tihxavy of Che trheolo^ical ^mxmry PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY PRESENTED BY Mr. Charles Cruser 0 ^4, t The Harp of God A text-book for Bible study specially adapted for use of beginners; with numerous questions and Scripture citations By J. R Rutherford Author of Creation Deliverance Where are the Dead? Comfort for the Jews Our Lord's Return HeU etc 5,595,500 Edition Ptiblishers International Bible Students Association Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. Also London. Toronto, Melbourne. Cape Town. Berne, Magdeburg, etc. To the invisible King of Glory now present in the interest of the generation now on earth who wlU become his loyal subjects this book is dedicated *7 charge thee therefore before God, md the Lord Jestis Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdoin,'* — 2 Tim. 4 : 1. Copyrighted 1921 by Peoples Pulpit Association Brooklyn, N. Y., U. S. A. Made in U. S. A. 1928 Preface There is need of a text-book for beginners In Bible study. This book is intended to meet that long-felt want. The subject matter is arranged progressively and orderly. A list of questions follows each point discussed, thus enabling the teacher to direct the mind of the student to the subject under consideration. The numeral following each question refers to the paragraph of the text where the answer may be found, each paragraph being numbered to correspond. Jehovah had a great plan before the foundation of the world; but no one knew about it. During the first four thousand years of man's history God's plan was kept a secret. He began to reveal it to man nearly nineteen hun- dred years ago, and then only to those who have consecrated to do his will. Promise was made that greater light should come at the end of the age, and this promise has been kept. We are at that time, as is clearly proven by the contents herein. This book points out the salient features of the divine plan, which plan is both orderly and progressive. People generally have not been thoroughly instructed in the Bible. Even those who have attended the Sunday schools have merely learned the text and not the meaning of tlie text. Like the prophets of old, they have heard but under- stood not. The real reason for these conditions is that God's plan could not be understood until his due time to reveal it. His due time is here. Because of the dispensational change taking place at this time, Bible study was never so important as now. If im- portant to educate the rising generation in the things taught in our common schools, with stronger reasoning is it im- portant to educate them concerning that which is now being revealed of the divine program for the uplifting and bless- ing of mankind. There is no disposition, desire, nor attempt to induce any one reading this book to become a member of any organi- zation, sect, or denomination. The sole purpose of the book Preface is to aid honest seekers for truth in their endeavors to understand the Bible, to learn the meaning of the present- day events, and to prepare some at least to receive the blessings that are soon due to mankind. If you knew that there was to be a radical change in the government for the better, and that your children miglit have a part in the affairs of the new government, you would be anxious for them to acquire all the knowledge possible concerning the new order of things. The greatest changes of the ages are now taking place. It is conceded by everybody that these changes began with the World War and that they continue. But what do they mean? The real answer is that the old world, or social and political order, has ended and is passing away, and that a new and better order is due and will shortly be established. Every parent owes it to his child to instruct him insofar as possi- ble concerning the incoming new order or government. The contents of this book will start you in the right way. The subject matter herein treated is not discussed at great length. The interested reader is referred to the Studies in the Scriptures and kindred publications of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, wherein these mat- ters are treated in greater detail. The King James Version of the Bible is used in the quotations, except as otherwise indicated. The reader should consider each point herein made with his Bible before him, proving each proposition, that he may be thoroughly convinced in his own mind. Tlie harp is an instrument which, when used by a skilled performer, brings happiness and cheer to those who listen. The harp of God, when understood and skilfully used, brings peace of mind and gladness of heart. The title of this book suggests the thought of good cheer and happiness. The message herein contained, taken from the Word of God, is sent forth with the prayer that it may be a blessing to many, that it may cheer some who are sad, bind up some broken hearts, comfort some that mourn, and give all who earnestly read a deeper appreciation of Jehovah and the Savior of mankind. Brooklyn^ N, Y., October 1, 1921, Contents The Harp of God 11 Creation 27 Justice Manifested ,^ 85 The Abrahamic Promise 63 The Birth of Jesus 73 The Ransom , 115 Resurrection 153 ]\Iystery Revealed 185 Our Lord's Return „- „ 215 Glorification of the Church 285 Restoration S25 The Harp of God CHAPTER I "7 will incline mine ear to a parable; I will open my dark saying upon the harp,** — Psalm 49:4. THE harp is a musical instrument invented many centuries ago. When properly strung and played upon it yields sweet music, making glad the heart. The first mention of the harp made in the Bible is in Genesis 4: 21, and the inventor's name was Jubal. He was therefore called *Hhe father of all such as handle the harp and organ". 2 It was 1812 years before the coming of Jesus in the flesh that God organized the twelve tribes of Israel, the descendants of Jacob, into a nation, which nation thereafter was loiown as the nation of Israel. It was the only nation with which God made a cove- nant, and he did not recognize any other nation in the same way. (Amos 3:2) The nation of Israel was used to make living pictures or types, foreshadowing better things to come ; and those who study the Scrip- tural account of Israel's experiences are able to ap- proximate closely future events which will be good for mankind. — 1 Corinthians 10 : 1-13 ; Hebrews 10 : 1. * With the nation of Israel the harp was an instru- ment consecrated to joy and exultation. David, who for forty years was king of Israel, was an expert player on the harp, and it will be noted that in the Psalms often the harp is used to symbolize or teach some great truth. The Jews used this instrument on occasions of joy, such as jubilees and festivals. u 12 The Harp of God * Josephus, a writer of Jewish history, is authority for the statement that the harp usually had ten strings, but that at times it was smaller and had only eight strings. The number ten is used in the Scrip- tures to symbolize that which is complete or perfect as pertaining to man. We would understand, then, that the harp with ten strings pictures the great fun- damental truths concerning the divine plan. When two of these strings were absent, there being only eight, the indication is apparently given that there would be a time when two important features of the divine plan would not be seen by men. God promised that greater light should come upon his Word at the end of the age, or end of the world. Since we have reached that time, we confidently look for more light and thus we find it. ^ The book of Revelation is written largely in sym- bols. In Revelation 14 : 2, 3 and 15 : 2, 3 we find a brief description of a class of glorious beings who are plajdng upon their harps, and these are described as the 'harps of God'. The harp here is used as a sign or sj^mbol of some great truth, or feature of the divine program ; in fact, a great deal of the Bible is written in symbolic phrase. The Lord uses objects which we know to illustrate great unseen things which we do not know ; and the harp is so used. WHO IS GOD? * Before we can know God and understand his great plan it is first necessary for us to believe that he exists and that he rewards all who diligently seek him. (He- brews 11 : 6) But how can we believe? We must first have some knowledge. But how can we know that there is a great God? Let us look at some of the simpler things about us and reason upon the matter. The Harp of God 13 ^ Look at the flowers in your garden. Out from the same soil grow the many varieties of diiterent hues and colors. Likewise from the same soil spring the divers kinds of trees, bringing forth different fruits at different seasons of the year. Some wisdom su- perior to man 's must have arranged these things. Observe the broad fields, the lofty mountains, the mighty rivers, and then behold the ocean, exhibiting unlimited power, upon the waves of which majesti- cally ride the great ships. Are we not compelled to conclude that there is a 'wise One, who created these things, greater than anytliing we see ? ^ Now gaze into the silent heavens above you, and there number, if you can, the stars and planets which are noiselessly moving through space. Many of these are far greater than the earth, and yet each one hangs in its place and moves noiselessly about in its orbit. Surely they could not have come there by chance, but the reasonable mind must say that a Creator greater than the planets put them there. When King David looked at these wonders of creation he was so impressed with the greatness of their Creator that he wrote; *'The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowl- edge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.'* —Psalm 19 : 1-4. ® Consider man. What a wonderful piece of mech- anism is his body ! The framework is there ; the mus- cles that hold each part in place; the nerves, like a great electrical system by which messages are con- veyed from the brain to all parts of the body. He has power to reason and to plan and carry out these plans. 14 The Harp of God Truly no machine can be compared to man for intri- cacy of construction and harmony of action. Who, then, is the Creator of this wonderful thing? We must conclude that there is a great First Cause who made and put into action all things visible in the universe, as well as things to us invisible. And who is he ? Jehovah is his name ; the great God of the universe.— Psa. 83 : 18 ; Gen. 17 : 1 ; Ex. 6 : 3 ; 20 : 2-5. The name Jehovah means self-existing one. He is without beginning and without end, and of him Moses wrote: ''Prom everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.'' (Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 26:4) He is the great Almighty Jehovah God and there is none other besides him, and his honor and dignity none other possesses. ( Isaiah 42 : 8 ) He is the great all-wise Creator of all things that are made. ( Isaiah 40 : 28 ; Genesis 1:1) The four great and eternal attributes of Jehovah are justice, power, love, and wisdom. (Ezekiel 1 : 5, 6) These attributes work together in exact har- mony at all times ; and in various times and ways he makes manifest these attributes. At certain times he has specially manifested such attributes. His justice was made manifest by inflicting pun- ishment for the violation of his law. Power was par- ticularly manifested in the great flood that destroyed all things on the earth. His love was especially ex- hibited in the sacrifice of the dearest treasure of his heart, his beloved Son, that mankind might have an opportunity for life. His wisdom is particularly mani- fested in his great plan, which he gradually unfolds and permits man to see. His attributes have no limi- tations. He is so wise that he knew the end from the beginning and outlined all of his great plan to the very minutest detail. — ^Acts 15 : 18. The Harp of God HIS REVELATION It is conceded by all that man is the very highest iy^e of all living creatures on the earth. His intelli- gence is far superior to that of any other earthly being. Truly man is fearfully and wonderfully made. Is it not reasonable for him to expect that the Al- mighty God would reveal to man something of the divine greatness and plans and purposes? Yes, and such revelation is found in that wonderful book, the holy Bible. Who wrote the Bible ? What is known as the Old Testament was written by holy men of old who were moved upon by the invisible power of Jehovah to write it. (2 Peter 1 : 21 ; 2 Samuel 23 : 2 ; Luke 1 : 70) The New Testament consists of the spoken words of Jesus, the Son of God, who 'spake as never man spake,' and whose words were recorded by those who heard him and witnessed his acts ; and in addition thereto, the written testimony of his disciples, who wrote un- der inspiration from God. ^* The holy spirit means the invisible power of Jehovah, holy because he is holy. This power of Jehovah operated upon the minds of honest men who loved and who were devoted to righteousness, direct- ing them in the writing of the Bible. The spirit of God, i. e., his invisible pov/er, moved upon the waters and thereby he created. (Genesis 1:2) In like man- ner his invisible power operated upon the minds of men and directed them what to write. Thus did Moses write the first five books of the Bible. The invisible power of God, which is the holy spirit, op- erating upon Moses ^ mind enabled him to make a record of the chief events that had occurred and to write the law of God, as given to his people through Moses. In no other way could the true history of IG The Harp of God creation have been written. These facts and truths were, therefore, written by inspiration of God. (2 Timothy 3:16; Job 32:8) There are twenty-four prophetic writers of the Old Testament, who foretold the great events that were to transpire in the earth. Their accounts were written at different times and under widely different conditions, yet their testimo- nies agree. Their testimony foreshadowed future events. History, when written, is a recorded statement of facts and events, arranged in a chronological order. Prophecy, which is true, is a statement of facts and events foretold to take place at some future time. Otherwise stated, prophecy is history written before it transpires. No human mind could actually foretell facts or events to happen in the future. Only the di\'ine mind could do that. If, then, we find that the Bible fore- told certain facts and events to happen and the record of the same was made centuries before these facts and events did happen, and these events and facts are now definitely established as having taken place, such would be the strongest proof that the persons record- ing such facts and events were directed in so doing by the divine mind; hence that such writing was under divine inspiration. As an illustration of this point : Wireless teleg- raphy and airships are modern discoveries; yet since they have been discovered we find that God, through his holy prophets, foretold centuries ago the use of such inventions. (Isaiah 60:8) The railway train has been in use less than a hundred years ; and yet God by his prophet many centuries ago fore- told that at "the time of the end" there would be many running to and fro. Without doubt this proph- ecy refers to the rapid transportation, including the The Harp of God 17 railway and other means of modem travel, such as automobiles, electric cars, etc. (Dan. 12:4) There is no one living in modern times who is wiser than Solomon; yet during the past 125 years there have been a great development in invention and a marvel- ous increase of Imowledge, because it is due time, and because the prophets of God centuries ago foretold that such would come to pass. ^® Through his holy prophets God foretold that at a time future there would come into the world a mighty man; that he would be born a Jew (Deuteronomy 18: 15), specifying the place where he would be born (Micah 5:2); that he v/ould come to his own people and they v/ould not receive him; that he would be despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53: 1-3) ; that he would ride into Jerusalem upon an ass, and her colt, and offer himself as king to the Jews (Zechariah 9:9) ; that he would be rejected by the Jews (Isaiah 53 : 3) ; that he would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12) ; that he would die, but not for himself (Daniel 9:26) ; that there would be no just cause for his death (Isaiah 53: 8, 9, 11) ; that never- theless he would be numbered among the transgres- sors (Isaiah 53:12); that he would die a violent death, yet not a bone of his body should be broken (Psalm 34: 20) ; that his flesh would not corrupt and that he would be raised from the dead (Ps. 16: 10) ; all of which and many more similar prophecies were completely fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth, the great Teacher who lived about and died at Jerusalem. Later we shall examine the scriptures proving a further fulfilment of all these prophecies. ^° All of the foregoing facts show that the Bible was written, as it is claimed, by holy men of old, who were 18 The Harp of God directed in writing it by the power of Jehovah, and that it is a record which God caused to be kept and has given to man for his guidance in righteousness, and which foretells the course and final destiny of man. 2^ The prophets v/ho made record of the divine ar- rangement did not understand what they wrote. They knew they v/ere writing something that would take place in the future, but just how and when they did not Imow. They inquired and searched diligently all sources of information open to them as to what these prophecies meant and when they would be fulfilled and in what manner of time. Particularly with ref- erence to the coming of Jesus, his suffering, death and resurrection they prophesied and did not understand, although they attempted to understand. (1 Peter 1: 10-12) Even the angels of heaven Imew that the prophets were thus writing, but they did not understand, although they desired to look into these things. God revealed his great plan only in his own due time, and until that time he kept it all to himself. The divine plan means the arrangement made by Jehovah for the creation of everything that has been created and for carrying out his purposes with ref- erence to his creatures. The first one to understand the divine plan was Jesus, who prior to coming to earth was known as the Logos, which means one who fipealts and acts for Jehovah. In Revelation, chapter 5, a wonderful picture is given in symbolic language. Jehovah is pictured as seated upon his throne, hold- ing in his right hand a record or scroll of his great plan. The hand is a symbol of power and holding it in his hand foreshadowed the fact that Jehovah held it exclusively in his own power and keeping. The picture then shows a strong angel or messenger speak- The Harp of God 1$ ing with a loud voice and asking the question: **Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof?" In heaven there was a host of holy beings or angels. No one of them was able to open the book or scroll, neither to look on it. No one in earth was able to look upon it nor to open it. 22 One of the titles given to Jesus is ''Lion of the tribe of Judah'\ This great and mighty One, the beloved Son of God, afterward designated Jesus, was granted the privilege of opening the book and of loosing the seals that kept it secret, thus picturing how Jehovah made known his plan to his beloved Son. The picture describes him thus : * ' And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne . . . stood a Lamb, as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, . . . and he came and took the book out of the right hand of him [Jehovah] that sat upon the throne." 2* Seven is a symbol of perfection ; horn a symbol of power; and eyes a symbol of wisdom. Therefore this One is pictured as having perfect power and per- fect wisdom to perform this wonderful privilege and duty. This is the first time that the great mystery of Jehovah, his great plan or program, was made known to any one ; and since then, from time to time, he has been pleased to reveal portions of his plan to men who have honestly and faithfully sought to under- stand it. He has promised to reward those who dili- gently seek him and who seek a knowledge of him. Therefore we can come to the study of his plan, con- fidently expecting that he will grant us from time to time such a vision and understanding of it as pleases him and as would be for our good and happiness. The harp is used to symbolize the grandeur and beauty, the exquisite harmony and majestic sweetness of the divine arrangement or plan. The record of 20 The Harp of God this great program or plan is found in the Old and the New Testament. This record reveals the purpose of God concerning man, gives a record of his fall, a prophetic vision of his redemption and deliverance, and ultimately the blessing of all obedient ones of mankind with life everlasting. The great fundamental doctrines or truths stated in the Bible and which con- stitute the fundamentals of his plan concerning man would, therefore, constitute the strings upon the harp of God. These fundamental truths were spoken by- Jehovah through the prophets, through Jesus, and through his disciples. God 's law is his expressed will. Law means a rule of action, directing that which is right and prohibiting that which is wrong. The Bi- ble contains the law of Jehovah for the governing of mankind. 2^ The name David means beloved one. The beloved One of Jehovah is his Son, Jesus, the Christ. David was tlierefore used by Jehovah to picture or to make a type of Christ, including Jesus and his faithful fol- lowers. David used the harp of ten strings and was an expert performer upon it. This would seem to picture that the antitype of David, Jesus and the m.em- bers of his body, his faithful followers, would have an understanding of this harp of God and that God would use them to make it plain to others who would want to understand it. The ten strings of the harp, therefore, very fitly represent the ten great fundamen- tal truths or doctrines of the divine plan. These ten fundamental doctrines appear in the order named, as follows : (1) CREATION (2) JUSTICE MANIFESTED (3) AEBAHAMIC PEOMISB (4) BIETH OF JESUS The Harp of God 21 (5) RANSOM ( 6 ) RESURKECTION (7) MYSTEBY REVEALED (8) THE lord's return (9) GLORIFICATION (10) RESTORATION *^When one understands these ten fundamental truths and can appreciate the beauty and harmony by them expressed, he is thereby enabled to use the harp of God, and the use of it brings joy to his heart and fills his soul with sweet music. Without doubt the great plan of God pictured by the harp was all made and arranged at one time, but we will here con- sider each one of these fundamental truths, repre- sented by a string, separately and in the order above named. What is the hai-p? and when was it invented? f 1. Who invented the harp? and where is mention made of it in the Bible? ^ 1. When did God organize the twelve tribes of Israel into a nation? H 2. What arrangement did God make with the nation of Israel? ^ 2. For what purpose was that nation used by Jehovah? 7 2. To what did the nation of Israel consecrate the harp? ^ 3. What king of Israel was skilled in the use of the harp ? 1[ 3. Where in the Scriptures is the harp used sj'mbolically ? ^ 3. On what occasions did the Jews use the harp? H 3. How many strings were there on Israel's harp? and what did these symbolize? ^ 4. Did the harp at any time have a less number of strings? and if so, what did that picture? 4. In what phrase or language is the book of Revelation written? ^ 5. Where in the book of Revelation is the harp mentioned? and what kind of beings are pictured as using it? f 5. What is the first essential to au understanding of God's plan? *i 6. 22 The Harp of God Name some visible proof of the existence of a Supreme Being or Creator. ^ 7. How was David impressed with what he observed of creation? If 8. How does man's organism prove the existence of a Su- preme Being? ^ 9. Who is the Supreme Being or Creator? and what does his name signifj^? ^ 10. Give some Scriptural proof of the existence of Jehovah. H 10. Name the four primary divine attributes. ^ 10. How was divine justice manifested? ^ 11. How was divine power manifested? 1[ 11. How was divine love manifested? ^ 11. How was divine wisdom manifested? 11. Is tliere proof that God foreknew the end from the be- ginning? ^ 11. Why should man expect some revelation of the divine plan? II 12. Has man found a revelation of God's plan? and if so, where? H 12. By whom was the Bible written? and what are the two general divisions of it? 1[ 13. What is meant by the holy spirit? ^ 14. What relationship does the holy spirit bear to the Bible and its preparation? H 14. Who wrote the first five books of the Bible? and under what conditions? ^ 14. AVas the Bible written under Inspiration? 7 14. How many prophetic writers contributed to the Old Testa- ment? and does their testimony agree? % 14. Define history. ^ 15. Define prophecy. H 16. Can a human mind accurately foretell future events? f 17. W^hat is one of the strongest proofs that the Bible was ■^^Titten under Inspiration? t 17. What relationsliip do wireless telegraphy and airships bear to fulfilled prophecy? H 18. Were means of modem transportation foretold by the prophets? and if so where? ^ 18. What other means of ri^d transit did the propheU fore- tell? V 18. The Harp of God 23 Why did not Solomon give the world great inventions such as we now have? ^ 18. Did the prophets point to the coming of any special one to earth? IT 19. What prophecy, if any, did the coming of Jesus of Naza- reth tend to fulfil? H 19. How did the coming of Jesus tend to confirm the authen- ticity of the Scriptures? If 20. Did the propliets understand the meaning of what they wrote concerning the happening of future events? ^ 21. What effort did they make to understand? ^ 21. Did the angels in heaven understand what the prophets were writing? ^ 21. What is meant by the term "the divine plan"? ^ 22. Who was the first one to understand the divine plan? ^ 22. What was the name of Jesus before he became a man? and what is the significance of his prehuman title? H 22. What is pictured by the fifth chapter of Revelation? Give the details of the picture. 1[ 22. Who is the "Lion of the tribe of Judah"? If 23. What is the symbolic meaning of the words "seven", "horns," and "eyes"? and what do these words signify as used in Revelation 5? If 24. Is there reason to expect that God would grant certain ones from time to time an increased understanding of his plan? and if so, why? If 24. What does the harp symbolize? If 25. AVhere is the record of the divine plan found? ^ 25. What does this record reveal concerning man? if 25. By whom has God spoken his fundamental truths? ^ 25. What is the law of God? Define law. If 25. Wliere is the law of God found ? ^ 25. What is the meaning of the word "David"? If 26. Whom did David picture or typify? ^ 26. What did David's use of the harp typify or picture? ^ 26. What is pictured or symbolized by the ten strings of David's harp? If 26. Name the ten fundamental truths represented by the strings on the harp. ^ 26. How can one learn to use the harp of God? If 27. What effect is produced upon one who skilfully uses the harp? If 27. The Harp of God OMNIPOTENT GCD Harps of eternity! begin the song, Redeemed, and angel harps! begin to Gocl, Begin the anthem ever sweet and new, While I extol Him holy, just, and good. Life, beautj', light, intelligence, and love! Eternal, uncreated, infinite! Unsearchable Jehovah! God of truth! Maker, upholder, governor of all: Thyself unmade, ungoverned, unupheld, Omnipotent, unchangeable, Great God! Exhaustiess fulness! giving unimpaired! Bounding immensity, unspread, unbound! Highest and best! beginning, middle, end. All-seeing Eye! all-seeing, and unseen! Hearing, unheard! all knowing, and unknown! Above all praise ! above all height of thought ! Proprietor of immortality! Glory ineffable ! Bliss underived ! Of old Thou build'st Thy throne on righteousness, Before the morning Stars their song began, Or silence heard the voice of praise. Thou laid'st Eternity's foundation stone, and sav/'st Life and existence out of Thee begin. — Po7 CHAPTER II String i: Creation THE subject of creation here treated relates partic- ularly to the earth and the creatures of the earth, the chief one of which is man. AYe ^vill not attempt to discuss at length the creation of other planets, r.or of the other creatures. Attention is called merely to the Scriptural statement that the beginning of God's creation was the Logos, which term is translated in our Bibles ''the Word'\ The record reads: ''In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with [the] God, and the Word was [a] god.'' (John 1:1) God is a name applied to Jehovah, the Almighty One. It is sometimes applied to other mighty ones also; whereas the name Jehovah applies exclusively to the great eternal God. The Logos, the Word, was a god, a mighty one. "The same was in the beginning with [the] God. All things were made by him ; and with- out him was not anything made that was made. ' ' He was Jehovah's great active agent in the creation of all things created. *® Since the Bible was written for man* 8 benefit, the Genesis account of creation has to do with man and his place of habitation. There we read: *'In the be- ginning God created the heaven and the earth.*' He created the sun, for light by day ; and the moon, for light by night, upon the earth. God then created the birds and fowls that fly through the air, and the fish of the sea. He created the cattle and the creeping things, and all the beasts of the earth. Ail this was 27 28 The Harp of God before the creation of man. He had formed the earth many centuries before man 's creation, and he created it that man might have a place to live. He caused his prophet to write; have made the earth, and created man upon it. For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it ; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited. ' ' — Isaiah 45 : 12, 18. God created the first man and woman out of the elements and gave them power to produce and bring forth children, and all the human race sprang from the first pair. God was the Father and the earth the mother of Adam. The first man was named Adam; the first woman, Eve. *'God created man in his o^\'ti image, in the image of God created he him ; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them. Be fruitful, and multiply, and jQU the earth, and subdue it ; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.'* —Genesis 1 : 27, 28. We are all interested in knowing how Jehovah created the first man, Adam. '^And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life ; and man became a living soul.'' (Genesis 2:7) God did not give man a soul separate and distinct from the man. The word ''soul" means being ; living, breathing creature. Every man is a soul. No man has a soul. Every living crea- ture is a soul. God called all moving creatures that have life souls". (See Genesis 1:20, margin.) He designates various animals as souls. — ^Numbers 31 : 28. ^2 Jehovah then made a beautiful home for man, which is designated in the Bible as Eden, a garden, a Creation 29 beautiful park. E-verji:hing in Eden was perfect, be- cause all the works of Jehovah are perfect. (Deuter- onomy 32: 4) ''And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food ; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.'' — Genesis 2:8,9, 15. God next gave to man a law to govern him. He told him what he might do and what he might not do ; and informed him that a violation of this law would bring death upon him. * * And the Lord God conmiand- ed the man, saying. Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat : but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it : for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." — Genesis 2 : 16, 17. God then created Eve to be a helpmate or com- panion to Adam. (Genesis 2:21-25) If Adam and Eve had been obedient to Jehovah at all times, there would have been no sickness, sorrow, nor death amongst the human race. In the Scriptures Jesus, the Logos, is designated as ''the bright and morning star". (Revelation 22: 16) He at all times was and is the joy and delight of the heavenly Father, Jehovah. A star is used to symbolize a heavenly creature. The 'Morning Star' is the most honored one in all the divine realm, J ehovah alone excepted. Other heavenly creatures are desig- nated as 'stars'. Many times you have heard the question asked, Who made the Devil, Satan, the evil one? The cor- 20 The Harp of God rect answer is, He was not always the Devil or Satan. He was created a perfect and beautiful creature. He was also designated a 'star of heaven'. His original name was Lucifer. The Prophet Ezekiel says of him that he was "the anointed cherub that covereth", which seems to indicate that he had authority over some others. Continuing, the prophet records : * * Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and doTO in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.'* (Ezekiel 28:14,15) He is described as a beautiful creature. Thus the prophet speal^s of him : "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the worlmianship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created."— Ezekiel 28:13. Other angelic hosts in heaven are designated the sons of God. When God created the earth, laying its foundations as a habitation for man, when he created these beautiful earthly creatures upon the earth, these two great Stars of heaven sang together a song of gladness, and the angelic sons of God shouted for joy. (Job 38:4-7) It appears that at that time all the creatures of Jehovah were in harmony with him and obedient to him, and of course they would watch the creation develop ; and when the highest earthly creatures were made, perfect man and perfect woman, endowed with the attributes of wisdom, justice, love, and power, made in the image and likeness of Jeho- vah, there was great joy in heaven. Hence the occa- sion for the song and shouting by the heavenly hosts. Creation 31 ^® In the unfolding of the divine plan, therefore, we see that creation is the first part and is properly designated as the first string upon the harp of God. **God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5) All the works of Jehovah are perfect. (Deuteronomy 32:4) Hence we must conclude that all the creatures of Jehovah were in the light, were creatures of light, all happy, all joyful. And when the perfect man and perfect woman were placed in the beautiful garden of Eden, every tiling there was joyful. To what does the subject of creation herein briefly treated relate? ^ 28. Who is designated in the Bible as the beginning of God's creation? 1[ 28. To what does the Genesis account of creation relate? ^ 29. What earthly creatures did God create before making man? ^ 29. For what purpose did God create the earth? ^ 29. What human beings did God create? H 30. Who was the father and who the mother of the human race? ^ 30. Who was the father and who the mother of Adam? If 30. What power and authority did God give to man at his creation? ^ 30. How did God create man? If 31. Define the soul. If 31. Does the word "soul" apply to any creatures except man? Give Scriptural proof. If 31. Describe the original man's first home. If 32. What is the meaning of the word Eden? ^ 32. What law did God give to man by which he was to be governed while in Eden? ^ 33. Describe the creation of Eve. ^ 34. By obeying God's law, how long could Adam and Eve have lived in Eden? If 34.^ A "star" is used in the Scriptures to symbolize what? T 35. 32 The Harp of God What is the meaning of the Scriptural term **brlght and morning star"? ^ 35. Who is the most highly honored one in the divine realm? ^ 35. Who is the Devil or Satan? and who made him? ^ 36. What was his original name? 1[ 36. How does the Prophet Ezekiel describe Lucifer? H 36. What other beings in heaven are called sons of God? ^ 37. When God created man, what was the effect upon the host of heaven who observed the creation? If 37. What is the first string upon the divine harp? ^ 38. Does the revelation of tliis string cause rejoicing? and if so, by whom? ^ 38. Who is light and without darkness? If 38. Has God ever created an imperfect creature? IT 38. What is the disposition of God's creatures while in har- mony with him? If 38. What was the condition in Eden when man was created? If 38. CHAPTER III String 2: Justice Manifested ONE of the divine attributes is justice. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne. ' ' (Psalm 89: 14) Divine wisdom devised the great di- vine program or plan. Divine justice must perform its part in harmony with the other divine attributes. God 's law must be unchangeable. God being unchange- able, his creatures can have absolute confidence and faith in him, that he always does exactly as he says. A violation of Jehovah's law must in the exercise of justice be followed by punishment. The preroga- tive of justice is to see that the law is enforced. The manifestation of justice magnifies the name and the dignity of Jehovah. Without the manifestation of justice it would have been impossible for Jehovah so fully to manifest his love toward man in providing for his redemption and subsequent blessing. When one understands the office of justice and why it was manifested, he rejoices. A failure to understand and appreciate the divine attributes makes it impossible for one properly to appreciate Jehovah's goodness and loving-kindness to manldnd. Jehovah is too good to be unjust. He is too wise to make a mistake; he is too loving to be unkind; and his power is always exercised in such a way that ultimate good may result. *^ The manifestation of justice is one of the strings upon the harp of Grod ; but we must see and appreciate it in order to understand the beauty and harmony it brings when used in connection with the other strings. 35 The Harp of God Good and e\^l are antagonistic principles or rules of action. Good is the law or rule of action by which God is always governed. Evil becomes active only when some creature of Jehovah violates his law. God made man a free moral agent. He did not compel him to do or not to do certain things. He told man that if he did certain things he would be blessed ; and that if he did other things contrary to divine law he vrould suffer punishment ; and the punishment pre- scribed was death. ]\Iother Eve was deceived by Satan, the Devil, and thereby induced to violate the law of God. Father Adam, seeing that his companion and helpmate had violated the law and judging that she mu.st die, preferred to join her in the transgres- sion and die ^vith her. (1 Timothy 2: 14) It will be of interest here to examine the circumstances leading up to the violation of the law of God and to see why his justice toward m.an was manifested in sentencing him to death. ^2 All dominion rightly belongs to Jehovah. He had given man dominion over the things of earth. Lucifer observed Adam and Eve, the perfect ones, in Eden; and knowing that they were endowed with authority from Jehovah to multiply and fill the earth, he had an ambitious desire to alienate them from God and cause them to worship him instead of Jehovah that he might be like the l^Iost High. The Prophet Isaiah gives us some light upon this subject when he says : ' ' IIow art thou fallen from heaven, 0 Luci- fer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heav- en, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the Justice Manifested 37 heights of the elo-ads: I v/ill be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.''— Isaiah 14: 12-15. Thus we see that Satan had an ambitious desire to be like the Most High. God manifested his justice toward Lucifer by judicially determining that in his own due time that evil one shall be destroyed. (Ezg- kiel 28 : 14-18 ; Hebrews 2 : 14) Lucifer, because of his wickedness, thereafter was and is known by the names of Dragon, that old Serpent, the Devil, and Satan. (Revelation 12:9) In Genesis 3 he is spoken of as the Serpent. The name Dragon means devourer ; Sa- tan means adversary; Devil means slanderer; while Serpent means deceiver ; and all these names indicate the characteristics of Satan, the evil one. According to the Genesis account, the old Serpent, the Devil, deceived Eve in this manner : As we have heretofore observed, Jehovah had told Adam and Eve that they must not eat of a certain tree in Eden, known as the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Appearing to mother Eve in the capacity of a ser- pent, a deceiver, the Devil said to her in effect : ' Hath God said that ye shall not eat of every tree in Eden?' To this question Eve responded : * * We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said. Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." The old Serpent, the Devil, replied: "Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened; and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. ' ' In other words, he told Eve that Jehovah was trying to keep her and her husband in ignorance and thus take advantage of them. Doubtless the Devil himself ate of the fruit in the presence of Eve and 38 The Harp of God then deliberately lied to her by saying: ''Ye shall not surely die," 'God knows that you will not die.' And by this means he induced mother Eve to eat of the fruit, which was a violation of God's law. We know that Satan is a liar, because J esus said of him : "He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no trath in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." — John 8: 44. The fact that Eve was deceived and thereby in- duced to violate the law of God in no wise changed the law or affected its enforcement. Adam deliber- ately ate of the fruit and he also was in the trans- gression. — 1 Timothy 2 : 14. After they had violated Jehovah's law, Adam and Eve hid amongst the trees in Eden. Jehovah spoke to Adam and asked: "Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?" Adam responded that Eve had given him the fruit to eat ; and Eve said that the serpent had deceived lier. They both stood before Jehovah and confessed their guilt. The majesty of the law of Je- hovah must be upheld. His law being unchangeable (Hebrev/s 6:18), there remained nothing to do but to enforce that law. Then Jehovah pronounced his judgment against them, the record of which reads: ' ' Unto tho woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow, and thy conception: in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thj^ desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life : thorns also and Justice Manifested 39 thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field : in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground ; for out of it wast thou taken : for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." — Genesis 3:16-19. Thus the perfect man forefeited his life. He had been endowed with perfection of home, liberty, peace, happiness, and life everlasting on earth. Now he must die and return to the dust from which he was taken. God did not put him to death immediately, but per- mitted him to have 930 years of experience that he might learn the baneful effects of sin. Eden contained perfect food that would have sustained the perfect man and he would not have died had he remained in Eden, unless Jehovah had put him to death in some direct manner. But God drove him out of Eden, took him away from the perfect food, caused him to gather his food from among the thorns and thistles and from other imperfect elements of the earth that were found outside of Eden; and in this condition he continued to sicken and to die until at the end of the period of 930 years he was dead. A kind and loving parent sometimes inflicts punishment upon a child because the child has vio- lated a rule. The parent punishes the child not be- cause he loves to see the child suffer, but for the good of the child, in order that it might be disciplined and might learn the proper lessons. If the child always did good and never did evil it would not merit nor receive any punishment from a loving parent. One of the chief purposes of Jehovah in dealing with man- kind in the manner he does deal -svith them is that humankind might be disciplined and learn the lessons cf good and the effect of doing wrong, and thus learn to appreciate the love of the heavenly Father, 40 The Harp of God When God sentenced our first parents to death and drove them out of Eden, he had in mind and had already planned for their future blessing, as we shall see upon a further examination of his plan. Hence it was love that prompted his action in sentencing Adam to die. Every act of Jehovah is prompted by love; for God is love. He always acts that good may result. The manifestation of his strict justice was essential that the dignity and greatness of Jehovah might be maintained. At the same time, in so doing, love was the motive that prompted his action. It must have brought sorrow to the heart of Jehovah to be compelled thus to punish his creatures, because God takes no pleasure in evil things ; yet having in mind the ultimate blessing and restoration of them, there would be pleasure in thus manifesting justice that ultimate good might result. We therefore mir^ht with propriety speak of the manifestation of justice as the minor chord in the music of the harp of God. The minor chord seems necessary in music to produce exact harmony. Job in his suffering seems to picture the world of mankind under condemnation ; and when suffering he said: ''My harp also is turned to mourning." (Job 30: 31) The perfect man and his helpmate, deprived now of their perfect home, toiling as they sought to gather their food from the unfinished earth, suffering in body and in mind because of their separation from God, truly would have said, and doubtless did say : ' Our harp is turned into mourning. ' Since that time the whole v/orld has been in a state of mourn- ing; and mankind still suffers and groans in pain. The world of mankind in general has not appreciated the manifestation of the justice of Jehovah. The Christian, however, who has come to a knowledge of Justice Manifested 41 Jehovah *s plan, and sees and appreciates his pur- poses for the blessing of mankind, can rejoice and does rejoice at the manifestation of divine justice. ^2 During the Christian era God has been develop- ing a church, the members of which are designated as the body of Christ. (Philippians 1: 29; Colossians 1: 18) These are also designated members of the royal priesthood. (1 Peter 2:9,10) During their earthly career they are counted as members of the sacrificing priesthood, of which Aaron was a type. Aaron and his sons were required to serve before the Lord in the ceremonies in connection with the tabernacle in the wilderness. Two of Aaron's sons were stricken dead because they offered strange fire before the Lord. Aaron and his two remaining sons were forbidden by the Lord to mourn the death of their kinsmen. Evidently this is a picture which shows that those who have come to a loiowledge of the divine plan do not mourn because God sentenced our first parents to death, but rather that they will rejoice at this manifestation of justice when they understand that it was necessary in order that the great plan of re- demption should be carried out as outlined by Jeho- vah from the beginning. And when we see and appre- ciate this divine plan we can truly exclaim: ''Great .and marvellous are thy worlds, Lord God Almighty; just and true are tliy ways, thou King of saints.'* — Revelation 15 : 3. men's souls Against what did God manifest his justice ? Did he sentence the body or the soul of man to death ? Is it true that the soul of man is immortal; and if so, how could God put it to death? 42 The Harp of God It is profitable to define terms before attempting to discuss them. The definition given should be sup- ported by proof from the Bible. This we will attempt to do before answering the question here asked. Immortal means that which can not die ; something that can not be destroyed in death. Soul means a moving, breathing, sentient creature, or being ; a crea- ture or being that possesses faculties and uses them. To understand whether or not a soul is immortal it is first essential that we determine from the Bible what constitutes a soul. **The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a li\dng soul." ( Genesis 2:7) The word soul is synonymous with the words being, creature, and man. The dust out of which Jehovah formed the body was not conscious. It had no life in it. After God had used these ele- ments to form the man, he breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives, which animated the body, caused the lungs to begin to work, sent the blood tingling through the arteries and returning through the veins ; therefore there resulted a moving, breathing, sentient being, a man, which is a soul. The body aside from the breath does not constitute the soul ; but it requires the uniting of the breath with the body to constitute the soul. And when we separate the breath from the body the soul no longer exists. The Scriptures do not say that God breathed into this body immortality, but merely that the soul resulted by animating the body after it had been created ; and this resulted from the breath vrhich he breathed into the nostrils. A locomotive may be used as an illustration. It stands upon the track with no fire in the box, no water in the boiler, hence no steam. "We speak of it as a dead engine. Then the steam is produced by heating Justice Manifested 43 the water ; it is forced into the cylinders, the throttle being open, and the machine moves. Withdraw the steam and it stops. Just so with man. When the body was formed it would be inanimate and inactive without breath. AYhen the breath of life was breathed into his nostrils and his organs began to functionate, it is said that man then was a breathing creature; hence a soul. When he ceased to breathe he was dead. Man is a soul. He does not possess a soul. Every creature that breathes is a soul. God applied the words living soul to the lower order of animals long before man's creation. (Genesis 1:20, margin) That all breathing creatures are designated as souls by Je- hovah is proven by these words: ''Levy a tribute unto the Lord of the men of war which went out to battle : one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep. " (Numbers 31:28) All souls die alike. ''For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place : all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. ' ' — Ecclesiastes 3 : 19, 20. In the manifestation of divine justice God said to Adam: "Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat : . . . for in the day that thou eatest thereof, dying thou shalt die." (Genesis 2: 17, margin) This sentence was pronounced against man, the being, the soul. If there could be any doubt about this, it is definitely settled by another statement in the Bible, which reads: " The soul that sinneth it shall die.'* (Ezekiel 18:4) "What man is he that liveth, 44: The Harp of God and shall not see death ? shall he deliver liis soul from the hand of the grave T '—Psalm 89:48. The thought of immortal souls originated with Satan the Devil. He approached mother Eve and said : *If you eat of tliis tree, you shall not surely die.' Jesus denounced this statement as the first lie ever told, and Satan as the father of lies. (John 8:4-1-) Satan has been trying to blind the people to the truth concerning God's great plan in order to keep them away from God and from the blessings they would receive by obeying him. The apostle says of Satan that he is ''the god [mighty one] of this world", meaning the Devil 's evil organization ; and that he has blinded the minds of men to the truth, lest the glo- rious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ should shine into their hearts. (2 Corinthians 4:4) From the day of Eden until now Satan has been blinding the minds of men to the truth by getting into their minds a false conception of Jehovah's arrangement; and the basis for this blindness is chicfiy the lie first told: "Ye shall not surely die." All false doctrines are based upon this first lie. If man possessed an immortal soul it could not be put to death. Hence we see that God would be un- able to enforce his judgment against a sinner, and justice would fail. The Scriptures, however, plainly tell us that the quality of immortality belongs orig- inally only to Jehovah, ''who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto ; whom no man hath seen, nor can see. " (1 Timothy 6: 16) Immortality will be given as a great reward to faithful Christians and to none other of the human race. Such Christians who live and continue faithful until death are promised the divine nature, immortality, the crovoi of life. (2 Peter 1 : 4; 1 Peter Justice Manifested 45 1 : 3, 4 ; Romans 2:7; Revelation 2 : 10) We may be sure that a man does not seek that which he already possesses; and the Apostle Paul plainly says: **Seek for . . . immortality.'* And again he says to those who will be faithful Christians: ^'This mortal must put on immortality.'* (1 Corinthians 15:53) If a soul, a man, were already immortal, he could not sub- sequently put on immortality. No one of the human race will ever be made immortal except the faithful Christians. God has a different reward for others who are obedient to him. DEAD UNCONSCIOUS ^2 Another of Satan's deceptions by which he has blinded the people is the teaching that the dead are still conscious after death. This is not supported by the Bible, however. Those who die are never again conscious unless they are resurrected by the Lord. The resurrection of the dead we will discuss later on. If the soul were immortal it would be conscious some- where. Let us observe the scriptures which show that the dead are not conscious. * ' In death there is no remembrance of thee : in the grave who shall give thee thanks?" (Psalm 6:5) Thus is shown that they have no memory while dead. **The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." (Psalm 115:17) Hence they could not speak while dead. ®* The dead can not breathe, think, or feel. * ' Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust." (Psalm 104: 29) ''His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth ; in that very day his thoughts perish." (Psalm 146: 4) A person when unconscious does not feel. This is illustrated by the fact that when a person is taken to a hospital for an operation the 4G The Harp of God sur^on puts the patient under an anestlietie, puts him to sleep so that he can not feel during the oper- ation. ®^ Again the Scriptures read : * * The living know that they shall die : but the dead knov/ not anything. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished." (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6) Being uncon- scious, they know not anytliing when dead. **V/hat- soever thy hand findeth to do, do it wdth thy might ; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." — Eccle- siastes 9 : 10. Again spealdng of man, God says of him : ''Never- theless man being in honor abideth not : he is like the beasts that perish." (Psalm 49:12) Anything that perishes can not be conscious, can not be in existence, and of course can not be immortal. It was Jesus who said: ''God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be- lieveth in him should not perish, but have everlast- ing life." (John 3: 16) Here the proof is conclusive that death means the perishing of all unless redemp- tion is received through Jesus Christ. This would ab- solutely disprove consciousness of the dead and would disprove also the immortality of the soul. Death is spoken of in the Bible as a sleep, for the reason that God intends in his due time to awaken all of the dead and give them an opportunity of life. The Bible abounds in the expressions referring to the dead as asleep. A few of these expressions are: "David slept vrlth his fathers, and was buried in the city of David." (1 Kings 2:10) "The fathers feU asleep." (2 Peter 3:4) "The greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep." (1 Corinthians 15:6) "I would not have you to be Justice Manifested 47 ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are alseep, . . . them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring [forth] with him [in the resurrection]/' — 1 Thessa- lonians 4 : 13, 14. ®* We must conclude f rom these scriptures that the dead are wholly unconscious from the moment of death until such future time as the Lord may be pleased to awaken them out of death and give them an opportunity of life, which he purposes to do, as set forth in his great plan. (John 5 : 28, 29) Man was made of the dust. He was sentenced to return to the dust; that is, the condition of the dead. And the Lord said: 'They that sleep in the dust of the earth shall arise. ' — Daniel 12 : 2. DOES GOD TORMENT ANT ONE? For a long time men have been taught that the punishment for the wicked, those who disobey God, is everlasting torment or torture in a hell burning with unquenchable fire and brimstone. JMany have been frightened away from studying the Bible be- cause of this terrible doctrine. Many have refused to believe in God and the Lord Jesus because of it. It is another doctrine of Satan, used to blind the people. The doctrine of eternal torment can not be true for at least four separate and distinct reasons; (1) be- cause it is unreasonable; (2) because it is repugnant to justice; (3) because it is contrary to the principle of love; and (4) because it is entirely unscriptural. It seems strange that men with reasoning facul- ties should ever reach the conclusion that the all-wise Creator would eternally torment any of his creatures. What could be the purpose of such torment? Could it accomplish any good ? Would it result to the glory of God? The Harp of God "2 There could be no eternal torment of any of God's creatures except by God's will. A reasonable, loving God could not torrnent any of his creatures. A Creator that would put in operation a system of end- less torment would be a fiend and not a reasonable God. Man is not perfect, yet he has some love. God is per- fect. He is love. A man or a child would not torture his horse, his dog, or his cat. " Suppose we have a dog that becomes mad and tries to bite every one in the neighborhood. He must be killed; but we would not torment the poor brute by putting it into a slovv' fire. YVe would kill' it in the easiest way, so that it would not suffer much pain. Why would a person do this? Because his sense of justice and love would deter him from doing anji:hing else. I>Ian has not as much love as God. Everything that God does for man he does for man's good. The doctrine is unreasonable because no one could be eternally tormented unless that one were eternally conscious ; and the scriptures above cited show that the dead arc not conscious. Furthermore, there could be no eternal torment of the soul unless that soul were inrmortal, indestructible; and the scriptures above cited and all other scriptures bearing upon the subject show that man is not immortal, that none are granted immortality except those who receive it as a reward for right-doing and who are made joint-heirs with Christ Jesus in his glorious kingdom. Then it is easy to be seen that this is a doctrine of Satan ; and the two doctrines or teachings of inherent immortal- ity and eternal torture must stand or fall together. And since they are both false, they must both fall. The doctrine of eternal torture is uiijust, because God is just. Justice is the foundation of his throne. God plainly told man that if he sinned he would die. Justice Manifested 49 If thereafter he put him into eternal torment, then ho increased the penalty' after man had violated the law, end this is contrary to every principle of justice. All of Adam's children were born imperfect. There is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Psalm 14:3) Eveiy child is born imperfect. It wonld be very un- just for Jehovah to permit such a one to be born un- der conditions over which he had no control and then, because he could not obey perfectly, to put him into eternal torture. Man's sense of justice is shocked at the thous'ht of the torture of any creature. The jus- tice that man possesses is a God-given quality. The more Godlike a man is the more just he is. We must knov/, then, that God deals justly with all of his creatures. The doctrine of eternal torm.cnt is devoid of the attribute of love. Every good father loves his chil- dren and cliildren love their father. The mother loves the children and the children love the mother. ¥7hen the children are disobedient, it becomes necessary for the father or the mother to discipline them; and sometimes by using the rod. But no loving parent would for a moment think of torturing his or her child. Just punishment is always for the purpose of doing ultimate good, and where the parents are com- pelled to punish or discipline their children they do it because they love them. The Apostle Paul, discuss- ing the discipline by earthly parents and by God said: ''We have had fathers of our flesh, which cor- rected us, and we gave them reverence : shall v/e not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure ; but he for cur profit, that v/e might be partakers of his holiness." —Hebrews 12 : 9, 10. 50 The Harp of God Only a wicked fiend would want to torment any- body, such a one as loves dark and wicked things. Our great God is love. (1 John 4: 16) ''God is light, and in him is no darlmess at all." (1 Johnl : 5) Everything that Jehovah does is good. God created the first man Adam and gave him the power to trans- mit life to his offspring. All the human race are the children of Adam. Only by God's permission could these children have come into existence. Adam was God's son and all the human race descended from Adam ; and thus they bear relationship to J ehovah. None of Adam 's children were bom perfect. Some were born under very depraved conditions. God's love, then, for the human race is so great that he made provision for the redemption and ultimate blessing of all, and it would be wholly inconsistent with his at- tribute of love to arrange to torture any of them at any time. The doctrine of eternal torment is a libel upon the great and loving name of God, and Satan is responsible for it. But in God's due time he will make it clear to all tliat he is love, and that all of his dealings with the human race are for their good. The eternal torment teaching is not supported by any text in the Bible. There are some texts that are written in symbolic phrase, parables and dark say- ings, which were written to illustrate another great truth, but with no reference to the eternal punish- ment of the human race. These scriptures must be considered elsewhere. Our space does not permit us to consider them here. What we will examine are the direct Scriptural statements. All the scriptures show that the wicked will be punished, but punishment does not mean torment. There is a wide distinction between everlasting pun- ishment and everlasting torment. Everlasting punish- Justice Manifested 51 ment is a punishment that lasts. Everlasting torment would be a torment that never ends, but one would be consciously suffering all the time. The laws of the land punish the wicked who Adolate the law, and the duration of punishment is short or long in proportion to the enormity of the crime committed. One who steals a loaf of bread violates the law and he may be punished by confinement for a day or a month in prison. One who destroys his neighbor's house by fire is punished, and his punishment may be a num- ber of years in prison. Another takes the life of his neighbor, and his punishment is death. No law of any nation on earth permits the violator of the law to be tormented. The stealer of bread is punished for a short period; the one who destroys the home is punished for a longer period; and the one who takes his neighbor's life deliberately is punished by the full penalty of the law, and his punishment is lasting. Death is the highest penalty inflicted by the law. It is also the greatest punishment inflicted by Jehovah. Life is the dearest thing to any creature, and to be deprived of life would be the greatest pun- ishment that could be inflicted. Therefore eternal or everlasting death, with no hope of a resurrection, would be an everlasting punishment. But it would not be an everlasting conscious torture. God plainly declared: ^'The wages of sin is death'' (Romans 6: 23), and not eternal torture. ^2 Having fixed this penalty, God could not change it afterward, because God could not be inconsistent ; he can not deny himself. (2 Timothy 2: 13) It was by the disobedience of one man that sin came into the world and death as the result of sin; so death has been the penalty upon all mankind. (Romans 5: 12) And this will continue until God's due time to awak- 52 The Harp of God en them out of death and give all an opportunity for life ; and this we will discuss later. * ' The Lord pre- serveth all them that love him : but all the wicked will he destroy.'' (Psalm 145:20) The apostle plainly says that all the wicked shall be punished with an everlasting destruction. — 2 Thessaloninns 1 : 9. But do not the Vrdcked go to hell ? ^* It is true that all who have died from Adam until now have gone to hell. But hell does not mean a place of conscious torture. Wherever the word * * hell ' * occurs in the Bible it means the condition of death. Hell is not a place, but a condition. Those who go into the grave are not conscious there ; but they have gone into the death condition. Their bodies decay and return to the dust. The word **heir' is translated from the Hebrew word slieol, as used in the Old Testament. This same word is a number of times translated ' ' grave ' ' and sometimes * * pit ' In the New Testament the same v>^ord *'hell" is translated from the Greek word hades and likewise means grave, the condition of death, the tomb. Some Scriptural illustrations of this prove that hell means a condition of death. Job was a good and godly man, who tried to obey Jehovah. He had suffered the loss of all his earthly possessions and then his neighbors taunted him because of his suffer- ing ; and while he was thus suffering, he prayed that God would permit him to go to hell, saying: ''O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave [sheol, hell] until thy wrath be past." (Job 14: 13) He desired to be hid in the grave until the time of the resurrection, hoping in God's promise that some day the dead would come again. Then Job says: **If I wait, the grave is mine house : I have made my bed in the dark- ness. . . . Our rest together is in the dust." (Job 17: Justice Manifested 53 13, 16) Tims he pictures the grave as a condition of darloiess, where there is no Imowledge, no wisdom or device. Again he said: "[A man's] sons come to honour, and he Imoweth it not ; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them." (Job 14: 21) Why? Because those who are in hcil, in the tomb, in the grave, in the condition of death, have no knowl- edge of anything. They are out of existence, waiting for the resurrection. Jacob's beloved son Joseph was sold into Egypt by his brethren. Joseph's coat was dipped in the blood of an animal and brought to Jacob, and it was told Jacob the father that his son Joseph was dead. In his grief he exclaimed: will go do^^Ti into the grave [sheol, hell] unto my son mourning.'' (Genesis 37: 35) Jacob was a good man and approved of the Lord; for the apostle says he was. (Hebrews 11:9, 39) Jacob meant that he was going to the grave, to the death condition, mourning for his beloved son. Benjamin was Jacob's youngest son. After he lost Joseph his affections were centered upon Benja- min. His elder sons came to him and requested that their younger brother be permitted to go down with them to Egypt. Their father Jacob objected to their taking him, saying, "My son shall not go dovvn with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs mth sorrow to the grave [sheol, hell]." (Genesis 42: 38) We knov/, then, that the hell here described could not be a place of fire and brimstone, for the gray hairs of Jacob would not last long in the fire. What he really meant was that as an old, gray-haired man he would go down to the grave in sorrow if anj^thing should befall his beloved son. 54 The Harp of God Jesus came to earth and lived and died and was bnried; and it was written of him that he went to hell. ''Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell." (Psalm 16: 10) If hell were a place of endless torment and Jesus went there he could not have been released. The fact that he did not remain in hell is proof conclusive that hell is not a place of eternal torment. Jehovah established the true religion in the earth, which v/as and is to worship him and glorify his name. Satan established a false religion in his attempt to be like the Most High. God established his cove- nant vath the nation of Israel and commanded that they should keep themselves separate and distinct from the heathen nations round about. Satan estab- lished a false religion amongst the heathen nations and caused them to worship images and other things aside from Jehovah. These heathen idolaters built an altar in the valley of Hinnom for the purpose of offering sacrifices to their gods. The Jews forsook their covenant with Jehovah and became worshipers of Baal, one of Satan's deified ones. In practising Baal worship they offered their children as sacrifices, and upon this has been based the doctrine of torture by fire, concerning which J ehovah says : ' ' They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I com- manded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind." (Jeremiah 19:5) Again said the Lord: ''They built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech, which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomina- tioii, to cause Judah to sin." (Jeremiah 32: 35) The things which the heathen sacrificed they sacrificed to Justice Manifested 55 devils and not to God. (1 Corinthians 10:20) This false or devil religion establislied amongst the delud- ed people of the world was another means employed by Satan to blind the minds of men to the true teach- ings of the divine plan. *° In exercising divine justice, Jehovah at no time employs torture; but he denounces such doctrine as an abomination in his sight. Divine justice exercised destroys the evil doers; therefore that which is de- stroyed eternally is everlastingly punished. Some scriptures proving this are : ' ' Evil doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inJierit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently con- sider his place, and it shall not be. . , . But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs : they shall consume ; into smoke shall they consume away. . . . For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. . . . For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. . . . "Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land : when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. . . . The transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.''— Psalm 37 : 9, 10, 20, 22, 28, 34, 38. The doctrine of eternal torment is a wicked def- amation of Jehovah. It is a foul stain upon his lovable name. The chief purpose of man is to glorify God. It is therefore his privilege and duty to remove from the minds of others this misconception of Jeho- vah and enable others to understand that God is in- deed love. An understanding of his plan shows that 5S The Harp of God everything he does is prompted by love. No sooner had he sentenced man to death than he began to re- veal his plan for his redemption and ultimate deliv- erance. The more clearly we see and understand these great truths, the more do we rejoice in the divine attribute of justice and the divine arrangement in making it manifest. What divine attribute is mentioned as the habitation of God's throne? H 39. What divine attribute devised the plan of God? 1[ 39. Is it necessary for the divine attributes to operate har- Dioniously? 1j 39. Is God's law unchangeable? IT 39. What mental effect is produced upon God's creatures by the unchangeableness of his law? If 39. What must follow violation of the divine law? ^ 39. What is the prerogative of divine justice? ^ 39. How does the manifestation of divine justice affect the name and dignity of Jehovah? ? 39. Was it necessary for divine justice to be manifested in order for divine love to be fully exercised? and if so, why? 1i 39. What is essential to a proper appreciation of divine loving-kindness? f 39. Why is Jehovah never unjust nor unkind? H 39. Does Jehovah make mistakes? 1[ 39. To what end does he use his power? H 39. What is symbolized by the second string upon the harp of God? II 40. Define good and evil. H 41. "When did evil become active? H 41. Did Grod compel Adam to do or not to do certain things? ? 41. What punishment did God prescribe for a violation of his law? H 41. Why and by whom was Eve induced to violate the law? •g 41. Why did Adam violate the law of God? % 41. To whom does all dominion rightfully belong? ^ 42. Justice Manifested 57 What dominion did God give to man? f 42. Why did Lucifer induce Eve to sin? ^ 42. What did Lucifer meditate in his heart? % 42. What ^Tas the cause of Lucifer*s fall? 43. How was divine justice manifested against Lucifer? If 43. By what names is Lucifer known since his fall? Give the meaning of each of tlie names. ^ 43. Describe how the Devil induced Eve to violate God's law. If 44. What reply did Eve make to the Devil's suggestion that she violate God's law? ^ 44. AVho told the ti*uth, God or Satan, relative to the result of Eve's act? If 44. Could the fact that Eve was deceived by Satan, in any wise change the penalty of the law? ^ 45. What did Adam and Eve do after they had violated the divine law? If 4G. What action did Jehovah take toward them, and why? If 46. Give the details of the judgiuent or sentence pronounced by Jehovah against Adtmi and Eve. ^ 4G. What was the result of the judgment pronounced against man? ^ 47. How long did Adam live after he was sentenced to die? If 47. How did God enforce the sentence against man? If 47. Would Adam have died if he had remained in Eden? If 47. Why does a parent punish his clilld? If 48. If the child always obej-ed, would punishment be neces- sary? If 48. What is one of the chief reasons for God's permitting man to suffer the effects of wrongdoing? ^ 48. "Why did God enforce his judgment against man? What was his purpose? If 49. What motive prompts all the acts of Jehovah? ^ 49. The manifestation of divine justice may be li'^encd to what chord in music? and why? If 50. W^hat did the sufTering of Job picture relative to the harp? If 51. How could Adam and Eve apply the sayings of Job to themselves? If 51. Has the world of mankind ever appreciated the mani- festation of divine justice? and why not? If 51. 58 The Harp of God Why can a Christian appreciate the manifestation of divine justice as one of the strings of God's harp? If 51. As a sacrificing priest, what did Aaron typify? 1[ 52. How did the experiences of Aaron and his sons teach Christians not to mourn because of the exercise of divine justice? If 52. When a Christian appreciates the divine plan, what does he say? If 52. What did God sentence to death, the soul or the body? Tf 53. If the soul of man were Immortal, how could it be put to death? If 53. Is it important for us to define terms before freely using them in the study of the Bible? ^ 54. I>efine immortality. If 55. Define the soul. ^ 55. State fully the Scriptural account of how the soul was created. ^ 55. Give some illustration of the soul. If 56. Does man possess a soul? If 58. What creatures besides man are souls? Tf 58. Is there a difference in the manner of the death of souls? If 58. Give some scriptures to show that the soul is not im- mortal. If 59. With whom did the term "immortal soul" originate? If 60. When and by whom was the first lie told? ^ 60. How has Satan blinded the people? and what has been his purpose in so doing? If 60. What is the basis for all false doctrines? If 60. If all souls were immortal, how could God destroy a wil- ful sinner? ^ 61. Who possesses the quality of immortality? If 61. To whom has immortality been promised as a reward? tf 61. Give some Scriptural reason why men are not inherently immortal. If 61. What other false doctrine has Satan employed in deceiv- ing mankind? ^ 62. Are the dead conscious at any time after death? If 62. Do the dead remember anything? Do they praise the Lord? Tf 63. Can the dead breathe, think, or feci? If 64. Justice Manifested 59 Give an illustration showing that the dead do not feel, f 64. Do the dead have knowledge or wisdom? Can they love or hate? H 65. Give some Scriptural proof that death means to perish, and define perish. 1[ 66, 67. Why is death sometimes spoken of as sleep? Give Scrip- tural proof. If 68, 69. How has the doctrine of eternal torment affected many? If TO. Who is responsible for the doctrine of eternal torment? H TO. Give four reasons why eternal torment can not be true. H 70. Would eternal torment accomplish any good? Would it result to the glory of God? 71. Could any creature be eternally tormented contrary to the will of God? 1[ 72. Could a reasonable God torture any creature? ^ 72. Why would not a sane person torture his child or his dog? H 73. Since the Scriptures declare that God is love, could he torment a creature? ^ 73. Why is the doctrine of eternal torture unreasonable? H 74. Why is the doctrine of eternal torture unjust? If 75. Why is the doctrine of eternal torment devoid of love? II 76-79. What is the difference between everlasting torment and everlasting punishment? T[ 81. What is the severest punishment inflicted for the viola- tion of human laws? ^ 81. What is the severest punishment God inflicts for the violation of his laws? T[ 81. Could God change the penalty for the violation of his law after the penalty has been once fixed and the law violated? and if not, why not? If 82. Do not the wicked go to hell? ^ 84. What is the meaning of the English word hell? and from what words has it been translated? ^ 84. What did Job say about going to hell? 1[ 85. Is any one conscious while in hell? ^ 85. What did Jacob say about going to hell? and whom did he expect to meet there? ^ 86. 60 The Harp of God If hell means a place of fiery torment, how could Jacob pi"€serve his gray hairs there? H 87. Jesus went to hell, as the Scriptures declare. If hell is a place of eternal torment, how could Jesus get out? ^ 88. What religion did God establish on earth? ^ 89. What religion did Satan establish on earth? H 89. "What does Jehovah's Word say about burning children in fires as offerings to Baal? If 89. To whom did the heathen sacrifice their children? If 89. What has been Satan's purpose in teaching the false religion? ^ 89. What punishment has God fixed for the wilfully wicked? Give Scriptural proof. 90. What is man's duty toward God and toward his fellow men in regard to teaching the doctrine of eternal torment? H 91. now are we affected by a proper understanding of the manifestation of divine justice? If 91. CHAPTER IV String 3: The Abrahamic Promise SOIME time after Adam and Eve were driven from Eden children were born to them, who grew to the estate of manhood and womanhood and they in turn had children. Cain obtained his wife by marry- ing his sister. Thus the peoples of earth gradually increased. They all wandered about in the earth, earning their bread in the sweat of their face. Some of these children were bad and some were good. God showed his favor to the good, as he always favors those who are good. Satan exercised his wicked in- fluence amongst the people and most of them turned to evil. Noah was a good man and he and the members of his family served the Lord Jehovah. Sixteen hundred years and more passed from the time of the judgment in Eden (during which time the people became very wicked) and there was great violence in the earth. God purposed to destroy all the wicked of earth; so he directed Noah to build an ark and to take into the ark the members of his family ; and this done, a great flood of waters came upon the earth and all living creatures were destroyed except those in the ark. There were only eight persons left on the earth after the flood. (Genesis 7 : 21-23 ; 1 Peter 3 : 20) Noah and his sons begat children and the peoples of earth again increased. Amongst them were some good and some bad. Amongst those v/ho tried to do the ^vill of God was a man named Abram, which name was later G3 64 The Harp of God changed to Abraham. He is spoken of in the Scrip- tures as the friend of God. Abraham's wife was named Sarah. ^*Wlien Abraham was seventy-five years of age, Jehovah said to him: *'Get thee cut of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, anto a land that I will show thee : and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: . . . and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. ' ' (Genesis 12: 1-3) Abraham with his wife and others left Haran for the land of Canaan. When they had reached a point in that land kno\vii as Sichem, the Lord appeared unto him and said: *'Unto thy seed will I give this land." Abraham builded an altar there, and the place has since been knov/n as Bethel, v/hich means the house of God. Afterv/ard Abraham dwelt in the plains of Mamre, which is just above the present site of Hebron in the southern part of Pales- tine. While there, God made a covenant with him, saying: *'Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. ' ' — Genesis 15 : 18. Thereafter, when Abraham was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared unto him and said: ''I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly, . . . and thou shalt be a father of many nations. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (Genesis 17: 2,4,8) Some time later, v/hen Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent, which was pitched in tlie plains of ]\Iamre, there stood before him three men, messengers from Jehovah. In the plains of ]\Iamre, The Ahraliamic Promise 65 a short distance above the town of Hebron, still stands a very ancient oak tree. It is about thirty feet in circumference. It is claimed that this is Abraham's oak, where he pitched his tent at the time these holy messengers appeared to him. Of coui'se we can not believe this fs true, because an oak would not live that length of time. It is interesting, however, to note this ancient tree standing approximately at the point where Abraham is supposed to have resided in his tent. Here it was that Abraham prepared refresh- ments for his distinguished visitors; and **he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat". Here it was that the messenger of Jehovah told Abraham that he and his wife Sarah would be given a son. — Genesis 18 : 1-14. ^® In due time a son was born unto Abraham and Sarah and Ms name was called Isaac. (Genesis 21: 1-3) Afterward, when the son Isaac had grown up, Jehovah put Abraham to a great test, and in doing so he made a picture which foreshadowed the redemption of the human race. This record appears in the twenty- second chapter of Genesis. God said unto Abraham: ' * Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah ; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the moun- tains which I will tell thee of." (Genesis 22:2) It is interesting here to note that Mount Moriah is in- side of the walls of the present city of Jerusalem. It was the site of the temple of Solomon, and supposed to be the very spot wiiere Abraham was met by ]\Iel- chizedek. It is the place where Abraham was directed to offer and did offer up his son Isaac. Providing himself with wood to be used for the f.re, Abraham and his son and servants journeyed for three days from the plains of Mamre to Moriah ; 66 The Harp of God and arriving there, he at once prepared for the burnt offering. Isaac was not aware of the purpose of his father to offer him ; so he said to his father: Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.'* Abraham then informed his son that he was to be the offering. Then he bound Isaac and laid him upon the altar and stretched forth his hand and took the knife with which to slay his son. This was a great test to Abraham's faith. Isaac was his only son and he loved him dearly ; but Jehovah had commanded him to offer him up as a sacrifice, and because of his love for Jehovah he proceeded to obey God's com- mand. As he raised his hand to strike dead his only beloved son, ''the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, . . . Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me." When Abraham looked he saw a ram caught in a thicket nearby and he took the ram and offered it for a burnt offering. Then ' ' the angel of the Lord called unto Abra- ham . . . the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord; for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son ; That in blessing I vdll bless thee, and in multi- plying I will multiply thy seed as the stars in the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore ; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed: because thou hast obeyed my voice." — Gen- esis 22 : 15-18. The Ahrahamic Promise 67 ®® In this wonderful picture Abraham was a type of Jehovah, while Isaac was a type of Jesus, the beloved Son of Jehovah. Abraham's offering his beloved son on the altar pictured how God in due time would offer his only beloved Son as a great sacrifice that mankind might be redeemed from death and have an opportunity to live. Abraham did not, as indeed he could not, understand God's purposes, for the reason that Jehovah did not reveal them to him; but he knew that God had here made a covenant with him and bound it with his oath; and that by these two certain and unchangeable things, his word and hia oath, God would carry out his covenant in due time, and that covenant would result in the blessing of all the fa^milies and nations of earth. 100 r^^Q y^QY^ covenant means contract ; and it is the solemn form for expressing a compact, agreement, or contract between parties, or particularly on the part of one whereby he promises to do a certain thing. With Jehovah a covenant or a contract is sacred and inviolate, because Jehovah changes not. (Malachi 3:6) Having promised it, he will fulfil it. (Hebrews 6: 18) It is always necessary that there be two par- ties to a contract. There may be more. Where one party only is bound to do a certain thing that con- tract is called unilateral, or one-sided; and where both parties are bound to perform certain things, the contract is called bilateral, or two-sided. It will be observed that this oathbound covenant that Jehovah made with Abraham contained no con- ditions or limitations, but was merely a promise of Jehovah bound by his oath, and is therefore properly called a unilateral or one-sided covenant; for the reason that God's purpose was and is to carry out his plan to bless the human race, regardless of what 68 The Harp of God any one may or may not do. There was no need for him to make any conditions to the covenant. He mere- ly announced his benevolent purpose toward mankind. The covenant does not even say that the blessing of the people will follow upon the condition that Abra- ham should do a certain thing, or that the people should seek him. The covenant does not say that eveiy person will be blessed with life everlasting ; but it does say that all the families of the earth shall be blessed, which means that every one must in God's due time have a full, fair opportunity for life ever- lasting. It means, further, that in God's due time knowledge will be brought to all in order that every one may avail himself of the opportunity thus pro- vided for life. It means, furthermore, that assistance will be given to every one, that he may profit by this blessed opportunity ; and all who prove their loyalty under the test that wall come by reason of the oppor- tunity will be granted life everlasting. How was tlie earth originally peopled? ^ C2. Where did Caiu get his wife? H 92. To whom does Jehovah show his favor? ^ 92. What effect does Satan's influence have on the people? H 02. "What kind of man was Noah? and whom did he serve? H 93. Vvliy did Jehovah direct Noah to build the ark? If 93. How many persons escaped destruction at the time of the flood? and who were they? H 93. How was the earth peopled after the flood? If 93. What man is mentioned in the Scriptures as the friend of God? and what was the name of his wife? If 94. What v.-as the age of Abraham when God spoke to him? and what did Jehovah say? If 94. What was Abraham's native land? and to what land did he go in obedience to God's command? If 94. The Ahrahamic Promise 69 At what places did Abraham stop in Canaan that are specially mentioned in the Bible? If 94. What promise did God make to Abraham at Bethel? and what promise did he make while Abraham dwelt in the plains of Mamre? If 94. Describe the place of Abraham's residence at the time Jehovah promised him a son. Quote the Scriptural account. If 95. How many sons did Abraham have by his wife Sarah? Give Scriptural proof. If 96. To what special test did God put Abraham with reference to his son Isaac? ^ 96. Describe in detail the offering of Isaac. If 97. Repeat God's promise to Abraham at the time of his offering of Isaac. If 98. Whom did Abraham typify in this offering? and of wiiom was Isaac a tj^pe? If 90. What did the offering of Isaac picture? If 99. Did Abraham understand the full meaning of God's prom- ise? ^ 99. What is the meaning of the word "covenant"? If 100. How does God regard his covenants? Give Scriptural proof. ^ 100. How many parties are required to make a covenant? If 100. Where only one party is bound, what kind of covenant is it? If 100. Where both parties are bound to perform certain things, then what do we call the covenant? If 100. Why was God's covenant with Abraham a one-sided cove- nant? If 101. What is the important statement of the Abraharaic cove- nant or promise? Tf 101. Wl-.om will the Abrahamic covenant ultimately affect? H 101. 70 The Harp of God "IS IT COME?** Poet and seer that question caught, Above the din of life's fears and frets; It marched with letters, it toiled with thought. Through schools and creeds which the earth forgets. And statesmen trifle, and priests deceive, And traders barter our world away; Yet hearts to that golden promise cleave, And still, at times, "Is it come?" they say. The days of the nations bear no trace Of all the sunshine so far foretold; The cannon speaks in the teacher's place; The age is weary with work and gold ; And high hopes wither, and memories wane; On hearths and altars the fires are dead; But that brave faith hath not lived in vain ; And this is all that our watcher said. — Broicn. CHAPTER V String 4: The Birth of Jesus IT HAS pleased Jehovah to use men and women to picture or foreshadow various parts of his plan. For instance, Abraham at times pictures or repre- sents God; while Sarah his wife was used to picture or typify God's covenant \\dth Abraham through which he promised to bring forth the seed for the blessing of all the families of the earth. Sarah was tlie mother of Isaac, her only son. Isaac v/as used to typify or foreshadow Jesus, the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world. Hagar had a son by Abra- ham, and Hagar typified or foreshadowed the law covenant, which was made by Jehovah with Moses as a mediator for the children of Israel in Ej.^ypt. As Hagar was a bondwoman, the servant of Sarah, so was the law covenant one of bondage that broiiglit forth no real blessings to the Jev/s ; but it was made for the purpose of teaching the Jews their inability to lift themselves up to life and to show them the absolute necessity for a redeemer. After the death of his wife Sarah, Abraham m.arried Keturah and by her had many children; and Keturah is used as a type foreshadowing the nev/ covenant that is made by Jehovah v/ith Christ as the Mediator for the world of mankind, and through which all v/ill have an op- portunity to gain life everlasting. 103 rpj^g Apostle Paul speaks of these figures or pic- tures relating to the covenants, as follows: "For it is written, that Abraham had two sons; the one by a 73 74 The Harp of God bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh ; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory : for these are the two covenants ; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bond- age, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, wliich is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not ; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not ; for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise." (Galatians 4:22-28) Isaac pictures the entire Christ, head and body: Je- sus the Head, the church the body members. It is noted that God's covenant with Abraham stated that there would be an offspring or seed which would bless all the families of the earth. This seed is the Redeemer, Christ Jesus, the Savior of the world; and by adoption into the family of God the true Christians, the church, the members of Christ's body, become a part of that seed **And the scrip- ture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abra- ham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many ; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. " — Galatians 3 : 8, 16. Before the blessing promised could come to the peoples of earth, the seed which was promised must first come. The Israelites, otherwise called Jev/s, therefore expected that one of the natural descendants of Abraham would become their king and that through that king and his kingdom all the nations of the earth The Birth of Jems 75 v/ould be blessed by receiving the benefits first given to them. For this reason the faithful Jews looked forward with great expectancy to the birth of the one who was to be their king. They based their hopes upon the repeated promise made by Jehovah. With- out doubt it was thought by some that Isaac, the son of Abraham, would be the one through whom the blessing would come. After the death of Abraham, . . . God blessed his son Isaac ; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai-roi.** (Genesis 25:11) When Isaac was about sixty years old there were born to him and his wife Hebekah two sons, twins, who were named by them Esau and Jacob. — Genesis 25 : 26. Isaac then went to live in the land of the Philis- tines, and while there, God said to him: Sojourn in this land, and I will be v/ith thee, and will bless thee : for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries ; and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father. And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries ; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. ' ' ( Genesis 26 : 3, 4) Thus the Abrahamic promise was renewed to Isaac. Before the death of Isaac, he pronounced his blessing upon his son Jacob, and Jacob thereby became the successor of his father to the Abrahamic promise. Under the rule of descent, the firstborn or eldest son was the heir of the father's estate and any other rights or privileges that went with that estate, unless for some cause there should be an exception to the rule. Esau having been born a few moments before his brother Jacob, under the operation of this rule would be the successor of the Abrahamic promise and heir to his father. His birthright, therefore, would include the promise made to Abraham. But the Lord 76 The Harp of God clearly indicated that there should be an exception to the rule in this case and that Jacob should be the heir and not Esau. When it was known that the mother would bear two sons, and just before the time of their birth, Rebekah the mother inquired of the Lord con- cerning the expected children and the Lord said unto her that two sons would be born to her and that the elder should serve the younger. (Genesis 25:22,23) This definitely shows that it was God's purpose that Jacob, who was bom last, should be the heir and successor to the Abrahamic promise, 108 These two sons grew to manhood 's estate. Esau became a great hunter and loved the outdoor sports ; while Jacob was a plain man, remaining quietly at home. Esau showed that he did not appreciate the birthright, viz., the Abrahamic promise, even if it were his, which in fact it was not, since God had fore- ordained that it should belong to Jacob. Esau thought more of his o-wn selfish, immediate comfort than any- thing that might come to him by reason of this prom- ise. On one occasion he was in the field hunting. He returned hungry and faint. He found that J acob had prepared a pot of lentils. Yfhen Esau smelled this appetizing food he said to Jacob: **Fced me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: . . . and Jacob said. Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said. Behold, I am at the point to die ; and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his v/ay. Thus Esau despised his birthright. ' ' — Genesis 25 : 27-34. Genuine, real right and title to the birthright was now Jacob's for two good and sufficient reasons: (1) The Birth of Jesus 77 becanse it was so ordered by the Lord before his birth, as above stated ; and (2) because he had bought it in an open and fair transaction with his brother Esan. These two brothers were not mere children at this time. They were past forty years of age (Genesis 26 : 34), both capable of entering into a contract ; and they made a contract which was binding upon both. Notwithstanding these two good reasons why Jacob was justly entitled to the birthright, Esau attempted to deprive him of it. The birthright car- ried with it the privilege of the special blessing from their father. Isaac was old and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see ; and he knew that the day of his death might be near. (Genesis 27:1,2) He di- rected his son Esau to go into the field and take some venison and bring it to him that he might eat, and give Esau his blessing. The Bible does not clearly show that Isaac knew God had foreordained that this birthriglit should be- long to Jacob, nor that he knew Esau had sold it to Jacob; therefore we can excuse the old father for thinking it was his duty to bestovr his blessing upon his son Esau. Rebekah the mother, however, knowing of both these reasons why Jacob was entitled to the birthright, Imomng that Esau did not appreciate it, and knowing of his wrongful intent to deprive his brother J acob of the privileges and blessings incident to the birthright, advised Jacob what to do in order to protect his own rightful and proper interests. The mother therefore was carrying out God's will in this respect. She was doing what all honest persons should do, try to protect the rights and privileges of those that are near and dear to them. She therefore directed Jacob to slay two kids of the goats and bring them to her and she prepared some savory meat ; and then. 78 The Harp of God in order th?vt the blind father mia^lit not o"h^inn+o''y refuse to aid them in carrying out the divine purposes, and in order that he miglit think he was blessing Esau, the mother Ecbekah fastened upon the arms of her son Jacob the skins of the kids and also put the sldns about liis neck that he Vv^ould appear as a hairy man like unto his brother Esau. Jacob then came in before his father and pre- sented the savory meat. His father kissed him and laid his hand upon him and gave to Jacob his bless- ing. The old father then spoke in prophetic plirase, evidently under the direction of the Lord, saying unto his son Jacob: "Let people serve thee, and na- tions bow doAvn to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee ; and blessed be he that blesscth thee."— Genesis 27:29. Almost immediately Esau returned from the field and found that Jacob had received his father's blessing and that he (Esau) had been unsuccessful in carrying out his purpose of defeating the open and fair transaction v/liicli he had made with Jacob when he had sold his birthright. He hated his brother Jacob and determined to kill him as soon as his father Isaac was dead. It seems rather strange that many Christian people have severely criticized Jacob and his mother Eebekah in tliis transaction. It has evidently been due to the fact that they were ignorant of the record. No part of Jacob's action in connection viiih. tlie birthright is reprehensible. Everything v.dth reference to Esau is reprehensible. God subsequently showed that Esau pictured the peoples of earth who are Christians in name only, but not in truth and in fact, who are hypocritical, and who persecute the true The Birth of Jesus 79 Christians ; while Jacob pictured or foreshadowed the true followers of Christ who have been misrepresented and persecuted by the merely nominal Christians. God showed his approval of the conduct of Jacob and his mother Rebekah, and showed that it was his pur- pose and intention that Jacob should receive the bless- ing going with the birthright. Jacob had shown his great desire for the birthright, which was merely a promise; while Esau had despised it. Acting upon the advice of his mother, Jacob now fled from the wrath of Esau; and as he went away, he lay do^vn and slept at a place situated north of the present site of Jerusalem and which afterward he named Bethel, which means the house of God. There he had a dream, in which God signified his approval of Jacob and pronounced a blessing upon him. 115 ' ' lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set : and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay dovm in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and, behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven : and, behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac : the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed ; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth; and thou shalt spread abfoad to the v/est, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south : and in thee and in thy seed shall all the fami- lies of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." — Genesis 28: 11-15. 80 The Harp of God Whom God approves and blesses all others should approve. We may be assured, then, that Jacob was blameless before Jehovah in this transaction. It shows how carefully Jehovah was guarding his promise and the seed which would spring from it ultimately and through w^hich the families of the earth should be blessed. Some years later God showed his further favor to Jacob by changing his name from Jacob to Israel. The name Israel means. He will rule as God. ''And God said unto him. Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins ; and the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land." (Genesis 35 : 10-12) According to the promise given to Jacob at this time, a nation should spring forth of him. Jacob had twelve sons. There were bom to him by his wife Leah the sons Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Ju- dah, Issachar, and Zebulun ; and by his "wife Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin. His other sons were Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. Jacob's vdie Rachel was tlie most beloved by him, and she was the mother of his beloved son Joseph. After Jacob had been de- prived of Joseph's presence and fellowship, he de- voted his afiections to Benjamin, the other son by his beloved wife Rachel. The Scriptures show that these two sons typified those who will be born on the spirit plane, Joseph being a type of the royal family of heaven; while Benjamin t^T^ified the great company The Birth of J esus 81 or tribulation class born on a spirit plane lower than those possessing the divine nature. Jacob spent his last days with his family in Egypt. Just before his death he called before him his sons, that he might bestow upon them his last blessings. From this time forward dates the history of the nation of Israel. While pronouncing the bless- ing upon his various sons, he said concerning his son Judah: *'Judah is a lion's whelp ; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion ; who shall rouse him up ? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law- giver from between his feet, until Shiloh come ; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.'' (Genesis 49: 9, 10) This prophetic promise definitely shows that the mighty One to come, through whom the blessings of the people would flow, must spring from the tribe of Judah, the word Shiloh being one of the titles applied to the great Prince of Peace, the Deliverer, the Savior of manldnd. After the death of Jacob his offspring were kno^^Ti as the children of Israel, or Israelites. Joseph J when a lad had been sold into Egypt, had grown to I manhood, had become a mighty man and ruler in ! Egypt under the king, and was dwelling there in 1 power and glory when his father Jacob and the other members of his family moved into Egypt to live. During the lifetime of Joseph the Israelites were well treated. After his death, however, a new king came to the throne of Egypt, who began to oppress and persecute the Israelites. God raised up Moses and used him to deliver the Israelites from the land of Egypt and the oppressive hand of Egypt's king. We incidentally remark that here are some other pictures foreshadowing portions of the divine plan. 82 The Harp of God Eg>T)t under the rule of a wicked Idng pictures or represents thxe world of mankind in darkness under the rule of the unrighteous one, Satan, who is the god of this world. The Israelites in Egypt picture the people of God and those who shall ultimately come into harmony with him ; while ]\Ioses was a type fore- shadowing the great ]\Iessiah, who is to deliver all mankind from the bondage of sin and death. Lloses was a prophet of God ; and God spoke through Moses, using him as a mouthpiece or mes- senger. After the Lord had delivered the children of Israel from Egypt by the hand of I^.Ioses, he spoke through Moses, who prophesied unto Israel, saying: ' ' The liord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me ; unto him yo, shall hearken." (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22) From that time forward the Israelites watched and waited for the coming of the great Prophet, Priest, and King who should be like unto IMoses and of whom Moses was a picture or a type. They Imev^r that such a one must come from the house of Judah, because God had promised as much. David was a direct descendant of Judah. — Lul^e 3: 31-34. 123 pi-om time to time God's prophets gave utter- ance to words that kept alive in the minds of the Israelites the hope that God would send them a mighty One, through vv^hom the promise made to Abraham would be fulfilled. In time this promise was specif- ically limited to the house of David, the Lord causing his prophet to write thus : * ' The Lord hath sworn in truth unto Da\dd, he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. If thy children will keep my covenant, and my testimonj^ that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore." — Psalm 132: 11, 12. The Birth of Jesus 83 David himself was a prophet of Jehovah, and the Lord spoke through him with reference to the heir of the Abrahamic promise who should be king over Israel. ''Then David the king stood upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people : As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building : but God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood. Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me, to make me king over all Israel : and of all my sons (for the Lord hath given me many sons) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts : for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. Moreover I will estab- lish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day." —1 Chronicles 28 : 2-7. 125 Thus far the di\dne record definitely establishes the fact that the great heir or king of Israel, the seed through which the blessings of God would be bestowed, I must come through David's line; and that also it I should come through Solomon, provided, of course, the conditions laid upon Solomon were fulfilled. In any event, it must come through David's line, and through his son Solomon provided Solomon met the requirements. AVe repeat the words for emphasis: Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if The Harp of God lie he constant to do my commandments and my judg- ments, as at this day/' And then David said: '*And thou, Solomon my Son, Imow thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts : if thou seek him, he will be found of thee ; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever."— 1 Chronicles 28: 9. 126 rpj^g question is. Did Solomon receive the ap- proval of the Lord? If so, the great Messiah must come through his line. If not, then he could not come through Solomon. This question is answered by the Scriptures, as follows: ''For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his "svives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not per- fect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. . . . And the Lord was angry with Solo- mon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding, in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend av/ay all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, which I have chosen. ' ' — 1 Kings 11 : 4, 9-13. After Solomon 's death the nation of Israel was divided. The last three kings of Solomon's line to The Birth of Jesus 85 rule over Israel were Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin (also called Coniah) and Zedeldah. Zedekiah became a wicked ruler and of him it is recorded: ''And thou, profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God, Remove the diadem, and take off the crown ; this shall not be the same : exalt him that is lov/, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it [to] him." (Ezekiel 21:25-27) This shows a complete overthrowing of the line of Solomon and definitely settles the proposition that Messiah could not be counted through the line of Solomon, but must be some other way. Seemingly God's promise to bring the mighty Deliverer through the line of David had failed, because of Solomon's failure. But not so. Da\dd had another son, whom the Lord used. Solo- mon's line had been exalted. Now this line must be abased, and the lower line must be exalted. 128 rpj^g obscure line of David was his son Nathan. !Mary the mother of Jesus was a direct descendant of Nathan of the house of David. Jeremiah prophesied concerning the coming of Messiah, as follows: "Behold the day is coming, saith the Lord, that I v/ill raise unto David a righteous branch and a king shall reign and prosper. ... In his day Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely ; and this is the name that J ehovah proclaim- eth him, Our Righteousness. ' ' — Jer. 23 : 5, 6, Young. Mary, the mother-to-be of Jesus, was approached by the angel of the Lord, who said to her : ' ' Fear not, Mary ; for thou hast found favor with God. And, be- hold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall 86 The Harp of God be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest ; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her: The holy spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee ; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. ' ' —Luke 1 : 30-35. Then Mary, seemingly directed by the power of Jehovah, said : ' ' My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden : for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him, from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm ; he hath scat- tered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put do^vn the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree." (Luke 1:46-52) Her words draw the contrast between the once favored family of Solomon and the humbler family of Nathan, Solomon 's family being abased and Nathan 's now ex- alted. Thus the proof is brought forth that the Lord did raise up unto David a righteous branch. IN EXPECTATION 132 ipj^g promise made to Abraham, which was subse- quently repeated to others, thoroughly impressed the minds of the devout Israelites with the thought that at some future time there would be born of a woman of the Jewish people a holy child, and that in some way to them not understood this child would be the The Birth of Jesus 87 means of blessing all the families and nations of the earth. They expected the Jewish nation to become the greatest nation of earth, and looked for all other nations to flow unto it, be subservient to it and re- ceive their blessings through it. These conclusions they based upon the words of the prophets, even I though they did not fully understand the meaning of those prophecies. To them the Prophet Isaiah had said: *'And it shall come to pass in the last days, I that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be estab- I lished in the top of the mountains, and shall be ex- I alted above the hills ; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob ; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.'' (Isaiah 2:2,3) And again: ''For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the gov- ernment shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."— Isaiah 9:6,7. 133 fpj^g Prophet Zechariah said : ' ' And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations I which came against Jerusalem, shall even go up from I year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, I and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the 88 The Harp of God Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain/' — Zschariah 14 : 16, 17. These prophecies, while relating in a measure to the birth of Jesus, had only a partial fulfilment at that time. Their far greater fulfilment is yet future, as we shall see. 135 r^i^Q birth of J esus, the greatest event in the world's history, was about to be enacted. Tv/o thou- sand years had passed since God had made the prom- ise to Abraham of the coming of the mighty One through whom all the families of the earth should be blessed. During that time Jehovah was executing his preconceived plan, renewing his promise to keep it fresh in the minds of the faithful, and shaping the course of those who should participate in this great transaction. And now, as the day drew near, the stage was being set. 13G rJ^Y^Q place selected was Bethlehem, situated on an elevation south of Jerusalem. It v/as once the home of Boaz, whose fields the beautiful Moabitish woman Ruth had gleaned and v\^hom Boaz redeemed and afterward took as his wife. Here Jehovah had used Boaz as a type of Christ Jesus and Ruth as a type of the church, his bride, f oreshadov.dng things to come. ^^"^ Later Bethlehem was the home of Jesse and of David his son. The name David implies 'beloved one' ; and it was here that he was anointed to be king over Israel, from which time he tjT)ified Jesus, the mighty Son of God. Jehovali had selected this as the birthplace of Jesus; hence here the birth must take place.— Matthew 2 : 5, 6 ; Micah 5 : 2. ^■'^ Away to the north in Galilee stood the humble and despised city of Nazareth. It was the home of Joseph the carpenter, a meek, little-known, yet honest, man. lie was espoused to Mary. We should expect The Birth of J esus 89 that Jehovah would time everything exactly ; and so he did. Authority had departed from Judah; the Eomans were in control of Palestine, and the time for the birth of the mighty One was due. Exercising his perfect wisdom and power, Jehovah was overruling all things to the accomplishment of his purpose. Augustus Cssar, then the emperor and ruler over all Palestine, issued a decree that all the people should be taxed. Every one must go to the city of his nativity, there to be numbered and taxed. Joseph the carpenter, although a resident of Nazareth, was of the house of David, and hence must go to the city of David to be numbered and taxed. Naturally his espoused virgin would accompany him to that city. She likewise was of the house of David through an- otlier line, another reason why she should go there. But above all, the Lord directed them there because it was a part of his arrangement. At that time there vrere no means of easy and rapid transit. It was a long journey, a tedious and tiresome one. Joseph, with his espoused seated upon an ass, journeyed through the hills along the Jordan probably for three days, and late in the evening reached the city of Bethlehem. The city was crowded ; the private homes were full ; all the hotels, inns, and other places were crowded out. Tired, worn, and Vv^cary from their long journey, they were jostled by the crowd in the narrow streets of the city. Apply- ing to various places for lodging, at each place they were turned away ; until finally they found a location where they could sleep in a stall with the cattle. And they retired for the night's repose. Over the brow of the hill, in the field once owned by Boaz and gleaned by the beautiful Ruth, the faith- ful shepherds were watching their sheep. According 90 The Harp of God to custom, they had four watches during the night. Some would watch while the others slept. The earthly st-age was now set. But behold that there was no great earthly splendor or show! In truth the condition of poverty of Joseph and his espoused, and the like poor condition of the shepherds who were now shortly to be used of the Lord, was the only fitting way that we should expect the Lord would have it. All the pomp and glory of earthly preparation would have been but tawdry tinsel, de- tracting from the glorious things that were shortly to follow. Each one of the earthly players whom Jehovah had assigned to perform a part upon this stage was humble, meek, and possessed of faith in the promises of God. In heaven there was a host of angels that should participate in the great drama ; and all the hosts of heaven were witnesses to this unparalleled and never-again-to-be-performed event. On earth it was night, picturing the fact that the whole world was lying in darkness and a great light was coming into the earth. The time had now arrived for the birth of the mighty One, and all the heavenly hosts were awake to the importance of the hour. Doubtless while others slept, Mary was pon- dering in her heart the great events that had taken place during the few months past ; and while she thus meditated there in the silence of that night, without pain and without suffering there was bom to her Je- sus, the Savior of the world. And the shepherds watching their sheep in the field were attracted by the angel of the Lord, who came upon them, "and the glory of the Lord shone round about them : and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them. Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is The Birth of Jesus 91 born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord/'— Luke 2: 9-11. 143 ^hen this heavenly messenger had finished his v/onderful speech to the astonished shepherds, then it was, as if waiting a given signal, the multitudinous heavenly host stood forth and sang the good tidings of great joy which ultimately shall be to all people. Their song was but the reflex of what had been an- nounced. There sweet singers told in words of praise of God 's beneficent purpose ultimately to bless all the families of the earth. It was a song of glory from heaven, and the hills of Judea echoed the message of peace and good will toward men. And throughout the Christian era this sweet anthem has filled with joy the heart of many a sad wanderer ; and seemingly again and again these have heard the song from heaven: ''Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." The world is now entering its darkest period, and when mankind reaches the point of extremity, then will be God's opportunity to reveal to all sad hearts that the birth of Jesus was the greatest event in history to that time; and that shortly this same great Jesus, now in glory, will extend the blessings of life, liberty and happiness to the whole groaning creation. The place of Jesus ' birth was truly according to and in fulfilment of prophecy, thus showing that God had foreordained and prepared the conditions for his birth. (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6) Jesus was not born on December 25, as is generally supposed; but his birth occurred about the first of October. Mid- winter v^-ould have been a very inopportune time for the shepherds to be watching their sheep in the fields and sleeping in the open. In addition to this circum- 92 The Harp of God stantial evidence, all the facts show that the birth of Jesus was in October, and that December 25, nine months previous, was probably the date of the annun- ciation. (Luke 1 : 30, 31) For a full discussion of this subject see Studies in the Scriptures ^ Vol. 2, page 54. ^*^Much has been said and written concerning three wise men Vv^ho journeyed from the east to pay their homage to the babe Jesus, born in Bethlehem. Particularly at Christmas time is our attention called to this by pictures on cards, etc., of the wise men journeying to the west, supposedly being guided by the star sent by Jehovah. It has been presumed that Jehovah by the star led these wise men to the place of Jesus' birth. The Bible proof shows, however, that these wise men were not sent by the Lord God, but that they were directed by the great adversary, the Devil, in his attempt to destroy the babe. Whether they knew it or not, these wise men were parties to a great conspiracy, originated and carried out by the master mind, Satan, the Devil, in his attempt to de- stroy the seed of promise, the great Savior of the world. When Jehovah drove Adam and Eve from Eden he like-^\ase pronounced a condemnation upon Satan. He said concerning Satan and the woman : will put enmity between . . . thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy hcr.d, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3: 15) From that time forward Satan the great adversary has attempted to destroy every one whom God has favored and who he thought might constitute the seed of promise. Jehovah has given to Satan four separate and distinct names, all of which have a deep significance. Besides the name Satan he is designated as the Drag- on, that old Serpent, and the Devil. Dragon means The Birth of J esus devourer or destroyer; and Satan has at all times been seeking to destroy or devour Jesus and his true followers, who constitute the seed of promise. His name Satan indicates adversary ; and he has opposed in every way the development of the new creation, consisting of Jesus and his bride. His name Szrpent means deceiver; and he has applied all of his v/ily methods to deceive, and as Jcs us lias declared, he would deceive, if possible, the very elect, but God v/ill not permit him thus to do. His title Devil means slanderer; and he has constantly carried on a cam- paign of slanderous propaganda against the people of God even unto this day, and has never lost an oppor- tunity to try in his various ways to destroy them. When it was announced to Mary by the angel that she should bring forth a child whose name should be called Jesus and that he would be the Savior of his people, Satan recognized this promised and unborn babe as the one who would ultimately bruise his head. The Apostle Paul plainly states to us that God sent Jesus into the world, one of his missions being ulti- mately to destroy the Devil. (Hebrews 2 : 14) The en- mity of Satan toward the seed of promise has never abated. Learning of the promised birth of the child, Satan at once began to lay his plans for its destruction. He attempted to induce IMary's espoused husband Joseph to put her away and cause her to be put to death under the terms of the Mosaic law; but God prevented this by advising Joseph through his mes- senger in a dream to fear not, but to take Mary for his wife.— Matthew 1 : 18-24. Stars do not move about the canopy of heaven in such manner as to lead men. It seems unreasonable that Jehovah would have made a star move from the east and stand over Bethlehem. Satan and his emis- 94 The Harp of God saries, the demons associated with him, have power to produce lights; and many instances are cited in his- tory of these lights appearing near the earth. The **star" or light that guided the wise men was with- out doubt such a light, and not a star moved by the power of Jehovah. The wise men residing in the east were sorcerers and magicians. They were star-gazers. They were followers of the false religion. They sacrificed to and worshiped the Devil. (1 Corinthians 10: 20) Pharaoh the king of Egypt was a type of Satan the Devil; and Pharaoh used wise men like unto these messen- gers in the day that Israel were in Egyptian bondage. (Exodus 7 : 11) These were devotees of astrologj^ and demon worship. Doubtless many of them were sincere, but they were the dupes of a false religion inaugur- ated by Satan, The Biblical record definitely fixes the fact that Herod, then ruler in Jerusalem, was a wicked man, under the influence of Satan. 152 ( < ^Q^y when Jesus was bom in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is bom King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to wor- ship him." (Matthew 2: 1, 2) Be it noted that these wise men went directly to Herod, a representative of Satan. If the star guiding them was sent by the Lord Jehovah, why would he guide them to Herod, a repre- sentative of Satan, and a mortal enemy of the babe Jesus? If the sole purpose of the star was to guide these men to the place of Jesus' birth there was no need for them to go to Herod at all. The reasonable answer, then, is that Satan had prepared a great con- spiracy with the object of destroying the babe. A conspiracy is a design to commit a wrongful act in The Birth of Jesus 95 which two or more join in committing the act or some part of it. Sometimes persons are involved in a con- spiracy and participate without Imowing the real purpose of the one who forms the conspiracy. Such may have been the case with these wise men; but without doubt Satan had formed and directed it. 153 ^hen those wise men came into the presence of Herod, he v/as troubled, because he feared the new king would interfere with his reign ; and he ' ' gath- ered all the chief priests and scribes of the people [the seed of Satan and also his representatives — John 8 : 44] together and demanded of them where Christ should be born " ; in other words he demanded to Imow where the babe Jesus could be found. Then Herod, in furtherance of the conspiracy, privately consulted with these wise men. We now see Herod manifesting one of the characteristics of Satan, viz., deception, in this, that he pretended to desire to find the babe Jesus, that he himself might go and worship him; whereas all the facts and circumstances show that his real purpose was that he might find the babe in order to destroy him. ' * Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them dili- gently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said. Go and search dili- gently for the young child ; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and wor- ship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed: and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.'* We can not for a moment believe that the heav- enly Father would use a wicked one like Herod and aid him in carrying out his wicked purpose by having a star to direct these wise men to the place of Jesus' 96 The Harp of God birth, in view of the fact that the king had demanded that they should return and report to him, and when it was King Herod's purpose to destroy the ''young child". The fact is that the Devil and his instru- ments, Herod and others, would have succeeded in this wicked conspiracy and have caused the death of the child Jesus had not God intervened to save him. 155 T^YiQ ^vise men reaching Bethlehem found the child and brought their presents and worshiped. Without a doubt it was their intention to return and report to Herod. And the result of such a return would have been the death of the child. But God here intervened and warned them in a dream. These wise magicians relied upon dreams. ''Being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. ' ' Satan again was thwarted in his wicked purpose. 156 rpj^^ ^^^^ intent of Herod in sending these wise men is disclosed by what subsequently happened. "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the \vise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men." (Matthew 2: 16) Deter- mined not to be thwarted in his purpose, Satan and his instrument Herod were willing to destroy all the babes in and about Bethlehem, with the hope of de- stroying the one that was to be the King and Savior of the world. Jehovah saved the Babe Jesus from this slaughter by directing his mother and Joseph to take the young child and flee into Egypt, which they did. —Matthew 2 : 13. 157 would not be justified, then, in presuming that God was using these devil worshipers, the "wise The Birth of J esus 97 men", *'magians," magicians, for the purpose of be- ing his witnesses to the birth of his beloved Son. But on the contrary, the facts show that it pleased him to reveal this great truth to the shepherds and to use them as his witnesses. — Lulce 2 : 8-18. 158 There is nothing whatsoever in the account of this experience of the wise men to indicate that their mission was in any ^vise beneficial to mankind; but the most charitable view we can take of it is that they were dupes of a deep-laid plot by Satan, the arch conspirator, to destroy the seed of promise ; and that Jehovah let the conspiracy proceed to the point where it would fully demonstrate the wickedness on the part of Satan and his instrument, and then demonstrated his great protecting power. Without a doubt Satan has attempted to deceive and has deceived multitudes of honest people into believing that these men were the mtnesses of the Lord, and hid from their minds the fact that they in truth and in fact represented Satan. All the wicked persecution that came upon the Lord Jesus afterward, and upon liis followers to this day, has been because of the influence of Satan the Devil. And yet at all times the Lord has protected his ovvTi at the very critical moment, just as prom- ised : ' ' The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear [reverence] him, and delivereth them. " —Psalm 34 : 7. HOW UNDEFILED? Paul says: **As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romans 5: 12) ** There is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Psalm 14:3) These scriptures being true, and since Jesus was born of a woman, was he not bom like other The Harp of God children f And if so, was he not a sinner like others ? Jesus was not a sinner. He was born pure, holy, sinless, without spot or blemish. He was not begotten and born like other children. While he was born of the woman Mary, Joseph was not his father. Joseph was espoused to Mary, Jesus' mother, and before they were married she was found to be with child. (Matthew 1:18) Mary was a virgin, yet she was about to give birth and did give birth to the babe Jesus. (Matthew 1:20,23) The holy child that was bom of the virgin Mary was and is the Son of God. —Luke 1 : 35. 162 fpjjg words translated in our Bibles Holy Ghost should be properly translated holy spirit. The holy spirit is the invisible power and energy of Jehovah. God is holy ; therefore his power and energy are holy. Father means life-giver. Jehovah is the Father of Jesus because he gave life to Jesus; hence Jesus is called the Son of God. The spirit or energy of Jeho- vah operating upon earthly substance produced earthly creatures. ( Genesis 2 : 7 ; 1 Corinthians 15 : 47 ) The same holy power and energy begat the child Jesus, who was bom of his mother Mary. Therefore the life of Jesus was ^vithout sin or imperfection. The germ of life of him who was born Jesus was trans- ferred from the spirit plane or nature to the human plane or nature. Jesus was our Lord 's human name. It implied his humiliation and lowly estate, in comparison with the glory which he had with the Father before the world was. (John 17:5) He existed long before he became a human being. His prehuman name was the Logos, which is translated in our common version Bible "the Word". The word Logos is therefore one of the titles of Jesus and should not be translated The Birth of J esus 99 at all. It means the spokesman, active agent, or mes- senger, of Jehovah. John, writing concerning the Logos, who later became Jesus, says: *'In the begin- ning [which means the beginning of God's creative activity] was the Logos, and the Logos was with God [the God, Jehovah], and the Logos was God [a mighty one]. The same was in the beginning with God [the God, Jehovah]. All things were made by him [the Logos] ; and without him [the Logos] was not anything made that was made, ' ' he was the active agent of J ehovah in maldng all things. — John 1 : 1-3. 164 rpj^g beginning here referred to could not mean the beginning of God the Father, because he is from everlasting to everlasting and never had a beginning. (Psalms 41:13; 90:2) The work of Jehovah, how- ever, had a beginning, and his creative work is clear- ly what is here meant. The Logos was the first and only direct creation of J ehovah ; and thereafter God 's creation was performed through his Logos. This is the thought expressed hj the Apostle Paul, who said Jesus ''is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature ; for by him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers ; all things were created by him, and for him : and he is before all things, and by him all things consist". — Colossians 1: 15-17. ^^^As further evidence of Jesus' prehuman exis- tence, we have his own words: ''I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." (John 6: 38) ''I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me." (John 8:42) Again: ''Before Abraham was, I am." (John 8: 58) Again: "I came forth from 100 The Harp of God the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. " (John 16 : 28) **And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine ovm self, with the glory wliich I had with thee before the world was." (John 17:5) Again Jesus said: 'I am the beginning of the creation of God.' (Eevelation 3: 14) Furthermore, the Apostle Paul under inspira- tion states : ' ' God . . . hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." (He- brews 1:1,2) And again he states: ''For ye Imow the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9) He was in the form of God before he became a man. "Who, though being in God s form, yet did not meditate a usurpation to be like God, but divested himself, taking a bondman's form, having been made in the likeness of men. ' ' — Philippians 2:6,1, Diaglott. Some have earnestly believed that J esus was God himself. But such a conclusion is not warranted by the Scriptures. John said: ''The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand." (John 3: 35) Again Jesus said: "The Father judg- eth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son ; that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. . . . For as the Father hath life in himself ; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. ' ' (John 5:22,23,26) Again Jesus said: "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." (Jolm 8: 17, 18) Thus Jesus definitely fixes the fact The Birth of Jesus 101 that he and the Father are separate and distinct beings. Again Jesus said : ' ' My Patlier, which gave them me, is greater than all ; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." (John 10:29,30) It may be asked, Does this not prove that they are one being? Our answer is that it does not ; but that it does show, in connec- tion vdlh. the other scriptures quoted, that Jesus and the Father, Jehovah, are one in spirit and one in har- monious action; just as Jesus subsequently prayed to the Father that the church, his followers, might be made one with him, when he said: ''Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word ; that they all may be one, as thou. Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them ; that they may be one, even as we are one." (John 17:20-22) Thus Jesus definitely shows what is meant by being one v/ith the Father. '^^^ Again Jesus prayed to the Father, saying: Fa- ther, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." (John 12:27,28) Jesus could not have been praying to himself here, but he was praying to Jehovah God, from whom he came. That the Father is greater than the Son, Christ Jesus, he shows when he says: "I go awa}^, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. ' ' — John 14 : 28. 102 The Harp of God *^**Many others have believed that Jesus, while on the earth, was still a spirit being and that his flesh was merely a covering or house in which that spirit being resided. Otherwise stated, that he was merely an incarnated creature and not wholly a man. The incarnation theory is that a spirit being inhabits for a time the human body, or a human body is created for the express purpose of that spirit being's occupy- ing it for a time. The incarnation of Jesus is Scrip- turally erroneous. Indeed, if he had been merely an incarnated being, he could never have redeemed man- kind. It is not disputed that he could have appeared as a human being ; and such is attested to in the in- stances given in Genesis 18 : 1, 2 and 19 : 1. Some insist that J esus when on earth was both God and man in completeness. This theory is wrong, however. We should never formulate a theory con- cerning God's plan in direct contradiction to his plain Word. We should have faith in God and in his Word. Faith means to have a laiowledge of his Word and then to rely upon that Word confidently. The Bible is the revealed Yv^ord of God, given to man for his instruction; and where plain statements of the Bible are given, we should take them at their face value. Follov/ing this course, we find that the plan of God everywhere appears harmonious and beautiful. The adversary takes advantage of an honest de- sire on the part of some and leads them into error. Every conscientious and reverential mind desires to honor God. For fear they might dishonor him, they are easily led into failure to give proper consideration to plain statements of the Bible. Some have been in- duced to believe that should they say that Jesus when on earth was a man and not God, such would be a dishonor to God. We should not permit ourselves to The Birth of Jesus 103 be beguiled or misled by sophistry or theories, but should follow the plain teachings of the Bible and then reach a conclusion in the light of that revealed Word after a full examination. The record concerning Jesus' prehuman exis- tence, his being begotten and his birth, entirely dis- proves the theory that he was incarnated. The scrip- tures above cited plainly show that he was begotten in the womb of a woman, Mary, by the holy spirit, the power or energy of Jehovah ; that thereafter he was born in the same general manner that other children are born of a woman (Luke 2 : 9-11) ; that he grew to manhood's estate and increased in wisdom and stat- ure and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2 : 40, 52) None of these things would have been necessary were he merely an incarnated being, a spirit being inhabiting a body of tlesh. He worked at the car- penter's trade until he was thirty years of age, at which time he began his ministry. At that time he went to John to be baptized in the Jordan. (Luke 3: 21-23) Immediately following that he spent forty days and nights in the wilderness, fasting and study- ing Jehovah's plan. (Luke 4: 1-14) If he were God incarnate, this experience in the wilderness would seem wholly unnecessary. Jesus was not an angel or spirit being, because we have the positive statement of the apostle to the effect that, **We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels." (Hebrews 2:9) And again: ** Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise partook of the same." (Hebrews 2: 14) Furthermore, he was at one time rich in heavenly power and glory and be- came poor for the sake of mankind by taking upon himself the nature of man. (2 Corinthians 8:9) He 104 The Harp of God was made in the nature and likeness of man. (Philip- pians 2:8) The apostle, writing under inspiration, speaks of Jesus as the man: "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. . . . The first man is of the earth, earthy : the second man is the Lord from heaven.*' — 1 Corinthians 15 : 21, 47 ; see also 1 Timothy 2:5,6. Had Jesus been merely an incarnated being it would not have been necessary for him to be born as a babe and grow to manhood's estate. While he was bom of a woman, yet he was without sin, because from his Father, Jehovah; for he was ''holy, harm- less, undefiled, separate from sinners" (Hebrews 7 : 26 ) ; ' ' and he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin." (1 John 3:5) He was without spot or blemish; therefore perfect and holy. — 1 Peter 1:19; Hebrews 9 : 14. God says to us: "Gome now, and let us reason together, . . . though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18) We should reason upon God's plan as revealed in the Bible, because he thus invites us to do. When we see the reason why Jesus was made a man, why it was necessary for him to be a perfect man while on earth, then we are glad and give praise to God. Had he not become a man, there would have been no hope for any of the human race to get life through Christ Jesus ; and the apostle declares that there is no other name given under heaven whereby mankind can live. —Acts 4 : 12. In what peculiar manner has Jehovah used men and women in the Bible? Give some examples. ^ 102. What was typified by Hagar? H 102. The Birth of Jesus 105 What was the purpose of the law covenant God made with Israel? ^ 102. Give the name of Abraham's third wife; and what did she typify? H 102. Give the Apostle Paul's statement as to what the wives of Abraham typified. If 103. What did Isaac typify or picture? ^ 103. What constitutes the seed of Abraham, according to the promise? H 103. Quote the words of Paul concerning the seed of Abraham. H 103. What is first necessary relative to the seed before the people can be blessed? ^ 104. What was the expectation of the Jews concerning this seed? 1[ 105. Give the names of Isaac's two sons; and what was Isaac's age when they were born? If 105. After the birth of his sons, where did Isaac go to reside? and while there, what did God say to him? ^ 106. Which of Isaac's sons became successor to the promise? and why? If 106. What really determined who would be the successor to the father's estate? ^ 107. Did the Lord indicate that there should be any exception to this rule relative to Jacob and Esau? 107. How did the Lord indicate this to Rebekah the mother? ^ 107. How did Esau occupy his time generally? If 108. What different disposition did Jacob possess? If 108. Did Esau show an appreciation of the birthright, particu- larly the Abrahamic promise? If 108. Relate the circumstances of Esau's selling of his birth- right. If 108. Why did the birthright properly belong to Jacob? If 109. About what was the age of Jacob and Esau at the time of this transaction? ^ 109. Was their contract binding on both? ^ 109. What privileges did the birthright carry with it? ^ 110. State the circumstances under which Esau attempted to deprive Jacob of the birthright after he had sold it to him. H 111. 106 The Harp of God Was the mother of these men justified in her action in this matter? and if so, why? ^ 111. Relate the conditions under which Jacob obtained the blessing from his father, ^ 112. What blessing, as shown by the Scriptures, did Isaac bestow upon Jacob? ^ 112. After Esau failed in his attempt to defeat his own con- tract with Jacob, what did he do toward obtaining the blessing from his father? ^ 113. Why have Christian people severely criticized Jacob and Rebekah because of this transaction? ^ 114. Who was the more reprehensible, Jacob or Esau? and why? If 114. Whom did Esau picture or typify? ^ 114. Whom did Jacob picture or foreshadow? If 114. Did God approve or disapprove Rebekah's action? If 114. Why did Jacob flee the country? and upon whose advice? If 114. At what important Biblical place did Jacob spend the night? and what occurred there? Give the Scriptural ac- count. If 114, 115. Why should we disapprove any one whom God approves? ^ 116. How did God later show his favor to Jacob? If 117. What is the meaning of the name Israel? If 117. What promise did God make to Jacob after his name was changed to Israel? If 117. How many sons did Jacob have? If 118. Give the names of his wives, and the sons by these wives, respectively. If 118. Which one of his w'ives did he love most? If 118. Which was Jacob's beloved son? ^ 118. Under what circumstances was Joseph taken away? and upon whom did Jacob bestow his affection thereafter? ^ 118. Whom did Joseph typify? and of whom was Benjamin a type? If 118. Where did Jacob spend his last days? ^ 119. What marks the beginning of the nation of Israel? ^ 119. In pronouncing the blessings upon his sons, what special prophecy was made by Jacob concerning Judah? K 119. Who is foreshadowed by this prophecy? ^ 119. The Birth of Jesus 107 After Jacob's death, by what name were his offspring known? t 120. What position did Joseph now hold in Egypt? % 120. How were the Israelites treated during Joseph's lifetime? If 120. How were they treated after Joseph's death? % 120. Whom did God raise up as a deliverer of the Israelites from Egypt? T 120. What did Egypt typify or picture? and what was typified or pictured by Egypt's ruler Pharaoh? If 121. Whom did the Israelites in Egypt picture? and of whom was Moses a type? f 121. Who was Moses? ^ 122. What prophecy did Moses speak relative to a mighty one to follow him? f 122. After hearing this prophecy, for whom were the Israelites looking? If 122. From what tribe did David descend? If 122. Through whom did Grod repeat the promises to Israel? If 123. To what particular house or line was the promise finally limited? If 123. What promise did the Lord make to David relative to the throne of Israel? Quote the prophecy. ^ 123. When David was king, what prophetic utterance did he make concerning the building of a house unto Jehovah? t[ 124. Why did God not permit David to build the temple? If 124. Which one of David's sons was permitted to build the temple? If 124. Upon what condition was Solomon's to be the line from which the great Deliverer would descend? Give the Scrip- tural proof. If 125. Did Solomon receive Jehovah's approval? If 126. Why was the kingdom taken away from Solomon? If 126. After Solomon's death, what happened to the nation of Israel? If 127. Name the last three kings of Solomon's line to rule over Israel. If 127. What did Jehovah pronounce through the prophet con- cerning Zedekiah? Give the Scriptural statement. Tf 127. In view of this, was it possible for the Messiah to be counted through the line of Solomon? If 127. 108 The Harp of God What other son did David have who was subsequently exalted? ^ 128. From whom did Mary the mother of Jesus descend? ^ 128. What did the Prophet Jeremiah prophesy concerning the coming of Messiah thrcagh David's lineage? ^ 129. What message did the angel of the Lord bring to Mary relative to the Messiah? 1[ 130. What did Mary say in response to the messenger? ^ 130. Why did Mary say : "From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed"? H 131. What was meant by her prophetic statement: "He hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree"? IF 131. Why were the Jews looking for some child to be born who would be a great ruler? ^ 132. Why did they expect their nation to become great? V 132. What prophetic utterances led the Jews to believe that there should be raised up amongst them a great king? Quote the prophecies. ^ 132, 1.33. Did the prophecies of Isaiah and Zechariah relating to the coming king have a complete fulfilment at the birth of Jesus? ^ 134. Of what relative importance was the birth of Jesus? ^ 135. How much time elapsed from the original promise made to Abraham until the birth of Jesus? H 135. During that time, what was Jehovah doing relative to the promise? H 135. Where was Jesus born? ^ 136. How was Bethlehem foreshadowed by the prophet? ^ 136. Give a brief statement of the important things which occurred in and about Bethlehem. ^ 137. Where was Nazareth situated? H 138. State the relative importance of the city of Nazareth. TI 138. Who were in control of Palestine at the time of the birth of Jesus? ^ 138. What important decree was issued by the ruler of Pales- tine that led Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem? T[ 138. Why must they go to Bethlehem and not to some other city? H 138. How did Joseph and Mary journey from Nazareth to The Birth of Jesus 109 Bethlehem? and at what time did they reach the latter city? H 139. Where did they find lodging? ^ 139. What important field lies near Bethlehem? and who were watching their flocks there? ^ 140. How many watches were kept in a night? IT 140. Was there great earthly splendor and show at the birth of Jesus? and if not, why not? If 141. What kind of people had God chosen to participate in the events of that night? IT 141. AVho in heaven were participating in this great event? \ 141. What did the night on the earth picture? \ 142. At what particular place was Jesus born? % 142. What attracted the attention of the shepherds and what message was delivered to them? Repeat the message. ^ 142. Repeat all the text of Luke 2 ; 8-11. H 142. What song did the shepherds hear from the heavenly hosts on this occasion? H 143. What effect has this heavenly message had upon the hearts of men for centuries past? f 143. Under what conditions will the peoples of earth learn of the importance of the birth of Jesus? H 144. What was the date of Jesus' birth? ^ 145. Tell what you can concerning the "wise men" that journeyed from the east to Bethlehem to see Jesus. If 146. Who sent the "wise men" to Herod? If 146. Why should we expect Satan to try to form a conspiracy to destroy the babe Jesus? If 147. Explain the significance of the names given Satan; and how do these apply to his operations against Jesus and his followers? If 148. When the promise was made to Mary that she should be the mother of Jesus, how did Satan regard this promise? \ 149. What was one of the puii)oses of Jesus* coming to earth relative to Satan? If 149. What attempt did Satan make to destroy Mary and her babe before the birth of Jesus? If 149. What was the "star" or light that guided the "wise men" to Bethlehem? If 150. Who were these "wise men" and whom did they worship? If 15L 110 The Harp of God Had Pharaoh the king of Egypt employed similar men? and for what purpose? ^ 151. What kind of man was Herod? and under whose influ- ence was he? If 151. Give the Scriptural account of the "wise men" going to Herod. ^ 152. Why would they go to Herod, the enemy of Jesus? ^ 152. Define a conspiracy. ^ 152. Is it possible for one to be involved in a conspiracy with- out knowing the real purpose? H 152. What did Herod do when the "wise men" approached him? If 153. What characteristics did Herod manifest in his consulta- tion with the "wise men"? H 153. Would we expect God to help a wicked man like Herod carry out his purpose to destroy God's beloved Son? 15-1. Where did the "wise men" find the babe? 1[ 155. Why did they not return to Herod? ^ 155. How did God thwart Satan's purpose here to destroy the babe? H 155. Wliat wicked thing did Herod do when he found that the "wise men" had not returned to him? ^ 156. Who prompted Herod to do this wicked act of slaying children? H 156. How was Jesus saved from this slaughter? and where did his parents take him? ^ 156. Could we presume under these circumstances that God would use the "wise men" for his witnesses to the birth of Jesus? H 157. AVhat humble, honest creatures did he use as such wit- nesses? ^ 157. Was there anything in the mission of the "wise men" that is beneficial to mankind? ^ 158. Why would God permit this conspiracy? ^ 158. Does Satan deceive honest people? ^ 158. Who has been responsible for all the persecution of Jesus and his followers? % 159. Who has protected them, and how? ^ 159. AVhy are all the descendants of Adam sinners? Quote the scripture. ^ 160. Jesus being born of a woman, was he a sinner? and if not, why not? 161. The Birth of Jesus 11% What is meant by the words "holy ghost"? If 162. What is the meaning of the word father? ^ 162. Why is Jesus called the Son of God? ^ 162. Why was our Lord named Jesus? and what does the name imply? ^ 163. Did he exist before he became Jesus? and what was his prehuman name? j[ 163. What is the meaning of the word Logos? and what rela- tion has the Logos to all of Jehovah's creation? ^ 163. Did Jehovah have a beginning? \ 164. What is meant by the term "in the beginning" as used in John 1: 1, 2? ^ 164. Give further Scriptural evidence of the prehuman exis- tence of Jesus. IF 164, 165. Are Jehovah and Jesus one and the same being? Give the Scriptural proof. ^ 166. In what sense are the Father and the Son one? Give Scriptural proof. ^ 167. When Jesus prayed to the Father, did he pray to himself or to another? ^ 168. Who is the greater, Jehovah or Jesus? Give Scriptural proof. \ 169. When Jesus was on earth, was he a spirit or a human being? ^ 170. What is meant by the incarnation theory? ^ 170. Do the Scriptures warrant the conclusion that Jesus was an incarnated being? If not, why not? \ 170. When Jesus was on earth, was he both God and man? If not, why not? t 171. By what must we determine these questions? 1[ 171. What is the meaning of faith? ^ 171. How does Satan sometimes lead persons of honest heart into error? f 172. Should we follow sophistry or the Bible in reaching a conclusion on these questions? ^ 172. Briefly review the argument of the begetting and birth of Jesus which disproves that he was an incarnated being. H 173. If Jesus was God incarnate, why should he have had the experience in the wilderness? H 173. Angels are spirit beings. What Scriptural proof have we 112 The Harp of God that Jesus was not an angel? Cite the Scriptural proof. % 174. Give further scriptures to show that he teas a man, made in the likeness of men, and that he is the Lord from heaven. T 174. Had Jesus been an incarnate being, would it have been necessary for him to be born as a child? If 175. Why should we reason upon God's plan? ^ 176. Could there have been any hope for the redemption of the human race except by Jesus becoming a man and by iiis death providing the ransom price? ^ 176. CHAPTER VI String 5: The Ransom THE great ransom sacrifice is the most vital to man of the strings upon the harp of God, because without it no real lasting joy could be had by man- kind. In due time its benefits shall result to the entire human race ; and all who appreciate it will sing aloud and rejoice with exceeding joy. They will have mel- ody in their hearts and upon their lips because of this wonderful provision made by Jehovah for man's benefit. For thousands of years divine wisdom has been -working out his plan concerning man; and the ransom sacrifice is the very pivotal part of that plan. Its importance can not be overstated. It is the gate- way that leads to life and happiness. It is the means of bringing back man into harmony with God. To appreciate this great doctrine we must understand it. Therefore let us reason together in the light of the divine Word, that we may understand. The most precious thing possessed by any crea- ture is life, because without life everything else would be useless and could not be enjoyed. Even now we observe that a man with but a small spark of life clings to that with desperation. It is only when a creature is perfect and enjoying complete life and the right to it that he can properly glorify Jehovah, his great Creator. God's great arrangement must ultimately bring glory to his name. J ehovah created Adam, the first man, in his own image and likeness. He created him perfect ; for all the 115 116 The Harp of God works of Jehovah are perfect. (Deuteronomy 32:4) He gave to man life and the right to life. Life means any conscious existence. Right to life means the full authority to maintain existence. Adam and Eve in Eden were perfect in their bodies, without pain, with- out sorrow ; and were beautiful creatures. They had not a scar nor a mark upon them anywhere. They enjoyed life and all the blessings incident to that life. Their home was perfect; and even all the ani- mals and birds of Eden were subject to them, and they had absolute dominion and control. God gave them all these privileges to enjoy eternally, upon one expressed condition, namely, that they be obedient to his law and thereby honor him. He informed man that a violation of this law would bring upon him loss of life, loss of the right to life, loss of all the blessings incident to it. Satan induced mother Eve to believe that God was keeping back something from them and, there- fore decei\dng Eve, induced her to violate the law. There was no real wrong in the fruit which Eve ate. The wrong was in disobeying the Lord. When Adam found that she had violated God's law, knowing that she must die he preferred to be with her in death rather than to be separated from her; so he also be- came a party to the transgression by voluntarily and willingly violating the law of God. Jehovah, in the exercise of his perfect justice, sentenced man to death. This sentence deprived Adam and Eve of the right to life. They were driven out of Eden and in due time they lost life itself. For 930 years they were compelled to go about in the earth and earn their bread by digging in the soil and partaking of such food as they produced, which was imperfect and poisonous. In this manner they were put to death. The Ransom 117 This sentence of death passed upon Adam had an indirect effect upon his offspring. Before he was driven from Eden he and Eve had not exercised the authority given to them by Jehovah to beget and bring forth children on the earth. This they did ex- ercise after being driven from Eden. Being now under the sentence of death and undergoing that death penalty, it w^as impossible for their children, born under such conditions, to come into existence perfect. It would follow, then, that when the chil- dren were born, w^hile they would have a measure of life and the rights incident to that measure of life (and these we call ''life rights" as distinguished from right to live), they would have no right to life, because Adam having no right to life could not bring children into the world who would have greater right than he had. 182 human being that is living possesses the right to food, air, light and certain privileges in society; and these are called life rights; that is to say, they are incident to animation, privileges belong- ing to creatures that live in any measure. The right to live, then, means a just right of existence which can not be properly taken away. Because the parents possessed no right to life, every child born into the world from then until now has been born imperfect, unrighteous, a sinner, dis- approved in God's sight, under condemnation, and therefore with no right to life. The life that any of us has lived has been merely by permission ; and all who have died have died justly; for nothing but a perfect creature is entitled to life. For this reason the prophet wrote : * ' Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Psalm 51 : 5) Paul writing under inspiration, expressed the 118 The Harp of God same thing, saying: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned." — Romans 5 : 12. All the human race, then, from Adam until now, having been bom imperfect, it follows that if any ever get full life and the right to life he must get it through the loving Jehovah God. Unless God had made some provision for the redemption of man from death and the lifting up of him again to the condition of life, the time would come when there would be no people on the earth. We remember that Adam lived 930 years ; and now a man scarcely lives to be half a century old. The race has been degenerating for centuries, growing weaker and weaker, and ultimate- ly all would come to that condition in which they would be unable to transmit even the spark of life, and the earth would be depopulated. Hence we see our utter dependence upon G^d; and if we find the great Jehovah has made a provision for us to live, that ought to fill our hearts with gratitude; and as we further examine his great plan it should fill our hearts with boundless love for him. And surely that provision w^ould bring joy to the heart and enable one to see that such provision constitutes one of the strings upon the great harp of God. REDEMPTION FORESHADOWED At the time that Jehovah entered the judgment or sentence against man he vaguely hinted at a time coming when man should be released from that judg- ment. Satan, one of whose names is 'Hhe old ser- pent '\ was the first inducing cause of sin. And God at that time said to him : " I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her The Ransom 119 seed ; it shall bruise thy head.*' (Genesis 3 : 15) This foreshadowed the fact that ultimately Satan should be destroyed and that the same would result as a blessing to man. But we must remember that the judgment of God entered against man must stand for ever. It could not be reversed or set aside or annulled, for the reason that Jehovah can not deny himself. Nor could any of his creatures have faith in him if he changed his mind. While it is true that this judgment must stand for ever, it is equally true that God could make a con- sistent provision for having the terms of the judg- ment met by another, equal to Adam ; and this is ex- actly what we find the Scriptures to disclose that he did. ^^"^ Jehovah desired that man should understand the necessity and reason for providing redemption, that when man does understand it he -will rejoice in the loving-kindness manifested by God toward him. For this reason God caused certain pictures or types to be made by his people. On the night that Jehovah led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt he caused a lamb to be slain and its blood sprinkled upon the doorposts of the house and the people to eat that lamb, and arranged that at midnight the death angel would pass through and smite the first-born of every house where the blood did not appear upon the doorposts. The first-born here pictured the church, about which we shall see later, and which first must be saved be- fore the blessing can come to the world in general. The lamb pictured the one who should be the ran- somer, or redeemer, of mankind. The blood pictured the life poured out to provide a redemptive price. — Exodus 12:3-17. 120 The Harp of God 189 \Yhen Jesus appeared, at the age of thirty years, John the Baptist pointing to him said: Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1: 29) And we read in the Bible con- cerning Jesus, that he is *'the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world". (Revelation 13:8) These scriptures and others show that the sacrifice of the lamb foreshadov/ed the sacrifice of the great One who should become the redeemer of mankind and take away the sin of the world. A few days after this passover in Egypt, the Israelites were all delivered when God commanded Moses to smite the waters of the Red Sea and they passed over on dry land; and when the Egyptians attempted to follow they were swallowed up in the sea and drowned. The deliverance of Israel here pictured the deliverance from the great enemy, Satan and death, of all the human race that will ultimately be obedient to God's holy will. After the children of Israel were on the other side of the Red Sea, they marched on in the desert; and when they came to Mount Sinai God confirmed with them a covenant, which is known in the Bible as the law covenant. In connection with this covenant animals were sacrificed. This covenant was instituted at the hands of Moses as a mediator. Moses here was a type of Christ Jesus, who in due time will inaugu- rate the covenant on behalf of all mankind for their deliverance. In connection \^dth the law given to the Israel- ites at this time, God instructed Moses to erect in the vnldemess a tabernacle, which was to be used by the Israelites in connection with their ceremonies of sacri- fice. One day of each year was known as the atone- ment day, and what was done on that day partic- The Ransom 121 ularly foreshadowed the great sin-ofiering to be made on behalf of mankind. i»3 rp-^g tabernacle was constructed of two parts. It was 45 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 15 feet high, built of boards and then covered over ^vith a tent of three thicknesses of material. The first division of the tabernacle was called the Holy. It was 15 feet wide and 30 feet long. The second or rear apartment was known as the Most Holy, it being 15 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 15 feet high, an exact cube. The taber- nacle was situated inside of a court or yard, which court was 75 feet wide and 150 feet in length. The fence enclosing this court was made of linen curtains, suspended from hoolis which were fastened on wooden posts, the posts being set in copper sockets at the base. On the atonement day the high priest took a bul- lock, which must be without spot or blemish. Inside of the court he Idlled the bullock, took its blood in a vessel, went from the court into the Holy and from there into the Most Holy, and sprinkled the blood upon tlie mercy seat, which was in the ]\Iost Holy. Then he went back and slew a male goat, which like- wise must be ^vithout defect, and did the same thing with its blood. This was kno\vn as the atonement sacrifice. (See Leviticus 16: 1-34.) It was an offering for sin, made for the people of Israel, but in fact foreshadowing the great sin-offering that is to ta!:e away the sin of the world. 195 Paul plainly tells us that the things here done foreshadowed better things to come. (Hebrews 10: 1) God required in the law that the Jews should keep this day of atonement and offer these sacrifices through the high priest once each year. We remember that God had promised to Abraham: ''In thy seed shall all families of the earth be blessed." So 122 The Harp of God Paul says that the law **was added because of trans- gressions, till the seed should come to whom the prom- ise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator ' ' ; and that the law was a school- master to bring the people unto Christ. (Galatians 3: 19, 24) In other words, Jehovah was teaching the children of Israel concerning the great sin-offering that must be made on behalf of mankind and he was using them to make living pictures; and the record of the events concerning them has enabled all stu- dents of the Bible since to see how Jehovah foreshad- owed the redemption and deliverance of mankind from the bondage of sin and death. To foreshadow means to foretell something coming; and this shows how important the great ransom is to mankind, that God would take so much time and go into so much detail to teach the people by these pictures. Hence this should encourage us to study the subject earnestly that we might see, understand, and appreciate it. RANSOM PROMISED Adam was sentenced to death, and when he actually went into death after 930 years, justice was satisfied. The law demanded the life of a perfect hu- man being. It had received it when Adam died. Be- tween the time of Adam's sentence and the time of his death he begat many children that Vv^ere bom into the earth. These, being bom imperfect, had no right to life; hence the living of the children was only by permission of Jehovah, and every one who died, died because of imperfection resulting from the sin of father Adam. The Scriptures clearly show that God planned long in advance for the redemption and deliverance of the hiunan race. Hence his wisdom led him to em- The Ransom 123 brace in the effects of this death sentence all of the human family, all of the offspring of Adam, so that in due time he might redeem them all through the sacrifice of one. (Galatians 3:22) The sentence against Adam and the resulting effects upon all of his offspring must stand. An earthly court may reverse its judgment because imperfect, but God can not re- verse his, because it is perfect ; and he can not deny himself. He could make provision, however, for an- other man exactly equivalent to Adam to go into death voluntarily; and by thus dying his life could be given as a corresponding price for Adam and his offspring, that Adam and his offspring might be re- leased from death and given a trial for life. The Scriptures definitely show that it was God's pur- pose and intention from the beginning to make just such a provision. He made a specific promise to this effect when he said: **I will ransom them from the power of the grave ; I will redeem them from death : O death, I will be thy plagues ; O grave, I will be thy destruction.'* (Hosea 13:14) This promise of Jeho- vah to ransom the human race must be carried out, because God is unchangeable. Having made the promise, he will perform it. — ^IVIalachi 3 : 6 ; Jas. 1 : 17. It is very important, then, that we understand the meaning of ransom; hence we here define it. Ransom means something to loosen with; that is, a redemptive price. It is the means or price or value which can be used in loosening or releasing some- thing that is in bondage or in restraint or imprisoned. Necessarily the ransom price must be exactly equiva- lent to, or corresponding with, that which justice re- quires of the thing or being that is in bondage or imprisonment. Hence we say that ransom means an exact corresponding price. A perfect man sinned and 124 The Harp of God was sentenced to death; hence an exact correspond- ino- price would be the death of another perfect man aiid the value of that life presented in place of the one who first sinned and was held in bondage. '^^^ Sin-offering means the presentation and use of the ransom price. On the atonement day performed hy the Jews in t^T^e, the blood of the bullock repre- sented the poured-out life ; and therefore it stood for the ransom price or value of the life. The carrying of the blood into the Most Holy and sprinkling it there pictured the sin-offering, that is, a presentation in the IMost Holy (which represented heaven itself) of the value or merit of the perfect life. We will see, therefore, as we examine this question that the ransom price was provided on earth by the death of Jesus; that preparation for the sin-offering v/as be- gun on earth, but must be finished in heaven, where the valae of the ransom price is presented. Other scriptures show that it was intended by Jehovah that the great Redeemer should pour out his life in death and that this should constitute the ran- som price, which should be made an offering for sin. God foretold this, which is equivalent to a promise, through his prophet when he wrote concerning the great coming Redeemer the following: zoK'^Yj^Q hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when v/e shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: yet we The Ransom 125 did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and -svith his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray ; we have turned every one to his own way ; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted; yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave %vith the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgres- sors." — Isaiah 53. Because of this death sentence standing against Adam, he was and is held in death. He and his off- spring who have died are in the grave spoken of by the prophet.— Job 17 : 13 ; 3 : 18. 126 The Harp of God QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED The dead could never again live, nor could those who are living ever hope to have eternal happiness unless the disability resting upon manldnd because of sin be first removed ; and the Scripture is quite clear, as above noticed, that this can be removed only by means of the great ransom sacrifice. Since ransom means an exact corresponding price, the ransomer must be exactly like the perfect Adam in Eden. A perfect man had sinned and lost everything ; therefore none but a perfect man could provide a price sufficient to buy and release Adam and his race from this sentence of death and its effects. Divine justice demanded the life of a perfect human being and this was received when Adam went into death. It followed that divine justice would accept nothing more or less, as a price for releasing Adam and his offspring, than a perfect human life. In order to meet these divine requirements, the ransomer must be a perfect human being. 205 ^Yhen God gave the law to Israel at Mount Sinai he indicated by the promise of that law that the only means by which the human race could be redeemed or ransomed would be by the giving of a perfect human life in the place of Adam's perfect human life, which he had forfeited by his disobedi- ence. We remember that Paul said that this law was a shadow of better things to come. That law required an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a foot for a foot, a life for a life; that is to say, a price exactly corresponding to that which had been lost. As an illustration: Under the law if one man knocked out another's tooth, he must lose one of his own teeth. If he struck out a man's eye, he must give up liis own eye. If he took the life of his fellow creature, The Ransom 127 he must give up his own life. Thus the law pictured that the great ransomer would correspond exactly with the perfect man Adam when Adam was in Eden.— Exodus 21:23-25; Leviticus 24:17-21; Deu- teronomy 19 : 21. man's extremity But who in all the world was able to bear this burden or meet the requirements of the divine law? Adam could not redeem himself. All of his offspring were imperfect and God could not accept an imper- fect human being as a ransom. Was there nobody, then, on earth who could redeem the human race from death according to God's promise? The prophet of the Lord answers: ''None of them [no creature on earth] can hy any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him. ' ' ( Psalm 49:7) For this reason, then, it seemed hopeless for man ever to ex- pect to be released from the condition of death. 20T Furthermore, this judgment and sentence against Adam was entered in the divine court of heaven and it follows that the ransom price, namely, the value of a perfect human life, must not only be provided by the death of a perfect human being, but the value of that life must be presented to divine justice in heaven itself ; and no human being has access to heaven. Hence there were two reasons why it was utterly impossible for any of Adam's stock or offspring to redeem mankind: (1) Because all were imperfect and could not provide the price; and (2) if the price were provided, it could not be presented in heaven by any such. Thus is presented to the human race a condition of absolute helplessness. Thus we see that mankind was wholly without power to release itself from the 128 The Harp of God condition of death, and that there never could be any hope of any one of the human family enjoying life everlasting in a state of happiness unless God, in the exercise of his loving-ldndness, should make some pro- vision. He had promised to make such provision. His great plan pro\dded for such. It is first necessary, however, for us to see man's absolute extremity in order that we may appreciate God's opportunity for blessing mankind, and the great debt which the hu- man race owes to Jehovah and his beloved Son for the pro^dsion made. If a man found himself and his family in a dungeon and a million dollars were required to re- lease him, and he had not one penny, but a friend of his appeared and provided the money and released him and his family, that man would owe a great debt of gratitude to his deliverer. He would feel much gratitude in his heart. He would surely love his de- liverer and v/ould be anxious to do anything he could for liim.. Adam and all of his family are either in the condition of death or under the effects of death ; and if we fijid that the great Jehovah God has made pro- vision for the release and deliverance of all such from the tomb, with a view to granting them everlasting life, liberty, and happiness, then such fact should bring joy to the heart of every one who learns of it. THE GREAT RANSOMER The Apostle Paul, having in mind these things, wrote: **We were children in bondage under the ele- m-ents of the world : but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." (Galatians 4:3,4) How did God send his Son? Since a perfect man had sinned and the life of a perfect man must be given as a The Ransom 129 sin-o^:ering, it is now important to see if the Son of God wliom he sent was qualified to meet the require- ments of the law and be the ransomer or redeemer. It is easy to be seen that Jesus when on earth could not have been merely an incarnated spirit be- ing, because that would constitute a fraud, and God would not sanction anything wrong. He must be a man, perfect in every respect, equal and correspond- ing to the perfect Adara while in Eden. It is also easy to be seen that Jesus could not be part God and part man, because that would be more than the law required; hence divine justice could not accept such as a ransom. The divine lav/ definitely shows that the ransomer must be exactly corresponding to Adam, a perfect human being. How, then, did God send his Son? And when he sent him, was he part man and part God? 213 rpi^g Scriptures answer, as we have heretofore seen, that prior to his coming to earth he was the Logos, a spirit being ; that his life was transferred to the human plane and he was born a human being. He was rich and for our sakes became poor (2 Corin- thians 8:9); that is to say, he was rich in heavenly glory and power possessed by him as the great active agent of Jehovah in the creation of all things, and he became poor by becoming a man. It was absolutely necessary for him to be a perfect man ; hence he must be born holy, harmless, separate from sinners and without sin; and he met this requirement. (Hebrews 7 : 26) Furthermore, he met the requirements because he was made flesh and dwelt amongst men. (John 1: 14) He partook of flesh and blood, became a hu- man being for the very purpose of destroying him that has the power of death, that is the Devil, and to deliver manldnd. (Hebrews 2: 14, 15) He took up- 130 The Harp of God on himself the form of a servant or bondsman and was made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:7) He was the only perfect man that has ever lived on earth, except Adam. He was not part human and part spirit being, because *'he was made a little lov/er than the angels for the suffering of death". Angels are spirit beings, and thus creatures that are lower than angels are human beings. He was human. Had he been part God and part man he would have been higher than the angels instead of lower, for the reason that angels are the lowest order of spirit beings. Being a perfect man, he had the power to pro- duce a perfect race of people and with these populate the earth; therefore in every respect exactly corres- ponding to the perfect man Adam in the condition he was in while in Eden. He was perfect in every respect, full of grace and truth. (John 1: 14) When he stood before Pilate, silent as a sheep is dumb be- fore its shearers, when the mob incited by the Je^vish clergy of that time were demanding his life-blood, Pilate, in order that he might shame the Jews for such action, cried out unto them: Behold the man." The emphasis here is on the word the. We might paraphrase Pilate's words thus: 'The man whom you are asking me to put to death is not only the greatest man among yau, but he is the man above all other men on earth.' The people there had seen a perfect man. None of us have seen a perfect man. He was the only one who has ever lived on earth qualified to become the redeemer of manlrind. He was sent to earth by Jehovah for that very pupose. Under the law that God gave to the Jews a man must be thirty years of age before he had reached his legal majority, that he might qualify as a priest. The Ransom 131 **^We note that Jesus grew from boyhood to man- hood's estate, and when he was thirty years of age he presented himself to John at Jordan to be baptized. At the age of thirty, then, he was perfect in body, perfect in mind, perfect under the law, in every re- spect an absolutely perfect human being ; hence quali- fied to be the ransomer or redeemer of Adam, the perfect man, and of all Adam's offspring. Why did God send his beloved Son, this great Man, to earth ? When a great man of the world comes into prominence he expects others to minister unto him, and they do minister unto him. But Jesus, the greatest man who has ever lived on earth, and the only perfect one aside from Adam, came to earth and became the sen^ant of others, that he might render the greatest good to mankind. Trae greatness consists in doing good unto others. True greatness is magni- fied in Jesus. He was the truest friend of the human race. He said: *'The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28) And again he said: Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister [servant] : and whosoever will be the chief est, shall be servant of all. ' ' — Mark 10 : 43, 44. The perfect man Jesus became the servant of all. The importance of Jesus and his work is magni- fied when we consider that he in heaven and in earth was the dearest treasure to Jehovah's heart. He was God's dearly beloved Son. He was the most precious thing possessed by the great Creator, Jehovah. It was the supreme sacrifice on behalf of Jehovah to use him to redeem the human race. It was God's great love for fallen humanity that prompted him to do this; hence we read: **God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be- 132 The Harp of God lieveth in him slioiild not perish, but have everlastinrj life. For God sent not his Son into the world to con- demn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."— John 3 : 16, 17. It was this truly good and truly great Man who for three and a half years went about in the earth and taught and ministered unto the people and did good unto every one and evil unto none. All the time he was thus ministering and doing good, the scribes, Pharisees, doctors of the law and other dupes en- gaged in misrepresenting and persecuting the Lord, sought to kill him. Why did they do this? Because thej^ were instruments of Satan, the Devil. — John 8 : 44. J esus, the Devil knew, v>ras and is the great Seed of promise v/liich God had promised to Abraham should be the redeemer and blesser of mankind. Je- sus Christ is the Seed of the woman foreshadowed in God's statement made to mother Eve and Satan. (Genesis 3:15) Satan sought, therefore, in every way to destroy him. Jesus was teaching the Jews the message of God to lead them in the right way, and to open unto them the way of life. These scribes and Pharisees were opposing him and therefore were the enemxies of the people. Jesus said of them: *'Tlie scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' scat" (Mat- thew 23:2); meaning that they had assumed the position of leaders of the people. Because of their blinding the people he said to them: 'You are hypo- crites, blind guides, fools; you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; you devour widows' houses and for a pretence make long prayers; you compass sea and land to make one proselji:e, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of gehenna than yourselves. You are guilty of fraud and deceit, and you are like unto wMted sepulchres, The Ransom 133 which are full of dead men's bones and all unclean- ness; you are serpents, a generation of vipers. You do not understand my speech because you can not hear and understand my word. You are of your father the Devil. '—Matthew 23 : 13-33 ; John 8 : 43, 44. Jesus knew that he was to be crucified and he told his disciples of his coming death. The last night he was on earth with them he spent teaching them great lessons and truths which w^ere not only a bless- ing to them, but have been a great blessing to every one from then until now who has loved the Lord and sought to know and do his will. While he was thus doing, the enemy was preparing to take his life. The Sanhedrin was a high tribunal or court composed of seventy-three men, made up of priests, elders, and doctors of the law, Pharisaical hypocrites, the seed of the serpent, blinded to God's purposes. That body was the highest court of Israel and it was the duty of this court to protect the innocent as well as to punish the guilty. They beheld Jesus doing good and the people flocldng to him. 221 < ( Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council [a court], and said. What do ye? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Ro- mans shall come and take away both our place and nation. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he pro- phesied that Jesus should die for that nation. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death."— John 11:47-51, 53. 134 The Harp of God In other words, this supreme tribunal secretly met, indicted Jesus, prejudged his case, and agreed to put him to death, only waiting for an opportunity. They acted as grand jury, prosecutor, and trial court. They entered into a wicked conspiracy, which was formulated by Satan, their father, for the destruction of the Son of God. They conspired with Judas and hired him, for the paltry sum of thirty pieces of silver, to betray the Lord into their hands. Satan himself entered into Judas as the latter executed the betrayal. Then they organized a mob, sent it out after the Master, arrested him, and brought him be- fore this supreme court for trial at night, v/hich was contrary to their own laws. ' * They that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled," in furtherance of the wicked conspiracy. — Matt. 26 : 57. The meek and defenseless Lamb of God was led into a den of ravenous wolves, who were thirsting for his blood. They did not dignify his case by even filing a formal charge against him. They sought, con- trary to the law, to make him testify against himself. They knew nothing themselves against him ; and not- withstanding they sat as the high and dignified court of the nation of Israel, they resorted to subornation of perjury. '^Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council [the entire court], sought false wit- ness against Jesus, to put him to death; but found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false wit- nesses.'' (Matthew 26: 59, 60) This exalted tribunal, in violation of every law and every precedent knov/n to Jev/ish jurisprudence, demanded of Jesus that he testify against himself. ''The high priest arase, and said unto him, . , . I adjure tliee by the living God, The Ransom 135 that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God." (Matthew 26:62,63) And when he told the truth, saying, "Ye say that I am," they said, ''What need we any further witness? for we our- selves have heard of his own mouth." (Lul^e 22: 66- 71) They immediately voted that he should die, also contrary to their law, which required that each mem- ber of the court sliould consider the ease and then vote individually. Holding the session of court at night to convict him, they knew they were proceed- ing contrary to law; so they convened the court the following morning to ratify the sentence, v>^hich was likewise contrary to law. ^"^^ They condemned Jesus to death, but knew they had no legal power to put him to death. Then they led him before the Roman governor, Pilate, and placed against him the charge of sedition, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King." (Lul^e 23:1,2) They knew the Roman governor had power to put Jesus to death, and for this reason they sought his judgment. Pilate was not convinced of Jesus' guilt and was not willing that he should die, but sought to release him. "Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in tliis man. And they were the more fierce, saying. He stirretli up the peo- ple.'^ (Luke 23 : 4, 5) When Pilate sought to release him, his accusers "cried out, saying. If thou let this man go, thou art not Cassar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against C?esar", against the civil power, and such is therefore guilty of sedition. (John 19:12) "And he [Pilate] said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him; I 136 The Harp of God will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucined. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.'' (Luke 23: 22-24) Thus the civil power yielded to the importunities of ecele- siasticism, and Jesus was led awaj^ and crucified on Calvary's hill. And Pilate, more righteous than the clerics, posted over his cross the sign: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." 2"'"' Thus died the Son of God, the great antitypical *'Lanib . . . v."hich taketh away the sin of the world ". (John 1:29) In the eyes of those that stood by he died as a sinner, crucified between two thieves, under the charge of disloyalty to the constituted powers, yet wholly innocent, harmless, and without sin. Here he fulfilled that which the prophet of God had foretold of him long in advance, in that he poured out his soul unto death: and he was num- bered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many".— Isaiah 53: 12. WHY MUST HE DIE? But why should the great, the good, the pure, the sinless Llan die in such an ignominious manner as this? Was there no other means whereby man could live? The Scriptures answer that there is no other way whereb}' man could get life. Divine justice de- manded the life of the perfect man Adam and took that life. Divine justice could receive nothing as a substitute for Adam except the life of a perfect hu- man being. Adam was put to death because he was a sinner. The one who would redeem Adam must die as a sinner, yet without sin. And all this Jesus did. The Ransom 137 ^-^ It is important here for us to see why Jesus came to earth, grev/ to manhood's estate and died. The prophet, speaking the words of Jesus before- hand, said: '*Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, 0 my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." (Psalm 40 : 7, 8 ; Hebrews 10 : 7-10) Thus we see that he had come to do God's Y:ill. The Apostle Paul expressed the will of God concerning mankind when he said: **God . . . desires all men to be saved [from death], and to come to an accurate Imowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:3,4, Diaglott) This is in harmony with God's promise that he would redeem mankind from death (Hosea 13:14); and since Jesus came to carry out the Father's will to ransom the human race, he must do this. This is the only means where- by man could live. Therefore Jesus said : * ' I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. ' ' — John 10 : 10. Jesus likened his humanity to bread. He said : "I am that bread of life. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven that a man may eat there- of, and not die. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. As the living Father sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." (John 6 : 48, 50, 55, 57) By this we understand that Jesus gave up his human life in order that the value thereof might be presented to divine justice in heaven as the great ransom price. To eat means to partake of food to satisfy hunger. He who hungers for righteousness and partakes of the value of Jesus' sacrifice by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and doing the Father's YnW, that one will have life and thus will satisfy his. hunger. The 138 The Harp of God Apostle Paul makes it clear that the death of Jesus was for the benefit of the entire human race when he says: 'Jesus, ... by the grace of God, tasted death for every man. ' ' ' There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave him.self a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. ' '—Hebrews 2 : 9 ; 1 Timothy 2:5,6. "^"Sin is the transgression of the law.'' (1 John 3:4) *'The wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) Adam transgressed the divine law and for this rea- son suffered the penalty of death, and this penalty came upon all mankind by inheritance. Jesus the perfect man permitted his life to be taken that it might be used for the purpose of releasing Adam and his offspring from the great enemy death, and that they might have a full opportunity for life. Hence his life was made an offering for sin, or a sin-offering. For many centuries Jehovah foreshadowed this great event in his plan, and this adds to the impor- tance of it ; in fact, without the sacrifice of J esus it would have been impossible for any of the human race ever to live at all. Looking back, then, at the picture that Jehovah made by the use of the Jewish people and their cere- monies, we see that the bullock slain on the atonement day pictured Jesus the perfect man at the age of thirty years. The court surrounding the tabernacle was a picture of perfect humanity. Therefore the bullock slain in the court foreshadowed or pictured the fact that the perfect man Jesus died in that con- dition on earth as a perfect man. By his death he provided the ransom price. He did this to carry out the Father's plan. The Ransom 139 In the picture, the slaying of the bullock was the beginning of the sin-offering. After the bullock was slain its blood was put into a vessel and the high priest carried it in this vessel, ultimately reaching the Most Holy, where it was sprinlded, as aforemen- tioned. The high priest in the Holy pictured Jesus during the three and one-half years of his sacrificial ministry; and the high priest's appearance in the Most Holy pictures Jesus the high priest, resurrected to the divine nature, appearing in heaven itself in the presence of God, there to present the merit of his sacrifice as the sin-offering on behalf of mankind. — Hebrews 9 : 24. 235 rpj^g Scriptures clearly show that Jesus was the antitypical bullock and was made an offering for sin on behalf of manldnd ; first on behalf of the church, subsequently on behalf of the whole world. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3) ; *^wlio gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father" (Gala- tians 1:4) ; ''for he hath made him to be sin [an offering for sin] for us, who [Jesus] knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."— 2 Corinthians 5:21. 236 rpj^g ^Yiat God gave to the Israelites merely foreshadowed what great things Jesus would do. Be- cause of the imperfections of mankind, Moses and others, that law could not accomplish the deliverance of mankind from death. ' ' For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the fiesh, God, send- ing his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, ' * — ^Romans 8 : 3. ^^'^ In the type, the slaying of the bullock and the carrying of its blood into the Holy as a typical sin- 140 The Harp of God offering foreshadowed the fact that the redemption of man's sins could be accomplished only through the blood of the perfect sacrifice. And for this reason, says the Apostle Paul, ''Without the shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the pat- terns of things in the heavens should be purified with these ; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." (Hebrews 9 : 22, 23) The pat- terns here referred to are the Holy and the Most Holy in the tabernacle picture, which foreshadowed or pic- tured the heavenly condition; and the entrance of the high priest into the Most Holy of the tabernacle with the blood foreshadowed Christ Jesus entering heaven. *'For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." — Hebrews 9: 24. When Jesus died upon the cross of Calvary he provided the ransom price, because his was the death of a perfect human being, exactly corresponding with the perfect man Adam. Adam's death, however, was the result of a forfeited right to live. Jesus' death was a sacrifice. Adam was a sinner and died a sinner. Jesus was perfect, holy, and without sin; and while he died in the same m^anner, yet by his death he did not forfeit the right to live as a human being. By dying he reduced his perfect human life to an asset that might thereafter be used to release Adam and his offspring from death. 239 •j^Qj.Q gjy^ illustration to aid in under- standing tliis point. For convenience we will call a man John. John is languishing in prison because he can not pay a fine of one hundred dollars. He has a brother named Charles who is willing to pay the fine for his brother John, but who has no money with The Ransom 141 which to pay. Charles is strong and vigorous, has time to work, is willing to work, and can earn money by working; but his strength and time and \villing- ness will not pay the debt for John. Mr. Smith has some work to be done and is willing to pay money to have it done. Charles engages himself to work for Mr. Smith and earns one hundred dollars and re- ceives that amount of money in cash. By his labor Charles has here reduced his time and strength and vigor to a money value and has received that money value, which money has purchasing power and which can be used to pay John's obligation and thus re- lease him from prison. Charles then appears before the court which has entered the judgment against his brother John, and offers to pay the one hundred dollars v/hich the law demands of John. The money is accepted from Charles and John is released. By this means John is judicially relieved from the effects of the judgment and is set free, and his brother Charles has become his ransomer or deliverer. In this illustration John represents Adam. Be- cause Adam \dolated God's law, Jehovah judicially determined that Adam should forfeit his life by dy- ing. He enforced tliis judgment during a period of 930 years, during which time Adam begat all of his children. The effect of sentencing Adam to death was to render all of his children subject to death. Adam went into death, and since then great numbers of his children have likewise died. We can say, then, that Adam and all those who have died and are in their graves are in the condition of death, and that is what the prophet of the Lord calls it. In this picture Charles represents Jesus. It v/as God's wiU that the perfect man Jesus should redeem 142 The Harp of God Adam and his offspring from the condition of death. Jesus was willing to pay Adam's debt and redeem him, but the perfect, righteous, human being Jesus could not accomplish that purpose while living in the flesh, for the same reason that Charles could not use his strength, time, and energy to pay the debt of his brother John, but must first reduce those things to a purchasing value. J esus must reduce his perfect hu- manity to a purchasing value, which we may call merit, and which ra.erit or purchasing value would be sufficient for the payment of Adam 's debt and release Adam and his offspring from that judgment. In order to provide this price it was necessary for Jesus to die. In his death upon Calvarj^ then, he produced the price. But the value of that price must be presented before Jehovah in heaven itself before Jehovah could release Adam or his descendants from the effect of death. And this, we shall see from the Scriptures, is what was done. The inspired writer in the divine Word tells us that it was the will of God that all men should be saved from death by the ransom price and then brought to an accurate knowledge of the truth, in order that they might accept the benefits of the ran- som and live. In due time the Imowledge of these great truths will be given to every one of Adam's race. (1 Timothy 2:3-6) The ransom price was pro- vided at the cross. The cross of Christ is the great pivotal truth of the divine arrangement, from which radiate the hopes of men. When all men come to a Imowledge of this fact and all the obedient ones have profited by the value of the ransom sacrifice, there will be great rejoicing amongst the human race. When the grand finale is sung and all the harpers of heaven and earth unite in beautiful harmony, The Ransom 143 blending with the voices of all creatures perfected and happy, the great ransom sacrifice will be recog- nized by all as one of the strings of the harp of God that %vill yield sweet music to every ear. Then all can truly sing: "In the cross of Christ I glory, Tow'ring o'er the wrecks of time ; All the light of sacred story Gathers round its head sublime." In order for the human race to receive the bene- fit of the ransom sa<*Tifice, it was essential for Jesus to be raised from the dead. His resurrection is there- fore of vital importance, and this constitutes another string of the harp, which we will treat separately. Why is the ransom the most vital string upon the harp of God? ir 177. What effect will its appreciation have upon the human race? H 177. What is the most precious thing possessed by any crea- ture, and why? "IT 178. When can a creature properly glorify his Creator? ^ 178. In whose image was man created? If 179. What did God give to man at the time of his ci^eation? H 179. What is the difference between life and the right to life? If 179. Describe the condition and environment of Adam and Eve in Eden. ^ 179. Were Adam and Eve informed as to what would be the result of the violation of God's law? ^ 179. Was there any real wrong in eating the fruit? and if not, wherein was the wrong done by man? If 180. What was the effect of the sentence pronounced against man? f 180. Wl)at was the effect of the execution of that sentence? If 180. In what manner was the sentence executed? If 180. 144 The Harp of God When did Adam and Eve first exercise the power of pro- ducing their offspring? \\ 181. Was it possible for them to have perfect children? and if not, why not? tl 181. Their children were born and lived, but did they have a right to life? and if not, why not? If 181. What is the difference between right to life and life rights? I 182. What Scriptural proof is there that all were born im- perfect? ^ 183. Without divine provision for the redemption of man, would the earth become depopulated? and if so, why? ^ 1S4. Is mankind wholly dependent upon God's provision for life? II 184. If God has made full and complete provision that man shall live in happiness, what effect should that have upon men's minds and hearts? ^ 184. At the time God sentenced man to death did he fore- shadow a provision for his release? and if so, how? Give the Scriptural proof. ^ 185. Did he here foreshadow the ultimate fate of Satan? and if so, what is that fate? If 185. Could the judgment Jehovah entered against Adam be annulled or set aside? and if not, why not? ^ 18G. If it could be changed, what effect would it have upon the faith of men? ^ 186. Could God consistently provide for a substitute to meet the terms of that judgment? ^ 186. Is it Jehovah's desire that men should understand the necessity and reason for redemption? ^ 187. Why did God cause certain types and pictures to be made by his people? H 187. Explain about the passover lamb slain by the Israelites on the night of their leaving Egypt. Give the Scriptural account. If 188. What was pictured there by the firstborn? ^ 188. What was pictured by the lamb, and also by the blood? ? 188. Who was spoken of as the "Lamb slain from the foun- dation of the world"? ^ 188. What was pictured by the deliverance of Israel from the Egyptians? H 190. The Ransom 145 What arrangement did God make with Israel at Mount Sinai? If 191. What was typified by the inauguration of the law cove- nant at Mount Sinai? ^ 191. Who erected the tabernacle in the wilderness? ^ 192. The services performed by the priest on the atonement day in connection with the tabernacle foreshadowed what? ? 192. Give a description of tlie construction of the tabernacle. 1[ 193. Describe what the high priest did with the bullock on the day of atonement. ^ 194. What did he do with its blood? ^ 194. What did these ceremonies foreshadow? If 194. How often were these services performed? If 195. Why, then, was the law covenant made? If 195. What was the purpose of having the Israelites to go through these ceremonies once each year? If 195. What did tlie law demand relative to Adam? and how was justice satisfied? If 196. The fact that Adam's children were bom after he was sentenced to death, what effect did that have upon the children? If 196. Why did God permit the sentence upon Adam to have a vital effect upon all of Adam's children? If 197. Did Jehovah promise to ransom man? and if so, give the Scriptural proof. ^ 197. Must this promise be carried out? ^f 197. Define ransom. If 198. Define sin-offering. If 199. Where and how was the ransom price provided? If 199. Where was the sin-offering begun? and where is it finished? If 199. By what propliecy did God show that it was his purpose to redeem man by his beloved Son suffering death? ^ 201. In what sense are Adam and his offspring held in re- straint? Give the Scriptural proof. If 202. What was the first qualification of the one who would provide the ransom price? If 203. Could divine justice accept anything more or less than the value of a perfect human life as a ransom for Adam and his race? If 204. 146 The Harp of God Was it necessary for the redeemer to be a perfect humaa being? and if so, why? % 204. In what way did the law given to Israel indicate that a perfect human life would be required as a ransom price? 11 205. Give an illustration under the law. 1[ 205. Did the law picture what should constitute the qualifica- tion of the redeemer? and if so, where, and what, is it? ? 205. How is man's extremity and dependence upon Jehovah shown in connection with the ransom provision? ^ 206. Could Adam redeem himself? or could any of Adam's children redeem him or their brethren? Give Scriptural proof. ^ 206. Why was man's condition hopeless without a redeemer? II 206. The ransom price when provided, where must it be pre- sented? H 207. Could any human being present the value of that ransom sacrifice in heaven? ^ 207. What two potent reasons, then, are there which make it impossible for Adam's children to redeem their brethren? 7 208. Show how man's future happiness wholly depends upon the divine provision for redemption. 1[ 209. Does man's complete extremity enable us to appreciate more highly the value of the ransom sacrifice? If 209. What does this show with reference to the debt of grati- tude man owes to Jehovah? ^ 209. Give an illustration of man's extremity; and what would cause him to feel grateful to his benefactor? 1[ 210. If we find the proof to be conclusive that Jehovah has made provision for the redemption and deliverance of all mankind, how should that affect the mind and heart of every honest person? ^ 210. Whom did God send into the earth to be the redeemer or ransomer of mankind? 1[ 211. What did Paul say about this to the Galatians? Quote the scriptui*e. If 211. Y>'as it important that Jesus should be qualified to meet the requiremeuts of the divine law in order to ransom the race? % 211. The Ransom 147 Since ransom means exact corresponding price, had Jesus been an incarnated spirit being would he have been quali- fied to ransom mankind? 1[ 212. If Jesus had been part man and part God, would he have been qualified to meet the requirements of the divine law? ir 212. What does the divine law definitely require as to the qualification of the redeemer or ransomer? 1[ 212. How did God send his Son? and when he came, was he a man or was he God? Give Scriptural proof. 1[ 213. Had any perfect man lived on the earth from Adam to Jesus? •![ 213. Suppose Jesus had been greater than a man when he consecrated at the Jordan, could he have met the divine requirements and become the redeemer of mankind? If 213. Did Jesus have power to produce a perfect race? and if so, did he in this way correspond to the perfect Adam ? •[[ 214. State what occurred before Pilate. Paraphrase the sub- stance of Pilate's statement to Jesus. H 214. Under the Jewish law, what must be the age of a man in order to be qualified as priest? ^ 214. What was the age of Jesus when he presented himself to John for baptism? ^ 215. Why was it necessary for Jesus to wait until he was thirty years of age to begin his ministry? ^ 215. Wliat was the difference between Jesus and prominent men of the earth with reference to receiving attention from others? 216. Of what does true greatness consist? 1[ 216. Why did Jesus say he came to the earth? Give Scriptural proof. H 216. How did Jesus become the servant of all? ^ 217. Why was it a sacrifice on the part of Jehovah to send Jesus to earth to redeem man? If 217. What prompted God to make this sacrifice for man ? ^ 217. Why did the Pharisees and doctors of the law misrepre- sent and persecute Jesus? % 218. Why was Satan so anxious to destroy Jesus? ^ 219. Why did the scribes and Pharisees occupy a responsible position toward the Jewish people? If 219. What were some of the crimes Jesus properly charged 148 The Harp of God against the Pharisees? and why did he so charge them? If 219. Did Jesus know that he was to be enieified? and how did he spend his last night with the disciples? 1[ 220. What were his enemies doing at the same hour? ^ 220. What is meant by the Sanhedrin? and who composed it? IF 220. What was the duty of this high court toward the people, including Jesus? % 220. When this court secretly met, state what was said by it concerning Jesus. H 221. Who were the parties to the conspiracy to destroy Jesus? and whose was the master mind directing them? 1[ 222. How was Judas brought into the conspiracy? and under what consideration? 1[ 222. Who was sent out to arrest the Master? 1[ 222. Did the court have any right to try him at night? If 222. Did it have a right to cause him to testify against him- self? IF 223. Was there any evidence against him? IF 223. What crime did the Sanhedrin commit in getting witness- es against Jesus? ^ 223. Did that court violate the Jewish law in voting for his conviction? IF 223. Why did the court reconvene the morning following to ratify the sentence? and was this proper? IF 223. Why did not the Jews put Jesus to death and not take him before Pilate? IF 224. Why did Pilate wish to release Jesus? IF 225. When Pilate attempted to release Jesus, what did the accusers do? IF 225. Who were the responsible men that incited the mob to cry against the Master? TF 225. To what did the civil power yield in sentencing Jesus to death? IF 225. Which was more reprehensible, the civil or the ecclesi- astical power, in this case? IF 225. Who were put to death with Jesus? IF 226. In the eyes of the world, did Jesus die as a righteous man? IF 226. In the death of Jesus upon the cross, what particular propliecy was fulfilled? ^ 227. The Ransom 149 Why must Jesus die? H 228. V/hat was God's will concerning Jesus Vv'itli reference to his becoming a man and being put to death? ^ 229. What did Jesus mean by saying that he was the bread which came down from heaven, and those eating that bread should live? H 230. Did Jesus die only for those who become members of some church denomination? or for whom did he die? ^ 230. Define sin; and what is the penalty for sin? 1[ 231. How was the life of Jesus made an offering for sin, or a sin-oifering? H 231. AYould it have been possible for any of the human race to get life everlasting, except for the ransom sacrifice? ^ 232. The pictures made in the Old Testament are of what value to us in studying the New? and what did the bullock slain on the atonement day picture relative to Jesus? ^ 233. What did the court surrounding the tabernacle picture or tjTify? If 233. What was foreshadowed by the slaying of the bullock in the court? H 233. How was the ransom price provided? If 233. What pictured the beginning of the sin-offering? If 234. What was done with the blood of the bullock after it was slain? If 2.34. What was pictured by the high priest in the Holy? and what by his entering the Most Holy? If 234. For whom did Jesus give himself as a sin-offering? ^ 235. What was the purpose of the giving of the law covenant? and could it operate to deliver man from death? If 23G. Was the shedding of Jesus' blood necessary for the re- mission of sin? ^ 237. How was the entrance of Jesus into heaven foreshadowed in the tabernacle service? Give Scriptural proof. If 237. What is the distinction between the death of Adam and the death of Jesus? ^ 238. By dying as a man, what did Jesus provide for man's benefit? If 238. Give an Illustration showing how Jesus' death provided the price for the release of the human race from bondage. ^ 239-241. Could the perfect man Jesus deliver the human race from death and remain alive as a man? ^ 242. 150 The Harp of God WliJit must .Tosus do in order to redeem mankind? If 242. What did he produce upon Calvary? 1 212. Where must the value of that ransom price be presented? II 242. Why is it necessary for man to be brought to the knowl- edge of the truth after the paying of the ransom price? K 243. Who shall have the knowledge of this truth? Give Scrip- tural proof. H 243. What is the great pivotal tnith of the divine plan? H 243. When the human race comes to a knowledge of the value of the ransom sacrifice, wl)at effect will it have upon the ones who appreciate it? If 243. CHAPTER VII String 6: Resurrection NISAN was the beginning of montlis in the Jewish year ; and the fourteenth day of Nisan, 33 A. D., found Jesus of Nazareth dead and in the tomb. The hopes of his followers were dashed to the ground. Looking back to the promises made by Jehovah to faithful Abraham, his disciples and other associates had believed Jesus to be the promised Messiah and trusted that he would be the deliverer of Israel from Roman bondage and would also be the instrument for the blessing, through Israel, of all the nations of the earth. But now he who they had hoped would redeem Israel (Luke 24: 21) was dead. They were perplexed and overwhelmed. Seemingly they did not expect him to rise again from the dead, nor did they know at that time that Jehovah would not suffer the flesh of his Holy One to corrupt. The conduct of the disciples at this time, as well as of those who were in full s^Tn- pathy with them, shows that they did not expect his resurrection. The body was carefully wrapped and placed in the tomb with myrrh, aloes, and spices, evidently to prevent decomposition. The subsecjuent great sorrow of the women at the tom.b and their be- lief that the body of Jesus had been wrongfully re- moved and liid elsewhere, also the perplexity of the disciples, all tends to show that they did not have any hope or expectation of the resurrection of Jesus. Then we have the positive statement: ''For as yet 153 ■ 154 The Harp of God they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead."— John 20: 9. The disciples were Jews and it might be sup- posed that they were somewhat acquainted with the Scriptures. We remember, however, that they were not learned men ; and even if they had been acquaint- ed mth the text of the Scriptures they could not have had a very clear imderstanding of them at that time; just as we now see there are many wonderful truths in the Bible which have been there for cen- turies and which Christians never understood until recently. Now as we look at the inspired Word of God we can see some texts in the Old Testament which clearly refer to the resuiTection of Jesus, and which texts must have been familiar to many Jews at the time Jesus was crucified. For information we note some of these texts here. 2*'^ The Prophet Job pointed to the time of redemp- tion and deliverance when he said: *^For I Imow that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.'* (Job 19:25) If the Redeemer was to stand at the latter day upon the earth, then he must be raised from the dead after he had provided the redemptive price by his death ; hence this scripture must foreshadow his resurrection. The Psalmist Da^^dd wrote prophetically concerning Jesus' resurrection when he said: '*For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life : in thy presence is fulness of joy ; at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16: 10, 11) We have the inspired testimony of the apostle that the prophet did there refer to the resurrection of Jesus.— Acts 2 : 27-31 ; 13 : 35-37. Resurrection 155 Again the Prophet David wrote concerning Je- sus, the Savior of the world: **As for me, I will be- hold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." (Psalm 17:15) The awakening clearly means the awakening out of death. Jesus was awakened out of death in the ex- press image of the Father. (Hebrews 1:2) Again the psalmist wrote: ''Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men." (Psalm 68:18) Clearly the Apostle Paul refers to this same scripture in Ephesians 4 : 8, showing that the psalmist referred to the resurrection of Jesus. The Prophet Isaiali wrote : ' ' For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the in- crease of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his king- dom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even for ever." (Isaiah 9:6,7) Here it is clearly stated that the One who would hold this exalted position, the Mes- siah, is to be the everlasting Father. Father means life-giver, and it would be impossible for Jesus to be the great Life-giver to man unless he was raised from the dead. Again the Prophet Isaiah described the suffer- ings of Jesus and his death and subsequent resurrec- tion when he wrote: "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. . . . He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter. . . . He was taken from prison and from Judgment: ... he was cut off out of the land of the living : for the transgression of my people was 156 The Harp of God he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death ; . . . when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. . . . He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied : by his knowledge shall my righteous sen^ant justify many.'* (Isaiah 53:6-11) He could not have poured out his soul unto death and after- ward see the travail of his soul and be satisfied unless he should be raised from the dead. 251 Tiiese scriptures clearly foretell the resurrection of Jesus. Besides this, Jesus had told his disciples while in Galilee that he would be put to death and rise from the dead. (Luke 24: 6, 7) ''And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men; and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry." (]\Iat- thew 17 : 22, 23) But it may not be expected of them that they should understand the meaning of these Old Testament scriptures as referring to the resur- rection of the Lord. They were not men of great learning. They were poor and followed humble occu- pations. They had doubtless not had the advantage of a great am.ount of education ; but a stronger reason is that the holy spirit had not then been given and their minds had not been illuminated, and it is not to be expected that they would understand then the deep things of God's Word. (1 Corinthians 2:14) Nor is it at all surprising that they had forgotten some of the sayings of Jesus concerning his betrayal, his death and resurrection. We must remember that they loved Jesus very devotedly; and uppermost in their minds was the hope that he would be the de- liverer of Israel. Only five days before his death they had joined him in his triumphant entry into Jerusa- Resurrection 157 lem, when the common people hailed him with glad- ness and joy. (Matthew 21:1-11) His death was so very sndden, so cruel, the shock so terrible, that the minds of these faithful disciples and others who loved him dearly were stunned. They were truly over- whelmed with sorrow and grief. He had been rudely snatched from them; unjustly tried, brutally con- demned, and then subjected to the most ignominious death kno^vn to man, the death of the cross. Clearly in fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah above noted, Jesus was put to death as an evil one, thereby making his grave with the wicked; and he was laid in the sepulchre of a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph. — Matthew 27: 57. Little is said as to the doings of the disciples and their associates immediately following the cruci- fixion of Jesus when he was laid away in the tomb. The good v/omen went and beheld where he was laid". No doubt little else was done. After six o'clock p. m. of that day was the beginning of the sabbath day, and under the law the Jews must rest; hence we are not to expect that they did much of anything. Nor could it have been a day of much rest to them. It was a day of great sorrow. They could do no work to divert their minds from the terrible shock caused by the crucifixion of the Lord. The rest must have been one merely of cessation from labor. Surely they had little rest of body or peace of mind. For them it was a day of sorrowful waiting, because tomorrow they would go to the tomb. The sabbath ended at six o'clock p. m., but the night followed, which pre- vented them from visiting the tomb then. The morning following was the first day of the week ; and early that morning, before it became very light, Mary Magdalene and other good vromen who 158 The Harp of God had followed Jesus from Galilee and had ministered unto him, hastened to the Savior's tomb. When they reached there the angel of the Lord appeared unto them, saying: *^Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his diciples that he is risen from the dead ; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre, with fear and great joy, and did run to bring his disciples word." (Matthew 28:5-8) This news to these faithful women sounded too good to be true. They were dazed and bewildered; yet with joy they hurried away to deliver the message to others who loved the Lord. Here we have the proof that the resurrection of Jesus is one of the strings upon the harp of God, yielding great joy to those who hear its blessed sound. The first human being who heard of the resurrection rejoiced. How much more joy there must have been in heaven at that hour ! 256 ^gel means messenger ; that is, one who is sent on a mission as a representative or deputy, or mes- senger of God. These holy messengers or angels al- ways have access to the Father, Jehovah. (Matthew 18: 10) We should expect, of course, that these holy ones of the heavenly host would sing praise and give utterance to joy before the Lord at every progressive step of his plan. These angels inhabit the heavens, the high place. And so the psalmist writes of them: ''Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.'' (Psalm 148:1,2) The Bible abounds with many instances Resurrection 159 wherein God has used these holy angels as messengers. He communicated with Abraham by his angels (Gen- esis 22: 15) ; also with Jacob. (Genesis 31: 11) God appeared unto Moses by liis angel. (Exodus 3:2) He also delivered a message to Elijah by his angel. (1 Kings 19: 5) These holy messengers of God guarded the interests of Jesus at all times, from the moment he left the heavenly courts to become the man Jesus for the purpose of redeeming the world of mankind. (Zechariah 3:1-7) The angel of the Lord announced to Mary that she was to be the mother of the babe Jesus. (Luke 1:31) When she gave birth to this wonderful child, the angel of the Lord brought the message to the faithful shepherds, and the great mul- titude of the heavenly hosts joined together with that angel in praising God. — Lulie 2 : 9-11. 2" We may be sure that these faithful, holy angels, as God's instruments, were carefully watching every step of Jesus from the time of his birth up to the m.o- ment of his resurrection. With eagerness they would watch and wait to see if Jesus fully met all the re- quirements of God's law. They evidently knew that his full compliance would meet with the marvelous reward of a resurrection from the dead. It was one of these faithful messengers that the Lord sent from lieaven to roll back the stone from the door of the tomb at the resurrection of the IMaster. What great joy must have filled the heavenly courts now when they beheld Jesus, by the power of God, triumphant over death and the grave ! Lucifer, who became Satan, who had once been associated with the holy angels and who had seduced some of their fellow angels, had for centuries opposed Jehovah and specially tried to destroy Jesus. Jesus had been sent into the world that he might destroy 160 The Harp of God the works of Satan; and now, having been raised from the dead, he would ultimately ''destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, ' ' which destruction would guarantee the deliverance of the human race. (Hebrews 2: 14) Now Jesus had broken the bonds of death, being raised by Jehovah to power and glory, demonstrating the fact that he was fully approved by Jehovah. He now proved that he was worthy to be praised; and mthout question he re- ceived the unlimited praise of all the heavenly host. The revelator says: ''And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands ; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. ' ' — Revelation 5 : 11, 12. SCRIPTURAL PROOF It was not their previous knowledge of the Scriptures and their faith in them that Christ Jesus would be raised from the dead which induced the disciples to believe that he was raised, but it was what they actually saw and experienced that led them to tliis conclusion. The knowledge gained by experi- ence, coupled with the knov/ledge of the Scriptures subsequently acquired by them, not only established beyond a doubt in their o^vn minds the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, but it emboldened them to declare the message on every opportune occasion to others and to emphasize this great doctrine of truth in their epistles to the church. It will profit us here to consider the Scriptural testimony given in proof that Jesus was raised from Resurrection 161 the dead three days after his crucifixion. There have always been some that denied the resurrection and hence it is always well to fortify ourselves against such denial, as well as to strengthen our own faith. It must be remembered that the writers of these gos- pels were not learned men ; they were not such men as would arrange a fraudulent scheme to deceive any- body. There would be no occasion for them to do this. The fact that they did not expect a resurrection and gave evidence of that by their conduct and their speech at and just after the Lord's death is strong circumstantial evidence that their testimony subse- quently given is true. Besides this, the testimony it- self bears all the earmarks of truth. At the time Jesus died there was an earthquake. The Rom.an centurion who stood by exclaimed, Truly this was the Son of God!" *'When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus* disciple: he went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the bod}^ he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And there v/as Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre." — Matt. 27: 57-61. 2G2 rpi^Q Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead, basing their conclusion upon the words of the prophets. They feared that Jesus might arise from the dead. They knew they were guilty of having him put to death and they hoped that would be the end of him. *'Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that 162 The Harp of God that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead ; so the last error shall be worse than the first/' (Mat- thew 27 : 62-64) When the Roman governor heard their request he granted them a Roman guard, saying to them: ^'Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepul- chre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch." — Matthew 27 : 65, 66. 263 »p]^g Lord Jehovah must have held these Pliari- sees in derision, who presumed by having the stone sealed and a Roman guard placed at the entrance that they could prevent his bringing Jesus out of the tomb. God could have easily resurrected the Lord without removing the stone. He chose, however, to do the latter. And in addition to raising up Jesus as a di- vine being, he also removed the body in his own good way and to his own good place, that it might not see corruption, even as he had promised. — Psa. 16 : 10. 264 rpjjjg i^oman guard kept a close vigil over the tomb during Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night; and early Sunday morning the angel of the Lord appeared and rolled back the stone. The keepers testified that the countenance of the angel was like lightning and his raiment as white as snow, and these watchmen did shake because of fear. The sabbath day now ended, the dawn of the first day of the week being here, the faithful women were the first ones to start for the tomb. "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was Resurrection 163 a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord de- scended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His counte- nance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow : and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I Imow that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead ; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre, with fear and great joy, and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren, that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.'' — Matt. 28: 1-IQ. 260 There must have been great excitement about that time among some of the people of Jerusalem. These faithful women ran to tell the disciples, while the Roman soldiers hurried into the city to notify their employers of what had happened. **Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assem- bled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye. His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this 164 The Harp of God saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day/'— Matthew 28:11-15. The account given by Luke is almost identical with that given by Matthew. Likewise the testimony given by Mark. John also gives an accurate account of the resurrection of the Lord. We insert here the testimony of each of these witnesses for the purpose of showing that the four testified substantially to the same facts and fully corroborated each other. 268 when the sabbath was past, Mary Magda- lene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of tiie sun. And they said among themselves. Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away : for it was very groat. And entering into the sepulchre, thoy saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white gar- ment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them. Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: be- hold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.''— Mark 16:1-7. 269 '