JEHOVAH

HIS COVENANTS

JEHOVAH GOD is the Giver of life, and his provisions for men to obtain life are by and through the merit of Jesus Christ's sacrifice. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord," (Rom. 6:23) No one gets life by reason of being in a covenant. A man must first be justified and counted righteous before he could be brought into the new covenant. He is by reason of faith in the shed blood of Christ Jesus counted thereafter as having the right to life. But once being taken into the new covenant means that he must keep the terms of that covenant in order to live and escape eternal death. The Israelites were under the law covenant when Jehovah said to them: "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments; which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord." (Lev. 18: 5) That scripture does not say and does not mean that the Jews would obtain life by reason of being in the covenant, but it means that the breaking of the law covenant meant a cessation of the life they had at that time. They must live in the covenant.

Relative to the same matter it is written: "For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The

just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them." (Gal. 3:10-12) During the thousand-year reign of Christ he will give life to the obedient ones of mankind, not by or according to the terms of the new covenant, but by reason of their obedience to the laws of his kingdom. Those who have been produced by the new covenant as a people for Jehovah's name, and who continue faithful unto death, will then sit with Christ Jesus in that work of giving life. (Rev. 2:10) The new covenant is specifically for the purpose of dealing with the justified and spirit-begotten ones that those who continue faithful to the terms of the covenant may be produced and prepared as witnesses to the name of Jehovah and bear testimony to his name. When those in the covenant have been brought to the unity of the faith in Christ Jesus, "unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13), it is then that the new covenant is inaugurated toward them and they are made official witnesses of Jehovah; and their work as such witnesses must be done before Armageddon.

UNTO ZION

The apostle Paul was addressing those in Christ Jesus in the new covenant when he wrote: "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels." (Heb. 12:22) He did not say, Ye are come to Egypt, or to any part of Satan's organization, but, "Ye are come unto mount Sion," which is God's organization, and means the establishment of the kingdom of God. The building up of Zion, the capital organization of Jehovah, began when the words of Jehovah were fulfilled, to wit, "Yet have

I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." (Ps. 2:6) "The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies." (Ps. 110: 2) The Lord Jesus Christ, the Messenger of the covenant, then straightway came to the temple. Thereafter the 'coming unto Zion' is completed with the bringing of the remnant into the opened temple of God.

The "city of the living God" is the heavenly Jerusalem, which has now 'descended out of heaven' (Rev. 21:1, 2) to take charge of the world by its rightful ruler Christ Jesus and to vindicate the name of Jehovah.

A "company of angels" attended upon the occasion of this 'coming' and participated in the inauguration ceremonies. According to other renderings of the text these are "myriads of angels, a full assembly" (Diag.); "myriads of messengers in high festival." (Roth.) It is at the coming of the Lord to the temple for judgment that his angels accompany him and when he gathers unto himself those who are in the covenant, and who up to that time had demonstrated their faithfulness. (Matt. 25:31) "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming [to the temple] of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him." There were angels participating in the inauguration of the old law covenant; as it is written: "It was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator [Moses]." (Gal. 3:19) The angels delivered God's message with authority from him, and God did not permit any disobedience to the message which he caused these angels to transmit. (Heb. 2:2) The words spoken by the angels were spoken to the Israelites assembled before Mount Sinai at the inauguration of the law covenant and who were already

in the covenant which had been made with them in Egypt, and which people were designated by the Scriptures as "the church" (that is, a selected or gathered-out people), because they were a people gathered out for Jehovah's name. "This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness, with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers; who received the lively oracles to give unto us." — Acts 7: 37, 38.

At the inauguration of the new covenant, says the scripture, "ye are come unto . . . [the] church of the firstborn which are written in heaven." (Heb. 12: 22, 23) Truly the names of these are enrolled in heaven since Zion has brought forth her children, and their citizenship is in heaven. The faithful saints who long ago died in faith have first been resurrected and gathered to Zion, and those remaining on earth are now 'caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air'. — 1 Thess. 4:17. (See The Watchtower, January 15, 1934.)

Further the scripture identifies the time of the inauguration of the new covenant, when it says: "And to God [Jehovah] the Judge of all." (Heb. 12: 23) Jehovah is the Judge over all, and his judgment first begins at the house of God when Christ Jesus, the duly appointed Judge, there appears and begins judgment for the purpose of purifying the "sons of Levi". (Mal. 3: 3; 1 Pet. 4:17; Jas. 4:12) That judgment determines who shall be approved and anointed to offer unto God an offering in righteousness. (Heb. 13:15) The "church of the firstborn", in this text, which are gathered unto God, does not in-

elude the 'great company' class, but the limitation is to those only who form the royal house of Jehovah and toward whom the covenant is inaugurated.

Then says the scripture: "And to the spirits of just men made perfect." Who are "the spirits of just men made perfect"? In the Greek word-for-word rendering of this text the word "men" does not appear, but it reads: "And to spirits of the righteous made perfect." (Diag.) "And unto the spirits of righteous ones made perfect"; in the margin, "perfected righteous ones." (Roth.) The word "perfected" modifies "righteous ones", and not "spirits". The ones to whom this part of the text applies are not creatures with a spirit organism, but it applies to the faithful men on earth. In this same chapter Jehovah, "The Judge," is mentioned as the "Father of spirits". (Heb. 12: 9) "For they [fathers of our flesh] verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he [Jehovah, the Father of spirits] for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." (Heb. 12:10) Thus the apostle shows to whom the words "spirits of just men" refer.

Concerning the rebellion of Korah it is written: "And they [Moses and Aaron] fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?" (Num. 16:22) Those who have been begotten of the spirit have Jehovah for their spiritual Father, and this is true even while these creatures have an organism of flesh. The expression in the text "spirits of the righteous made perfect" therefore properly applies to the present-day remnant of spiritual Israel who now are "spiritually minded". (Rom. 8:6) Many who are begotten of the spirit do not prove faithful and are therefore not 'perfected

in the spirit', whereas the remnant found faithful at the temple judgment and made members of the 'elect servant' class are perfected. They were righteous at the time, begotten of the holy spirit, and counted as God's sons, and now as such righteous ones they are perfected. They have come faithfully through a discipline administered by their "Father of spirits", Jehovah, that they might be made partakers of his holiness. — Heb. 12: 6-10.

The spirit-begotten ones are the ones justified by the blood of Christ Jesus, and in addition thereto the remnant are brought under the robe of righteousness. (Isa. 61:10) They are 'arrayed in fine linen, which is the righteousness [righteous acts] of the saints'. (Rev. 19:8) The ones here described, therefore, are the 'saints gathered unto the Lord' and who have come to unity of the faith and knowledge, "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Eph. 4:13, 14; Ps. 50:5) It is therefore seen that the words of description appearing in this text, to wit, 'the spirits of the righteous ones made perfect, or perfected,' identify the remnant gathered to the temple unto the Lord. These are the ones toward whom the new covenant is inaugurated or dedicated.

This scripture having identified the remnant as the ones toward whom the new covenant is inaugurated, the very next words of the text mention the mediator, to wit: "And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." (Heb. 12:24) Jesus was made the mediator while on earth 1900 years previous to the inauguration of the covenant; but now having come to the temple, and gathered unto himself the faithful, he inaugurates the

covenant in heaven toward those who have been found faithful up to this point and who have been made to "sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" with him. Because of his faithfulness in maintaining his integrity toward Jehovah Abel was murdered. Though entirely innocent when killed at the instance of Satan, the blood of Abel was merely the blood of an imperfect man. The blood of Jesus, the mediator of the covenant, as stated in the foregoing text, "speaketh better things than that of Abel." This blood of sprinkling, or the blood of the new covenant, is the blood of the Perfect One, the Faithful and True Witness of Jehovah, and hence has redemptive value and validates the covenant, giving security of its benefits to those who have been brought into the covenant. These are the things which the blood of Jesus "speaketh", imports or signifies, and which, to be sure, are "better things than that of Abel".

SHAKING

At the inauguration of the law covenant at Sinai there was a great convulsion and shaking of the earth. Later Jehovah said through his prophet: "For thus saith the Lord of hosts, Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land." (Hag. 2:6) The apostle refers to this latter prophecy of Haggai and to the prophecy recorded by Moses, the shaking of Mount Sinai, when he wrote: "For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard, entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: . . . See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped

not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: whose voice then shook the earth; but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven."  — Heb. 12:18, 19,25,26.

While other Scriptural texts show that at Armageddon there will be great physical disturbances, these words of the apostle Paul recorded in Hebrews concerning the inauguration of the new covenant do not appear to apply at all to literal shaking or violent movements to and fro of natural objects. What came to pass at Mount Sinai was typical, and foreshadowed a shaking which is a searching judgment process upon those who have covenanted to do God's will and which takes place at the time Christ Jesus sits in judgment as a refiner, and at which time there is a great shake-up amongst the creatures who have made a consecration to do God's will. In this shaking some are cast away, while others are retained. Just such a shaking process began about 1918 and has progressed from and after that date, which marks the coming of the Lord to the temple and the beginning of judgment and the progress of his judgment. At the time of this shaking the lawless ones are gathered out and cast away, which casting-away work is done by the Lord acting by and through his angels. "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." — Matt. 13:41, 42.

The shaking that took place at Mount Sinai at the inauguration of the law covenant foreshadowed the shaking, the sifting and refining that take place

at the time the new covenant is inaugurated by the Greater Moses. The apostle then continues to compare the responsibility of those in the new covenant with that of those in the law covenant. The Jews refused to hear and obey the words spoken by Moses, and they did not escape thereafter; says the apostle: "Much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven." Now Christ Jesus, the Greater Moses, speaks from heaven from the temple, and those in the covenant who do not obey him shall certainly not escape punishment. — Acts 3: 23.

The apostle in this connection quotes the prophecy of Haggai (2:6, 7) and thereby definitely fixes the time of the inauguration of the new covenant, to wit, when the 'Desired One' comes to the temple for judgment. Then follows the shaking amongst those who were once in line for the kingdom. This latter shaking is for the express purpose of removing every one in line for the kingdom who is not proved faithful. Concerning this the apostle says: "And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain." (Heb. 12: 27) Thus he declares that 'those which cannot be shaken' are the faithful ones whom God has perfected and whom he has taken out and placed in commission, and who continue as his witnesses, and who participate in the vindication of his name. Such are the ones in line for the kingdom, and it is to these that the kingdom interests are committed by the Lord. — Matt. 24:47.

The kingdom cannot be shaken or moved, and those who with Christ Jesus ultimately inherit the kingdom cannot be shaken out. It is the kingdom that will vindicate Jehovah's name; hence all who are

of the kingdom must stand firm and steadfast, and concerning this the apostle says: "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved [a kingdom not to be shaken, Roth.], let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." (Heb. 12:28) That kingdom has now come and the interests on earth thereof have been committed to the 'wise and faithful servant' class. Hence the apostle, addressing those toward whom the new covenant is now inaugurated, and to whom these kingdom interests are committed, says: "Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." Those who do thus, have the King for their friend, and, having the King for their friend, they must have grace and gracious words upon their lips, serving God with pureness of heart. "He that loveth with a pure heart, and hath grace on his lips, will have the king as his friend." (Prov. 22:11, Leeser) Such faithful ones serve God "with reverence and godly fear" for the reason that "our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29); and it appears from other scriptures that at the time there are those in line for the kingdom but who refuse to hear and obey the Greater Moses, Christ Jesus, the Priest, Prophet, and Mediator of the new covenant, and toward these God is a consuming fire.

Jehovah, having separated his own and selected them as a people for his name, will sustain those who continue to faithfully maintain their integrity toward him; and hence they have occasion to fear God, but they have no occasion to fear what man or the Devil and his angels may do to them. They know that they have not the strength or sufficiency of themselves, but that their strength and protection come from the Lord. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any

thing, as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." (2 Cor. 3:5) By Jehovah's grace, as his witnesses they can do all things for which they are anointed and commissioned.

WHO ARE MINISTERS

Not every one who is begotten of the holy spirit is a minister of the new covenant, but only those who are brought to the point of maturity in Christ, which constitutes them elders in fact, not by the election of men, but by the spirit of the Lord. Telling the Corinthians that only by the grace of God could he (Paul) do the things which had been committed to him, the apostle says: "God . . . also hath made us able ministers [servants, Diag.] of the new [covenant]; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." (2 Cor. 3:6) In the first verse of that epistle to the Corinthians Paul seems to limit the word "us", as used therein and in this text, to himself and Timothy, who were then doing a ministering work unto their Corinthian brethren. There were difficulties amongst the company of the Corinthians because some had been following human leaders, and hence disturbance followed. Not until these brethren in the church who sought to lead should become elders in fact, that is, come to unity in the spirit, could they become the able ministers of the new covenant.

Such has ever been the condition in the church. Wherever those in the church follow human leaders and ignore the Word of the Lord trouble is certain to result. The time is now come when the sanctuary of the Lord has been cleansed (Dan. 8:14), and those who are in fact in the sanctuary are at unity and hence are able ministers of the new covenant. Why,

then, do disturbances continue to arise among the members who associate themselves together in these companies? Manifestly because in such companies there are those meeting together who are not in the temple and have not come unto the unity of the faith and knowledge in Christ Jesus and who therefore are not anointed to do the work of the Lord. Such continue to manifest the spirit of selfishness and lawlessness, insisting on doing things their own way and ignoring organization directions; and hence disturbances follow. Those who are in the temple and appreciating their great favor from the Lord sec that the enemy is fighting desperately against the remnant and that all in the temple must stand shoulder to shoulder for the kingdom message and never be terrified by opposition that arises and that is brought against them by the enemy. "Only let the lives you live be worthy of the [gospel] of the Christ, in order that, whether I come and see you or, being absent, only hear of you, I may know that you are standing fast in one spirit and with one mind, fighting shoulder to shoulder for the faith of the [gospel]. Never for a moment quail before your antagonists. Your fearlessness will be to them a sure token of impending destruction, but to you it will be a sure token of your salvation, a token coming from God." — Phil. 1: 27, 28, Weymouth.

At this stage of the church anyone meeting with a company of the Lord's people who refuses to abide by organization instructions, and who insists on being lawless and following his own selfish way, furnishes the proof that he is not in the temple and therefore not an able minister of the new covenant. The proper course for the remnant under such circumstances is to avoid all controversies and continue to do faithfully what they are commissioned to do. It is better to suf-

fer wrong in silence and to go straight forward in the work which the faithful are commissioned to do than to try to justify oneself or to defend oneself. (1 Cor. 6:7) Every one in the temple will have confidence in every other member of the temple company, and all will be diligent to put aside all selfishness and do the work committed to them with gladness of heart. At the same time they will avoid those who attempt to cause divisions. — Rom. 16:17, 18.

As it is written by the apostle: 'We are made able ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the spirit, which quickeneth.' (Margin) Merely written letters on books or laws or rules written down cannot of themselves move one to a course resulting in the approval of God, which quickeneth to life. It is the power of the holy spirit of God within one that can and does carry one along the way toward life. Let those of the temple now fully realize and appreciate the fact that they have been brought into the temple, anointed and instructed there, in order that they might serve as Jehovah's witnesses and thus minister unto the things for which they have been chosen and anointed. Individuals are clear out of sight so far as the temple company is concerned. All there are one body, instructed by the great Teachers for one and the same purpose and sent forth to participate in the work of the vindication of Jehovah's name.

REFLECTING HIS GLORY

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, having received the law and commandments from God, "the skin of his face shone." To avoid the Jews' seeing his shining countenance Moses put a veil on his face, and when Moses went before the Lord to speak with him he took the veil off. (Ex. 34:27-35) The

outcome of the law covenant with its statutes resulted in condemning the nation of Israel because of their rebelliousness, hence ministered unto them death. With this in mind the apostle Paul wrote: "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away; how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious." — 2 Cor. 3:7-11.

The shining of Moses' face was a reflection of the glory of Jehovah, and Moses served as a mirror to reflect that glory. The administration of the new covenant by Christ Jesus the Mediator, who is the Greater Moses, is far more glorious than that which was manifested at the inauguration of the law covenant. The glory of the Lord Jehovah shines into the face of Christ Jesus, his great High Priest and Mediator, and is mirrored there to those in the covenant and in the temple. (2 Cor. 4:4-6, Roth.) At the inauguration of the law covenant the glory of God shone upon the face of Moses; hence the glory was not that of the Israelites, but Moses was reflecting the glory of God. At the inauguration of the new covenant at Mount Zion Jehovah there appears in his glory. Christ Jesus mirrors the glory of Jehovah to those of Zion. (Ps. 102:16) Had the law covenant produced 'the people for Jehovah's name', such a people would have continued to be used to reflect the glory of Jehovah which

shone in the face of the mediator, Moses. That covenant, having failed, was east away, and now the new covenant does produce the "people for his name", "a holy nation," which people are used to reflect the glory of the Lord; and that glory which shines in the face of the Lord Jesus is greater than that which was made to shine in the face of Moses. "For if that which passeth away [the law covenant] was with glory, much more that which remaineth is in glory." — 2 Cor. 3:11, R.V.

At the time Paul wrote the epistle to the Corinthians the glory there mentioned was still in the future, and this is shown by the words of the apostle, when he says: "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech." (2 Cor. 3:12) That glory was not seen in Paul's day, but is seen at the inauguration of the new covenant. Had he seen it he would not have talked about hoping for it. "For what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." (Rom. 8:24, 25) During the period of waiting for the appearing of such glory the holy spirit was the advocate, comforter and helper of the consecrated, which Paul knew. Having such hope, the apostle says, "we use great boldness of speech." (R.V.) Having hope, he was not ashamed, because "hope maketh not ashamed". (Rom. 5:5) If Paul used plainness or boldness of speech then, how much more now should the anointed of the Lord speak with boldness in this day of judgment.

The apostle did not speak in veiled language; hence he employed this illustration, to wit: "And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished." (2 Cor. 3:13) The awe-

striking glory which Jehovah caused to appear upon the face of Moses frightened the Jews, because they were looking at Moses and not by faith at the Lord God. To obscure the shining in the face of Moses he put on a veil. The Jews gloried in a man, one of their own blood relation; hence they did not see that the glory of Moses as a mediator and inaugurator of the law covenant was temporary, which glory ended when the covenant ended. The purpose of the glory upon the face of Moses was to foretell in a miniature way the coming glory of the greater mediator, Christ Jesus, and the inaugurator of the better covenant; but the Jews did not look in that direction, or to that "end", and hence they rejected Christ Jesus when he came, and do still reject him. Therefore says the apostle concerning the Jews: "But their minds were blinded [hardened, R.V.]; for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ." (2 Cor. 3:14) That blindness was upon the greater part of natural Israel and rendered it impossible for the Israelites to discern the meaning of the testimony of Moses and of the prophecies which follow.

The veil over the shining face of Moses correspondingly shows that Christ Jesus, Jehovah's great Priest, veils the truth from the eyes of those that oppose God's Word at the present time. When Isaiah had a vision of the temple the Lord said to him: "Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." (Isa. 6:9, 10) This scripture shows a blindness of those who hear with

their natural ears and see with their natural eyes but do not perceive or understand. With the coming of Christ Jesus to the temple the significance of the typical picture was unveiled by the power of the holy spirit to those in Christ, and who are faithfully serving Jehovah, but the holy spirit does not reveal the meaning thereof to those who are unfaithful. Therefore says the apostle: "But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart." (2 Cor. 3:15) This is actually true today with all, including the "man of sin" company, who are not in the secret place of the Most High; and to such the Greater Moses does not reveal the secret things of God's Word. The trouble with such opposers is that, even though they once had the truth, they have not the love of the truth, but, being selfish, they are blinded.

When Moses went before the Lord to speak to him "he took the vail off". (Ex. 34:34, 35) The apostle Paul, quoting from the above prophecy, says: "Nevertheless, when it [he, Roth.] shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away." (2 Cor. 3:16) The apostle's statement here proves that when there is a turning away from a man and a turning to Jehovah God, and fully trusting him and the Lord Jesus, the "vail" is taken away from the eyes of such as have the spirit of the Lord, and these have an understanding. The one turning to the Lord, therefore, is given a vision of his reflected glory, which glory is reflected in the face of Christ Jesus and shines into the heart and mind of those fully devoted to the Lord. Christ Jesus is "the brightness of his glory". (Heb. 1:3) But where those who have covenanted to do the will of God continue to look to a man and his supposed glorious attainments and dote upon his teachings, they are

blind to the truth; and this is clearly shown by the foregoing statement of the apostle.

Today those who continue to insist that Pastor Russell taught all the truth that is to be learned by the saints on earth are in the dark, and they will continue in the dark. They fail to discern the Lord at his temple, and scoff at the statement that he is at the temple. Their continued blindness to the understanding of the prophecies of the Bible is proof thereof. When the natural Jews today read that which was written by Moses, the matter is entirely dark to them. Likewise with those who are once spiritual Israelites and who have continued to look at a man and not to the Lord, the understanding of the Scriptures is impossible to them. Those who turn to the Lord and trust in him, for them the veil is removed and they see what the Lord reveals to those in the temple.

LIBERTY

Jehovah is the supreme power, that is, the Most High. The Lord Jesus Christ is the higher power next to Jehovah and is the "quickening spirit". (1 Cor. 15:45) Moses was a type of Christ Jesus and was flesh, or human, foreshadowing the spirit creature, Christ Jesus. Continuing his argument the apostle says: "Now the Lord [Jehovah] is that spirit [The Spirit, R.V.]: and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Cor. 3:17) Some spirit-begotten ones have foolishly seized upon this scripture text and hold to it as an authority or excuse for their lawlessness in God's organization, contending that where the spirit of the Lord is each one is at liberty to do as he may please and is under no obligation to follow the rules of God's organization, and hence they do not follow the direction in God's organization. Such appli-

cation of the text is wholly wrong. One in Christ Jesus is not licensed to do anything he wants to, but must be obedient to the Lord and his organization. Liberty does not mean license. Where there is truly the spiritually minded condition existing among those who are begotten of the spirit these are free from the bondage such as the Jews were in.

The "spirit of the Lord" is upon and among his anointed ones, who are in the temple or secret place of the Most High; but that is not the condition of the "great multitude", who are prisoners to Satan's organization. It could not be said that they are free. Such condition of bondage refers to those in the ranks of the nominal church systems and outside thereof who are consecrated but who are held in bondage by the fear of man. There are many who claim to be in present truth who are in fact under bondage to fear of Satan's organization. That condition does not, however, apply to those who are in the temple; says the apostle, "But Jerusalem [God's organization] which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." (Gal. 4:26) Therefore those in the secret place of the Most High, anointed and in the temple, are not in bondage to any worldly power as though such worldly powers were the "higher powers". But those who are looking upon the rulers of this world as the "higher powers" are certainly in bondage. The faithful, however, being Jehovah's witnesses and appreciating the truth and that this is the day of judgment, these have boldness in declaring the truth, and this is proof of their love for Jehovah and of their freedom or liberty in Christ,  — 1 John 4:17, 18.

Such faithful ones refuse to recognize the rulers of this world as the "higher powers". They refuse to compromise with the powers of Satan's organiza-

tion, and refuse to ask them for or to accept permits from Satan's organization to preach the gospel of God's kingdom. They obey God, and not man, because they are free from bondage of man and man-made organizations ruled by Satan. It is therefore only where the spirit of the Lord is that there is such liberty; and such is the meaning of the apostle's words in the foregoing text. All those in Christ and in the covenant, taken out as a people for the name of Jehovah, are, however, bound to be fully and wholly obedient to the great Prophet, Christ Jesus; and since the instruction to the remnant proceeds from the Lord at the temple, all of the temple company must be wholly obedient to the organization instructions proceeding from the Lord. — Acts 3:23.

Christ Jesus is the head of the house of sons, and those who are in his house, that is to say, in the royal house of God in the temple, are wholly free from Satan's organization. The words of Jesus addressed to those who thought they were God's servants are: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8: 31, 32, 36) The same rule applies at the present time. One must know the truth and must be in Christ Jesus and faithfully obey the Lord in order to be entirely free from Satan's organization. But that has no reference whatsoever to liberty to exercise one's own selfish desires or will and go contrary to God's organization instructions. Those who insist on following their own selfish desires and ways and on ignoring the instructions that proceed from the temple put themselves outside of the pale of God's favor. Let no one think, because he is in the truth, he is at liberty to do as he pleases. He

must do as it pleases the Lord, and the will of the Lord is expressed in his Word; and the Lord is dealing through his organization, and has one way of doing his work, and not many.

VISION

The apostle, then addressing his words specifically to those who have the spirit of the Lord, such as himself and such as are today in the temple and faithfully serving Jehovah, says: "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor. 3:18) In the typical picture it was Moses' face that was veiled, and not the face of the Israelites. In the antitype it is the Greater Moses, Christ Jesus, whose face shines, and that shining is the reflecting of Jehovah's glory. Therefore when the face of the spiritual Israelite is turned to the Lord, and hence away from man, the veil is taken away and the vision of the unveiled face is had by those who are with Christ in full unity. This explains why those at the temple have a clear vision of the Lord's purpose and his glory at this time and others who think they are in Christ have no vision at all.

Another rendering of this text is: "But we all beholding the glory of the Lord in a face unveiled, are transformed into the same likeness, from glory to glory, as from the Lord, the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:18, Diag.) The Lord Jesus does not veil his glory from us (with all who are in the temple), because we have faith and have the spirit of the Lord. All such are spiritually minded and have a vision, while others are blinded. The faithful in the temple look into the unveiled face of the Lord Jesus Christ as though look-

ing into a mirror, and they see there the glory of Jehovah upon Christ Jesus, and such glory is caught up by those in the temple and reflected. The glory here mentioned is not any part of us, nor is that glory of us. The great Mediator and inaugurator of the new covenant is the one that is reflecting the glory of Jehovah, because he is now at the temple, 'in his glory, and all his holy angels with him.' (Matt. 25: 31) Jehovah gives his glory to Christ Jesus, and to his temple company, and to none other. (Isa. 42:8) Christ Jesus reflects the glory of Jehovah, and those in the temple, beholding this glory, reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus to others, that they may see who are the true witnesses of Jehovah.

Such faithful ones "are changed into the same image", "transformed into the same likeness." (Diag.) The remnant brought into the temple at the inauguration of the new covenant are "caught up ... in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air". (1 Thess. 4:17; see The Watchtower, January 15, 1934) From out of the temple they discern the Lord's glory and receive instruction from him, which they receive in the secret place and which instruction changes their entire course of deportment and action. They are cleansed from things which are not of the Lord, such as the fear of man, the worship of man, the submission to worldly powers contrary to God's will, the conforming of themselves to man's teachings, and the following after man; and from anything else or all things else that mark one as conforming to the formalism of Babylon. The temple company must be conformed or transformed to the image of Christ Jesus. "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did

predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." — Rom, 8: 29, 30.

Those who are brought into the temple and toward whom the new covenant is inaugurated see and appreciate the truth that Christ Jesus is "the faithful and true witness" of Jehovah God, full of integrity toward God, and wholly devoted to the vindication of his name; and they appreciate now that they must be like the Lord in this respect. Therefore they must be faithful witnesses of Jehovah, because they have been with Jesus and learned of him and must do as he does, and they must be bold in bearing the testimony to the name of Jehovah. Concerning this same matter it is written: "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John . . . they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus," and hence were bold and fearless witnesses to the name of Jehovah. (Acts 4:13) Thus their course of action is changed from what it was during the Elijah period of the church and they become like the Lord, as bold and fearless witnesses. This does not mean to be rude witnesses, but to calmly and fearlessly tell the truth.

The foregoing scripture, which says, "from glory to glory," does not mean that those of the remnant or temple company are changed from the glory of the law covenant to the glory of the new covenant, but that they are changed into the likeness of Christ Jesus as faithful witnesses to the name of Jehovah. During the Elijah period of the church the faithful ones in a measure reflected the glory of the Lord, but, being transferred from the Elijah to the Elisha period of the Lord's work, they have greater honor and glory of service, because the Elisha work is an unselfish devotion to the honor of Jehovah's name. It is in this

day that it becomes more apparent to the Jonadab class as to who are the true witnesses of Jehovah giving honor to his name even as Jesus did when he was on earth. Concerning his faithful followers Jesus said: "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one." (John 17:22) The faithful ones reflect the glory of the Lord that even those outside may determine who are really unselfishly devoted to Jehovah.

Such transformation conforms one to the likeness of Christ Jesus, "even as of the Lord, the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:18, margin) Christ Jesus has appeared at the temple and gathered Jehovah's saints unto himself, and now apply the words of the apostle: "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Col. 3:4) Here Christ Jesus instructs the temple company, and sends them forth to reflect his glory. (Matt 10:27) The angels of the Lord have gathered out the lawless ones, and the Lord has clothed the faithful ones with the robe of righteousness and sends them forth as his witnesses to shine by reflecting his glory; and now are fulfilled his words: "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Matt. 13:43) Only Jehovah's witnesses, made part of the elect servant class, are given such glory. (Isa. 42: 8; 43: 7) As the faithful witnesses of Jehovah these maintain their integrity toward him, and because they do so the reproaches which fell upon Christ Jesus fall upon them and they are opposed and persecuted. (Rom. 15:3) The facts show that such are exactly the present-day conditions and experiences of Jehovah's witnesses who are boldly declaring the name of Jehovah. "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye;

for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." — 1 Pet. 4:14.

It is now the glorious privilege of the faithful to be witnesses to the name of Jehovah, when his great Judge is at the temple judging the house of God and separating the people as sheep and goats arc separated. (Matt. 25:31-46) The true followers of Christ Jesus are not ashamed to be Jehovah's witnesses, but rejoice that they may have a part in delivering the testimony to the vindication of his name. (1 Pet. 4:16) They declare the righteousness of God.