The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-06-14
PEOPLES PULPIT.
Pastor RUSSELL
Discourse
On jerusalem

returning thither, but that every Jew
who retains faith in the God Of his
fathers. and in the Abrahamic prom
Use, is now looking and hoping for the
time of blessing, long foretold. They
know not about their double; they
have not been studying the Holy Scrip
lures, but the teachings of their an
clients, as presented by the Talmud.
They have been making very similar
mistake to that of Christian people,
who have been studying the creeds of
the dark ages instead of the Word
of God.
The Three Doubles"
Glance with me at three different
statements by the Lord through the
Prophets of Israel respecting Israeps
double" of experience: the first, an
experience Of Gods favor; the second,
an experience Of equal length without
divine favor. Notice first Jeremiah's
prophecy Jeremiah xvi, 49,. After
telling of Israeps disfavor, and then
of their regathering, the Lord declares,
And first will recompense their in
iquity and their sin donbIe' some Of
the recompense with favor, and some
without favor. Jeremiah's prophecy
looks down to the double" from his
own day, which was more than six
hundred years before the second part
of their double" began.
Turn now TO Zechariah's prophecy,
and note that prophetically he takes
his standpoint at the very time when
the second part of the double be-
gan. His words are, Even to-day do
declare that will render double unto
thee (Zechariah tx, 12).
Come next to our text, and note that
the Prophet Isaiah stands with US, and
views the matter from the standpoint
that the double of experience has
been fulfilled: "SpeGk comfortably unto
Jerusalem, cry unto her that her ap-
pointed time is accomplished. because she
hath received at the Lords hand d0Htle
1.-TWO equal parts] for her SINS" 1t Is
our understanding that this double"
reached fulfilment In the year 1878
A. D., and since that date we have
been declaring to the best of our abil-
ity, as the Lord granted opportunity,
these comforting words to Israel, as
surfing Gods chosen people that their
period of disfavor has ended. and that
they are gradually returning to pros
perity; that Divine favor began with
them in 1878 Yea. more than this,
our sermons which to some extent re-
fleet this feature of the Divine program
relating to Israers restoration to Dr.
vine favor, are being read to a consid
cradle extent by Hebrews as well as
by Christians their eyes are gradually
opening, as the Scriptures foretell they
shall do.
But how may we know when the
turning point of Israel's double" took
place? How may we know that the
double" was completed in 1878? We
reply that the answer to the question
necessitates an acknowledgment of
Jesus as the Messiah. IsraePs rejec-
ton of him as their King, marks the
turning point Of Gods favor, as the
prophecy of Zechariah. just quoted.
distinctly shows. Neither Christians
nor Jews have appreciated the full i'm
port Of the incident mentioned in the
Gospel; that FIVE days before his cruel
fixion. Jesus rode upon an ass, afte-
the manner of Jewish kings. into the
city of Jerusalem, a multitude sur
rounding him. and going before him,
shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of Da-
vid. Blessed is he that cometh In the
name Of Jehovahr' The Prophet
Zechariah called attention to this in
cident centuries before it occurred, and
then gives the Lords words, Even to-
day do | declare, l will render double
unto thee"
Israeps history as a nation began
with the death of Jacob, when he gave
his blessing to the twelve tribes. The
period from that time to the death Of
Jesus, according to the Scriptures, was
1845 years; and a like period Of disfa-
vor, measuring from the day Of Jesus
rejection marks the year 1878, as the
end of Israel's disfavor,-the time
when the message Of comfort should
kO 1OIlu I1OWGfCls D1N ldNOt was
only gradually taken from Israel, and
altogether a period Of thirty-six years
intervene between the death of Jesus
and the utter destruction Of Jerusa-
lem. Similarly we should expect that
the return of favor would be gradual,
a like period of SO years; and this
would bring US to the year 1914. as the
time when Gods favor for his people
will be publicly and openly manifested.
"The Seed of Abraham"
The question now arises, What has
God accomplished during the latter
half of Israel's double? Did he pass
by his chosen people to directly bless
the Gentiles, or how shall we under
stand Divine Providence with respect
to this matter?
We answer that Almighty God had
one feature of his plan which he did
not make known directly and explicit
ly to Abraham or any other Prophet;
he kept that feature of his purpose
secret. 1t is this: Messiah could not
be man and yet accomplish the great
things which Jehovah intended, as
stated in his Word The Law called
for an eye for an eye, tooth for a
tooth and mans life for mans life
In this God set forth his principle gov
erning his course of dealing with men.
AS by man adam came the sentence
death, and through heredity upon all
of his offspring, even so the Divine law
purposed that there must be a sacrifice
of one human life to Offset the one hu-
man life condemned to death. The
one who would thus meet the demands
of Justice on behalf of the race would
have the right to give eternal life and
human perfection to every member of
Adams race willing to accept it on the
terms of the Divine Law. 1t was for
this reason that Christ should die. "the
just for the unjust"
AS a reward for his obedience to the
Father even unto death, Christ was
raised from the dead to the Divine ma
ture In this exalted condition he Is
capable of being Mediator and Of do
ing a work for Israel and for the world
much higher and broader than Moses
could effect. Moses, the typical medi-
ator, made atonement for year with
the blood of beasts; but Messiah with
his own blood makes perpetual atone
ment for the sins Of all the people.
This is the great Messiah Gesus) who
suffered the death of the cross-for the
| Jews and for the Gentiles-"for all the
people" This is the glorified Messiah
who as the Spiritual Seed of Abraham
| is about to bless Israel's Ancient Wor-
thies, and to make them Princes in
all the EARTH" ministers of his King
| dom for fha ruling blessing and in.