To
the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
IN THE INTEREST OF
HIS CONSECRATED SAINTS,
WAITING FOR THE ADOPTION,
--AND
OF--
"ALL THAT IN EVERY PLACE CALL UPON THE LORD,"
"THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH,"
--AND
OF--
THE GROANING CREATION, TRAVAILING AND WAITING FOR THE
MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD,
THIS
WORK IS DEDICATED.
"To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which
from the beginning
of the world hath been hid in God." "Wherein He hath abounded
toward
us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the
mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which
He hath purposed in Himself; that in the dispen-
sation of the fulness of the times He
might gather together in one all
things, under Christ."
Eph. 3:4,5,9;1:8-10`
"Thy
Kingdom Come"
THE
AUTHOR'S FOREWORD
THIS
volume was written in 1890 and has since passed through many
editions in many languages, and still more editions are in prospect.
We have testimonials from thousands of God's consecrated people
to the effect that they have, through this Volume, drunk deeply
of the Fountain of Living Waters--the Word of God. We trust
that the blessing will continue to flow, until finally through
the Kingdom, the knowledge of the glory of God will fill the
whole earth as the waters cover the depths of the seas.
Although
we disclaim anything akin to inspiration in connection with
these STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, nevertheless we are glad that
because we are in the dawning of the New Dispensation, the light
of Truth is shining so clearly and the Divine Plan is so manifest
that scarcely a word of the Volume would need to be changed
if it were written today--26 years later.
The
Time of the End has emphasized this more and more as the years
have gone by, especially since we entered chronologically the
great Seventh Day. The work of Harvest has progressed and is
still progressing--even though at one time we supposed that
the Harvest work would have been fully accomplished with the
ending of the Times of the Gentiles. That was merely a supposition,
which proved to be without warrant, for the thrusting in of
the sickle of Truth and the gathering in of the ripe grain has
been progressing since October, 1914, as never before. Indeed,
the great World War has awakened humanity in a remarkable degree,
and more independent thinking is being done than ever before.
All this contributes to the breaking of the shackles of ignorance,
superstition, and prejudice, and the freeing of those who desire
to know and to do the Lord's will and to walk in the footsteps
of Jesus.
We
are glad for further opportunities of service to our great King
in the gathering of the Elect to Himself, to the Truth. We are
glad to see others coming into the Truth and preparing for the
"Wedding." Evidently the "door" is not yet
shut, although we anticipate that before a very long time--perhaps
a year or two or <PAGE ii>
three--the full number of the Elect will be completed, and all
will have gone beyond the Veil and the door will be shut.
We
are free to say that the restoration of Israel has not been
accomplished as rapidly as we had anticipated. Nevertheless,
the Jews in Palestine seem to be thus far wonderfully sheltered;
and doubtless many of their co-religionists in the war districts,
especially in Poland, would be glad if they had gone to Palestine
when they had opportunity. It is difficult to say how the conclusion
of the war may affect the interests of Israel. We should be
in a waiting, expectant attitude. It looks as though the trying
experiences of the Jews would arouse considerable numbers of
them eventually to go to their home land. We have never expected,
however, that all the Jews would return thither, but rather
a representative company of them, just as in the case of the
return from Babylonish captivity--only about 52,000 returned,
notwithstanding the great hosts that went to Babylon in the
captivity.
The
returning ones represent those fullest of faith in the Lord
and His promises, and doubtless will be dealt with as representative
of the whole. We remind our readers that when this Volume was
written, the Jews themselves had little thought of going to
Palestine. Now Zionism has sprung up, and has taken a deep hold
upon the hearts of the Israelites. Although it was a secular
Zionism at first, it has gradually turned to religious sentiment
and hope.
The
Great Pyramid of Egypt discussed in this Volume has not lost
any of its interest to the author. Its Descending Passage still
represents figuratively the downward course of mankind under
the reign of sin and death. The First Ascending Passage still
represents the Law Dispensation--God's Covenant with Israel
made at Sinai and the course of that people under the domination
of that Law. The Grand Gallery still represents the lofty heights
of the teachings of Christ and His followers during this Gospel
Age. The step in the upper end of the Grand Gallery still represents
a marked change in the affairs of the world, lifting man to
a higher plane. The connection between the top of the Grand
Gallery and the spaces above the King's Chamber still represents
the <PAGE iii> spiritual
presence of our Lord in the Harvest of this Age, beginning with
1874.
We
have never attempted to place the Great Pyramid, sometimes called
the Bible in Stone, on a parallel or equality with the Word
of God as represented by the Old and New Testament Scriptures--the
latter stand pre-eminent always as the authority. We do, however,
still believe that the structure of this Pyramid, so different
from that of all other pyramids, was designed of the Lord and
intended to be a Pyramid and a witness in the midst and on the
border of the land of Egypt. (`Isaiah
19:19`) It certainly tells a very different story from
any other art or relic handed down from its remote times.
Its
wonderful corroboration of the Divine Plan of the Ages is astounding
to everybody who really grasps it. It should be read with just
as fresh interest as in the first edition, because its lessons
have not altered or changed. We trust that new readers will
get the same rich blessings from this Volume that old readers
have received, and that thus we may glorify God together and
rejoice in His provision of light and comfort on the way to
the full ushering in of the glorious Kingdom of God's dear Son.
Messiah's
Kingdom is sometimes styled the Kingdom of God, because, although
it is strictly under the management of Messiah, all of its laws,
regulations, judgments, etc., are in strict conformity to the
Divine arrangement, which is unchangeable. Hence when we pray,
"Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth even as in
Heaven," our thought should be that the grand perfection
of the Heavenly Father's Rule and Government is our desire and
that we are hoping and waiting for the thousand-year Reign of
Christ to conquer the rebellion of earth and to bring humanity
back into as full accord with God as are all the angels of Heaven
in their perfection.
Messiah's
Kingdom has various stages of inauguration. First, in His Parousia
the glorified Jesus quickens, or resurrects, the sleeping members
of the Body of Christ. This is the first executive act of the
Great One whom God has so highly exalted--the Heir of the great
Abrahamic promise. His members must be completed before He will
officially take His position as the King of the world. Assurance
of this fact is given by the inspired Word: "When Christ,
who is our Life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with
Him in glory." (`Col. 3:4`)
Next in order the Master <PAGE iv>
deals with the living members of His Body, the
Church. As shown in the parables of the pounds and the talents,
the Master's judgment concerning worthiness or unworthiness
in the Kingdom must pass upon all of His consecrated ones and
the full number of the Elect must be found and be glorified
by the resurrection "change"--because "flesh
and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God." (`1
Cor. 15:50`) Then the dominion of the world will be assumed.
The glorified One will ask of the Father, and He will give Him
the heathen for His inheritance and the uttermost parts of the
earth for His possession. "He will rule them with a rod
of iron. As the vessels of a potter shall they be broken into
shivers." `Psa. 2`; `Rev.
2:27`
This
revealing of the Son of Man to the world by His assumption of
power and His permission of the world to pass into the great
ordeal of anarchy is evidently nearing. For a little while there
will be a great triumph of Churchianity, after the war. Both
Catholics and Protestants will share in this triumph and both
political and financial princes will encourage it, hoping for
the prolongation of their own power. At that time we may expect
strong opposition from Churchianity upon the true, faithful
followers of Jesus, resulting in serious persecutions--perhaps
even unto death. But the triumph of Babylon will be short. Soon
the sentence already pronounced will be executed and she shall
fall like a great millstone into the sea--into anarchy--into
destruction, never to rise again.
Not
long after, according to the Bible picture, we may expect the
total collapse of our present civilization. But the darkest
moment of man's extremity will be God's opportunity. The Messiah,
the Elect of God, will take the control and speak peace to the
tumultuous peoples and bring order out of confusion, joy out
of tears, praise out of despair. Thus the Kingdom of Messiah
will be born in a terrible travail; but the glorious results
will more than compensate for the "Time of Trouble such
as never was since there was a nation." Thus we are told,
"The desire of all nations shall come." `Haggai 2:7`
May
these pages continue to be a blessing to the Lord's people and
an honor to His name, is the prayer of the author,
Charles
T. Russell
Brooklyn, N.Y.,
October 1, 1916
