Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-02-05
BY. Judge Rutherford

by JQOSO 1tuIuSfkOI0
THE WORLD has ended and the
! great day OF reconstruction and
rejoicing Is near at hand. Yea,
even. at the door. So says Judge
Rutherford, president Of the New
York Peoples Pulpit Association, and
Of the International Bible Students
Association, in his free lecture, when
speaking on Millions Now Living
Will Never Die"
The natural state Of man is PERI
lection Of organism. mind and char
acter, dwelling on the earth In peace
and happiness. God created him for
that purpose. He made the earth for
his home (Isaiah 1919. Mans pres
ent condition Of sorrow. suffering and
death Is unnatural. 1t is the result
OF sin.
Tho Scriptures tremendously teach
that man was created and endowed
with the authority to have dominion
and rulership over the earth. He was
advised that such conditions would
continue perpetually and that his dis
obedience of Gods law would forfeit
all such rights, privileges and bless
ings. He did violate the law of
Jehovah and as a result was deprived
of his perfect home in Eden. SEN
fenced to death and that sentence
gradually enforced against him by
compelling him to dwell outside Of
Eden in the unfinished part of earth
and to feed upon the poisonous ele-
ments until dissolution resulted. Dur
ing that peroid of time the first man
begat children and they were born:
and the result of the fathers dis
obedience was visited upon the chill
dren; hence ST. Paul writes: Where
fore, as by one man sin entered into
the world, and death by sin: and so
death passed upon all men, for that
all have sinned."
Because of these facts. death has
reigned on the earth for many CEN
turtles. During the short period OF
time that men have lived the major
ity OF them have cultivated selfish
ness. resulting in oppression, perse-
cution, war, revolutions, profiteering
and wrongdoing in general.
ForeknowinS the end from the be-
ginning, the all-wise Jehovah out
lined q plan for the redemption OF
man from death, his full deliverance
and restoration to all his original and
blessed state. To this end Jehovah
made a promise to Abraham. saying:
I'm thy seed shall all the families of
the earth be blessed" This promise
meant an opportunity would be given
subsequently to mankind to enjoy the
frlncss of life. liberty and happi-
ness. Through another prophet God
said: II will redeem man from death:
/ will ransom from the power of
the grave"
70 carry out this plan of redemp-
ton and deliverance. God sent His
beloved Son Jesus into the world.
The purpose of His. coming Jesus
Himself stated: II came not to be
mlnistered unto. but to minister. and
to give my life a ransom" Again
He said, Il am come that they might
have life and have il more abundant
"" TO ransom means to purchase;
and since the whole race was sold
under the baneful effects of sin and
death by the first mans disobedience.
Jesus came to purchase those for
fcited rights that they might be re-
stored to man in Gods due time.
To the foregoing all Christians,
both Catholic and Protestant, agree.
. In fact. the plan of redemption is
the very foundation Of the Christian
religion and without it Christianity
would be q hollow mockery.
Why God Permitted Sin and Death
Why has God permitted mankind
to suffer sickness and death for CEN
turtles past? The answer is. that In
His own good time and pleasure Je-
hovah is working out his great plan.
during which time mankind is learn
ing lessons Of greatest value con-
corning the baneful effects of wrong
doing and the blessed results OF
obedience and right doing. The
beauty of the sunshine is always
more keenly appreciated after long
season of darkness. The past 5000
years have been a period of COM
parative darkness and suffering; but
the morning is dawning and joy is
coming with it! .--...
Why would Jehovah permit His be-
loved Son Jesus to come to earth to
suffer and die an ignominious death
and then to raise Him from the dead
unless it be His intention that great
benefits shall result to man there
from? He has promised the greatest
beneficial results. His promises are
true and must be fulfilled. The Bible
abounds with promises that the time
will come when men shall live
and never die. To this all Christians,
Catholic and Protestant, agree. One
OF our troubles has been that we
have quibbled too much about unim-
portant things and have omitted the
most important. 1t is Of the great
est importance, then, that all of us,