[435]The Christian truly consecrated to the Lord believes and follows the Lord's teaching: "Thou shalt not kill". (Matthew 5:21) And again: "Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal". (2 Corinthians 10:3,4) During the World War many of the nations passed laws to govern conscientious objectors, that is, those who object to taking human life. The officers of the present evil order upon whom devolved the duty and obligation of construing and enforcing this law, disregarded it; and at the instance of an apostate and dishonest clergy, truly consecrated Christians, particularly those known as Bible Students, were, in fulfillment of Jesus' utterances, hated, beaten, persecuted, haled into the courts and imprisoned, and some of them killed. But the Lord's protecting care has been about them through it all.
[436]In Germany they were persecuted, some put in the front ranks of the assaulting army. One Christian man, for instance, who refused to take human life because of his faith in the Lord, was placed in the front line of attack during a battle. A soldier was placed on either side of him with gun and bayonet and instructed to kill him if he attempted to escape. He went through the battle. Most of his regiment was annihilated, including the two guards by his side. When the battle was over this Christian brother had not a scratch. Again he was put in a similar position; and again he went through another battle without injury. He was then charged with being insane because he would not fight and placed in an insane asylum and kept there for a period of time, until he was turned out; and then he proceeded with proclaiming the message of the Lord's presence and his glorious incoming kingdom.
[437]The persecution in Great Britain of the same class of Christians, and in Canada, and in the United States—long boasted of as the land of the free and the home of the brave—was so terrible that words are inadequate to describe it. Number 27 of the GOLDEN AGE magazine, issued September 29, 1920, gives a detailed description of many of these wicked persecutions, which mark a clear fulfillment of these prophetic utterances of the Lord. The ones who had the privilege of passing through them and who had the many evidences of the Lord's blessings, rejoice because accounted worthy to suffer as our Lord had suffered, remembering his words: "The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you".—John 15:20.
[438]Jesus furthermore said: "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come". (Matthew 24:14) In the year 1919 many of the Bible Students in different parts of the earth, emerging from army camps and prison dungeons, rejoicing in their privileges, again assembled together and with united action went forth to proclaim the message of the presence of the Lord; and particularly the message, "The World Has Ended—Millions Now Living Will Never Die," clearly in fulfillment of the words of the Master in the text last above quoted. Numbers of public lectures delivered upon this subject throughout Christendom have gladdened the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people, comforting those that mourn. In 1920 this message was put into printed form in the booklet entitled "Millions Now Living Will Never Die", and in the lands where the greatest persecution prevailed against the people of the Lord, greatest has been the witness. Within eight months 2,500,000 copies of this booklet were placed in the hands of the people; and yet the message goes on, giving a wider and wider witness, looking forward to the full consummation of "the time of the end", the end of the old order and the incoming of Messiah's kingdom.
REGATHERING OF ISRAEL
[439]Jesus furthermore said that the regathering of Israel to Palestine (Luke 21:24) would be one of the most conclusive proofs of his presence and of the end of the world. A full discussion of this point, together with many other points concerning the end of the world, is set forth in detail in the above mentioned booklet, "Millions Now Living Will Never Die". Therein is shown conclusively that the prophecies have been fulfilled exactly on time; that Israel is now being regathered and is rebuilding Palestine exactly as the Lord foretold. Jesus said: "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh".—Luke 21:28.
[440]Jesus, speaking further through his chosen vessel, refers to the harvest of the tare class, saying, "The harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped." (Revelation 14:15,16) This gathering of the elements of Christendom, the vine of the earth, and the reaping of it for destruction, is now in progress. It is one feature of the Lord's work, which proves his presence at this time.
[441]There are many other corroborative evidences of the presence of the Lord, but space will not permit the examination of all of them here. We leave the reader to find a more detailed explanation of these great corroborative truths set forth in Volumes 2 and 3 of STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES.
[442]Why should any one deceive himself by being induced to cease an investigation of this subject because some self-constituted wise one will say: 'You can never know when the Lord will come'? Jesus himself said to his faithful followers: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come". (Matthew 24:42) "And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." (Mark 13:37) The clear inference here is that the watchers in due time would recognize the evidences of his presence, and recognizing these, would rejoice.
[443]Suppose we admit, for the sake of the argument, that no man knows the day nor hour of the Lord's appearing. What difference does that make? The hour and the day have already passed. He is here! And let all truly consecrated Christians rejoice. "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you," says St. Paul. (1 Thessalonians 5:1) The times and seasons are clearly established by the overwhelming proof that the Lord is now present. Therefore, "ye, brethren, are not in darkness, ... ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness". Why quibble now about dates, days or hours? The physical facts, the fulfilled prophecy and prophecy further in course of fulfillment, prove overwhelmingly and beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Lord is present, that the world has ended, that the kingdom of heaven is at hand! And the true watchers are joyfully exclaiming: "Behold the Bridegroom!" As faithful members of his body, as the feet of him, they are standing upon the mountains, that is, upon or above the kingdoms of earth, singing out to the peoples of Zion: 'Thy God reigneth! The kingdom of heaven is at hand!' The Prophet of the Lord describes them thus: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion."—Isaiah 52:7,8.