IS SALVATION NOW OFFERED TO ALL?
A man does not always realize fully the consequences of his doctrine. It seems to me that a person cannot believe the future-kingdom theory as now advocated and also believe that God now seeks the salvation of all men. If I understand this theory, and I think I do, the faithful Christians are to be rulers with Christ, and that to each one will be given territory commensurate with his development as a servant of God. Some, at least, seem to take the parable of the pounds (Luke 19:13-27) in a very literal sense. “Have thou authority over ten cities”; “Be thou also over five cities.” As there will be a limit to the number of cities, there will, of necessity, be a limit to the number of rulers needed. Mr. Russell was consistent and bold enough to plainly and openly declare that God is not now seeking to convert the mass of mankind, but is only getting a ruling class ready. His position on this point is so well known that I shall not here take space to quote from him. Some do not speak so plainly on this point as Mr. Russell, and yet they speak plainly enough to be understood, as the following from Brother R. H. Boll will show: “That the ‘new song’ of Rev. 5:9, 10 views the work of purchasing unto God with his own blood men out of every nation as finished. The selection is seen as completed; the full number of the chosen ones seen as constituting a kingdom of priests unto God, as reigning on earth. This then prophetically foreviews the time when God shall have done visiting ‘the Gentiles’ (the nations) to take out of them a people for his name. (Acts 15:14.) The church is an election, called out.” Again: “He has a mystery—that is, a secret—to tell us: to wit, that Israel’s hardening is limited as to extent and as to time: as to extent, for it is ‘in part;’ as to time, for it is ‘until’ something is accomplished—namely, until the full count of the elect Gentiles shall have come in. Then Israel’s tide shall turn.” So it seems that the Lord has a certain number of Gentiles to be called, and the present order must continue till the “full count of the elect Gentiles shall have come in.” But all such teaching is essential to the future-kingdom theory as now advocated. The theory necessitates the doctrine that now is the time of salvation for only the needed number of rulers.