note the wonderful adaptation of the fig tree as an illustration of
Israel's returning favor. It puts forth its fruit before its leaves
appear; and when the leaves appear, the fruit is ripe. It is a staple
article of food, and also possesses medicinal qualities. So Israel
begins to show marked signs of the approaching summer. And when the
rich foliage of God's favor covers Israel, and is manifest to all,
she will be ripe and ready for the work of blessing, feeding, and
healing the nations according to God's plan. Jesus, seeing the leaves
on the fig tree, had a right to expect ripe fruit, especially as the
"time for (harvesting) figs was not yet" fully come. So
with Israel, when cursed, they were full of leaves, or professions
and appearance of faithfulness; but when searched in their harvest
time, were found lacking fruit--and cursed for the age.
Yes, Earth's winter time,
with its cold, and blight, and storms, is nearly over; the gracious,
and fruitful, and beautiful Summer is nigh. Spring has come; the fig
tree is "putting forth"; yet we must look for more storms,
more trouble, just as in nature, the Spring equinoxial storm is one
of the most severe. Jacob (Israel after the flesh) is to be delivered
during a great "time of trouble, such as never was since there
was a nation." "It is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but
he shall be saved out of it." (Jer.
30:7; Dan.
12:1.)
It
is very remarkable that Christian people cannot appreciate Paul's
statement, that the fleshly house were cast off from God's favor
during the time his favor has been manifest to the spiritual house.
How strange that they cannot see from this return of favor to
"Jacob," that the end of favor toward the spiritual house
has come--that the end ("harvest") of the Gospel age
is now upon us.
Like
some of old, the church today cannot "discern the signs of the
times." (Matt.
16:3.)
But it was then, as now, the nominal
church which discerned not. Those truly taught of God are, to that extent,
not in darkness." Ye, brethren, [brethren in Christ, holding communion with God, through his Word,
which is able to make wise] are not in darkness." (1
Thes. 5:4.)
The great mass of the
Church see the signs now taking place, but are so blinded by their
creeds and traditions, that they cannot "discern" or
understand them. How clear to the unfettered and discerning mind are
the words of Paul: "I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery...that blindness in part is
happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in, and
so [then] all Israel shall be saved." [No one can question that
Paul refers to the blinding of fleshly Israel, and consequently to the saving, or bringing back to God's
favor, of that people. But one of the most pointed things in this
expression is, that this saving of fleshly Israel, will not
be "until the fullness"--full number "of the Gentiles be come
in." In other words, the restoration of the fleshly house to the earthly
promises, cannot take place until the Gospel call to the heavenly promises has ended, by accomplishing the work of selecting a people for his
name--the Bride of Christ.] Paul proceeds, and adds to the strength
of his own statement of God's plan, by quoting from the prophets: "As
it is written, there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer [the Christ, head and body complete--the Bridegroom and Bride made one--the
great Deliverer, both of Israel and the world, who will set at
liberty the captives of death], and shall [first] turn away
ungodliness from Jacob; for this is my covenant with them, when I
shall take away their sins." Rom.
11:25-33.
Compare this with James' statement, Acts
15:14-18.
After referring to the taking out of the Bride from the Gentiles--"a
people for his
name"--
James quotes a prophecy, which will be due
to be fulfilled after the Bride, for his name has been selected, saying: "After
this, I
will return [cause my favor to return to Israel], and will build
again the tabernacle [house --nation] of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the
ruins thereof, and I will set it up [Note well why God will rebuild Israel], that the residue of men might seek after
the Lord."
Truly,
then, the re-gathering of Israel is a sign of the end of this age --a sign that we are living in the harvest time, for "the
harvest is the end of the age." (Matt.
13:39.)
Let those who deny the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy
prophets, take notice that the restoration of the Jew to the Canaan
land of promise, is only a beginning of the work of restoring all
nations and all things. "For the Lord will save the tents of
Judah first." (Zech.
12:7.)
The restoration of the living is only a first part of restitution,
for "all
nations shall come and worship before thee." This will include the
dead--"There shall be a resurrection (anastasis--
bringing up to perfection) of the dead, both of the just and the
unjust." (Acts
24:15.)
But
as Israel was thirty-seven years in falling, viz., from A.D. 33, when
Jesus gave them up and left desolate their house, to A.D. 70, when
their national existence ended; so we expect that they will be
thirty-seven years in rising, or from 1878 to 1914, the end of the
times of the Gentiles. This time of their re-gathering and
restitution to favor, will be a time of great trouble--it is even the
time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be delivered out of it. As when
they came out of Egypt over three thousand years ago, it was in the
midst of great trial and distress; so now their deliverance will be,
not without its distress, as it is written--"According to the
days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him
marvelous things: the nations shall see and be confounded at all
their might." (Micah
7:15.)
But
we are also told, that the exodus now from among all nations, will be
so much more a marked manifestation of God's favor than that from
Egypt, that the latter, which has heretofore been the great and
marked feature of Israel's history, will sink into comparative
insignificance, when compared with the coming deliverance from among
the nations. Thus we read: "Behold, the days come, saith the
Lord, that it shall no more be said, the Lord liveth that brought up
the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but the Lord liveth
that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north
[Russia], and from all the lands whither he had driven them. And I
will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their
fathers." Jer.
16:14,15.
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