Covenant by Sacrifice
JEHOVAH never interferes with the free moral agency of his creatures. He does not compel sacrifice or even obedience. It will be observed that his plan is to accomplish his purposes by means of covenants or solemn agreements to do the things involved in the covenants. He states the terms of his covenant, and the rules governing the same, and just recompense for disobedience or obedience thereto.
God is always faithful and true; and those on the other side of the covenant with him, who are prompted by love in the performance and who are faithful in the performance of such covenant, always receive a reward at the hands of the Lord. The Christian therefore can go forward with full and complete assurance that faithfulness on his own part is absolutely certain to result in benefit to himself. But be it noted that the moving cause for such performance must not be a desire for the reward but must be the unselfish devotion of the creature to Jehovah God. Here is where the greatest test comes to the Christians. Satan's effort is always to cause the Christian to swerve from his faithful devotion to God. To this end he uses all manner of subtlety, fraud and deceit. God permits temptations to be laid before the Christian in order to test the loyalty and faithfulness of the creature.
For this reason it is written that Jesus was tempted in all things like his followers; but that in all these temptations he was faithful and without sin. Jesus is therefore able to sympathize with his followers in their trials and temptations and is able to succor them that are tempted. — Heb. 2:18; 4:15.
Throughout the Christian era every one who has professed to be a Christian has been put to the test. The great issue has been and is, Who is God, and whom shall we serve? Satan has encouraged pride and ambition in the minds of the clergy to cause them to fall at this test. They have overlooked God's statement that the meek or teachable will he guide in judgment. (Ps. 25:9) Becoming wise in their own conceits and feeling their great importance, they have been easily turned away from the truth and from the Lord. By their lips they have claimed to serve God and by their acts they have denied him and serve the Devil. They have not been humble-minded, but have been arrogant and disobedient. Because thereof God has resisted them and pushed them away from him and they have willingly gone on serving the Devil and his organization. Had they been humble and obedient to God and served him and his truth because of love for him and his Word, he would have favored them.
The Lord's rule of action upon this point he has caused to be plainly stated by his inspired witness: "God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore tinder the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." (1 Pet. 5: 5, 6) Not willing to wait until God's due time they have sought to exalt themselves. For this reason the clergy have lost the understanding of
the Scriptures and now have no vision or understanding of God's great plan for the reconciliation of man to himself. They are no longer proper guides for the people. It is now plainly the will of God that the people shall individually and personally study his Word that they may be brought to a knowledge of the truth. An understanding of God's covenants enables one to see the progressive steps of the divine program looking to the reconciliation and blessing of the people.
Jehovah makes another covenant looking to the reconciliation of man to himself. That covenant involves the greatest of all sacrifices. It involves a sacrifice on the part of Jehovah himself and the sacrifice of his beloved Son Jesus, and even others are taken into that covenant. It is therefore appropriately named in the Scriptures the "covenant by sacrifice". All creatures taken into and participating in that covenant, and who are faithful to the completion thereof, receive the greatest favor at the hand of Jehovah God. As the complete performance of that covenant nears an end, God commands: "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. " — Ps. 50:5.
Dumb animals were sacrificed in connection with the Abrahamic covenant and the law covenant, but such were merely the reflection of the sacrifice involved in the great covenant by sacrifice now here under consideration.
As used in the above basic text (Ps. 50: 5) the word "sacrifice" refers emphatically to a bloody sacrifice; that is to say, a covenant in which the shedding of blood is the essential element. The word "sacrifice" here is translated from the Hebrew word which means
"to slay". The following scriptures are in point: "Then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the Lord hath given thee." (Deut. 12:21) "And he slew [margin, sacrificed] all the priests of the high places." (2 Kings 23: 20) "And the woman had a fat calf in the house, and she hasted, and killed it." (1 Sam. 28:24) In each one of these texts the word "kill", "slew," or "sacrifice" is from the one Hebrew root meaning "to slay".
Christians living on earth in the days of the apostles had a vision or understanding of the covenant by sacrifice. This being an important feature in the divine program Satan was energetic to blind Christians thereto. He therefore subtly and stealthily led the ambitious clergy into his trap, caused them to lose all vision of the covenant by sacrifice, and then to become bold advocates of Satan's cause. These selfish and ambitious men declared and continue to declare themselves to be the representatives of God. They were not willing, however, to follow the humble example of the apostles. God's faithful witness under inspiration wrote: "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." — 1 Cor. 8: 6.
Ambitious clergy have not been willing to accept this plain statement of truth. On the contrary they desire to announce a mysterious dogma which they call the trinity of three Gods in one. The clergy can not understand the trinity themselves, because it is false. They have known all the time that the people could not understand it. The Devil tickled their ambition and induced them to believe that by announcing
this mysterious dogma the people would consider the clergy great men, even supernatural by reason of this wonderfully mysterious doctrine. Being self-centered and willing to disobey the truth, they have continued to walk on in darkness. They have not been willing to follow the example of the apostles and to preach Christ Jesus and him crucified. (1 Cor. 2:2) On the contrary they have desired to make manifest their own wisdom, that the people might look upon them as something great. Unable to harmonize or to explain as reasonable their erroneous doctrines of inherent immortality, eternal torment and the trinity, they have concluded it is now wise to call in question the truthfulness of the Scriptures and to claim that the men who wrote them were less learned than the modern clergymen. Now the major portion of their number boldly deny that there is any efficacy in the sacrificial blood of Christ.
Why have they reached such a condition? The apostle answers: "They receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thess. 2:10-12) They have taken real pleasure in unrighteousness, in denying the sin of man and his fall as a consequence thereof, and in denying the necessity for his redemption and reconciliation, and in denying the blood of Jesus as the basis for reconciliation. They have taken real pleasure in the unrighteousness of advocating the Devil's organization, particularly the League of Nations as a means for bringing the desire of the people. They boldly state
that their 'chief business is to develop character and by so doing we can lift ourselves up to perfection'. To this end they indulge in politics and associate themselves with unrighteous and wicked profiteers and bootleggers to fasten upon the people, under the guise of law, the fraudulent arrangement of so-called prohibition. They take pleasure further in unrighteousness by bringing into their flocks, and making them the chief members, men who are high in political circles and strong amongst the financial powers that oppress the people. They take pleasure in the unrighteousness of denying God's kingdom as a way and means of establishing righteousness on the earth. Truly then, as the apostle declared, God has sent them an energy of delusion, and they have fallen to the blandishments of Satan and believe his lie rather than believe the truth.
The clergy have now reached that condition as foretold by God's prophet, namely, that the Scriptures to them is as a sealed book. (Isa. 29:10, 11) Their eyes are entirely blinded to the fact that Satan is the god of this world. (2 Cor. 4:4) They have ignored the plain statement of the Scriptures to keep themselves unspotted from the world. (Jas. 1:27) On the contrary, they have become a part of the world itself. They boldly broadcast to the people a message to this effect: 'The business of religion and the business of the world are inseparable.' They have entirely lost sight of the fact that their association with the world and their attempt to run the politics of the Devil's organization make them adulterers in the sight of the Lord and in the terms of the Scriptures, wherein it is written: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know
ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God." (Jas. 4:4) By their course of action they have become the enemy of God and of Christ and of the people and are working against the best interests of the people. Each one of the clergy looks upon his congregation as his own flock, and holds that it is his prerogative to fleece his flock for his own personal gratification. They have lost sight of the fact that God foretold this condition and said to them who claim to be shepherds of the flock: 'Woe to the shepherds that feed themselves and that do not feed their flocks; that eat the fat, and clothe themselves' at the expense of the flock. (Ezek. 34:2,3) Contrary to the Scriptures they have assumed titles, such as "Doctor of Divinity", and sign their names, "Reverend Timothy Jones, D. D.," etc. They call themselves the watchmen of the flock, and they watch their flock only for the clergymen's own selfish interests. They have entirely lost sight of the fact that God through his prophet foretold this condition and caused him to write these words: "His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his gain from his quarter." — Isa. 56:10, 11.
These are the reasons why the clergy assert that the blood of Christ Jesus is of no purchasing value and has nothing to do with the reconciliation of man to God. With pious faces and with assumed righteous indignation, and with hands lifted in apparent holy
horror, they denounce the sacrifice of animals by the Israelites as cruel and wicked. Then they add that the death of Jesus was an abnormal thing, and that his death has nothing more to do with the blessing of man than the death of any other man. Let the people get their eyes open to these pious frauds. Forsake them, and then personally and individually seek the truth at the hand of the Lord. To this end let us proceed with the examination of the covenant by sacrifice.
Even though the covenant by sacrifice is abnormal, it is fully in keeping with exact justice and is an expression of complete unselfishness. God's creature, the perfect man Adam, had sinned and thereby made forfeiture of his right to life. He must die and for ever remain dead unless another, perfect as he was, should take Adam's place in death. Justice required the forfeiture of the life of Adam. Love provided for the corresponding one for sacrifice. Jehovah arranged a covenant to accomplish that purpose.
No creature of heaven or earth could originate that covenant of sacrifice, but Jehovah only," The purpose of him [Jehovah] who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." (Eph. 1:11) "For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?" (Rom. 11: 34) "Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord [Jehovah], or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?" (Isa. 40:13, 14) No one gave Jehovah instruction, and he took counsel with no one.
That covenant by sacrifice and the purpose to make it was secret unto all until God's due time to reveal it. "Which things the angels desire to look into." (1 Pet. 1:12) Doubtless this included the Logos, the chief of all angels. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and his covenant to make them know it." (Ps. 25:14, margin) This text and others strongly support the conclusion that the covenant by sacrifice was not known to any creature in the universe until the time for making it. The covenant is sacred to Jehovah. He says: "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." — Ps. 89:34.
The covenant and its outworking required the service of a high priest to perform the sacrificial duties in the priest's office. "And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." (Heb. 5:4) If no man could take the sacrificial office of priest upon himself, much less could the creature propose the covenant with Jehovah by sacrifice. The proof is therefore conclusive that it was Jehovah alone who originated the covenant by sacrifice and made it known in his own good time.
The Occasion
What was the occasion for this extraordinary covenant? Not any desire on the part of God for blood. With him is the fountain of life. (Ps. 36: 9) He did not need blood for self-gratification. "If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?" (Ps. 50:12,13). "To what
purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats." — Isa. 1:11.
The occasion was love and grace exercised by Jehovah. The honor of Jehovah's name was involved, and love and grace acted with wisdom to provide the need. Life of man is a sacred right or privilege. (Gen. 9:5) Adam violated the sacredness of God-given life. Now Jehovah would afford a sacrificial course to be taken by some one, that the sinner might have that sacred gift of life renewed. Jehovah required no one to sacrifice; therefore the sacrificial arrangement was the outgrowth of love. The sacrifice would be just as much on the part of God as on the part of the other party to the covenant, because God alone provided and arranged for the sacrifice. The entire arrangement must be of God's own volition and by the voluntary agreement on the part of the other one to the covenant. For this reason the covenant was the only arrangement that could fitly serve the purpose of providing a basis for man's reconciliation. The liberty and free moral agency of the one sacrificed is not interfered with.
When and Where Made
In determining where the covenant by sacrifice was made, the purpose of the covenant may be said to control the conclusion. A perfect man had sinned and lost his right to life. God now would have that right to life purchased by another perfect man. His law
required a life for a life. (Deut. 19:21) That man with a human life must be the one that should be sacrificed. A spirit being could not enter into a covenant by sacrifice and redeem a human being, because that would not be a corresponding price. It is true that the nature of the Logos was transferred from the spirit to human, but there is no Scriptural evidence that a covenant by sacrifice was known to the Logos at the time of the transfer. Being fully conformable to Jehovah's will, he came to earth in harmony with his will, being made a perfect man. He was begotten, not by fallen man but by the power of Jehovah. When he reached his majority as a man he doubtless knew that he was to do something in connection with man's recovery to life. Whatsoever the will of his Father might be in that respect or any other, he was ready to do it. This is shown by his use of the words: "Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will." (Ps. 40:7, 8) Paul fixes the time of the covenant at the Jordan when the words above quoted were made effective. (Heb. 10:5-7) There Jesus came into the world as a mature man and must determine whether or not he would be of the world. Prior to that time, although the heir, his position was nothing different from that of a servant, because he was under the discipline of the law covenant. — Gal. 4:1, 2.
When 'the appointed time of the Father' arrived there was a feature of God's will to be carried out which prior to that time was secret to all. At the Jordan, which fixes the time of the consecration of the man Jesus, was the appointed time of the Father. That clearly, therefore, seems to be the proper and
due time for the making of the covenant which resulted in the sacrifice of the man Jesus. The unconditional agreement there on the part of Jesus was to do his Father's will, whatsoever that might be; and if it meant that he must die, he was agreeable to that. The sacrifice was primarily the sacrifice of Jehovah because it was Jehovah who gave his dearly beloved Son, him who belonged to Jehovah exclusively, to be sacrificed. This was shown in the picture when Abraham, representing Jehovah, offered his only son Isaac, who at that time represented Jesus.
It was the love of God that provided the sacrifice which the sacrifice on Mount Moriah pictured. This is further proven by the words: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) The irresistible conclusion, therefore, is that the covenant by sacrifice was made on earth and not in heaven, and that it was made at the Jordan when Jesus consecrated and was baptized. It hardly seems reasonable that Jesus understood prior thereto that he was to be sacrificed. Immediately following his consecration at the Jordan he went into the wilderness to study the divine plan, There Jesus undoubtedly learned the full meaning and importance of his covenant with his Father. It was in the wilderness that Satan placed before him the great temptations in an effort to induce Jesus to abandon his covenant. At that test Jesus declared in substance that eternal life depends upon full obedience unto God and the faithful performance of his covenant with God. (Matt. 4:4, 10) Without doubt the perfect man Jesus continued to study his Father's
plan and to fully appreciate that his covenant required his death. He said that he came to give his life for men. (Matt. 20:28) Again he said: "I am that bread of life. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again." — John 6: 48, 51; 10:11, 15, 17.
That Jesus was taking this course of action in keeping with the terms of his covenant with his Father is proven by his words: "No man taketh it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:18) When Peter recognized Jesus as the anointed One of God and so stated to him Jesus replied: " The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and' be slain, and be raised the third day." (Luke 9:22) Thus he showed that he understood his covenant was that he should be slain and that he should be raised from the dead. Undoubtedly Jesus understood that his baptism in the waters of the Jordan symbolically represented his death and that his real baptism meant his sacrificial death. "I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" — Luke 12:50.
Others Taken into the Covenant
The basis for the reconciliation of man is the shed blood of Jesus poured out according to the terms of the covenant by sacrifice. No other sacrifice is required. His life-blood poured out fully met the requirements and produced the ransom price. It pleased God, however, that there might be taken from amongst men other willing ones who should be taken into the covenant by sacrifice. These are first reconciled to God through the blood of Christ. These are called saints. (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 13:13; Eph. 1:18) No unrighteous person could be taken into the covenant by sacrifice. It follows then that those who are taken in must first be reconciled to God and have a perfect standing before God. It was in behalf of this class that the blood of Jesus was first presented and applied as a sin-offering when he appeared in the presence of God following his resurrection. (Heb. 9:24) At Pentecost God gave outward evidence that the sacrifice of Jesus had been accepted as a sin-offering, and this was made manifest by the shedding forth of the holy spirit upon the disciples who had already devoted themselves to God and his service. (Acts 2:1-18) Because of faith in God and in the shed blood of Christ Jesus, God justified and reconciled those faithful men to himself. Concerning this the apostle wrote: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." — Rom. 5:1, 2, 8-10.
To be taken into the covenant by sacrifice the Scriptures point out that one must take this course, to wit: faith in God as the great Creator and Rewarder of all that diligently seek to serve him (Heb. 11: 6); faith in Jesus Christ as the great sacrifice for the ransom of mankind (John 3:16; 14: 6); full agreement to do the will of God, which means consecration (Matt. 16:24; Luke 9:23); justification, which means that God justifies such because of the shed blood of Christ, and the faith and obedience of the one thus consecrating (Rom. 8: 33); and when so justified that one has peace with God, as stated by the apostle in Romans 5:1,2.
Justification of man by Jehovah is only for the purpose of taking the justified one in as a part of the sacrifice of Jesus. The justified one must be baptized with the same baptism of death wherewith Jesus was baptized. (Mark 10: 38, 39) Such is called to follow the same course that Jesus the perfect man took. (1 Pet. 2: 21) The justified one is counted right and has a perfect standing before God by reason of the blood of Christ. He is now counted as a part of the sacrificial body of Christ and offered up as his sacrifice. At that time such a one is begotten and anointed and thereby adopted into the body of Christ, and from that time forward is a new creature in Christ. (Rom. 8:1-15) The promise to such is that he shall be a joint-heir with Christ Jesus in glory provided he is
faithful to his consecration and suffers with him and dies with him. — Rom. 8:16, 17.
The disciples were not invited into this covenant at the time they were first selected. Just before the crucifixion of our Lord he celebrated the passover required by the law covenant. After he had completed eating this passover with his disciples he took the bread and broke it, thus symbolizing the breaking of his humanity or laying down of his life, and said to his disciples: "Take, eat; this is my body." He meant, of course, that that symbolized or represented his body. Then he took the cup and offered it to them, saying: " Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament [covenant], which is shed for many for the remission of sins." — Matt. 28: 28-28.
Under the Jewish law the drinking of blood was an offense punishable by death. (Lev. 17:10) The disciples knew, of course, that Jesus' offering them to drink of his blood was an invitation to them to participate in his covenant by sacrifice, which meant his death. On another occasion he had said: "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." (John 6: 51-56) To eat of his flesh symbolically meant that men should believe that the laying down of his life was the basis for the reconciliation of man to God; and that the drinking of his blood means to participate with him in his covenant by sacrifice, and that these are the expressed terms
whereby one might become his joint-heir in the kingdom.
Again the clergy have been misled by the enemy Satan and have become the tools of him to grossly misrepresent the Lord. There are divers and numerous denominational systems teaching conflicting doctrines. If you ask a clergyman, What is necessary to become a Christian and go to heaven, he will tell you that you must believe on Christ as a great example and be brought into the church and continue a consistent church member until death. If confronted with the fact that the different church systems teach different doctrines, the clergymen will reply: 'That is not material. It matters not what you believe, just so you are a good member of the church.' In fact, the clergy are not particular what their parishioners believe. To keep them in the flock and to regularly receive from their pockets that which is needful to keep up the clergyman is to him the most important thing.
The Lord laid down the rule that no man could become a member of the church, which is the body of Christ, and enjoy eternal life and immortality with him except that man be first justified by faith in the blood of Jesus and baptized into his death and be faithful unto death. To drink of his blood means to share with him in his sacrifice and, after having entered into the covenant, to be faithful unto the end; and that means to be faithful to God and to Christ and refuse to be associated with any part of the Devil's organization. All the members of the true church must be baptized into the death of Christ. (Rom. 6:3-6) These are reconciled to God through
the blood of Jesus Christ before being taken into the covenant.
Christ Jesus is the Mediator between man and God to bring back man into reconciliation with God. The reconciliation of those who become Christians, however, is not through the terms of the covenant but because of faith and obedience. The new creature in Christ is not under, nor the offspring of, any covenant that is mediated by Christ Jesus. The Christian, that is to say, the justified one who is begotten and anointed of the holy spirit, becomes a part of the sacrificial body of Christ Jesus and is sacrificed by him; and being faithful unto death, is made a part of the "seed" of promise and shares in his glory and immortality. — Gal. 3:27-29; Rev. 2:10.
No Mediator
In the covenant by sacrifice is there a mediator? The answer is, No; for the reason that the covenant was made by Jehovah on one side and the perfect man Jesus on the other side, and both parties to the covenant were competent to contract. A mediator is required only where one party to the contract is disqualified or incompetent. Nor is a mediator required in the covenant by sacrifice for any other one who is brought into the covenant as a member of Christ's body. No one is brought in until he is justified and therefore stands righteous before Jehovah. Also, such come into the covenant by sacrifice by virtue of being justified and accepted by Jehovah as a part of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Priest
Without a question of a doubt the Scriptures disclose that the Logos was the chief executive officer of Jehovah in the creation of all things, and therefore Priest of the Most High God. (John 1:3) Priest means one who serves for another in an official capacity as principal officer. It is only when a priest is taken from amongst men that the Scriptures show that he performs the office of sacrifice. From the beginning of creation the Logos was "Priest of the Most High God", because he was the chief representative of Jehovah. Coming now to the time of the sacrifice of a perfect man for sin and to be a sin-offering, the service of a priest was required. Paul states the relationship of the Levitical priesthood to animals sacrificed and then adds: "It is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life." — Heb. 7:15, 16.
The word "ariseth" here used means to stand up. That does not argue that the Logos was not priest of the Most High in the creation of all things, but rather that at the time the covenant by sacrifice was made was the time when God gave his oath that he should be a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. — Heb. 7:17-21.
Prior to that time the Logos or Jesus had not possessed immortality; but now the opportunity was given to him to be put to the supreme test, and on Jesus' successfully meeting that test God would grant unto him immortality and elevate him to the highest
place in the universe next to the Father. At the same time he would make him the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him. (Heb. 5: 8-10) This furnished the basis of the covenant; and because of his faithfulness unto the ignominious death of the cross God raised him up and highly exalted him, giving him a name above all others. (Phil. 2: 8-11) 'And behold, he is alive now for evermore' and never can die. — Rev. 1:18.
It is therefore clear that at the Jordan the covenant by sacrifice was made and there God gave his oath that Christ Jesus should be for ever a priest of the Most High God after the order of Melchisedec, and from that there would never be a change. Jesus was a perfect man at the Jordan, and there the sacrificial duties were added to his office and he sacrificed himself. The law covenant was made in Egypt. Paul says that since that time, that is to say, thereafter at the Jordan, Jesus was made a high priest for ever. " For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore." (Heb. 7:28) At the Jordan the man Jesus consecrated himself and is consecrated for evermore; and by the word and oath of God he performs the office of priest for evermore, which includes the work of sacrifice. From that time forward all sacrifices offered to Jehovah must be offered by him, Jesus, the great High Priest. After Jordan no further reason existed for the Levitical priesthood, and there it ended. The sacrificial work of the Levitical priesthood merely foreshadowed the sacrificial work of the Mel-
chisedec priesthood to be performed entirely by Jesus Christ.
One Sacrifice
No natural descendant of Adam has ever been suitable for a sacrifice looking to man's reconciliation. It was the perfect man Jesus alone who was qualified for such sacrifice. There could be no covenant by sacrifice prior to our Lord's consecration because he was the only perfect man on earth since Adam. Not even the angels of heaven could enter into such a covenant to redeem the human race because the perfect man was required to provide the purchase price. It follows then that there would have been no reason for Jehovah's disclosing to the Logos before coming to the earth that he was to be a sacrifice. He could not enter into the covenant until he became a perfect man. The apostle makes it clear that Christ Jesus himself is the one that enters the covenant by sacrifice and that there is but one sacrifice. "Nor yet that he should offer himself often, . . . but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. ... So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." — Heb. 9: 25-28.
How then can any one else be sacrificed in order to be with Christ? It follows that no one would be an acceptable sacrifice to God unless he is taken in as a part of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus himself. It follows that any one joining Jesus in such sacrifice must do so on the basis of what Jesus did. Therefore the merit of Christ Jesus' sacrifice must be presented in
heaven and the foundation laid for the justification of all who are taken into the covenant.
There is therefore no separate or individual covenant by sacrifice made by those who will compose the body of Christ, but all are one in Christ Jesus. Each one accepted is offered as a part of the sacrifice of Christ.
All of the members of the true church are one in Christ. " For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit." (1 Cor. 12:12, 13) All are baptized into his death. (Rom. 6:3-6) The first ones brought into the covenant with Jesus were his disciples and then other Jews. Thereafter the favor was extended to the Gentiles. Hence it is written: "But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God." — Eph. 2:13-19.
Not a Bargain
No one can make a covenant with Jehovah at the time of his consecration, for the obvious reason that he is imperfect and not competent to contract and has no sacrifice by which to make a covenant. All man can do is to consecrate himself to do the will of God. How then is it possible for any man to get into the covenant by sacrifice? It is only by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
A man learns that he is a sinner, that Jesus Christ is his Redeemer, and he whom Jehovah has given for the salvation of man. He believes this and fully surrenders himself unto God, agreeing to do his will whatsoever that may be. The man's faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ is the basis of his presentation by Jesus to Jehovah. "It is God that justifieth." (Rom. 8: 33) The man, therefore, being justified by faith, has counted unto him by Jehovah the right to human life which the Lord Jesus, by the grace of God, now offers unto Jehovah as a part of his own sacrifice. This was pictured in the sacrifice of the goats in connection with the tabernacle and the temple. (Lev. 16:9-16) Jehovah, graciously receiving the consecrated and justified man as a part of Christ Jesus' sacrifice, affords the individual the greatest opportunity of all times. That great privilege and opportunity to man is for him to be made a part of the body of Christ for sacrifice. For this reason some of the afflictions of Christ are left over for the body's sake, which is the church. (Col. 1:24) But individually no man could bargain at the time of his consecration that he is consecrating in order to be taken in as
a part of the sacrifice and later taken to heaven. Such would be presumptuous on the man's part. Nor could any individual say that he makes a full consecration with the understanding that he is to remain on earth for ever. God alone must determine that.
It is the will of God that there shall be taken from amongst men those who shall be members of the body of Christ in glory, the humanity of all of which must be offered up by the High Priest as a part of his own sacrifice. These are all one in Christ. From the number of those who consecrate themselves wholly unto God, ultimately the required number will be taken to compose the body of Christ. Such will be faithful unto the terms of the covenant. — Rev. 2:10.
While the individual can not himself make a covenant by sacrifice with Jehovah, the advantage is ultimately all on the individual's side; hence it is a matter of grace from God. Christ Jesus made the covenant by sacrifice; and the individual members are taken into the covenant as a part of his sacrifice, and are therefore counted as having made a covenant by sacrifice. The reward to them will be life and glory with Christ. Jehovah takes no advantage to himself from the covenant by sacrifice but permits it all to go for the benefit of mankind. Therefore The Christ, that is to say, the body of humiliation and the human life, is baptized into death, resulting from the covenant by sacrifice, for the benefit of the dead. This is a guarantee that the dead shall be awakened with the opportunity to receive the benefit resulting from the great sacrifice, which is the opportunity of being wholly reconciled unto God. — 1 Cor. 15: 21, 29.
Although at the time of consecration a man may desire to be accepted into the covenant arrangement yet he could not be certain thereof. By that is meant he might desire to be dead with Christ and reign with him, but that is a matter for Jehovah to determine. It is Jehovah who justifies according to his own will the one consecrating that he might be taken into the covenant by sacrifice, and it is Jesus who slays the justified ones and offers them up as a part of his own sacrifice after God has justified them for that purpose. The consecrating one does no deciding at all. He must wait for the Lord's action. (Rom. 9:16) The greatest favor that God grants to man is to permit him to be taken into the covenant by sacrifice with Christ. That is why Paul says: "Because to you is graciously given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe into him, but also to suffer [death] on his account." — Phil. 1: 29, Diaglott.
Relation to Promise
The promise to Abraham was: "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." What is the relationship of that promise to the covenant by sacrifice? Paul answers: "The children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Rom. 9:8) "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise." (Gal. 4:28) It was his only son Isaac whom God commanded Abraham to sacrifice on Mount Moriah. Abraham there offered Isaac, his only son, and received him in a figure as though resurrected from the dead. (Heb. 11:17-19) This sacrifice of Isaac, and his figurative resurrection, foreshadowed that he
who would be the "seed", through which the blessings of reconciliation should come, must first be put to death by sacrifice and then be raised from the dead. Such is what Jehovah did with his beloved Son, whom Isaac foreshadowed. All who are taken into the covenant with him must also die and be raised from the dead as members of the divine body of Christ if they shall have a part in the work of reconciliation of fallen man. The conditions imposed upon all taken into the covenant are these: "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us." (2 Tim. 2:11, 12) These must suffer ignominy with Christ Jesus the Head and must die with him as a part of his sacrifice in order to live with him and reign with him.
Priests
Are not all those who are in the covenant by sacrifice priests? The body members are called "an holy priesthood", but they are not sacrificing priests. They are merely assistants to the Priest, Christ Jesus, who is the acceptable sacrifice and who makes the offering for sin. (1 Pet. 2: 5, 9; Lev. 16: 6) No individual offers a sacrifice for sin, for the reason that "this man [Jesus] . . . offered one sacrifice for sins for ever". (Heb. 10:12) What sacrifices then are offered by the assistants to the High Priest? Paul answers: "By him therefore let us [new creatures in Christ, counted members of his body] offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communi-
cate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased," — Heb. 13:15, 16; see also Pss. 4:5; 27:6; 51:17; 107:22; 116:17.
Each faithful one must be the servant of God and render his reasonable service. For this reason Paul stresses the importance of faithful service: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." — Rom. 12:1.
The period of time occupied for the selection of the members of the body of Christ, called saints, embraces the time from Pentecost to the setting up of God's kingdom. That period of time is properly called the Christian era or period of sacrifice because it is the time of the selection and development of the true Christians who were taken into the covenant by sacrifice. Nearing the end of that period the time comes for bringing these faithful ones out from, and separating them from, the denominational systems and gathering them unto God. When that time arrives Jehovah commands: "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." — Ps. 50:5.
Who are the saints within the meaning of this text? Manifestly those who are wholly devoted to God and are therefore godly creatures. It is that class spoken of by the prophet when he said: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." (Ps. 116:15) This text applies primarily to Jesus Christ, and thereafter to "the saints", who are his body. "Saints" does not mean those whom the clergy have canonized, and to whom many ignorantly pray; nor
does the term apply to those ordinarily called holy, but to those only who are in Christ Jesus by begetting, anointing and adoption. It could not embrace those who were brought into the covenant with God by the sacrifice of animals and fowls, but means those who are in the covenant by sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
From the Scriptures it appears that the gathering is done by the Lord's instruments' declaring his message of truth. "The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence. . . . He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people." (Ps. 50:1-4) Clearly the gathering of the saints means the bringing of them together by the message of truth and the services of those who are of Zion, which is God's organization.
The prophet indicates the time when the gathering of the saints would begin. In the above text it is stated: "The mighty God . . . hath spoken . . . from the rising of the sun." The Lord Jesus spoke of the manner of his return and likened it unto the sun rising in the east and shining unto the west. It was about 1874 or the beginning of 1875 that the sun began to put in its appearance; that is to say, that the Lord's second presence was discerned. Jesus spoke a parable to the effect that the true saints and the false representatives of the Lord would grow together in the same field (the world) until the time of the harvest, which time would mark his second presence. (Matt. 13: 39) The saints were in the denominational
church systems called Babylon until that time. They were looking for the second coming of the Lord.
From about the beginning of 1875 God spoke the message of truth to the watching ones and thus began the call and gathering of them together. This was done by the light of the Lord's second presence shining on his Word and enlightening the minds of the saints. They spoke to each other, and the prophet foretold the sentiments of their hearts when he wrote: "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. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad." — Ps. 126:1-3.
The prophet of God says: "He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth"; "To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice." (Ps. 68: 33) His great executive officer therein is Christ Jesus. Jehovah calls upon him to begin the work of gathering his saints together. This harmonizes with the beginning of the Lord's second presence. He calls to earth; that is to say, to his earthly agencies that are also put into action to accomplish the gathering. Each one receiving the light of truth from the rising sun (the presence of Christ) and appreciating it delights to tell the good news to his brethren. Thereafter the Lord began declaring the message by sending forth his messengers to gather the elect from the four winds and from one end of heaven to the other. (Matt. 24:31) The "four winds" and "heaven" seem to be used symbolically to testify to
the fact that the gathering is a universal one from all parts of the land where there are those who are devoted to God. He has called the true Christians out from all denominations and gathered them together in the bonds of truth.
Purpose of Gathering
The purpose of the gathering is stated to be "that he may judge his people". (Ps. 50:4) "Judgment must begin at the house of God." (1 Pet. 4:17) Jesus spoke a parable concerning his return and the taking of account with those to whom he had committed the kingdom interests. (Matt. 25:14-30) Manifestly then the purpose is to bring his people together and give them such knowledge of God's plan that they might be judged and tested. Mark how the physical facts fit the prophetic words. From 1875 to 1918 is designated the time of God's day of preparation. During that period of time Christ, the great Messenger of heaven, he who is Priest of the Most High God, was preparing the way before Jehovah; and then, the gathering being accomplished, he suddenly or promptly comes to his temple. (Mal. 3:1) The temple is made up of the anointed ones of God. (2 Cor. 6:16) He comes for the purpose of judgment, that the approved ones may offer unto the Lord an offering (service of praise) in righteousness. He makes clear the truth to those gathered ones that they may continue to offer sacrifices of praise unto the Lord and to do this in harmony with his will. The Lord sits as a refiner to try, test and refine those whom the sons of Levi foreshadowed. — Mal. 3:1-3.
During the period of time elapsing from Pentecost until the second coming of the Lord many persons have heard the gospel of truth and believed and made a consecration to do the will of God. These have been reconciled and fully justified and taken into the covenant by sacrifice. Not all of such have remained faithful unto the Lord, however. In fact, the greater number have been unfaithful to God. The chief responsibility for such unfaithfulness lies at the door of the clergy. The people have looked to the clergy as their spiritual advisers. These men claiming to represent God and to speak with authority, the people for a long while received their statements as true. The clergy have led the people in the wrong way. Not only have the clergy participated in the politics of this evil world, but they have resorted to all the wicked tricks of politics. They have schemed for position and advantage and have used their high and influential office as clergymen to accomplish their selfish purposes. The politics of this world are under the supervision and control of Satan its god. (2 Cor. 4:4) The clergy have allied themselves with the god of this world and have induced great numbers of Christians to do the same thing.
Jesus in plain phrase stated that his kingdom is not of this world, but that his kingdom was future from the time he was on earth and would be set up only at his second coming and the taking of his power. (John 18: 36) The clergy were not content to be the followers of Jesus, but have run ahead of the Lord and claimed it to be their commission and duty to set up the Lord's kingdom on earth in advance of God's time. To this end they have opened their doors and
their arms and welcomed to their fold the profiteers, the politicians and the oppressors of the people. They have brought in these powerful men to the end that their church systems might be more powerful and more influential. These profiteers and oppressors have become the principal ones in their flocks, wielding the power and influence of the organization. One error of the clergy led to another until, fearing to oppose the powerful and influential ones of their congregations, they have repudiated the Bible and have told the people to believe anything that they wanted to believe, just so they remained in the church organization.
The clergy have advocated war and urged the people to engage in the wholesale murder of their fellow creatures. They have used their church edifices as recruiting stations. They have gone so far in their blasphemous course that they have told the young men to enlist in the war and that if they should die upon the battle-field their death there would be a guarantee that they would be taken immediately to heaven and counted in as a part of the great sacrifice of our Lord.
The influence of the clergy has led the great mass of professing Christians away from full devotion to the Lord and has caused them to mix with the world. To the people they have misrepresented the truth and have opposed God's witnesses in an effort to give the people the truth. By threats and coercion the clergy have held back a great many timid Christians from hearing the truth. So desperate have they been that they have wilfully misrepresented God's plan and have influenced their parishioners to close their eyes and ears to the hearing of the message of truth. When
God's command came to gather together his saints who had made a covenant with him by sacrifice the clergy used all their power and influence to prevent such gathering. They have succeeded in turning millions away from the Lord and his service.
To be sure the clergy are not of those who are gathered unto the Lord. Nor are those Christians who have permitted themselves to be held back from God and his truth by the influence of the clergy, of the class that is gathered unto the Lord. Those Christians who love God and have been held back by reason of the influence of the clergy or held as prisoners, within the meaning of the Scriptures, have cried unto the Lord. Under their covenant they are appointed to a sacrificial death; but, having been held back from faithfulness by the influence of their prison-keepers, the clergy, the time comes when they cry unto the Lord. Concerning this the prophet says: "Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die." (Ps. 79:11) God hears their cries and the time comes for him to release them. — Ps. 102:19, 20.
All who have been taken into the covenant by sacrifice have been offered the great privilege of being witnesses to the majesty and loving-kindness of God and to the outworking of his great plan for the reconciliation of man. Of and concerning himself the chief One, Jesus, said: "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (John 18:37) What is true of Jesus applies to all those who are taken into the cov-
enant by sacrifice. Each one of such not only is granted the privilege of hearing the truth but was appointed a witness to the truth. The only way whereby such can be true, loyal and faithful unto God is to be witnesses to the truth as opportunity affords. The Lord sees to it that such have opportunities. Such is a part of his great plan for leading the people in general to reconciliation with himself. A witness is one who gives testimony. The testimony concerning God and his plan for the reconciliation of man must be given, and it is his will to have it given by his anointed when they are gathered together during the second presence of the Lord.
