The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-06-17
o Co.. s-.-.-.-.-s-s-.-s-e-s
PULPIT.
Pastor Russell S
Discourse
On jerusalem


gather them"
We are impressed, not by fancy. but
by the Word OF God, that lsracl's
double" Is now fulfilled. that Isracl's
blessing has already begun that the
opening of lsraers eyes is now In
progress. For this reason we have
chosen for our text. Comfort yc. com.
fort ye my people, saith your God.
Cry unto Jerusalem and say unto her
that her appointed time Is accomplish.
ed, for she hath received at the Lords
hand double 1.-THE two parts of her
chastiscmcntl for all her sins" BE.
cause the double" Is completed. we
may speak the words Of comfort
Thirty-four years ago we called at
tentlon to these facts. but few had
ears to hear. When eighteen years
ago we visited Jerusalem, having In
mind chiefly the fact that the time for
the rCGathPring of Israel was nigh at
hand, and that the set time to favor
Zion had come, we found no hearing
ears amongst the Jewish people: and
Iionism had not then been dreamed
rcSentatives of the Baron Hrsch I'm
migration Fund, and also with the ex.
ecutors of the Sir Moses Montetiorc
Jewish Relief Fund met with Scant
recognition. Nevertheless. we felt sure
that ISraels double" had been full.
Rlln1 nd Np %
would soon break.
Meantime how much has happened
during those eighteen years! Iionlsm
has risen and engendcred the hope of
the chosen people" in every land. and
turned their eyes toward the land of
promise: not that all are thinking of
returning thither, but that every jew
who retains faith in the God of his
fathers. and in the Abrahamic prom,
ise, 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 lsraers
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, 1S). After
telling of Israel's disfavor, and then
of their rcgathering. the Lord declares
And first | will reCompense their in
| EQUITY and their sin dOuble"-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 siA
hundred years before the second par
of their double" began.
Turn now to ZeChariah's prophecy
and note that prophetically he takes
his standpoint at the very time wher
the second part of the double" be
gan. His words are, Even to-day do
declare that ! will render double untC
thee (ZeChariah TX. 12).
Come next to our text, and note tina
the Prophet Isaiah stands with us, anC
views the matter from the standpoint
that the double" of experience ha
been fulfilled: Speak comfortably unit
Jerusalem. cry unto her that her dp
pOinted time is accomplished, because Sh
hdM receircd at the LORDS hand doubt
1.-TWO equal partsl for her sins" 1t l
our understanding that this double
reached fulfilment In the year 1871
A. D.. and since that date we hav
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 thei
period of disfavOr has ended. and tina
they are gradually returning to pros
pcrity; that Divine favor began wit
them in 1878. Yea, more than this
our sermons which to some extent II
fleet this feature of the Divine program
relating TO Israel's restoration to d
vine favor. are being read to consiC
cradle extent by Hebrews as well n
by Christians: their eyes are gradual
opening, as the Scriptures foretell the
shall do.
But how may we know when tn
turning point of Israel's double" too
place? How may we know that tn
double" was completed in 1878? w
reply that the answer to the questio
necesSitates an acknowledgement {
Jesus as the Messiah. lsraels rejeC
ton Of him as their King, marks til
turning point of Gods favor, as tn
prophecy OF Zechariah. just quoted
distinctly shows Neither Christian
nor Jews have appreciated the full in
port OF the incident mentioned in til
Gospel; that five days before his cruc
flXlon. Jesus rode upon an ass, aftC
the manner of Jewish kings, into I'll
city of Jerusalem, n multitude su
rounding him. and going before hin
shouting, "IIosanna to the Son of u;
vid! Blessed is he that cOmeth In I'll
name of Jehovah." The Proph(