The Mankato free press., 1910-06-10

, ana Lne utter destruction or JertlSa-
lem. Similarly we should expect that
the return Of favor would be gradual.
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 IsraePs double? Did he pass
/ by his chosen people to directly bless
the Gentiles, or how shall we under
stand Divine Providence with respecl
to this matter?
| We answer that Almighty God had
one feature Of his plan which he did
not make known directly and explicit
| ~ to Abraham or any other Prophet;
he kept that feature of his purpose a
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 pan's 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 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 de-
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 a year with
the blood Of beasts: but Messiah with
his own blood makes perpetual atone
ment for the sins of all the peOpe
This is the great Messiah Uesus, who
suffered the death of the croSS-fOr the
Jews and for the Gentiles-"for all the
people," This is the glerified 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 the ruling. blessing and in
struction Of whosoever WILL out of the
present sin and death conditions. to
life eternal to full human perfection.
with the earth as Paradise restored
Members of Messiah.
But, some one may say. Where do
Christians come in connection with
this Divine arrangement? And if
Gods dealings with the world are to
be through Israel. and not through the
Church. why has there been so long a
delay? Why did not the glorified Mes
siah at once set up his Kingdom. and
bring forth the Ancient Worthless
from the tomb to be its earthly repre-
sentatives? Oh. here is another part
of the mystery of God! Isaac. Abra-
hams son. was typical of Messiah. the
Spiritual Seed. but before Isaac began
the work of dispensing the blessings
to his brethren and to his children. he
was allegorical or typical. In the anti
type. Messiah. the glorified Jesus. par ,
took Of the divine nature according to
the Fathers invitation. and he is to
take Bride who is to be his joint
heir on the spirit plane-to share with
his Messianic Kingdom. The period
Of Israel's disfavor. as a Nation. has
been the time i'm which special class
has been called of the Father and be-
gotten of the Holy Spirit to jointheir-
ship with Christ as his Bride.
But did God pass by the natural seed
If Israel to give these spiritual privi-
eges to the Gentiles-to gather from
he Gentiles q people. figuratively to
the Bride of Messiah? Nay.
The Scriptures assure us that this
spiritual privilege went first to the
Iews: they show us that during the
hree and "a half years of Jesus min
stry and during the thirty-six years /
ollowing it. the gospel message was I
,iven almost exclusively to the Jews. !.
nd gathered from that people as ,
many as were found to be "Israelites
indeed without guile" as many as !
we're not only of the circumcision Of /
he flesh. but also who were of the
ircumcision of the heart. God did not
Ontinue to deal with his chosen people,
ut after having gathered from them
s many as were worthy of the spir-
.ual blessing and exaltation - only
hen was the message sent to the Gen
lies, to gather from the Gentiles L
umber sufficient to complete the fore
rdained and predestined number
Tho will constitute the Bride
So then, my brethren. in proving
rom the Scriptures that Israel's "dou-
le' is about cOmpleted: that Israels
nd that Israel's exaltation as the
arthly representatives of Messiah's
ingdom is near at hand we are prov
e 10 ourselves another thing: namely.
lat the full number called from
nongst the Gentiles to participate q
18th Christ on the spirit plane. as Il
embers of his Bride class. will soon a.
; completed [Romans ii. 2n-32,. u u
Odd Fellows Elect Officers. m
Minneapolis, June S.-H B. Shamp Q,
Minneapolis was elected grand fe