The Stream of Time

Elijah did prefigure John the Baptist... and they both represent the Christ, head (Jesus) and body (the church) who would come first as Malachi stated to seek to turn the fathers to the children and vice versa... lest the earth be smitten with a curse. The Christ came first in the flesh to be tested and proved... Jesus first as the head and the Church down through the Christian age as His body who would live and reign with Him and judge the nations accordingly. (1 Corinthians 6:1-3)

The Christ comes a second time... the return of the Head in 1874 (invisibly) and the resurrection of the body to live and reign with Him, meeting Him in the air as stated in 1 Cor 15.... and it is then that this great Elijah class begins to bless all the families of the earth, for they too are depicted as the seed of Abraham, and thus heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:8, 16, 29.

The Church, while it was developed in the flesh, preached the Gospel Truth as it became due in its many departments.... the world did not take notice, so they are promised the trouble and vengeance of the great and dreadful day of the Lord Jesus promised in Matt 24 and quoting Daniel 12:1. There are a plethera of other passages that point to this dark day that we are currently living in. The Present Truth of that time was not complete on every issue... just in what was necessary to complete the Bride class. That was the mission of the Laodicean Messenger... no?

During the Christian age the 12 major denominations formed, Adventism being the last, and the Truth movement represented by the Watch Tower publications beginning in 1879 promoted the purest form of Present Truth up to its time. It was a final test on the Church, and the brethren saw eye to eye on the teaching. Isaiah 52:8... Since the death of that particular servant used therein, this Society has fallen into disarray and is not recognizable as what it formerly was by any stretch of the imagination... and numerous groups formed in the wake of its fall, splintering just as the great denominations did with the fall of the great papal tower of Babel, for although there were 12 denominations, they have splintered into hundreds.

Bible Student groups are no different, and now it seems it is every man for himself/herself... and especially with the advent of the internet- opinions of the personal nature are in no short supply. Few at all would support the teachings of the man they claim as their former leader, casting his teachings aside as unsuitable for their own personal version of the Gospel. While the JW's number in the millions, what is the number of those disassociated or disfellowshipped? How many different directions have they travelled? How many amongst them are on the NET, in opposition to the advice of their own Leadership.... spreading their own version of the plan of salvation? "I will have them in derision"... yup.... seems to me He has done just that...

If the Truth was given in the late 1800's and early 1900's, then it would still be truth, after all, it was the message of the Messenger of the Lord... and it is the message that is to be heeded despite the personal fleshly flaws of the one giving it. The Society and the BS movement have done more, though in opposite directions, than make adjustments to the Truth as later events unfold. It has been changed completely into something quite of a different nature.

Pastor Russell believed the Church in its last members were being brought to fruition in his day, and predicted that the Little Flock in the flesh in its last representatives and the Great Company of those who were in the call but were unfaithful enough to complete it would be separated and manifested as distinct from the faithful, and that great divisions would befall the entire organization (chariot... viz. the fiery one). It is shown in the separation of Elijah from Elisha by this chariot on fire... in the separation of the two tabernacle goats... in the separation of Gideon's Army from 32,000 to the 300; etc. etc.

Was he wrong? What has become of the great Truth movement that rocked the world? Pastor Russell was a household name from sea to shining sea! He was widely accepted by numbers of every nation! He calmly proclaimed the Truth and won debate after debate, both privately and publicly in the press! He was loved by Jew and Gentile alike and his message stands on its own today without need of admendment. He preached that Israel according to the flesh would be re-established while the Israel according to the spirit (the Church) was being developed and that the date for the completion of the later would be the date for the beginning of the return of favor to the former. In 1878 the 1845 year double of disfavor for the Jew corresponding to the favor period of the same length from Jacob's death to Jesus' Crucifixion was complete, the sleeping saints awakened, and the foot members still in the flesh were to be dealt with (if they were the foot members they would have been the LAST members, for what comes after the feet in the birth process?)... at the same time the door of Zionism was kicked open and the physical return to Israel began... the New Testament appeared in the Hebrew tongue... and numerous other blessings began. In 1948 that re-established nation was realized and it is today in the news every day! You can deny it as significant, but it does not change the facts.

I believe we are further along in the stream of time than most would admit to.... I stick with the Pastor on these vital issues. What was accomplished in 1914? The beginning of the greatest time of trouble the world has ever seen. The beginning of the seventh millennium of humankind in 1874 brought us from the advent of the horse and cart which had prevailed for 6000 years to the development of the steam engine, closely followed by the combustion engine and the automobile... and then the first flight (1903). In less than 30 years we went from walking to flying and 15 more years saw flying in combat (1917). The next 40 years brought to birth space exploration and less than 100 years from 1874 the race chained to the horse and cart walked on the moon (1874-1969 -only 66 years after the Wright Bros.). Daniel associated with the Great Tribulation and general increase in knowledge and a running to and fro in the earth. Can any really deny the times in which we are living as the fulfillment of these great prophecies? ... And in the midst of these promises of Daniel 12 we are told that

"...many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of
the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars
for ever and ever." Dan 12: 2,3

Those who awoke at THAT TIME to everlasting life were the faithful Little Flock... and they shine like the Sun (Son) in the Kingdom of His Father... Matthew 13:43

Your commentary welcomed

peace to all

bro jon