JEHOVAH made provision in his plan for the Christian. He has provided, not that the Christian shall live as a man on earth, but that the faithful follower of Christ shall be granted the crown of life, which is immortality as a spirit being. (Rev. 2:10) The beloved Son of God, Christ Jesus, is the Head of the Christian class. (Col. 1:18) Christ means the anointed One of God. A Christian, therefore, is one whom God has brought into the body of Christ and anointed with his spirit, setting before him the invaluable prize of the divine nature. Why, then, should a Christian be interested in the restitution of the Jews and the restitution of all mankind?
The men who are Christians merely in name are not interested in restitution. They do not believe the doctrine of restitution and therefore do not teach it. Restitution to life on earth completely overthrows the false doctrines of inherent immortality and eternal torment. No one who is laboring under the blinding influence of Satan would teach restitution of man to life. For this reason the great religious systems, both Catholic and Protestant, not only fail and refuse to teach the doctrine of restitution, but totally reject it and oppose it.
The true follower of Christ Jesus not only believes the doctrine of life by restitution, as clearly taught in the Bible, but delights to tell others about it. There are many reasons why the true Christian is interested in the restitution of the Jews to their homeland and to the blessings of life. There are also many reasons why the true Christian is deeply interested in the doctrine of restitution as it applies to the entire human family. Among these reasons are the following:
Because restitution of man to life will be a complete vindication of the great and good name of Jehovah; because God has promised it and restitution is a part of his plan of salvation; because the Word of God abounds with proof that the doctrine is true; and because the doctrine is now a means of comforting humanity, and it is the duty and privilege of the true Christian to tell the people about it.
COMMISSION
The commission of the Christian is plainly set forth in the Word of God. Among other things, he is told that he must "bind up the brokenhearted, [and] comfort all that mourn". (Isa. 61:1-3) The Christian is specifically commanded by the Lord to carry the message of comfort to the Jews. God commands that the message of comfort must be given to the Jew, and then states that Zion, which is his organization made up of those who are devoted to him,
must bring that message of comfort to the Jew. (Isa. 40:1, 9) Again, it is written that the "feet of him", which means Christ and the last members of the Christ on earth, enjoy the blessed privilege of carrying the message of salvation to the Jews and to the Gentiles. — Isa. 52:7,8.
Furthermore, restitution is one of the great fundamental doctrines of the Bible. It was for a long while hid from the eyes of even students of the Bible. That great doctrine has now been restored to those who love God; and, being a part of the divine plan, it is intended to comfort even the Christians, because they know of God's loving-kindness and his purpose to bless mankind; and that thereby they may have a part in it is a comfort to themselves. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." — Rom. 15:4.
Paul was a Jew. He became a Christian and was made the apostle specifically to the Gentiles. He manifested the greatest interest in restitution of the people of Israel. In addressing the Christians at Rome, Paul under inspiration from Jehovah wrote: "Hath God cast away his people? God forbid." (Rom. 11:1) Evidently at that time Paul had in mind the words written by David: "Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad." (Ps. 14:7) Zion is
God's organization made up of his anointed class; and this prophecy points to the time when God would bring salvation to the Jews, and that after 'building up Zion'. It being true that the Israelites had not been for ever cast away, the time for the restitution of that people must come in God's due time. Paul's argument is that the fall of Israel from God's favor made it possible for the non-Jews, otherwise called Gentiles, to be the recipients of God's greatest favor, and that the restitution of the Jews would be the time for the dead to return to life:
"Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: if by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" — Rom. 11:12-15.
That scripture must mean that the restitution of Israel means also the awakening of the dead and the granting of life to the people by the process of restitution. The great majority of professed Christians are wholly ignorant of the Bible doctrine of restitution. Many of those who are in covenant relationship with God do not have a proper appreciation of its meaning and of their own privilege of now telling the
people about it. Such are therefore not manifesting the proper interest in the restitution of the Jews that befits a Christian. Knowing that this would be true, Paul, addressing the Christians in this connection, said: "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." — Rom. 11:25-27.
In the text above, Paul quotes the substance of Isaiah's prophecy (59:20). He then points out to the Gentiles, who had become the followers of Christ, that there was a time when they did not believe in God; but now, by reason of the unbelief of the Jews, the Jews had been cast away and God had extended his mercy to the Gentiles. Then the apostle adds: "Even so have these [Jews] also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." (Rom. 11:31) That means that the mercy of God has been bestowed upon the Gentiles who have become Christians because of God's favor to them, and thereafter through the new covenant the Jews shall obtain the mercy and blessings of God, and that the anointed class will have to do with the carrying of that covenant into effect. It therefore becomes the duty and privilege of
the Christian to take the keenest interest in the restitution of the Jews. The first step toward the extending of mercy to them is an unselfish interest in carrying the message of comfort to the Jews and thereby furthering the preparations of God concerning them.
The blood of Christ Jesus was and is the "blood of the new testament [covenant]". (Matt. 26: 28) That covenant is not made for or in behalf of Christians, nor are Christians the recipients of the direct benefits of that covenant. Christians are not the offspring of the new covenant. That covenant is for the Jews and the Gentiles also who will receive the blessings of life on earth. The clergy of the denominational church systems teach that the unbelieving Jews are excluded from that covenant. In this they err. The new covenant will bring the unbelieving Jews back to faith in and harmony with God. "Our [Christians'] sufficiency is of God, who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." — 2 Cor. 3:5, 6.
Since the new covenant is to be made with Israel, and since the Christian is made a minister of that covenant, therefore the Christian has a special interest in the blessings which that covenant will bring to the Jews as well as to the Gentiles. It will be through the inauguration of the new covenant that restitution will be brought to the Jews. Surely "the spirit" of the
covenant means a real and unselfish interest in the restitution of the Jews to God's favor and to the land of their fathers.
It is the truly anointed that are "able ministers of the new testament"; and it is these upon whom the responsibility rests to comfort the Jews. The time that the message of comfort should begin to be delivered to the Jews is indicated by the words of Jesus. Responding to the question concerning his presence and the end of the world, Jesus said: "And they [the Jews] . . . shall be led away captive into all nations [because temporarily cast away from God's favor]: and Jerusalem shall [continue to] be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." (Luke 21: 24) The word "until" in this text marks the definite time, from which time forward the Jews would gradually rise from under their burdens in response to God's favor extended to them.
The Christian is particularly interested in the time of the end of the world and the presence of the Lord, because that marks the time when God sets his anointed King upon his throne. (Ps. 2: 6) That is to be followed shortly by the gathering unto the Lord of all those who are truly of the anointed, and that to be followed quickly by the inauguration of the new covenant. Therefore the restitution of the Jews marks the time of greatest interest to intelligent and faithful followers of Christ Jesus. Since all the Scriptures were written for the
benefit of the Christian, these must have a deep interest in all that is written concerning the Jews. They were God's people, and what came to pass with them foreshadowed greater things for the future.
The atonement ceremonies were observed by the Jews once each year on the tenth day of the seventh month. The word "atonement" is derived from the Hebrew word kaphar, meaning "to cover". The atonement was entirely a restorative arrangement to bring the Jews into a condition of peace with God. The sinfulness of the nation was covered symbolically by the blood of the sacrifice of bulls and goats, foreshadowing the greater sacrifice. God established with the Jews the office of the priesthood, that the priests might minister unto God. (Ex. 28:1) The priests offered the atonement day sacrifices. The office of the priesthood symbolically pointed to the restoration of Israel to God's favor. The purpose of the sacrifice of the priesthood was to provide for the cleansing from sin and to bring the wrong-doers back to a reconciliation with God.
By his manner of dealing with Israel God continued to teach the lesson of restitution. Repeatedly the Jews forsook Jehovah and disobeyed his commandments. Time and again the Lord sent them a deliverer to restore them to their freedom in the promised land. When, after suffering, the Jews became awake to their
wrongful course and cried unto God, he heard their cry and restored them to his favor.
"Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so. And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them." —Judg. 2:16-18.
For seventy years the Jews were in captivity to Babylon. God heard their cries while they were in exile, and restored them to his favor and to their native land in Palestine. That restitution is used by the Lord as a type foreshadowing the restitution of Zion which is God's organization. "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them." (Ps. 126:1,2) The true Christians, being members of Zion, are therefore interested in both the picture and the reality of restitution. In this connection note the prophet's words spoken by direction of the Lord:
"And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; that then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the utmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: and the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." — Deut 30:1-6.
Among other things in this text the Lord says: "The Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed." Adam was the father of the human family, and Eden was the land which he as a perfect man possessed. Therefore the Lord's promise is that he will restore the human family and make the earth a place of delight in which to live. Then
the people will say: "This land .... is become like the garden of Eden." (Ezek. 36: 35) It was in 73 A.D. that the Jews, driven by the military hordes of Rome, were expelled from Jerusalem and exiled from their homeland. Without doubt such expulsion was referred to by Jesus when he declared Jerusalem was to be "trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled". (Luke 21:24) God caused Moses to foretell that expulsion when he wrote: "And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. . . . And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies [Romans, Turks, Crusaders, and others] which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen [nations]. ... If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, . . . if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity; then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. ... I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them. . . . But I will for their
sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, . . . that I might be their God: I am the Lord [Jehovah]." — Lev. 26:27-45.
At the end of the long warfare and dispersion of the Jews God's favor began to be manifested toward them. The Christian has a deep interest in the fulfilment of this prophecy because it has to do with the presence of the Lord and the establishment of his kingdom. The end of the dispersion spoken of by Jesus marks the beginning of the greatest restoration of Israel. It means not only the gathering of those who are living on the earth from the various nations to their own land, but furthermore the bringing of the dead back from the grave. "Therefore prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel." — Ezek. 37:12.
FIGS
God caused his prophet to use the fig and the fig tree as symbols concerning the Jews. The Christian is particularly interested in this because it is written for the benefit of the Christian: "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." (1 Cor. 10:11) The Scriptural proof is here submitted to show that these symbols apply to the Jews.
God caused Jeremiah to prophesy concerning the expulsion and captivity of the Jews. There were set before the temple of the Lord two baskets of figs, to which the Lord directed the prophet's attention. "Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the Lord, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: and I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them." "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil." —Jer. 24: 3, 5, 8, 9; 29:17.
Again referring to the Jews, God caused his prophet to write: "He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white." — Joel 1:7.
Shortly following the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and before he uttered the great prophecy concerning the end of the world in the presence of his disciples, he spoke of the fig tree in symbolic language, evidently referring to the nation of Israel: "And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever [Greek, unto the (end of the ) age, or world]. And presently the fig tree withered away." — Matt. 21:19.
Practically at the same time Jesus said to the leaders of Israel: "Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof ." — Matt. 21:43.
On another occasion Jesus referred to the Jewish people: "He spake also this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well; and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." — Luke 13: 6-9.
Having now established conclusively that the fig and the fig tree were spoken of symbolically
as applying to the Jewish people, note the further words of Jesus in answer to the question concerning his presence and the end of the world: "Now learn a parable of the fig tree: When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." — Matt. 24:32,33.
Jesus indicated that the true followers of Christ who would compose the remnant on earth at the end of the world would observe these things, and that, if continuing faithful to the end, they would see the kingdom of God established in complete glory: "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (Matt. 24: 34) And then for the further encouragement of the faithful remnant he said: "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." — Luke 21:28.
Paul, a Jew, and apostle to the Gentiles, quotes from the Prophet Jeremiah concerning the new covenant: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the
Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." (Heb. 8:8-10) Then the apostle says: "And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, . . . For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." (Rom. 11:26, 27) Referring to the same covenant, Jeremiah prophesied: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity, The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness." — Jer. 31:23.
The very terms of the new covenant prove the regathering and restitution of the obedient ones of Israel to their land and to God's full favor. The basis for that covenant is not the blood of bulls and goats, but the blood of the beloved Son of God, shed that men might have life everlasting. — John 3:16.
ALL NATIONS
Not only will the Jews be favored with restitution under the terms of the new covenant, but that favor will be extended to all the peoples and nations of the earth. God's unchangeable promise is, 'In thy seed shall all the peoples and nations of the earth be blessed.' That seed is The Christ (Gal. 3:16,27-29) This is another
reason why the "remnant" of the Christians now on earth have the keenest interest in restitution.
That hope of life by restitution will be extended by the Lord to all the nations, even to such an adulterous people as Sodom and Samaria, as proven by the words of God's prophet Ezekiel: "Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant." (Ezek. 16: 60) The "elder sister" of the Jews was Samaria and the "younger sister", here mentioned, was Sodom: "When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate." — Ezek. 16: 55.
The people of all languages will come seeking the Lord, and, learning of God's favor to the Jews, will seek a like favor at the hand of the Lord for themselves: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew [meaning one who has devoted himself to the 'praise' of Jehovah], saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you." — Zech. 8: 23.
That the return of the Jews to God's favor means the time when God will extend the privileges of life to the people, both the dead and the living, is shown by the words written: "For
if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches." — Rom. 11:15,16.
Restitution, therefore, is the hope of all people for life everlasting. In the day of the glory of the Jewish nation that people had much advantage over the Gentiles in every way. (Rom. 3:1, 2) Because of the influence of Satan exercised by and through the clergy of that time ' the nation of Israel stoned or otherwise persecuted God's prophets. "When the greatest of all the prophets, Christ Jesus, came, the same instruments of the Devil put him to the cruelest death by crucifixion. Whatever special right to God's favor the Jews might have had prior thereto, that right was forfeited in their rejection of Jesus as their King and their crucifixion of him. The Gentiles therefore are as much deserving of the Lord's blessings as the Jews. Such must have been the reason for Jesus' words addressed to them when he said: "It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you." (Matt. 11:22.) His words clearly indicate that the conditions will be tolerable for both at the day of judgment of the people, but will be "more tolerable" for the Gentiles than for the Jews. The proof is conclusive that God will restore the Jews and that nothing less is to be expected for the Gentiles. Let it always be kept in mind that God
will not give restitution and life because the people deserve such blessings, but because his name and his Word are involved.
EGYPT
Egypt is used in the Scriptures symbolically to represent Satan's organization. The application is primarily to the ruling class, but must of necessity be to all the peoples of Egypt, because they were subject to the rulers and formed a part of the nation. In the Scriptures the words "in that day" have particular reference to the time beginning when God sets his anointed King upon his throne (Ps. 2:6), and continuing throughout the period of the reign of Christ, when life by restitution will be granted. With this in mind the words of the prophet become clear, to wit: "And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it. And the Lord shall smite Egypt; he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the Lord, and he shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them. In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria; and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, say-
ing, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance." — Isa. 19:21-25.
The Assyrians more properly represent the political rulers in control, while Egypt may be said to represent particularly the commercial and military class in control. There have long been controversies between such. The prophet here says that in the time of restitution there shall be a highway or clear way between these people and that they shall serve each other and be in full harmony with each other and with the people of Israel, and the Lord shall bless them all.
Moab, Ammon and Elam are symbols of Satan's organization, because the people of those nations were under Satan's control and their rulers were Satan's instruments. They were - blinded to the truth and were thereby made subject to Satan. God will even extend his mercy to them, as it is written: "Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab." (Jer. 48:47) "I will bring again the captivity of ... Ammon, saith the Lord. ... It shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the Lord." — Jer. 49: 6, 39.
The Catholic church system and the Protestant church systems have tried to convert the peoples of the world to their plans of salvation.
They have failed, even because their plans are false and originate with Satan the enemy. All the nations of earth have been brought under the oppressive power of Satan. His agents have brought forth pretended plans of salvation, but all of these have been inadequate and abortive. In due time God will demonstrate his supreme power, his wisdom, and his loving-kindness by extending salvation to life by means of redemption and restitution to all the peoples of the earth. Through the operation of the new covenant all people must be brought to a knowledge of the truth, because the blood of Jesus provides for the salvation of all. (1 Tim. 2:3-6) When brought to a knowledge of the truth the peoples of earth will begin to see that life is offered to them through Christ Jesus as a gracious gift from God. (Rom. 5:18,19; 6:23) "Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee." (Ps. 51: 13) The Lord will convert the world in his own good way, and they will be the recipients of his blessings.
In that happy time God will speak to the people, saying, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isa. 55:7) "Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee,
the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee." — Isa. 60:5.
As Job had a vision of the great Ransomer, even so all the people will have the opportunity to see and understand God's provision for the blessing through Christ. The blood of Jesus was provided for the benefit of all men, and all shall have the opportunity of receiving the benefit of the great ransom sacrifice. (Heb. 2:9) That includes both the living and the dead. Then "the ransomed of the Lord shall return [from death, suffering and sickness], and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy". (Isa. 35:10) "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's; and he is the governor among the nations." — Ps. 22: 27, 28.
RESURRECTION
The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is conclusively proven by the Scriptures. That doctrine is nothing less than the proof of life by restitution through the good offices of Christ the Redeemer. The Greek word anastasis, translated "resurrection" in the New Testament, can not be confined exclusively to the New Testament. The Greek Septuagint Version of the Bible was made three hundred years before the New Testament. All the Greek-speaking Jews would use the word anastasis in connection with the
resurrection of the dead. Proof thereof is found in the following texts:
"Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up [Greek, anasteesai] the name of the dead upon his inheritance. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place; ye are witnesses this day." (Ruth 4:5,10) "They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise [Greek, anasteesousi]: . . . Thy dead men shall live [Greek, anasteesontai], together with my dead body shall they arise." (Isa. 26:14,19) "But go thou [Daniel] thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest, and stand [Greek, anasteeseei] in thy lot at the end of the days." (Dan. 12:13) "In that day will I raise up [Greek, anasteesoo] the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up [Greek, anasteesoo] his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old." — Amos 9:11.
God promised the land of Palestine to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They did not receive a foot of that land by gift. They were compelled to buy all that they had. Those men are dead. They must be resurrected in order that the promise of God may hold good. The promise
is that they shall be brought back from the dead and made the visible rulers or princes in the earth: "Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth." (Ps. 45:16) That means the restitution of the "fathers" of the King, the Messiah, that these men might come into relationship with Christ the Messiah as his children and receive life from God by and through him. According to the Scriptures, the Messiah must be a descendant of Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and David; and therefore the proof is that these men, who were faithful under the test, and who maintained their integrity, must be brought out of death and restored and become the children of the Messiah. In support of this Jesus declared that these men should be in the kingdom as representatives thereof on earth. — Matt. 8:11,12.
The Scriptures warrant the conclusion that Jerusalem will be the city of first importance on the earth. Long ago God chose to put his name there. When he has restored his faithful men of old, who at all times were loyal and true to him, and has brought them into the land of Palestine, it would be the most reasonable thing that Jerusalem would be made the earthly seat of the government. In support of this conclusion note the following:
"And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken
unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them." — Deut. 28:13.
"For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places, and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody." — Isa. 51:3.
"But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them." — Isa. 65:18,19, 23.
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof." — Zech. 8:4,5.
ROYAL LINE
According to the promise of God, the kingdom of Messiah can be put in operation only by restitution of the royal family of David. To be sure, King David foreshadowed the beloved Son of God, who is earth's rightful Ruler. When God took away the sceptre of the typical king-
dom through David's descendant, he declared that with the coming of him whose right it is the crown and diadem should be restored. (Ezek. 21:24-27) That event must have been in the minds of the disciples of Jesus when they said: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" — Acts 1:6.
In further support of this, note: "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him; but they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them." — Jer. 30:7-9.
Note the following further scriptures supporting this conclusion: "And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold [high part] of the daughter of Zion, unto thee [Christ the King] shall it come, even the first [R. V., former] dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem." — Mic. 4: 8.
The Apostle Paul quotes from the eighth Psalm, which is a prophecy concerning the restoration of man. He clearly shows that it is a prophecy, for the reason that he declares that not yet do we see all things put under the control of earth's rightful King. According to the apostle's words, the Psalm applies primarily to
Jesus, under whose feet Jehovah will put all things in subjection.
Christians have the greatest possible interest in the full establishment of God's righteous government under Christ the King. God promised his beloved Son the kingdom, and, in turn, Christ Jesus by the favor of God graciously invited his true followers to share with him that kingdom. (Luke 22:28,29) Since one of the great works of the kingdom will be to teach the people the way to life and minister unto them the truth, looking to complete restitution, the Christian is now made joyful in the fact that he is privileged to see the light of God's plan and God's purpose to bless all the families of the earth. — Ps. 126: 2.
HIS NAME
For many long centuries the name of Jehovah God has been defamed and profaned among the peoples of the nations of the earth. The experiences of Job marvelously picture the method employed by Satan to bring God's name into disrepute and to turn man away from Jehovah. The three professed friends of Job were employed by the enemy and used as mouthpieces to speak and utter the name of God, but in truth their hearts were far removed from him. Even so their counterpart, the clergy of the various denominational systems, claim to speak for God, while their hearts are far removed from him.
Today the clergymen of the land are exalted by the cruel and selfish commercial interests. The clergy are working exactly in harmony with the other two branches of the Devil's organization. The great commercial interests, acting through their agency, the National Broadcasting Company, now blasphemously and flippantly announce that the religion of the Jews and of the Gentiles have been made one, and that the financial interests have brought together the rabbi, the Catholic priest, and the Protestant clergyman, so that all may speak one religion and all may use the facilities of Big Business to proclaim their message throughout the land, with the one proviso, that no one shall use or speak of any doctrine that is offensive to the other. These, as did Job's professed friends, put forth a pretended plan of salvation for mankind. Of course they all ignore the great ransom sacrifice of Jesus and mention it not, because to mention it would offend the Jews and the evolutionists. All ignore God's kingdom on earth through Christ, because that would offend the present ruling powers, including Big Business that has created this present-day religion. They all ignore the great truth of life to the people by redemption, resurrection and restitution, because they know that the people receiving a knowledge of these truths would have no more faith in the God-dishonoring doctrines of inherent immortality, purgatory and eternal torment.
The greatest farce ever promulgated in the name of the Lord is that now parading under the title of the Federation of Churches of Christ in America. Into this unholy arrangement all the renegades and false teachers are admitted and made welcome, and from such organization the truth is excluded. This is another agency of Satan the enemy. It is intended to blind the people to God's great plan of salvation. But as Satan did not succeed through his three representatives in turning Job away from God, even so now the colossal fraud operating under the title of the Federation of Churches will not succeed in turning honest men away from God. It will only serve to make the true and devoted followers of Christ Jesus show a greater devotion to the Lord. God now says: Wait upon me, . . . for my purpose is to dash to pieces this unrighteous organization of Satan; and then I will turn to the people a pure message of truth so that they may all call upon my name.' (Zeph. 3: 8, 9) Satan and his organization are doomed to an early and complete failure. God's name shall be vindicated.
When Satan's organization, Egypt, became arrogant and oppressive of the people, the Lord God went down to Egypt and destroyed the power of that nation and delivered his people. It is written that he did so to make for himself a name. That foreshadowed God's purpose now to shortly dash to pieces the Devil's organization that controls all the nations of the earth,
and then bring peace and prosperity to the people; and all who obey him will be granted life everlasting on earth. This he will do because his great name is involved and his name shall now be exalted. — Ezek. 36: 22-32.
The faithful ones now on earth, who are in the covenant with God, must maintain their integrity by a full and complete devotion to God. He now commands them to be his witnesses and tell the people that he is God, and tell of his purposes to establish for the benefit of mankind his righteous government. It is now the privilege of such to declare the great works of Jehovah and to make known to the people that his name is exalted. He is the great source of life, and to know him and Christ Jesus means life everlasting. The people must shortly come to know the great truth that "Blessed is the nation whose God is JEHOVAH".
