| Highlights of Dawn | December 1973 |
A World-Shaking Event—Largely Ignored
NO GLOBAL shooting wars are plaguing the world today, but the social structures of earth are in a state of confusion and distress. Starvation stalks up and down in most of the earth. Monetary inflation is increasing in many countries. In most places crime is on the increase. Corruption among high government officials is weakening the faith of millions in governments as a whole. And the knowledge that a diplomatic blunder could again plunge the major powers of the earth into another deadly war, as well as the other evils which confront the people, continue to keep the hearts of mankind filled with fear.
There is yet another event which has a vital bearing on the world situation today, but one which is not being seriously considered in the diplomatic and political deliberations of the nations; namely, that the Super Statesman who is to restore order worldwide, and establish genuine peace that will be not merely for “our times,” but for all times, was born more than nineteen centuries ago, lived to the age of thirty-three and one-half years, and then was crucified by the pagan Roman authorities in response to the clamorous demand of his brethren, the Jews.
He was called Jesus, which is the Greek for the Hebrew word Joshua, meaning “Savior.” His birth was announced by an angel to a little group of shepherds watching their flocks by night on the Judean hills. These shepherds, evidently somewhat alarmed by the sudden appearance of that which they recognized as supernatural, were bidden by the angel that addressed them to “fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”—Luke 2:10,11
Then suddenly a multitude of angels, supplementing their leader’s announcement of glad tidings, in unison sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:13,14) Whether or not these shepherds were sufficiently well acquainted with the testimony of their prophets to realize that this announcement of the birth of Jesus signaled the beginning of the fulfillment of what had been foretold concerning a new kingdom that was to be established, and a new day that would dawn for the blessing of the world, we are not able to say. Nevertheless, the prophets had foretold the birth of this Savior, Prince, and King, and had pointed out the scope of work designed by God for him to do. For example, Isaiah declared (9:6,7):
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of host will perform this.”
This prophecy, if inspired alone by the enthusiasm of a Hebrew prophet, would be a very ambitious one indeed. It envisages the deliverer of Israel in the combined role of Counselor, Father (or life-giver), a mighty God, and a Prince of Peace. While the pharaohs, the kings, the princes and the emperors of Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome had endeavored, by force and trickery, to extend their domains far and wide throughout the then known world, yet this humble, but enthusiastic prophet, foretelling the birth of a future Israelitish King, made bold to assert that there would be “no end” to the sphere of influence of “his government and peace.” Furthermore, that—being worldwide in its administration—it would also be established “with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.”
In view of all the shocking escapades of selfish men that history reveals, and in view also of the present example of “man’s inhumanity to man,” we might justifiably feel that Isaiah, while a commendable ideologist in his outlook, had closed his eyes to reality when he penned his description of a future utopia of righteousness and peace which well-wishers in countless generations of human experience have had reluctantly to admit has not yet been realized. But there is a statement in this prophecy which we should not overlook; one which should form a basis for the reexamination of all the facts related thereto; namely, that “the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
God Is Able
God is able! This is the professed belief of both Catholics and Protestants the world over. Upon the basis of this belief the human mind readily can conceive of the untold possibilities of accomplishment in a distraught world if, indeed, there is a God who is as able as the Christian God is declared to be; and if, at the same time, he is willing. That our God is willing to do for man what man cannot do for himself is abundantly attested by the many prophecies and promises he has made of his intention to perform—“the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
That these promises had not been forgotten hundreds of years after they were made is clear from the angelic message to the shepherds announcing the birth of the One who had been promised. The question is, have the promises relating to his accomplishment been forgotten? Or is the birth of Jesus, now so universally celebrated every year, merely a legendary incident in a series of fairy tales, all of which, while supposedly backed up by an all-powerful and loving Creator, yet have no real foundation in fact, and contain no evidence of genuine divine inspiration?
This is the great challenge to Christianity today. Yes, a challenge today more than ever before, because there is now less in the world than ever before to indicate that the kingdom of righteousness and peace, which the prophets foretold, would be established by the One born in Bethlehem nineteen centuries ago. In all these nineteen hundred years there has been no genuine or lasting peace and good will in the earth. Wars and rumors of wars have marred the hopes of peace in each generation. The fact that aggressor nations sometimes have labeled their acts as “holy wars” has made these no less bitter and devastating in the hearts and lives of those affected.
But “hope springs eternal in the human breast,” and is not easily destroyed. All Christendom has believed that Jesus was born, and that he is the Prince of Peace; so they continued to sing their anthems of praise to this King of glory, despite the roar of cannon and the shrieks of the dying on battlefields supposedly made hallow by the misguided prayers of nominal churchianity. All the while there was the hope of a better time coming. The “heroic dead” of each generation, it was hoped, would make, by their sacrifice, future generations safe for peace.
Since the armistice of 1918, enthusiastic workers for Christ have hoped for the full victory of their cause and labored for the “conversion of the world in this generation.” Today that hope is blasted by the resistless aggression of atheism and paganism sponsored by powerful nations implemented by machines of war, the efficiency and destructiveness of which are vastly more deadly than the carnal weapons that were used by so-called Christian nations in their crusades to forward the cause of Christ in the earth. So it may reasonably be said, as never before, believers in Christ as the Prince of Peace are challenged to show cause for continuing to believe in a hero who was crucified, and whose cause in the earth has been, apparently, so utterly defeated.
Jesus’ Viewpoint
Perhaps the most logical avenue of approach in meeting this present-day challenge to Christianity is to consider Jesus’ own viewpoint. What were his expectations? Did he realize that nineteen centuries from his day the world would be in the dilemma it is in today, with no serious consideration being given to his teachings by the leaders of any nation, while a great part of the world turns its back on him altogether? If Jesus did not expect this apparent defeat of his cause in the earth; if the prophetic vision which tells of his birth and ultimate glory as King of earth does not include and explain the many historic developments of the past nineteen centuries which, to the casual observer, belie the enthusiasm of the prophets, then we might all well wonder what is to become of Christianity.
Jesus, as well as the prophets and the apostles, did foresee and foretell the utter collapse of what, to many, appears to be the Christian cause in the earth. For example, concerning the time of his second coming, Jesus raised the question as to whether or not there would then be any faith in the earth. (Luke 18:8) In answering questions put to him by the disciples as to what would constitute signs of his return and second presence, Jesus outlined a series of events culminating in what Daniel the prophet describes as “a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.” (Matt. 24:21; Dan. 12:1) Evidently it is this very time of trouble that is to bring about the collapse of what men have called Christendom. Obviously, then, the present increasing defeat of manmade efforts to establish a Christian peace and good will in the earth has not come as a surprise to the Lord; nor does it indicate the failure of his cause in the earth.
Counterfeit Kingdom Foretold
One of Jesus’ parables of the kingdom is that of the Wheat and Tares. The “wheat” in this parable—sown by Jesus himself in the establishment of the Early Church—he declares to be the “children of the kingdom.” The “tares”—imitation, or counterfeit wheat—represent the “children of the wicked one.” “While men slept”; that is, after the apostles and other faithful ones in the Early Church fell asleep in death these “tares” were sown.—Matt. 13:24-30; 36-43
These counterfeit followers of the Master soon became more numerous than the true wheat class—the children of the kingdom. Soon they set upon the task of establishing Christ’s kingdom themselves, without waiting for the return of the King, as they should have done. Lacking the necessary power requisite to the functioning of a real kingdom, the tare class united with the arm of the state. Thus, through the illicit union of church and state, a pseudo kingdom of Christ was established, and for hundreds of years has endeavored to function as the real kingdom.
At best, however, this counterfeit kingdom—established through what the Scriptures describe as spiritual fornication; that is, the union of church and state—during the hundreds of years of its existence has been a house divided against itself, as represented in the conflicting claims of Catholicism and Protestantism; and now it is fast losing its remaining hold upon the consciences of the people the world over.
In the parable, Jesus explains that the true children of the kingdom and the counterfeit children were to be permitted to grow together until the “harvest,” which, he declared, would be in “the end of the age.” Then both the wheat and the tares would be dealt with. The tares, the Master declared, would then be destroyed—burned up; not as individuals, necessarily, but as tares—their true identity then becoming generally recognized. This would imply, also, the destruction of the counterfeit kingdom arrangements established by the tares. The wheat, on the other hand, the Master explained, were to be gathered into the “barn,” which he interpreted as meaning that “then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
True Kingdom Promised
In the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, therefore, we have a clear indication from the Master that the establishment of the true kingdom of God would not be until “the end of the age,” and meanwhile counterfeit “children of the kingdom” would grow up in the field. It is the fulfillment of this prophetic parable that has caused so much confusion in the minds of the people generally. The counterfeit has been taken for the real; and now that the foretold burning of the tares is in progress there is a great lamenting, and millions are losing faith in what they had supposed was true Christianity.
But it is not the true kingdom arrangements that are now crumbling under the impact of forces let loose by the increasing light of the new day. This true kingdom is not yet recognized by the world. In that kingdom, ultimately, “the righteous shall shine forth as the sun”—enlightening and blessing the world with universal peace and everlasting life. One of the Old Testament promises of the messianic kingdom pictures Christ as the “Sun of righteousness,” which shall arise with “healing in his wings.” (Mal. 4:2) The followers of the Master are promised a share with him in that glorious kingdom, and in that role they too, according to the parable, shall “shine forth as the sun.”
It is evident, then, that Jesus himself did not expect that the wonderful promises of a worldwide kingdom of peace and happiness to be established through him as the Messiah would be fulfilled until after his second advent, and that his first work as earth’s rightful King would be that of overthrowing the counterfeit arrangements set up by men. To realize this helps materially in understanding the significance of what is now occurring in the world. It means, not a blackout of true Christianity, but a setting aside of false churchianity, that the way may be cleared for the people to learn about the true God of love, and the blessings of life and happiness he has provided for all through the redemptive work of Christ.
Paul Foretold Apostasy
The Apostle Paul also foretold the development and final destruction of a false system of Christianity. In II Thessalonians 2 he explains that there would come a great “falling away” from the faith, and that a “man of sin,” an antichrist system, would grow up in the earth. He also declares that this false system would be rendered powerless and finally destroyed (according to the Greek text) by the “brightshining of his presence”; that is, the enlightening influences set to work in the earth as a result of the second presence of Christ. We now see this taking place.
Jesus, after his resurrection, gave the wonderful vision of Revelation to the Apostle John, and in it we find a vivid preview of apostasy and counterfeit on the part of a majority of the professed followers of Christ. Not until the end of the vision do we see the nations being healed and restored by the waters of the river of life. (Rev. 22:1-5) Prior to this we see the wicked nations gathered unto the great battle of Armageddon. We see the false church systems represented as a harlot woman with daughters, who ruled over the kings of the earth.
In other words, the Revelation vision portrays, not the ever-increasing and widening influence of the true messianic kingdom beginning at Pentecost, but the flourishing of the forces of wicked intrigue and counterfeit. It does reveal, however, a faithful few who “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.” It reveals these faithful ones as at last being exalted to kingdom power and authority with Jesus; while those who refuse to wait for the return of their Lord, but instead adulterously unite with the kings of the earth in order to reign before the due time, are shown to lose the real reward, and to have their works burned up.
Not Worth Saving
It is only because so-called civilized man has known nothing better than this counterfeit kingdom arrangement that he laments its passing. When seen in its true light, few would say that it is worth saving. Surely a “Christianity” that permits its leaders in one country to encourage the youth of the land to go and kill their Christian brothers in another country is far from being ideal.
Divine Power to Be Exercised
In foretelling the birth of Jesus, the prophet declared that the “government shall be upon his shoulder.” This is just another way of saying that he will assume full responsibility for its success. He can do this, for after his resurrection he declared that “all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matt. 28:18) This means that he will not depend upon the arm of the state to enforce his decrees as did those who established the counterfeit kingdom arrangements. Jesus now possesses “all power,” and will use it to guarantee the success and efficacy of his kingdom.
And, after all, is not this what we should expect of Jesus? We believe in the miracles he wrought during the period of his first advent. Should it be hard to believe that now that he is raised from the dead he is able to accomplish even greater things? True, many long centuries have passed since Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, calmed the storms—but this does not mean that divine power will never again be exercised on behalf of mankind; for it will be, and that, we believe, in the near future.
Think what that will mean for distressed humanity! No longer will the world be ruled by power politics, or by balances of power; for divine power will sweep aside all of the selfish arrangements of man, and through kingdom agencies selected by the Lord himself will cause righteousness and peace to spring forth in all the earth. Yes, he will truly be “The Prince of Peace;” and “of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.”
As “The everlasting Father,” or Life-giver, he will restore mankind to life, so that not only will they have peace, but they will have health and life also. “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord,” the angel announced. Soon the whole world will have the opportunity of receiving the salvation provided through this wonderful Savior!
The fact that so many of the professed followers of Jesus have misunderstood the real purpose of his coming will in no way interfere with the successful carrying out of that purpose. Christianity will yet be recognized as a glorious success when, through the kingdom agencies, “the knowledge of the glory of the Lord” fills the whole earth as “the waters cover the sea.”—Hab. 2:14; Isa. 11:9
The real Christian work of this age has been a success. That work has been, not the converting of the world and the establishing of Christ’s kingdom, but the gathering out from among all nations a people to be associated with Jesus in the kingdom when that kingdom is established. (Rev. 5:10; Acts 15:13-15) This work of selection has gone on unnoticed by the world. It has been supervised by divine wisdom, and its final completion is guaranteed by divine power.
When it is complete, and the righteous “little flock” are all selected and gathered, and united with Christ in glory, then the promised blessings to the world will no longer be held back. The kingdom will be here indeed; and all mankind will know for the first time the real significance of the divine program that was initiated nineteen centuries ago when the shepherds heard that glad announcement, “Fear not, … for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Then the world will know also that the “zeal of the Lord of hosts” has accomplished all the glorious things foretold to be accomplished through the Savior who was born in Judea and crucified on a hill called Golgotha.