The Harp of God: Proof Conclusive That Millions Now Living Will Never Die

by J. F. Rutherford

[388]The last-named class, in support of their contention, cite the words of Jesus when he said: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only". (Matthew 24:36) It is assumed because he used these words that no one would ever know except Jehovah. We should remember that Jesus spoke those words while he was yet a man on the earth. He had not been glorified then. He did not say that no one would ever know of the hour or the day of his coming. If we conclude from these words that no man would ever know, we might as well conclude that Jesus would never know, because he said at that time that only the Father knew. Paraphrasing his words we note he said this: 'The day of my coming no one now knows except my Father. Neither man nor angel knows anything about it; nor do I even know,' At the same time, his words implied that conditions would change, so that others would know, because he said: "Watch therefore: for ye know not the hour your Lord doth come". (Matthew 24:42) Why watch unless they would know when the time would arrive? When Jesus arose from the dead he said: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth". (Matthew 28:18) He must have known then the time of his coming, because now as the creature divine everything was committed into his hands for the outworking of God's plan. At the time of his appearing surely the angels of heaven would know about it; and the day must come when the watchers would know.

[389]His last message to the disciples just before his ascension on high clearly indicated a time coming when the watchers would know. He said unto them: "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the holy spirit is come upon you." (Acts 1:7,8) Those who are begotten of the holy spirit have the promise that the Lord will reveal to them his great truths when due to be understood. (1 Corinthians 2:9,10) These are they that walk in the light, and for them the light shines with increasing brilliancy unto the perfect day. In harmony with this, St. Paul wrote: "Of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4) Plainly the Apostle here tells the followers of Jesus that if they are watching the things which the Lord told them to watch, the day of the Lord will not come upon them unawares, but they will mark the fulfillment of prophecy, and in the light of its fulfillment they will discern the time of the presence of the great King. Furthermore he says to them: "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober."—1 Thes. 5:5,6.

[390]We shall find that Jesus gave much evidence which enables the watcher to determine the Lord's presence. Jesus spoke in prophetic language. Prophecy means a foretelling of future events before they take place; and when they are taking place the watcher can ascertain that they are thus fulfilling the prophetic words previously spoken.

[391]Jesus gave us the positive evidence as to when to expect him. He gave a parable of the wheat and the tares, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn."—Matthew 13:24-30.

[392]Interpreting his own parable, Jesus said that he was the man who had gown the good seed; that the field is the world; and that the good seed are the children of the kingdom, and that the tares are the children of the wicked one; that the enemy who sowed them is the devil; and that the harvest is the end of the world.—Matthew 13:37-39.

[393]From this statement of the Master it is clearly shown that at the end of the age or world there must be a harvest; that Jesus Christ must be present as the Master of that harvest, and that the harvest will consist of gathering together the true followers of Christ in one body and of binding together the counterfeit or tare class for destruction. Stated in other phrase, there will be a gathering of the true vine class, true Christians, and the harvesting of the vine of the earth; namely, the nominal Babylonish systems of the world. Since the Master himself stated that he would come at this time to receive his own, the truly consecrated Christians, to himself, and that he, as the Master of the harvest, would direct what should be done, it follows that he must be present before the beginning of the harvest and during the time of the harvest. It would also follow that he would be present before the end of the world or age.

[394]Jehovah caused the prophet Daniel to write the salient features of events that would come to pass during the rule of the world powers that would be in existence from the time of the empire of Persia until "the time of the end". That which Daniel wrote was prophecy; that is to say, guided by the divine power, he recorded long in advance the happenings of certain events, which of itself shows that this prophecy could not be understood until the events had transpired. Daniel wrote concerning these events, but did not understand them. They are set forth in his prophetic utterances recorded in the book of Daniel, chapters 7 to 12, inclusive. Daniel himself said: "I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." (Daniel 12:8-10) The Lord had caused Daniel to record specifically what would happen when the time of the end should begin. The "time of the end" means a specific period at the end of gentile dominion. "And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown."—Daniel 11:40,41.

[395]The fulfillment of this prophecy fixes the beginning of the "time of the end", because the prophecy definitely so states. The campaign of the great warrior Napoleon Bonaparte is clearly a fulfillment of this prophecy, as reference to the historical facts concerning his campaign plainly show. The "king of the south" mentioned in the prophecy refers to Egypt; the "king of the north" means Great Britain, which was then an integral part of the Roman empire. Napoleon was in Egypt fighting the Egyptian armies, which were led by Murat Bey, and which he defeated. His victory not only struck terror to the Egyptians, but far into Africa and Asia, and all the surrounding tribes submitted to the great conqueror. While he was doing this, the British in the north, under the leadership of Lord Nelson, were making an effective attack upon Napoleon's forces at sea. Napoleon began this Egyptian campaign in 1798, finished it and returned to France on October 1, 1799. The campaign is briefly, yet graphically, described in the prophecy, verses 40 to 44; and being completed in 1799, marks, according to the Prophet's own words, the beginning of the "time of the end".

[396]From the time of the overthrow of Zedekiah (606 B.C.) and the establishment of the gentile universal empire under Nebuchadnezzar, the organizations of the world powers or governments have been designated in the Scriptures by God's Prophet as "beasts". The prophet Daniel (7:7,8) describes "a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible". This terrible beast was a form of government composed of three elements or component parts, namely, professional politicians, great financiers, and ecclesiastical leaders. This Satanic organization became dreadful and terrible from the time that these three forces were united. Of this unholy trinity, we see the Papacy, the ecclesiastical element, in the saddle, riding and directing everything. The date of its beginning was at the overthrow of the Ostrogothic monarchy, which occurred in A.D. 539.

[397]The prophet Daniel was given a vision of the events following, yet he did not understand them; and he says: "I looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half." (Daniel 12:5-7) In Biblical symbology a time means a year of twelve months of thirty days each, or 360 days. Each day is considered for a year, as the Prophet says: "I have appointed thee each day for a year". (Ezekiel 4:6) Here are mentioned, then, three and a half times of 360 prophetic days each, or a total of 1260 prophetic days, equal to 1260 years. The Prophet then was shown that the 1260 years would mark the beginning of the time of the end of this beastly order. Twelve-hundred sixty years from A.D. 539 brings us to 1799—another proof that 1799 definitely marks the beginning of "the time of the end". This also shows that it is from the date 539 A.D. that the other prophetic days of Daniel must be counted.